These Mini Pistachio Brownies take your favorite chewy, fudgy brownies to the next level. Filled with a pistachio kataifi filling, topped with silky chocolate ganache, and finished with a drizzle of pistachio cream and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. They are fudgy, nutty, and chocolatey, perfect for parties or a luxurious chocolate treat.
I developed these Pistachio Brownies because I'm taking brownie bites to work this week. I promised my co-workers "Emotional Support Brownies" and wanted something extra special that would make anyone happy, and these will make anyone's mood brighter! These brownie bites are my way of taking the flavors from my Dubai Chocolate Bar and elevating them. Each bite features a soft, chewy brownie base layered with pistachio kataifi filling, smooth chocolate ganache, pistachio cream, and crushed pistachios on top. They are rich, chocolatey, nutty, and perfectly bite-sized for sharing or sneaking a few for yourself.
If you love these flavors, you will also want to try my Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake Bars and Dubai Chocolate Brioche Buns. Each recipe has a unique spin on the Viral Dubai Chocolate, and they're all so indulgent and worth a try.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Fudgy brownies - These Pistachio Brownies have such a fudgy and chewy texture, and a rich chocolate flavor. They're perfect for elevating a delicious dessert.
Dubai Chocolate flavors - If you were a fan of the Viral Dubai Chocolate Bar or any of its variations, you'll absolutely love these. I recently told my husband that I prefer these over the chocolate bar!
Quick and easy - The base brownie recipe is incredibly easy to make and takes very little time in the oven. The rest of the elements can all be made in less than 30 minutes.
No fancy equipment - I love a fancy dessert that doesn't require any fancy tools. This one looks luxurious, but very little effort is put into it.
Pistachio cream - The filling, which contains pistachio cream is smooth, creamy, and so delicious! Pistachio cream is featured in a few of my recipes, like my Pistachio Blondies, Stuffed Pistachio Cookies, and Chocolate Pistachio Rolls.
Perfect for sharing - Makes 24 bite-sized treats that perfect for parties, Valentine's Day, birthdays, or storing for a sweet treat for yourself throughout the week.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Brownie Bites
- Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. If using salted, reduce the salt by ¼ tsp.
- Neutral Oil - The oil in this recipe creates more moisture in the brownie bites. You can use any type of neutral oil.
- Cocoa Powder - I like using dutch process cocoa powder in all my baked goods, but for these brownies, you can also use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Chocolate - I have tried this recipe with chopped dark chocolate as well as semi-sweet chocolate chips, and both work great!
- Sugar - I use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Do not reduce the sugar because that will change the texture and final result of this recipe.
Pistachio Kataifi
- Kataifi dough - Kataifi dough is shredded phyllo dough, and it's used in many Middle Eastern desserts. You can usually find it in Middle Eastern shops.
- Pistachio Cream - I like buying my Pistachio Cream instead of making it, but feel free to make your own if you like. There are so many types out there. Some are much greener than others, so use whatever you like.
- Tahini - The tahini adds a bit of a nuttier flavor to these Dubai Chocolate Brownies. You could skip this if you're not a fan of tahini or sesame seeds.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Muffin Pan: You'll need a mini muffin pan.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter completely over medium heat, then add the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate and, using a spatula, stir all together until it's completely combined and smooth. Don't boil the mixture.
Just stir it together over the heat until there are no clumps. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5-7 minutes for the mixture to cool.
💡 Hint: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature!
Step 2
Once cooled, add both eggs and whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes. At first the mixture will act like it wants to separate and feel weird, but it will come together. Just trust the process. Whisk until it's smooth and glossy!
Step 3
Lastly, add the flour and salt and fold in using a spatula until just combined and all streaks of flour have been combined.
Step 4
Using a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon, pour batter into each muffin well, about ¾ full. The batter will fill all 24 wells.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until the brownie bites have risen and the tops are glossy and crinkly. Don't over bake. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Step 5
Let cool for 15 minutes, then press down into each brownie bite with the back of a measuring spoon to create a well (it's up to you how deep you want the well, but don't go too deep). Then let them cool completely.
🎩Trick: The best way I found to remove them is to twist the brownie in the pan, then lifting them out using a butter knife. You definitely want to twist before lifting because twisting ensures that all bits of the brownie will come out. I found that if I don't twist, some brownie bits will remain stuck to the pan.
Step 6
Preheat a large skillet on medium heat and melt butter, then add the kataifi.
Continue stirring (don't leave it, otherwise parts of it could start burning).It will take about 10-15 minutes to get all the pastry dough crispy and golden brown. Just keep stirring until you reach the desired color and all the dough is now golden brown.
Step 7
Pour crispy kataifi into a bowl, add the pistachio cream, tahini, pinch of salt, and stir. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 8
Make chocolate ganache by pouring warm heavy cream into a bowl of chocolate, then letting it sit for a few minutes, then stirring to combine. Set aside until thickens a little.
Add pistachio kataifi mix to each brownie bite well.
Step 9
Spoon chocolate ganache on top, then drizzle pistachio cream on top of the chocolate ganache, and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Store Pistachio Brownies in an airtight container.
💬 FAQ
The edges will look set, the tops will have a glossy/shiny, and crackly finish.
Dry brownies are the result of over baking or adding too much flour. It's important to properly measure your flour and to bake until just set.
