This recipe for browned butter bars is my go-to for the holidays because they have beautifully crackly tops and a fudgy texture. The browned butter adds a nutty, caramel-like flavor and the festive holiday M&Ms makes these melt-in-your mouth bars perfect for Christmas cookie trays! You may also enjoy Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies or Browned Butter Valentine’s Day Blondies.
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Christmas Browned Butter M&M Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour see note
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Christmas/holiday M&Ms
- 1 cup chocolate chips *see note
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350:
- Place the butter into a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat while stirring frequently until it is a deep brown color and aromatic (around 5-10 minutes). Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk eggs and sugar together until the mixture is foamy and light in color. Add the cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt then mix again just until well combined. Fold in M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Spread the dough into a parchment lined 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top and set in the center. For fudgy bars do not overbake. These bars are better slightly underbaked. Allow to cool before cutting, then serve and enjoy! See tips and more notes below.
Notes
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Ingredients needed for these browned butter M&M bars: butter, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, holiday M&Ms (with Christmas colors), pure vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda, all-purpose flour and chocolate chips.
Does the butter need to be browned?
You can add softened butter to this recipe instead of browning it, but you will miss out on the nutty flavor that browned butter adds. If you are facing a time crunch you can also pop the pan with browned butter into a shallow bowl with ice water (ensuring you have just enough ice water to come about halfway up the outside of the pan), this is my go-to for getting the browned butter to cool in a jiffy.
Step 1-2: Place butter into a saucepan and allow to cook (while stirring occasionally) until it has a deep brown color and is aromatic. Allow to cool. Beat the eggs with sugar until the mixture is foamy and pale in color. Mix in vanilla extract and the browned butter.
Why should the eggs be beaten with sugar until foamy?
To help achieve those gorgeously crackly tops and fudgy texture you will need to beat the eggs with brown sugar and granulated sugar until they are pale in color and foamy. Give them a good whip, it is worth the effort in the end!
Step 3: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt then mix again just until well combined. Fold in M&Ms and chocolate chips.
Step 4: Place the dough into a parchment lined or greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish (I prefer to go for my largest 13 by 9-inch pan because this recipe makes a good bit), then spread the dough out until it is evenly covering the bottom of the pan.
Step 4 continued: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top and set in the center. For fudgy bars do not overbake, these bars are fudgier if slightly underbaked.
Testing for doneness tips:
To test if the bars are done you can use a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out with a moist crumb (not wet) then the bars are done. If the toothpick comes out completely clean the bars are a bit overdone. You can also give the pan a little jiggle to see if the center is set or if it wobbles. No wobble indicates the bars are done and set in the center. Be careful not to overbake these bars for the fudgiest texture!
Allow the bars to cool, then serve and enjoy!
Storage tips:
These browned butter bars freeze well and can be frozen in an airtight container for several months. You can also freeze the dough, then thaw and bake as usual. These bars will also keep at room temperature for up to a week but are best when consumed within the first several days. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and happy holidays! -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight.
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