Christmas M&M Brownies Recipe

Course: Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Cool Time: 1

Total Time: 1 35

Servings: brownies

Calories: 406kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These Christmas M&M brownies are the ultimate holiday treat—fudgy, chocolatey, and topped with colorful M&Ms. Ready in under an hour, they’re perfect for festive baking with kids or last-minute holiday treats.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
8x8 Baking Pan

Ingredients

18 ounces brownie mix (1 box), such as Ghirardelli*
¼ cup water
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
⅔ cup Christmas M&M’s plus extra for decorating

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, prepare the brownie mix according to the package instructions.
18 ounces brownie mix
Stir in the M&M’s and pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dot the top of the brownie batter with some of the extra M&M’s.
⅔ cup Christmas M&M’s
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry or with moist crumbs.
Remove from the oven and place the pan of brownies on a cooling rack.
While the brownies are still warm, press a couple more M&M’s into the top of the brownies.
Cool fully, then cut and serve.

Notes

*If you have the time, try making homemade fudgy brownies. Just stir in the M&M's, and you're good to go!

Tips:

Using an 8×8-inch pan keeps these brownies thick and chewy. A 9×9 pan will make them thinner and bake faster.
To prevent the color from bleeding out and the M&M's from sinking, you can toss them in teaspoon or two of all-purpose flour before stirring them in. Don't do this with the ones on top, though, or they won't look as vibrant.
For extra fudgy brownies, pull them out when a few moist crumbs still cling to the toothpick . If it’s completely clean, they may turn cakey.
Make sure you’re letting your brownies cool before you slice into them.
Add a coating of powdered sugar as a finishing touch if you want to make these brownies even sweeter.
Use a plastic knife for easy slicing and perfectly clean-cut brownies.
Cut into small squares and wrap in holiday cellophane bags for easy edible gifts or cookie exchanges.

Make-Ahead: Bake the brownies up to 2 days in advance, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. They stay soft and chewy if kept sealed.

Storage: Store fully cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition