Brown butter enhances the vanilla and makes these M&M bars taste like toffee–a totally irresistible treat for both kids and adults!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and I found one treat no one can resist on V-Day is these Brown Butter M&M Bars. Not kids, not adults–no one.

When my son was in preschool, the school hosted a ‘lunch with your lovebug’ event where the parents were invited to attend for a potluck lunch. I decided to make these Brown Butter M&M Bars and set them out on the potluck table. I couldn’t believe how fast these flew off that table. I honestly saw one child crying that she didn’t get one because all the teachers and parents had eaten them!

I think it’s those little M&M jewels that are just so appealing. Everyone loves a color coordinated dessert, so match your M&Ms to the day (in this case pink, red, and white, of course). Kids love them, but I think there is a nostalgia for adults too that makes them so popular.

The secret to making these stand out even more is the brown butter. When I was making this, the batter has a kind of toffee smell throughout from the brown butter that is really enticing. It just gives the bars that little twist that takes them from exciting to irresistible. So so good.

I make these Brown Butter M&M Bars by starting with making the brown butter. I melt two sticks of butter in a saucepan (ok, I didn’t say this was low-cal), and then keep heating and stirring it past the point that it melts and foams. You’ll start to get brown bits and it will smell toasty. Once you get to that point, take it off the heat. Brown butter goes from toasty to burnt really fast, so keep an eye on it.

At this point, pull out your 9×13″ pan and grease it so nothing sticks. You can use a pastry brush and brush some of the brown butter all around. Or just use a cooking spray.

Then you add that brown butter to a large bowl and mix in the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Next mix your dry ingredients in a medium size bowl, then add them in and stir in two batches to the large bowl. Now comes the fun part! Add in the chocolate chips and half the M&Ms. You want to save the other half to sprinkle on top of the bars so that everyone can see them! Mix it all up and spread evenly into your pan. Sprinkle those remaining M&Ms on top (you could add a few themed sprinkles too if you wanted!) and then place the pan in the oven. Enjoy that delicious smell while it’s baking and then take them out after 25-30 minutes. The edges should be browned and the center set.

Let them cool completely before slicing. Then serve to your Valentine!

Valentine’s Day with kids is so fun because it’s so special to them, and these bars would be the perfect treat to celebrate. Enjoy!

Brown Butter M&M Bars
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Brown Butter M&M Bars

Recipe by Abby
Servings

24

bars
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

  • 1 cup m&ms

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it’s melted, stir occasionally until brown bits appear and it smells toasty, 3 minutes. This can go from beautiful brown butter to burnt quickly, so keep an eye on it. Transfer the browned butter to a large bowl.
  • Using a pastry brush, butter a 9×13″ pan by brushing the bottom and sides of the pan with the browned butter. Add the brown sugar to the brown butter in the bowl and whisky to combine. Add the eggs in one at a time once cooled slightly and whisk. Add the vanilla extract and combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients–flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients in batches in to the brown butter mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix together.
  • Add the chocolate chips and half the m&ms. Stir everything to combine.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Press the mixture gently and evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining m&ms on top.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes, until the edges are browned and the bars are set in the middle. Let cool and then cut. Enjoy!

Notes

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