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Easy Patriotic Homemade Brownies
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Easy Patriotic Homemade Brownies

Fudgy and festive, these Easy Patriotic Homemade Brownies are topped with red, white & blue M&Ms—perfect for 4th of July or BBQs!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert, Holidays
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy Patriotic Homemade Brownies
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 379kcal
Author: Lois

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • red food dye
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup red, white and blue M&M's (reserve ¼ cup for the topping)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter until it's brown and nutty. Then pour this into a large mixing bowl along with the chocolate chips.
  • Let sit for a minute and then stir the two ingredients together until the chocolate chips melt completely.
  • Add in both the salt, white and brown sugars and whisk until combined.
  • Add in the other wet ingredients of vanilla and eggs. Whisk again until smooth.
  • Add in the red food dye until a deep burgundy red is created.
  • Now add in the cocoa powder and flour and fold into the batter until incorporated completely and a thick batter is formed. Add any extra red dye if the brownies are too brown and need to be a deeper red.
  • Pour in the red, white and blue M&M’s and fold into the brownie batter.
  • Transfer this batter to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Add more M&M’s on top so the red velvet brownies bake with the red, white and blue colors popping.
  • Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Once they are done, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  • Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients – Eggs and butter blend more smoothly, giving you a better texture.
Don’t overmix the batter – Stir just until combined to keep the texture fudgy, not cakey.
Line your pan with parchment paper – Makes it easy to lift and slice cleanly.
Check doneness with a toothpick – Look for moist crumbs (not raw batter) for the perfect finish.
Let them cool completely before cutting – This helps them set and prevents crumbling. Try cutting them with a plastic knife! 
Save a few candy pieces – Gently press them into the top right after baking for a festive, bakery-style finish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg