10 Delicious Bite-Sized Desserts

For Valentine’s Day this year we made individual portions of tiramisu in small coffee cups. Soon after that we used our ragtag collection of espresso cups for 3 to 4 bites of some very dense chocolate mousse. Now we’ve fallen in love with individual spoonfuls of crème brulée — we just love the idea of desserts made for one delicious bite.

Bite-sized desserts are a great way to have something sweet after dinner without totally weighing down what would have otherwise been a healthy one. Plus, they just seem like a lot more fun.

1. Mini Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats. A great idea for kids to satisfy their desire for dessert without having to scrape them off the ceiling a half hour later!

2. Bite-Sized Crème Brulée. We found these over on Decorno and they inspired this entire post. We love the idea of a spoonful of creamy, sweet, crunchy crème brulée. Try this recipe — just pour the custard into large ceramic spoons.

3. Brownie Ice Cream Mini-wiches from Sunset Magazine. With the weather heating up in LA, these are starting to sound perfect.

4. Bite Sized Bacon Caramels. For your gourmand friends that like salty with their sweet. Impress them with these one bite caramels with sea salt and bacon.

5. Tiramisu for Two. We made them in coffee cups so it was more than bite-sized, but make them in Moroccan tea glasses or espresso cups for a bite of coffee-infused sweetness.

6. Mini Molasses Cookies with Lemon Filling. Any cookie would make for a great mini, one bite version. Careful! If Trader Joe’s mini chocolate chip cookies are any indication, these bite-sized cookies will be gone in a flash.

7.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

8. Chocolate Pecan Mini Tarts. Hint: use cupcake molds and almost any pie recipe to make mini pies and tarts!

9. Mini Chocolate Ice Cream Soda. Can’t wait for summer to break out some shot glasses of milkshake and ice cream soda.

10. Cake Pops. For some nostalgia, some cake and some fun.

What are your favorite mini and bite-sized desserts?

Related: Tip for Eating Less: Make Mini Desserts

Originally published March 9, 2010.

(Images: Faith Durand, Decorno, Annabelle Breakey, Sarah Rae Trover, Laure Joliet, Faith Durand, Leo Gong for Bon Appetit, Brittany, Mocha Chocolatarita, Faith Durand)