M&M Brownies

These M&M brownies are made using my brown butter brownie base so they’re not overly sweet. They have a rich, dark chocolate flavor, a subtle brown butter flavor, chewy edges, fudgy center and the perfect crinkly top.

What Makes These M&M Brownies So Good?

  1. M&Ms are very sweet so they can easily make a dessert overly sweet but I used my brown butter brownies as the base so they’re dark, rich and have a slight nutty profile that gives these brownies a more elevated flavor. 
  2. They’re easy to make and very versatile. You can use dairy free butter, swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate if you prefer it sweeter or skip browning the butter if you don’t have the time! 
  3. They get that PERFECT crackly top EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

If you do love brownies, I have some other variations as well like biscoff, oreo fudge and hot chocolate, and peppermint marshmallow, that I think you’ll love! They use my original brownie recipe but if you prefer my new brownie recipe or the brown butter version, any of them can be used to make the fun flavored brownies. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Butter: For this recipe, I’ve used a bit more butter as some evaporates during the browning process. Whether cold or room temperature, it doesn’t matter as it’s going to be melted and browned. I prefer salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if that’s what you have on hand, just add an extra pinch of salt.
  • Chocolate: you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate for a more rich, less sweet flavor
  • Eggs: always use large, room temperature eggs. Place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold.
  • Sugar: I use both brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe for the perfect flavor and texture combination. Light or dark brown sugar works fine.
  • Flour: I always use all-purpose flour and don’t recommend substituting. Should work fine with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend though.
    • ​​I also HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is almost always over measured. 
  • Cocoa Powder: the better quality your cocoa powder is, the better your brownies will taste! My favorite is King Arthur Dutch Process Cocoa Powder or Rodelle Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. Don’t use sweetened cocoa powder though!
  • Vanilla: you can use either pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or artificial vanilla extract.
  • Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods and little flakey sea salt on top is what I live for. 
  • M&Ms – I recommend using mini M&Ms, just because they’re easier to distribute the batter and they make it easier to slice. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Brown the butter:  Place butter into a medium-size saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally.

  • If the butter is cold, cut it into cubes first

Step 2: As the butter begins to bubble and foam, stir continuously. You’ll need to scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan. The milk solids will start to settle and darken.

Step 3: Remove it from the heat and continue stirring for about another minute until the butter darkens into an amber color.

Step 4: Pour over chocolate and stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

Step 5: In a separate large bowl, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk aggressively for 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Add in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Whisk until fully combined.

Step 7: Add in the flour and salt. Whisk the mixture just until the flour is incorporated and there are just a few streaks of flour left.

Step 8: Add in the mini M&Ms and fold just until they’re evenly distributed. 

Step 9: Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 40ish minutes.

Step 10: After baking, allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 30-60 minutes and then sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes on top. Serve warm or wait until completely cooled!

When Are Brownies Done Baking?

Brownies are by far the hardest thing for me to assess when they’re done baking. This is especially difficult when you have a meringue top instead of a thin crackle, because the top gets hard and crunchy so touching it with your finger doesn’t really help. That’s why I made a new base recipe for my Fudgy Brownies because it makes a beautiful, thin crackly top every time. 

When the top of your brownies have a thin little crackle on top instead of a thick meringue, you can press on it with your finger to see how firm the brownies are underneath. When you move the pan, if the batter jiggles, it’s definitely not done baking. 

You want to be able to push your finger on the top (in the center) and feel some resistance. It should feel like a brownie that’s a little “too gooey but almost perfect”. At this point, you’ll remove them from the oven and they will continue to bake as they’re cooling. If they’re firm when you remove them from the oven, they won’t be very gooey once they’re completely cooled.

Another thing I do to check for doneness is to tap the pan on the counter when I take it out of the oven. If the brownies level off perfectly, they’re done. If the center of the brownies sink below the edges, then put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

Look at the photo I have above, you can see how the center was just slightly shorter than the edge, those brownies were just slightly under-baked. I like them like that because once they cool completely to room temperature they are perfect.

