Fudgy Brown Butter M&M Brownies

While I have many brownie recipes on my site, I actually didn’t have one for brown butter brownies or m&m brownies. What better way to check both of those boxes than to combine them?

I am a firm believer in that while not everything needs brown butter, adding it to baked goods (and some non-baking recipes) can definitely enhance the flavor profile. My Big Batch Chewy Brownies are probably my favorite brownies because they have the perfect texture, but they don’t have browned butter. If you’ve made the perfect brownie, why make another? Well, because one people like variety, and two because I like to be creative.

Adding things like candy or to frostings to brownies can dress them up or make them more festive for holidays and gatherings. I can already see how swapping out regular m&m’s with the colorful ones for Christmas or the 4th of July would be a simple swap yet make a it a ‘holiday bake’. My Rich Black Cocoa Brownies (aka spooky brownies) with marshmallow webbing on them are a great option for a Halloween version. I one hundred percent will be testing out these m&m brownies with peanut butter m&m’s or maybe Reese’s pieces. I know I could make my Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies but sometimes less is more, and you just need to know if you can.

Baking Tips

Use a scale. This probably should be my number one baking tip in general but it rings true. I test all my recipes and bake with a scale in general. It’s much more precise, and honestly it lets you use way less dishes.

Always bake your brownies – these m&m brownies or any kind – in a metal pan. This pan is my favorite for baking brownies. Brownies made in a glass pan will take much longer to bake and most likely be overbaked on the edges. Glass is a poor heat conductor. It takes much longer to heat up and then stays hot for longer once it is. Metal heats more evenly which means it bakes more evenly. Less time until your brownies are hitting your taste buds.

In addition to the m&m’s in the batter, sprinkling extra on top before popping them in the oven will give the top a much more colorful look.

Wait until the brownies have completely cooled until cutting them. I know it sucks having to wait a few hours but the texture will be much better. A hot knife (run it under hot water and then dry it off) will help you get clean cuts when cutting your brownies.

Brown Butter M&M Brownies Key Ingredients

• Butter – Unsalted butter is what was tested when making these, and what I recommend. If you only have salted, be sure to omit the salt (or at least most of it) when you make these or your brownies will be quite salty.
• Cocoa Powder – You can use natural cocoa, or Dutch cocoa here, but I always advocate for Dutch cocoa if you want a rich chocolate flavor. My personal favorite is actually this King Arthur Triple Cocoa Blend which has natural, Dutch and black cocoa. Best of all the cocoa worlds.
• M&M’s – Standard m&m’s are what these were tested with, but you could also use a flavored variety like peanut butter or pretzel. The weights will most likely not be the same though you will have to estimate how much to use.

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