Valentine's M&M Cookie Bars
11 Feb 2025
These Valentine’s M&M Cookie Bars are soft, chewy, and full of rich, caramelized brown butter flavor. They’re filled with crunchy pink M&Ms and melty chocolate, then topped with festive Valentine’s sprinkles. We hope you have as much fun making them as we do!
Ingredients
- 255 g (2 sticks + 2 Tbsp / 1¼ cups) unsalted butter (will reduce to about 197 g after browning)
- 200 g (1 cup) light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 13 g (1 Tbsp) vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
-
1½ tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp salt
- 250 g (about 1¼ cups) Valentine’s blend M&Ms
- 120 g (⅔ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- 100 g (about ½ cup) Valentine’s blend M&Ms
- 24 g (2 Tbsp) Valentine’s sprinkles (jimmies, hearts, etc.)
- 45 g (¼ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
Cookie Bars
Topping (optional)
Instructions
Brown Butter
In a light-colored pan over medium heat, stir the butter constantly with a rubber spatula until it foams, turns golden brown, and develops a nutty aroma (6–10 minutes). Brown milk solids will settle at the bottom.
- Immediately pour the browned butter (including the milk solids) into a heatproof measuring glass. You should have about 197–200 g (just below the 1-cup line). If too much liquid evaporates, add 1–3 teaspoons of water to reach the correct amount.
- Let the butter cool to room temperature (74–78°F) before using—about 40–45 minutes on the counter or 20–25 minutes in the fridge. It should be thick but pourable.
Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 335°F and position the rack in the center.
- Line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and glossy, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, then mix on medium-low until light and creamy, about 1 minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts, mixing by hand with a spatula until just a few flour streaks remain.
- Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips until evenly distributed and no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Top with extra M&Ms, chocolate chips, and Valentine’s sprinkles, if desired.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes (up to 27 minutes), or until the edges are golden, the center is set and no longer shiny, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. If unsure, slightly underbake for a chewier texture (the bars will set as they cool). Tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
- While the bars are still warm, press additional M&Ms and chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, lift them out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once fully cooled, cut into equal squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts as needed.
Did you make this? We’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a review
Notes
- Serving: Makes 12–24 bars (cut into 3×4 large or 4×6 regular squares).
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Brown Butter: Browning butter evaporates liquid, so always measure the final amount and add water if needed. Cool butter properly to prevent melting the M&M coating.
- Chocolate Chips: Can use any combination of bittersweet, semisweet, or dark chocolate.
- Decorating: For a more aesthetic look, place the decorative M&Ms on top with the 'M' face down. (Yes, it’s extra, but you know that’s how we roll at Birchberry)
- Mixing: A whisk can be used instead of a mixer. Whichever is your preferred method of mixing, be careful not to overmix or it can make the bars cakey.
- Baking Sheet: A light-colored metal pan bakes more evenly than glass or dark metal.
- Doneness: Be careful not to over-bake the bars or they’ll be dry and crumbly. If in doubt, it’s better that they’re underbaked for a chewy texture. If you have hot spots in your oven, rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Oven Temperature: A lower oven temperature is key to keeping the top level and maintaining a gooey center. If your oven runs hot, you may want to reduce the temperature by 10-15°F. We use an oven thermometer to monitor the temp throughout the bake.
Happy baking! ❤️
Emma & Eric
@birchberryco Valentine’s M&M Cookie Bars 🍪🤍🌸🍫 Full recipe is on our website, Birchberryco.com 🤍 Our first product is launching in 2025! Sign up for our email list to get updates and be the first in line! #cookies #chocolatechipcookies #valentinesday #dessert #baking #recipe #baketok #bakingtiktok #bakingtherapy #aesthetic ♬ UNTIL I FOUND YOU - favmusicvibes