Yes, you can make the brownies 1-2 days ahead of time, but I would suggest not adding any of the filling until the day of, or the day before, so that the ganache and filling are still fresh.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Grease pan - Make sure to grease your pan using butter or a non-stick baking spray. This will help release the brownie bites from the pan once baked.
Cool chocolate - After melting the butter and combining the sugars and chocolate, make sure to cool the mixture for 5-7 minutes, otherwise you risk scrambling the eggs.
Room temperature ingredients - When a recipe calls for room temperature ingredients, it's important to follow it. For these brownie bites, the butter can go in cold straight from the fridge, but the eggs should be at room temperature so they mix smoothly into the chocolate mixture.
Whisk eggs - Make sure to whisk the eggs vigorously for 1-2 minutes. This will help all the ingredients incorporate, but it will also create a glossy, silky mixture that will result in the signature crackly tops.
Do not reduce sugar - Sometimes it's tempting to reduce sugar, but with brownies it can be tricky because sugar helps lock in moisture and helps in the overall structure and rise of the brownies. It also contributes to the glossy, crackly tops.
Do not over mix - Avoid over mixing once you add the flour. Just fold it in until you don't see any streaks.
Don't over bake - Just bake for 12-14 minutes, checking at around 10 minutes, if your oven runs hot.
Cool slightly - Let the mini pistachio brownies cool for about 15 minutes before creating the wells. This helps them set just enough while staying warm and easy to indent.
Stir! - Make sure to stir the kataifi dough so that it cooks evenly and browns all around, and to avoid burning.
❄ Storage
Once cooled, store these Pistachio Brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
If the environment is too warm, store in the refrigerator.
📖 Recipe Card
Pistachio Brownies
Equipment
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 whisk
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
Brownie Bites
- 8 tablespoon (113 g) unsalted butter cold from the fridge is fine
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (50 g) dutch process cocoa powder (you can use unsweetened natural too)
- ½ cup (100 g) dark chocolate chopped (semi-sweet chocolate chips work too)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup (80 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pistachio Kataifi Filling
- 100 g shredded kataifi dough cut into pieces, if not already.
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 120 g pistachio cream
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 100 g heavy whipping cream
Topping
- pistachio cream
- crushed pistachios
Instructions
Brownie Bites
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and prep your 24-cup mini muffin pan by greasing it with melted butter or spraying it with a baking spray. This will help release the brownies from the pan and prevent sticking.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter completely over medium heat, then add the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate and, using a spatula, stir all together until it's completely combined and smooth. Don't boil the mixture. Just stir it together over the heat until there are no clumps. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5-7 minutes for the mixture to cool.Note: Adding cocoa powder to melted butter blooms cocoa powder, which deepens the chocolate flavor.8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 3 tablespoon neutral oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ½ cup dutch process cocoa powder, ½ cup dark chocolate
- Once cooled, add both eggs and whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes. At first the mixture will act like it wants to separate and feel weird, but it will come together. Just trust the process. Whisk until it's smooth and glossy!2 large eggs
- Lastly, add the flour and salt and fold in using a spatula until just combined and all streaks of flour have been combined.⅔ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Using a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon, pour batter into each muffin well, about ¾ full. The batter will fill all 24 wells.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes (start checking at 12 if your oven runs hot) until the brownie bites have risen and the tops are glossy and crinkly. Don't over bake.
- Let cool for 15 minutes, then press down into each brownie bite with the back of a measuring spoon to create a well (it's up to you how deep you want the well, but don't go too deep). Then let them cool completely.
- Once cooled, the best way I found to remove them is to twist the brownie in the pan, then lifting them out using a butter knife. You definitely want to twist before lifting because twisting ensures that all bits of the brownie will come out. I found that if I don't twist, some brownie bits will remain stuck to the pan.
Pistachio Kataifi
- Preheat a large skillet on medium heat and melt butter, then add the kataifi.Continue stirring (don't leave it, otherwise parts of it could start burning). It will take about 10-15 minutes to get all the pastry dough crispy and golden brown. Just keep stirring until you reach the desired color and all the dough is now golden brown.100 g shredded kataifi dough, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pour crispy kataifi into a bowl, add the pistachio cream, tahini, pinch of salt, and stir. Set aside.120 g pistachio cream, 1 tablespoon tahini, pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.Heat up heavy cream until it reaches a simmer (do not boil), then pour it over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Once smooth, let it sit for about 5 or so minutes until it thickens a little. You want a consistency that isn't too thin.100 g semi-sweet chocolate chips, 100 g heavy whipping cream
Assembly
- Microwave a few tablespoons of pistachio cream and set it aside. This is to help it drizzle more easily.
- Add pistachio kataifi mix to each brownie bite well, then spoon chocolate ganache on top (if the ganache is too thin and just running down the sides of the brownie, then wait another few minutes).
- Drizzle pistachio cream on top of the chocolate ganache, then sprinkle with crushed pistachios.pistachio cream, crushed pistachios
- If you have any filling left over, use it to make Dubai Chocolate Bars.
Notes
- Vanilla extract: I find that it's not necessary in this recipe because the rich chocolate over powers any vanilla flavor, but if you want to add some, you can add 1 tsp.
- Espresso powder: If you want to enhance the chocolate flavor, add ¼ teaspoon of espresso powder. If you want the espresso powder to come through, add at least a tsp.
- Neutral oil: You can use any type of neutral like, like vegetable, canola, avocado, light olive oil.
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