blue stripes and beagles: Brownie Bites

Brownie bites, possibly one of the world's greatest inventions. These are gluten free and dairy free to accommodate all the allergies in my family and would be a great addition to a fourth of July menu. Coming up this week I will have a recipe using these brownie bites to make a festive trifle. But if making a trifle is too much, you can simply dress them up by sticking in some handmade flags and put them on a pretty plate or cake stand.

Ingredients:

- 5oz of dairy free chocolate chips (I use the Enjoy Life brand)

- 1/2 cup of coconut oil

- 1 cup of light brown sugar (not packed and mine was just under 1 cup)

- 1/2 cup almond meal

- 1/4 rice flour

- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

- 1/4 baking soda

- 2 organic eggs

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a mini muffin tin. Then start by melting the chocolate and coconut oil either in a pot on the stove or in the microwave, both will work fine. While that is melting whisk together the brown sugar, almond meal, rice flour, sea salt, and baking soda. Now make a well in the dry mixture and add the eggs, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture. Stir this well until well combined and scoop the batter into your prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 8-10 min just until they are set. Over baking them will make them dry and caking and not the soft brownie texture we are looking for. When they done let them fully cool before taking them out of the pans, if you don't wait they will fall apart into hands. So if you don't mind crumbly brownies go ahead and eat them out of the pan, but if presentation is more of your thing please wait until they are cool. And just like that you made gluten free and dairy free brownie bites, enjoy!