Nutty Irishman Brownie Bites
Nutty Irishman Brownie Bites are an adults-only treat for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration! The classic shooter has been transformed into bite sized morsels of rich, fudgy deliciousness.
Brownie Bites Inspired by the Nutty Irishman Cocktail
I’ve seen the Nutty Irishman served up as a cocktail, a shooter, a coffee drink and a milkshake. There are several versions of the recipe as well. Some include Irish Whiskey or Kahlua along with various mixers. But, you’ll always find hazelnut liqueur and Irish cream at it’s core.
In this dessert rendition, I spiked the brownies with Irish whiskey, swirled hazelnut cocoa spread across the top of the batter, then added a dollop of Irish cream buttercream to each little bite-sized square.
They are rich + fudgy, and a fun way to enjoy a Nutty Irishman without the side effects! 😉
Ingredients for Nutty Irishman Brownie Bites
- Unsalted butter
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Granulated sugar
- Whole eggs
- Irish Whiskey (I used Jameson)
- Hazelnut extract (vanilla extract is typical, but this will boost the hazelnut flavor)
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Hazelnut cocoa spread (like Nutella)
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Irish cream liqueur (I used Bailey’s)
- Vanilla extract
How to Make the Spiked Hazelnut Brownies
Step 1 — Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan, then line it with a sheet of parchment so the edges of the paper hang over two of the sides. This will make it easy to lift the whole slab of brownies out of the pan after baking.
Step 2 — In a medium, microwave safe mixing bowl, measure out the chocolate chips and add one stick of butter (you can cut it into pieces). Melt these together in the microwave at 50% power for one minute. Stir it and continue to microwave in 15-30 second increments until the chocolate chips are almost melted. Stir together until the chips have completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Step 3 — Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then mix in the granulated sugar and whiskey.
Step 4 — Whisk the eggs up with a fork and add half the eggs at a time to the batter. Mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the hazelnut extract.
Step 5 — Add the flour and salt and mix the batter just until there are no flour pockets. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 6 — Drop dollops of hazelnut cocoa spread over the top of the batter. Use the tip of a blunt knife to swirl the spread across the top.
Step 7 — Bake the brownies for 27 to 32 minutes. Check it at 27 minutes for doneness — a pick inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs attached. If it’s not done, check again in a couple minutes.
Step 8 — Remove the brownie pan to a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then you can lift the brownies out of the baking pan onto the rack to cool completely before slicing them into 36 bite sized pieces, about 1-1/2” square.
How to Make the Irish Cream Buttercream
This is a small batch recipe with just enough buttercream to add a dollop to each brownie bite.
With a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy and light. Gradually add half the confectioner’s sugar, beating after each addition. Beat in the Irish cream, vanilla extract, and kosher salt.
Continue mixing in more confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time, until the buttercream reaches a consistency that would be easy to pipe. If you add too much sugar and the buttercream becomes too thick, you can thin it out with a teaspoon of milk at a time (or more Irish cream, although this would add more sweetness to an already super sweet buttercream).
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or zip top bag (cut the corner off after filling the bag) and pipe a dollop of buttercream on each brownie bite.
Substitutions + Variations
The Irish whiskey will evaporate during baking, but if you’d like to make these family friendly, omit the whiskey and Irish cream altogether. The flavors won’t be quite the same, but they will still be delicious!
- In the brownies, simply leave out the whiskey. No substitution needed. But, you could use the same amount of strong brewed coffee.
- In the buttercream, replace Irish cream with milk. You can also replace the vanilla extract with hazelnut extract to add more of that flavor.
- If hazelnut is not your thing, check out my semi-homemade recipe for Deliciously Decadent Raspberry Java Brownie Sundaes or this easy Homemade Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle.
Check Out These Other St. Patrick’s Day Recipes…
- Leftover Corned Beef Hash Waffles with Savoy Cabbage + Eggs
- Dublin Coddle Egg Rolls with Mustard Caper Sauce
- Cashel Blue Cheese + Pear Tarts
- Mini Steak + Stout Pot Pies
- Irish Lamb Pie
Nutty Irishman Brownie Bites
Ingredients
Spiked Hazelnut Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 8 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Irish whiskey, (like Jameson)
- 2 large eggs, whisked up with a fork
- 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract, or vanilla, if you can't find it
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup hazelnut cocoa spread, (like Nutella)
Irish Cream Buttercream
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoon Irish cream liquor , (like Bailey's)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×9 inch pan (you can use the butter residue from the butter wrapper) and line it with parchment paper so the paper hangs over the sides.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter together at 50% power for 60 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave in 15-30 second increments, stirring after each burst.
- Allow it to cool slightly, then mix in the sugar and whiskey.
- Add half the eggs at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the hazelnut extract.
- Add the flour and salt and mix just until no lumps of flour appear in the batter, taking care not to overmix. Pour the batter into the baking dish.
- Drop dollops of the hazelnut cocoa spread on top of the batter. Use a knife or skewer to swirl it across the top
- Bake for 27 to 32 minutes (check at 27). The brownies are done when some crumbs still stick to a toothpick inserted in the center.
- Cool completely before slicing into 1-1/2" squares.
- To make the buttercream: Beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add half the confectioner's sugar, beating after each addition. Mix in the Irish Cream, vanilla and salt. Then gradually mix in the remaining sugar until the frosting is a pipe-able consistency. You may not need all the sugar. If the frosting gets too stiff, thin it with milk (or more Irish cream), a teaspoon at a time.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping or zip top bag (with the corner snipped off) and pipe a dollop of icing on each mini brownie bite.
Nutrition
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