These tiny Blackberry Spice Muffin Bites are light and airy, with just the right balance of cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice to complement a sweet, creamy blackberry frosting and a tart half-blackberry on top. They’re quick to prepare, simple to make, and attractive served on any buffet or party table.
One thing I love about the festive season is the endless variety of canapés and miniature versions of classic dishes. Scaling portions down lets everyone taste more of the delicious options on offer, and who can resist a plate of perfectly portioned, doll-sized treats?
The Spanish idea of tapas gets it right: lots of small plates, a variety of flavours and the freedom to graze. I wish more restaurants embraced this approach. Chris and I recently enjoyed a place in Harrogate called Deano’s Graze & Grill that serves tiny grazing plates—fish & chips or duck hash with a fried egg and HP sauce. It’s the kind of menu I could happily eat from every day.
Imagine a menu offering mini seafood risotto, mini pizza and mini steak—perfect for indecisive diners—followed by mini crème brûlée, mini Eaton mess and these Blackberry Spice Bites. Small portions make it easy to enjoy a wide selection without overdoing it.
Alternatively, serving a selection of small, flavourful bites with a big salad is a far more satisfying approach than forcing yourself to eat tasteless diet food. These mini cakes are a great way to enjoy dessert without the guilt of a large slice.
The Blackberry Spice Muffin Bites Recipe:
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Blackberry Spice Bites
30
10
40
Ingredients
Cakes:
- 120 g golden caster sugar
- 1 small egg lightly whisked and 1 tsp discarded
- 40 ml vegetable or coconut oil melted and cooled
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 115 ml berry-flavoured yoghurt ideally full fat
- 125 g plain (all-purpose) flour plus 1 extra tbsp to mix with the blackberries
- ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 pinch mixed spice
- 150 g blackberries chopped and mixed with ½ tbsp plain flour
Topping:
- 170 g blackberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 250 g powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp double/heavy cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and line a mini muffin or petit four tin with paper cases. The recipe yields about 28–30 bites. If you only have a 24-hole tin, spoon any remaining batter into a large muffin case and bake for an extra 7–10 minutes, or bake the rest in a second batch.
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In a large bowl, mix the sugar and egg with a fork or whisk. Add the oil and vanilla, then stir in the yoghurt. Fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice with a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the chopped blackberries that have been tossed with ½ tablespoon of flour.
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Spoon a heaped teaspoon of batter into each mini case so it comes almost to the top. Distribute the berries evenly—cakes overloaded with fruit may collapse. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 9–10 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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While the cakes bake, prepare the frosting. Reserve 15 whole blackberries (halved) for the tops. Quarter the remaining blackberries and toss them with the caster sugar and ground ginger. Let them macerate for 10 minutes, then press the mixture through a sieve to extract the juice. Stir about a quarter of the powdered sugar into the liquid to form a thick paste; add more powdered sugar if needed to thicken.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining powdered sugar with the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cream. Add cream a little at a time while whisking until you have a thick frosting that holds its shape. Gently fold the blackberry paste into the vanilla frosting to create a marbled effect—don’t overmix. Pipe or spoon the frosting onto cooled muffins and top each with half a blackberry.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.