Christmas M&M Brownies with Old-Fashioned Boiled Frosting
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This is the Frosted Brownie recipe of your most chocolatey dreams, an Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Brownie with Boiled Chocolate Frosting and plenty of festive M&Ms mixed in and scattered on top. Bakery-worthy brownies made with everyday ingredients and without any fancy steps or kitchen equipment.
M&M Brownies Recipe with Boiled Frosting
One of my first purchases every winter is a bag (or three) of red and green M&M candies.
It is a non-negotiable for me to set out my covered Christmas bowl (it looks like a little crystal ornament, similar to this) on the coffee table and fill it up with Christmas M&Ms. It’s often set up weeks before the tree, making it the first sign of Christmas in our house.
And with those extra bags? Well, they get sent to the kitchen to be whipped into a variety of treats, like today’s Double Chocolate M&M Brownies with Boiled Chocolate Frosting.
These brownies are intensely rich and deeply fudgy, with a crackly top and a dense, chewy center, topped with an old-fashioned boiled chocolate frosting that is utterly luscious. The mini Christmas M&Ms hold their shape while they bake, providing little bursts of candy crunch filled with melted milky chocolate throughout the brownies.
(If you want to go semi-homemade on this recipe, use a boxed brownie mix but do not skip the boiled chocolate frosting – it is otherworldly!)
To make these Christmas Brownies even more fun, you could personalize M&M Candies on their website with pictures of your family! I ordered Ella personalized M&Ms for her birthday and they were such a hit! (Use Code “COOK” until November 2026 for 20% sitewide.)
(Note: personally, I would use store-bought M&Ms IN the brownies and then just garnish the top with the customized ones.)
M&M Brownie Recipe Variations:
- Peppermint Crunch: Replace 1/2 cup of the M&M Minis with crushed candy canes added just before baking.
- Espresso Chocolate: Dissolve 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder into the melted butter before mixing to deepen the cocoa flavor.
- Dark Chocolate Ganache: Swap milk chocolate chips for bittersweet to reduce sweetness, if desired.
- Salted Finish: Sprinkle flaky sea salt lightly over the ganache before it sets.
- Swap the M&Ms: Swap out the M&Ms for Reese’s Pieces, white chocolate chips, Rolos, etc.
Snackable History Fact: Christmas M&Ms became a seasonal staple in the early 1990s when Mars created it’s iconic CGI ad campaigns and released limited edition Christmas tins to promote the new red & green candy option. Their popularity stuck because they offered an easy way to make familiar desserts look festive without changing the underlying recipe.
M&M Brownie Recipe FAQs
Do I have to use mini M&Ms? No, you can use full-sized M&Ms or even a different favorite Christmas chocolate (you may need to chop up before incorporating).
Why did my brownies turn out cakey instead of fudgy? Overmixing after adding the flour or baking too long can introduce excess air and dryness.
How to store M&M brownies with ganache: Once fully set, they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or refrigerated for five.
Can I freeze these brownies? Yes, freeze fully set brownies in an airtight container for up to two months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
Ingredients for M&M Double Chocolate Brownies
- Butter, melted
- White Sugar
- Eggs, room temperature
- Vanilla Extract
- Cocoa Powder
- All-purpose Flour
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Christmas M&M Minis
Boiled Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
- Milk
- Butter
- White Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate Chips
- Christmas Sprinkles, optional
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: The edges should look set and start to pull from the pan, but the center should still have a few moist crumbs when you test with a toothpick.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 9″ x 9″ casserole dish <– I love these Pyrex dishes with fitted lids for easy transportation to parties or leftover storage
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Saucepan
How to Make M&M Brownies with Homemade Ganache Topping
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease a 8″ x 8″ casserole dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder.
Beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and then add 1 cup of the M&M Minis.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the edges of the brownies are crisp and start to pull away from the pan and an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs and no wet batter.
Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting.
Place milk, butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir frequently until the mixture is completely incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract and chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
Remove from heat and pour over the brownies.
Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms over the wet frosting along with optional Christmas sprinkles.
Let the frosting dry before cutting and serving or storing.
Pin this Fudgy Holiday Brownies Loaded with M&Ms for your Christmas baking:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our M&M Christmas Brownies recipe:
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Christmas M&M Brownies with Boiled Chocolate Frosting
This is the Frosted Brownie recipe of your most chocolatey dreams, an Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Brownie with Boiled Chocolate Frosting and plenty of festive M&Ms mixed in and scattered on top. Bakery-worthy brownies made with everyday ingredients and without any fancy steps or kitchen equipment.
Ingredients
For the Brownie Batter:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup Christmas M&M Minis
For the Boiled Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 1 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- Christmas Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Grease a 8" x 8" casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder.
- Beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and then add 1 cup of the M&M Minis.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the edges of the brownies are crisp and start to pull away from the pan and an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs and no wet batter.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting.
- Place milk, butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir frequently until the mixture is completely incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract and chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
- Remove from heat and pour over the brownies.
- Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms over the wet frosting along with optional Christmas sprinkles.
- Let the frosting dry before cutting and serving or storing.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 657Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 482mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 4gSugar: 77gProtein: 6g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy M&M Christmas Brownies recipe as much as mine does!
For more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert recipe collection here:
