M&M Chocolate Fudge Bars are a thick cookie bar recipe loaded with mini M&M’s. An easy to make dessert that’s perfect to enjoy any day of the week.
Oh how we love chocolate in this house. I don’t think a day goes by that we don’t enjoy it in one way or another. Add to that the fun of M&M’s & you have yourself a winning recipe. This time I decided to make a cookie bar recipe that was thick & chewy, loaded with chocolate & of course topped with adorable mini M&M’s that make my hearty go pitter patter. These M&M Chocolate Fudge Bars are delicious!
Now, we don’t need an excuse to make goodies in this house. We just like to have a little nibble of something sweet after a savory meal. It balances the palate as far as we are concerned & so dessert of some sort is a must. But I like to keep it simple, so recipes like these cookie bars are a favorite.
M&M Chocolate Cookie Bars
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Now, I used my stand mixer for this recipe. You can use a hand-held mixer to as well. Add the eggs, sugar & vanilla to the mixer bowl & mix until well blended. Then add in your melted butter & shortening, beating until combined.
You can mix the flour, cocoa powder & salt in a small bowl & then transfer to your wet mixture. Transfer into a prepared dish & spread out evenly. Sprinkle the mini M&M’s on top & bake for 25-30 minutes.
Here are some commonly asked questions…
Do I have to use a mixer or can I mix this by hand?
I would highly recommend a stand mixer or hand-held mixer for this. The dough is quite stiff & it would be a workout to try to get it completely mixed with just a spatula.
M&M Chocolate Bars
What is the best way to spread this out in the pan?
I like to drop small portions of the dough all around the prepared pan & then use wet hands to press it into place. This helps make sure it’s even throughout the whole pan & the wet hands help keep the dough from sticking. Trust me, you want to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
What pan do you recommend?
I really like using this 9×13 pan with this recipe because it gives the perfect thickness. When you start adding the dough to the dish it will look like you won’t have enough, but keep pressing & spreading it out. It will cover & bake perfectly.
M&M Chocolate Fudge Bars
For this recipe you will need…
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- melted butter
- shortening
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- sea salt
- mini M&M’s
Don’t you just want to eat the whole batch??
Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe
Easy Cookie Bars
Looking for more yummy bar recipes?
M&M Chocolate Fudge Bars
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup shortening melted
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup mini M&M’s
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper & set aside/
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the eggs, sugar & vanilla to a large mixing bowl & mix until well blended.
- Then add your melted butter & shortening, beating until combined.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder & salt in a small bowl & then transfer to your wet mixture. Beat well.
- Transfer into the prepared dish & spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the mini M&M’s on top & bake for 25-30 minutes.
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Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin says
Oh man! Now I want a gooey brownie for breakfast!
Miz Helen says
I would sure enjoy one of these Fudge Bars right now! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and sure hope you have a great week!
Miz Helen
sarah says
wont the m and ms burn when u bake it?
Gina Kleinworth says
No – they don’t burn. They soften and melt a little – which is what you want.
sarah says
what is shortening? what’s a good substitute?
Gina Kleinworth says
Shortening, by definition, is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used in baking. This actually includes a few things that you may have thought were definitely not shortening before–like lard, and margarine, and hydrogenated vegetable oils, for instance. Shortening helps give baked goods a delicate, crumbly texture. Most commonly also called Crisco but there are other mass-produced brands you can find in your grocery stores. Shortening contains 100% fat, meaning there is no water in it, unlike butter, which in the United States must contain at least 80% fat and can contain up to 16% water. In baking, no steam will be produced with shortening, but it will be with butter, which creates a slightly different effect. Because this recipe calls for both – it is there strictly for the purpose of getting the right texture, rise and crumble in the bars. You can substitute with margarine for the closest consistency.
Charlene says
I am interested in making the m&m chocolate fudge bars I was wondering if you could tell me what the UK version of shortening would be or an alternative
Gina Kleinworth says
Hi there – after a simple Google search I was able to find out that the UK equivalent is Trex; essentially the same stuff but without any hydrogenated components.