M&M Brownies!
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These fudgy M&M brownies are made with rich 70%+ dark chocolate and cocoa, then packed with 300g of M&Ms for a soft, gooey centre and crackly top.
They take 10 minutes to prep, bake in 25–30 minutes, and use a 9×9 inch tin. The real secret is the chill. Leave them for 3+ hours or overnight for clean-cut, ultra-fudgey squares.
What makes these the best M&M brownies?
These brownies deliver a deep chocolate flavour from 70%+ dark chocolate combined with cocoa, giving them a rich, intense base. They bake to a thick, fudgy texture with just a slight wobble in the centre before setting properly once chilled.
Each slice is packed with 300g of M&Ms, so you get M&Ms in every bite. The crackly top comes from whisking the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, and they cut into clean, neat squares after chilling for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Brownie ingredients and swaps
Brownies are super easy to make once you use the correct ingredients. Don’t be scared, if you stick to the recipe, it’ll be great:
- Butter – For brownies I can float between block butter or a baking spread, depends what I have in the fridge
- Chocolate – Always use dark chocolate for a brownie mixture – you need the cocoa content for best results. I use and recommend 70%+ cocoa content.I use this dark chocolate
- Eggs – I tend to use medium eggs, so I use four, but if you have large, use three.
- Sugar – I like using light brown soft sugar, as well as caster sugar, and either work well here but light brown sugar adds that fudgey texture and caster sugar helps create the crackly top.
- Flour – ALWAYS use plain flour, you don’t want any raising agents in brownies.
- Cocoa – I use strong cocoa powder (100%!) but you can use any good quality cocoa powder. Try to avoid hot chocolate powder
How to make the best M&M brownies
Make sure to melt the chocolate and butter together and let it cool, if it’s too hot it may melt the rest of the mixture.
I whisk my eggs and sugar a lot to make it double in the volume and become really light and fluffy. If you over whisk, nothing bad will really happen but it may cause a flakey top to the brownie so decorations may fall off.
I know my oven is at the correct temp, but if you aren’t sure, it’s always worth getting an oven thermometer to double check. I bake mine for on the dot of 25 minutes in my fan oven, on the middle shelf, until there is an ever so slight wobble in the middle.
Once baked, I leave them to cool fully in the tin, and then set them in the fridge for 3+ hours, but often overnight. This helps set the brownie mix to the really fudgy texture that so many of you adore.
FAQs
Yes, use a 9×13 inch tin and increase bake time slightly. Look for the same slight wobble in the centre.
Generally I would not recommend this as I find it can make the brownies not bake and set properly
They naturally soften during baking, folding some into the batter and adding some on top helps balance it. Reserve 50g of your M&Ms to press into the top halfway through baking or immediately after they come out of the oven to ensure they stay bright and don’t crack.
You can, but they’ll be softer and harder to cut cleanly. Chilling gives the classic fudgy texture.
Yes, you can and many argue they are better served frozen. They will last up to three months in the freezer.
M&M Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 4 medium eggs (or 3 large)
- 275 g light brown soft sugar (or caster sugar)
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 300 g M&Ms
optional decoration
- 50 g melted chocolate
- crushed M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan, and line a 9×9" square tin with parchment paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate with the butter and leave to cool slightly
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar until really thick and doubled in volume
- Fold the chocolate/butter mix into the eggs/sugar mix carefully
- Add in the plain flour and cocoa powder, and fold that in as well
- Add the M&Ms and fold through
- Pour the brownie mixture into the lined tin
- Bake the brownies in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until baked through
- Leave the brownies to cool fully in the tin, and then set in the fridge for 3+ hours if you can for the best brownie
- Decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate and crushed M&Ms if you fancy
Notes
- I use regular M&Ms, but you can use any. If you use filled ones, you may want to substitute 100g of the M&Ms for chocolate chips so there is enough gooeyness.
- I use this 9″ square tin
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Storage and freezing
Most of the time I find these brownies don’t last the day but on the odd occasion that they do these will last for 4-5+ days in the fridge
Alternatively, these brownies will freeze for 3+ months and can be served frozen, some people like a warm brownie, some like room temp, some like from the fridge or freezer, I will leave that up to you.
Related recipes
I have quite a few M&M based cookie recipes such as my M&M cookies, M&M cookie bars and even my M&M cookie cake and whilst they are all super similar, they are all so delicious. I know, this is another super chocolatey bake, but I just think it works so so well.
I have literally just taken mine out of the oven and cooling them down before putting them in fridge. Mine look more cake like on top. I cooked them for 30 minutes at 180°C still look and smell amazing though
My first time baking brownies and these were spectacular!
Simply the best brownies ever!
Hi Jane I love all your recipes and I was wondering if you could do a salted caramel version?
Hi, for how long would i bake if i used this recipe for the mini loaf tins? Thanks 🙂
Hi Jane, do you ever bake more than one tray of brownies and cookies in the oven at a time? Worried about how even the heat will be but would like to get more done at a time. Thank you x
I have a fan oven so do this often and there are no issues!
These are incredible! Just baked! However, mine are more squidgy. I saw in your recipe you say to set in the fridge, but I’ve already cut a portion. Shall I cut the rest in portions and put in the fridge – or put the rest in the fridge whole?