How to make brownies fudgy:

The secret ingredient for the ultimate fudgy brownies is melted chocolate! Adding both cocoa powder and melted chocolate ensures that your homemade brownies bake up ultra chocolatey and fudgy.

What is the best type of cocoa powder for making brownies?

The best cocoa powder for making brownies is dutch process cocoa powder! Since dutch process is alkalized, it is neutral rather than acidic, and is far richer in flavor than regular cocoa powder. I also added a little bit of black cocoa powder to make them even richer!

Can these brownies be made dairy free?

Yes! You can either make these dairy free brownies or follow the recipe below and swap out the butter for 150g (3/4 cup) olive oil or other neutral oil. Also, be sure to use dairy free chocolate!

Can these brownies be made gluten free?

Yes! Just swap the all-purpose flour for an equal amount of King Arthur Baking Co or Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour.

Valentine's M&M Brownies

Description

These heart shaped Valentine's M&M brownies are perfectly fudgy and studded with red, pink, and white M&Ms. They're the epitome of love at first bite!

Ingredients

Scale

85g (½ cup; 3 oz) bittersweet chocolate
170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
142g (⅔ cup) brown sugar
3 eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
120g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
63g (¾ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
21g (¼ cup) black cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
170g (3/4 cup) Valentine's M&Ms, plus more for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, add the bittersweet chocolate and butter. Place over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir often until fully melted. Remove from the double boiler and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is properly combined.
While mixing on low speed, slowly pour in the chocolate butter mixture.
Once it is fully combined, add the flour, cocoa powders, and salt, and fold until mostly combined.
Lastly, fold in the M&Ms until evenly dispersed.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Top with more M&Ms, if desired.
Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes.
Allow them to cool completely in the pan before removing.
Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as you can. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to cut them into 16 squares. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a high-quality bittersweet chocolate. I recommend Valrhona or Guittard.
Substitute for black cocoa powder. If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can use a total of 84g (1 cup) dutch process cocoa powder instead.
How to get a shiny top: Be sure to beat the sugars and eggs for a full 5-6 minutes! This is what will give the brownies that gorgeous shiny top.
How to cut brownies: Use a heart cookie cutter to make heart shaped brownies. If cutting them into squares, use a sharp knife and run it under hot water (and wipe clean) before each cut.

Keywords: m&m brownies, valentine brownies, heart shaped brownies