How to make: Pancake Bites and Homemade Chocolates

Sometimes you're not in the mood for a giant cupcake or a big piece of cake. You need something small and simple that still satisfies your sweet tooth. These desserts are the perfect solution, they're both bite-sized and full of flavor.

One fun thing about these treats is that you can make them your own. You can add sprinkles, fruit, other candies, pretty much anything you want! They're perfect for parties or for family and friends, they can make great gifts with a personalized touch for everyone.

Okay, let's start with the pancake bites!

Pancake Bites:

This recipe is pretty quick and easy while giving you a good supply of bites. And they always go great with syrup!

Equipment:

- Mini muffin pan

Ingredients:

- Pancake mix (pre-prepared*)

- Mix-ins:

These can be just about anything but some of my favorites are:

- Chocolate chips

- Sprinkles

- Peanut Butter Chips

- Jelly or Jam

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray or lightly butter the mini muffin pan and set aside. In a small or medium bowl prepare the pancake mix according to the recipe.

Fill each muffin tin about 1/2 full of pancake mix and add in your favorite topping. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for later.

Tips:

* Another part of this recipe you can make your own, the pancake mix. You can use your favorite box mix or you can find a homemade recipe that does the trick.

- I usually use a small ice-cream scoop to fill my tins. They can help with any mess and can make the process a little faster.

This next recipe is pretty similar to my Peanut Butter Drizzle recipe, the main difference being the quantities. It's a simple recipe that still gives you the silky smooth texture and taste that everyone loves.

Homemade Chocolates:

Equipment:

- Glass mixing bowls or measuring cups*

- Silicone molds or truffle pan

- Spatula

- Fork or whisk

- Squeeze bottles or piping bags (optional)

Ingredients:

- 1 12 oz. bag Milk Chocolate Chips

- 1 12 oz. bag Peanut Butter Chips

- Vegetable shortening

Preparation:

In a small bowl or measuring cup empty the bag of milk chocolate chips, add 1-2 tbsp. of shortening and microwave for 15-30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth.

If you're using the bottles or bags fill them with the chocolate and pipe the chocolate around the edges of the molds to create a shell or fill the mold for a solid piece.

If you are doing the shells set aside the remaining chocolate for the bottom layer of the shells.

If you are doing a solid piece of chocolate tap the mold on a counter to even it out. Put the mold in the fridge or freezer to harden.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup repeat the melting process with the peanut butter chips. Remove the mold from the freezer and fill the shells with the peanut butter being careful not to fill them completely.

You may want to stick the molds back in the fridge for a few minutes to set them. Fill the remaining space with the leftover chocolate and return to the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Once set remove from the fridge and serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Tips:

* While most bowls and mixing cups work perfectly for this, either way, I found that using bowls or cups that have lips makes pouring the chocolate easier.

If you enjoyed these recipes you might also enjoy my recipe for cake batter bites. For updates on recipes check out my Author Insta.

If you'd like to see some videos of the process click here.

I hope you enjoy!