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Valentine Brown Sugar Bars

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Valentine brown sugar bars take little time to make and are perfect for dessert, a lunchbox treat or class party. Surprise your family, friends or coworkers. You’re sure to win brownie points.

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars area sweet treat for your family.

Do you ever see the holiday mixes of M&M’s? They come out just before Easter, July 4th, Christmas, all the major holidays. I always think they are look very festive and I love making treats for my family with them. 

I like to make these Valentine’s Day treats for my kids lunch boxes because they are a delicious surprise. You probably have all of the ingredients between your pantry and refrigerator. When making these bars use a wooden spoon and hand mix them. The dough is thick and will require elbow grease but it’s worth the effort. When they are in the oven, start checking for doneness at the shortest amount of time. While each oven varies, it’s good practice.

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars ready for the oven.

What I love about these Valentine brown sugar bars is their versatility. Use red and green M&M’s and they are suitable for Christmas. Before I bake them I add a few more M&M’s on top. Doing so makes them look pretty.

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars are a sweet treat for your sweetheart. Though they are delicious any time of year!

If you really want to get creative, purchase your school colors and make them for a bake sale! As a result, I would venture a guess they sell out. I actually sent these into my son’s class. They would ship well if you wanted to send them in a care package to a college student.

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars are a sweet treat for your sweetheart. Though they are delicious any time of year!

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out these adorable Valentine cookie pops or white chocolate Valentine bark. But if you want more recipes with festive seasonal M&M’s visit Easter M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Halloween M and M Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas M&M Cookies.

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars

Yield: 9 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Valentine Brown Sugar Bars are a sweet treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup Valentine M&M's, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter the bottom only of an 8 x 8 inch square pan and line. with parchment paper, allowing some parchment to hang over the sides. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, combine the brown sugar and melted butter until well combined. Add in the egg and vanilla, mixing until both are incorporated.
  5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup of the Valentine M&M's.
  6. Spread batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining M&M's.
  7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool completely before cutting.

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© Ellen Folkman and Family Around the Table
Category: Desserts and Sweets
Valentine Brown Sugar Bars are a sweet treat for your sweetheart. Though they are delicious any time of year! #OurFamilyTable

 

Sweet Valentine’s Day Desserts

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Valentine Brown Sugar Bars are a sweet treat for your sweetheart. Though they are delicious any time of year! #OurFamilyTable

Originally published in 2016; Updated 2020

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Dorothy Reinhold says

    Now this sounds like a tasty treat! I love that you can celebrate different holidays with different color candies!

    Reply

  14. tina says

    I am obsessed with m&m’s lately so these cookie bars are on my must make list!! Welcome to The Fill The Cookie Jar group 🙂

    Reply

  17. Joanne/Wine Lady Cooks says

    Hi, welcome to the group, it’s so nice to meet you. The Brown Sugar Bars are a delicious Valentine’s Day treat.

    Reply

  22. Cynthia says

    I would love to have one of these (or two) in my lunch box! They look so good and I love the fact that you can switch them up for any holiday! Thanks so much for being a part of the Fill The Cookie Jar group. So glad you are here!

    Reply

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