Super Easy Fudgy M&M Brownies (Rich and Gooey!)
Gooey, rich chocolate brownies with gorgeous crackly tops and M&Ms both inside and out! Theses M&M brownies have the best of all the worlds.
These M&M brownies are everything a brownie should be—rich, thick, and packed with chocolate. You’ve got M&M candies mixed into the batter and sprinkled over the top of the brownies for extra chocolately goodness. This recipe mimics the best elements of a box mix (hello crackly tops!), and the best elements of homemade brownies (thickness and flavor!).
Fair warning, these are NOT cakey brownies. They are ooey and they are gooey, and it is glorious. It’s a fun twist on classic brownies that you, chocolate lover, are going to love!
Ingredients
- Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. If you use salted, just leave out the salt! Margarine also works, if you’re looking to save money.
- Chocolate Chips: I use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips. Having some sort of melted chocolate in the batter is crucial to getting those crackly tops!
- Cocoa Powder: You can use dutch cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder here. It’s main job is to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- White Sugar: This is also called granulated sugar. You can sub this with brown sugar if you need to, but it will change the consistency of the finished brownie slightly.
- Brown Sugar: I prefer light brown sugar in this recipe, but you can use dark. You can also sub this with white sugar. It will change the consistency of the finished brownie slightly.
- Eggs: These provide structure and fat. Don’t sub them.
- Vegetable Oil: You can use any neutral cooking oil here: canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Vanilla Extract: You can omit this, or sub it with a different flavoring for a fun flavor upgrade!
- Cornstarch: This helps get that ooey-gooey texture. You can omit it if necessary, but it will change the consistency of the finished brownie.
- Flour: I tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. I’m not sure how any other flour would work.
- Salt: You can omit this if you’re using salted butter.
- Mini M&Ms: I like the size of mini M&M candies because they bake into the batter well. You can also use regular size M&M candies, or even play around and use flavored ones like peanut butter M&M candies!
Instructions
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skip the 2-3 minutes of beating! That glossy look before you add the flour tells you you’re going to get gorgeously cracked tops.
- Cut your cooled brownies with a plastic knife. They don’t stick and you get nice clean cuts!
More Brownie Recipes to Try
FAQs
That shiny, crackly top comes from beating the eggs with the sugar and melted chocolate long enough for the mixture to become glossy. This helps dissolve the sugar and creates a thin meringue-like layer as the brownies bake. Don’t skip the 2–3 minutes of mixing — it’s the secret to that bakery-style brownie top.
Cornstarch helps create that soft, gooey texture in the finished brownies. It slightly tenderizes the crumb and helps the brownies stay fudgy instead of cakey.
Yes! Once the brownies are fully cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They actually taste better the next day, in my opinion!
M&M Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups mini M&Ms, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips by microwaving in 30 second bursts and stirring between.
- Pour the melted butter and chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder and both sugars. Mix until well combined.
- Add the eggs and vegetable oil. Mix until combined, then continue mixing for 2-3 minutes. The batter should lighten and become glossy.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and 1 cup of mini M&Ms. Mix until well incorporated.
- Grease or line a 9×13 pan. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mini M&Ms.
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow brownies to fully cool, then cut and serve!