Can I just use the toothpick test?

Many people like to insert a toothpick into the center of baked goods to test for doneness. Usually if the toothpick is clean or if there are only a few moist crumbs on it then a cake is done baking. That doesn’t work for brownies. We want gooey, fudge brownies so when we remove them from the oven, they will still be a little undercooked and will finish baking as they cool. 

How To Get A Thin Crackly Top For Homemade Brownies?

To get the perfect crackly top on these brownies you want to make sure you whisk the eggs with the sugar aggressively for 2-3 minutes. It helps if the eggs are at room temperature. 

Also the melted chocolate chips contribute to that crackly top so make sure not to skip anything in the recipe!

How To Perfectly Slice Brownies?

Ok I don’t know if it’s just me but if I’m not careful to take these extra steps, my brownies always end up looking like a pile of not so tasty brown stuff instead of a delicious pile of brownies. 

To get my brownies perfectly sliced it’s best to chill the brownies briefly. I froze them for about 20 minutes after they’ve cooled and then I ALWAYS run my large knife under hot water between every slice I cut. 

Yes, between every slice. Because they’re fudgy, some of the gooey chocolate gets stuck on the knife and if you just go to cut another slice it gets less and less pretty. 

How To Store M&M Brownies?

Once the brownies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They can stay at room temperature for a few days and in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Make sure to bring them back to room temperature when serving. 

There are so many brownie recipes out there and I’m sure so many of them are amazing but I hope you give these a chance. 

If you make these M&M brownies, make sure to leave a star review if you liked it. If not, please comment below and let me know what you think. 

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

M&M Brownies sliced in a marble tray

M&M Brownies

These M&M brownies are made using my brown butter brownie base so they're not overly sweet. They have a rich, dark chocolate flavor, a subtle brown butter flavor, chewy edges, fudgy center and the perfect crinkly top.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 squares
Calories 255 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 medium heat proof bowl
  • 1 8 inch square pan
  • 1 medium saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (227g) salted butter gets browned to 186 grams
  • 1 cup (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark)
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (95g) light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup (60g) Dutch-process cocoa powder spooned and leveled
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2/3 (135g) mini M&Ms
  • pinch sea salt flakes for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and grease and line an 8×8” pan with baking spray and parchment paper (leaving an overhang to easily remove them). 
  • Place the chocolate in a medium, heat proof bowl and set it aside.
    1 cup (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • If the butter is cold, cut it into cubes and place it into a light colored, medium size saucepan, over medium-low heat. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the butter occasionally. It will begin to bubble, continue stirring intermittently. 
    1 cup (227g) salted butter
  • Once it begins to foam, you won't be able to see what's happening so stir continuously, making sure to scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan. The milk solids will begin to settle on the bottom of the pan and darken in color.
  • Remove from the heat and continue stirring for another minute or so, until the butter darkens into an amber color. Pour the butter, with all the little solid bits over the chocolate and allow it to rest for a minute.
  • Then stir the chocolate and butter together until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
  • In a separate large bowl, place the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and eggs. Whisk them together aggressively for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is completely smooth. 
    1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (95g) light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup (60g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • Add in the melted chocolate and butter and whisk until the mixture is fully combined.
  • Add in the flour and salt and whisk just until there’s only a few streaks of flour left. 
    1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • Fold in most of the M&Ms, reserving just a few for topping, until they're evenly dispersed.
    2/3 (135g) mini M&Ms
  • Spread into the prepared pan and top with the reserved handful of M&Ms. Bake for 40 minutes. The top should be thin and crackly and puffed in the enter.
  • Tap it against the counter a couple of times, it should deflate a little but not be jiggly at all. When you press on it, it should feel soft underneath but not liquid-y.
  • Allow to cool in the pan for 30-60 minutes. Top with a pinch of sea salt flakes and serve warm or cooled.
    pinch sea salt flakes

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 411IUCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
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