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5 Seriously Adorable Mini Desserts Everyone Will Love

These small but mighty treats boast chocolate and peanut butter, red velvet and other crazy-good flavors.
Lynn Andriani
A Shrunken Version Of The French Dessert Du Jour
Haarala Hamilton
As éclairs reemerge as the new darlings of the sweet-treat world, we're falling in love all over again with the cream-filled, chocolate-topped pastries. Miniaturize them and they're even more charming. And contrary to what you might think, you don't need a degree in French pastry-making to create your own. In her new book, Sensationally Sugar Free, Susanna Booth shows us how to make three-inch versions of these enduring classics (and shockingly, they don't have any added sugar).

Get the recipe: Mini Chocolate Éclairs
The PB&C You Don't Have To Share
Melissa Hom
Peanut butter and chocolate can do no wrong, whether in cookies, frozen treats or these cakelets from Melba Wilson, owner of Melba's, in Harlem, and author of the forthcoming Melba's American Comfort. The muffin-size cakes consist of a chocolate cake batter with a hefty spoonful of creamy peanut butter stuffed inside. They're gooey and decadent -- and thanks to the individual portions, there's no fighting for the last bite.

Get the recipe: Molten Chocolate-Peanut Butter Petite Cakes
The Little Cheesecake With Big Surprises
Ella Leché
Fruit and nuts can come together in some pretty untraditional ways -- and the results are often mind-blowing. Take this unusual (and delicious) take on cheesecake, from Cut the Sugar, You're Sweet Enough, by Ella Leché. The filling is made with cashews that you've soaked in water, along with coconut oil, maple syrup, water and lemon zest -- so it's much lighter than a typical cheesecake, yet still creamy and sweet. The crust is a tasty mix of almonds, dates and dried cranberries. You make diminutive, two-inch cakes in a silicone muffin pan, so they're easy to pop out. Top them with raspberries, lemon zest and mint leaves for a bright and fresh ending to any meal.

Get the recipe: Raw Raspberry-Lemon Mini Cheesecakes
A Tiny Casserole Packed With Rich Flavor
Lynn Andriani
We dare anyone to resist a warm serving of custard-soaked, buttery bread laced with sugar and spices. The first trick to pulling off these ramekin-size treats: Use challah or brioche -- they're both made with eggs and therefore have a rich texture and flavor. The second: Soak the bread in melted vanilla ice cream (it's essentially custard). Preparing the dessert in ramekins makes it easy to top each serving with its own caramelized sugar, créme brûlée-like lid (since there's less surface area to cover). Break it open to find the soft, sweet pudding below.

Get the recipe: Mini Bread-Pudding Brûlée
A Cult Favorite That Boasts A Just-The-Right-Size Topper
Thinkstock
Dramatic-looking red velvet cupcakes are always a show-stopping dessert. These shrunken spins on the beloved Southern cake take the presentation up a notch, with each one garnished with a fresh raspberry atop the traditional cream cheese frosting. Plus, raspberry and chocolate are an unbeatable combination.

Get the recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Also on HuffPost:

Outrageous Chocolate Desserts
4-Ingredient Brownies (No, Really)(01 of11)
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The only thing standing between you and subtly sweet, cakey brownies is a handful of everyday ingredients (Nutella, eggs, flour and kosher salt) and 45 minutes. You could probably get away with skipping the salt, but it adds a sophisticated and savory edge.Get the recipe: Chocolate-Hazelnut Brownies (credit:Jonny Valiant)
The Extravagant French Dessert That's Secretly A Snap To Make(02 of11)
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Pots de creme -- which are basically individually portioned bowls or cups of loose custard -- take just 20 minutes to prepare (plus chilling time). This recipe includes clementine zest, which is a bright complement to the rich chocolate. If you don't have ramekins, just use assorted wine or martini glasses.Get the recipe: Clementine Pots de Creme (credit:Chris Court)
The Chewy Chocolate-Chip Classic(03 of11)
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Chef and Food Network personality Alton Brown shares his recipe for deliciously ooey-gooey chocolate-chip cookies. The magic ingredient: bread flour. It has a higher gluten content, which thickens the dough and helps make the finished product chewier.Get the recipe: The Chewy Cookie (credit:Thinkstock)
The Truly Genius Way To Pair Wine And Chocolate(04 of11)
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Rather than letting an open bottle of red wine languish on the refrigerator shelf, blogger Deb Perelman, author of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, uses it in place of the usual food coloring in a red velvet cake. The result -- a fudgy marriage of chocolate and wine -- will leave you hopeful for more leftover Pinot Noir in the near future.Get the recipe: Red-Wine Velvet Cake (credit:Gentl & Hyers)
A Chocolate Cake The Size Of Texas(05 of11)
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Forget your 8-inch round pans: This ginormous dessert gets baked in one big sheet pan -- which gives you at least 24 servings of moist, pick-it-up-with-your-hands cake. Just have plenty of napkins handy to wipe the chocolate icing off your fingers (though we won't judge if you just want to lick it off).Get the recipe: Texas Sheet Cake (credit:Erin Kunkel)
The Candy-Brownie Mash-Up(06 of11)
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These two-bite treats from "The Chew" cohost Carla Hall are a mind-blowing cross between a chocolate-ganache truffle and a velvety, fudge-like brownie. They make excellent gifts -- if you can bear to part with them.Get the recipe: Chocolate Decadent Bites (credit:Johnny Miller)
A Candy Bar That Does More Than Just 'Satisfy'(07 of11)
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Sure, these nougat-caramel-peanut-chocolate treats look like the convenience-store snacks you gobbled up as a kid, but they taste so amazing, you could serve them at your next dinner party.Get the recipe: Snacker Candy Bars (credit:Romulo Yates)
The Brilliant Combination Of Chocolate And Pie(08 of11)
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In this over-the-top dessert, a tender, cocoa-flavored crust holds a custard filling made from dark chocolate. A last-minute topping of pistachio whipped cream is a beautifully smooth finishing touch.Get the recipe: Chocolate Pistachio Pie (credit:Anna Williams)
A Can't-Screw-It-Up Total Package(09 of11)
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Economical, super-simple to make, good-looking and tasty, this chocolaty matzo-based confection will "magically disappear before your eyes," say Liz Gutman and Jen King, proprietors of the Brooklyn candy company Liddabit Sweets. You can use any kind of matzo (salted or not) or even Saltines, and add toppings such as coconut, slivered almonds or chopped dried cherries.Get the recipe: Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crunch (credit:Rachel Been)
The Brownie With A Really Good Identity Crisis(10 of11)
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Baking expert Alice Medrich's easy-to-make chocolate treats look like cookies (you drop spoonfuls of batter onto baking sheets instead of pouring it into a pan). But there's no mistaking the moist, buttery taste: These are brownies. (Get yourself a cold glass of milk.)Get the recipe: Bittersweet Brownie Drops (credit:Sang An)
A 'But It's Good For You!' Cookie(11 of11)
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If you're going to eat a healthy dessert, these chocolately bites are the way to go. Yes, they contain butter, brown sugar and chocolate, but also whole wheat flour, oats, apple butter, walnuts and raisins -- so you can get your chocolate fix (relatively) guilt-free.Get the recipe: Chocolate Rocks
Next: 29 ingenious brownie and cookie mix-ins (credit:Gentl & Hyers)

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