Name: Firecracker Brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 16 Brownies
Ingredients: 1 Brownie Mix box (use your favorite, I used Ghiradelli); Ingredients called for on the box (I used water, oil and eggs); 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract); 1-2 teaspoons Espresso Powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups M&M's (I used red, white & blue), divided; 16 OREO cookies (I used the firecracker ones)

The 4th of July is just around the corner and that means it is time for red, white and blue everything and firecrackers for everyone. To really make this holiday something to remember make these Firecracker Brownies…they really are something amazing.

It starts with a box

I am a big fan of brownies and especially homemade brownies, but recently I was chatting with a friend and she was telling me about her favorite brownies. I was quite surprised to find out they start with a box brownie mix. She added a few extra ingredients to make them even better and they came AMAZING…so I had to give it a shot.

I was truly surprised that with a little vanilla bean paste, espresso powder and salt boxed brownies taste like homemade. For these Firecracker Brownies I also added in red, white and blue M&M’s and the new OREO Fireworks Cookies. They have popping rocks on the inside…perfect for that little extra surprise for your 4th of July Party.

It’s all about the layers

The brownie batter is pretty thick which makes for a super fudgy and chewy brownie. I spread 1/2 of the batter into the bottom of the pan and then placed my OREO’s whole on top and then spread the remaining batter over the cookies.

By doing this the cookies will not become soggy, making for a great crunch with each bite. The crunchy texture is a perfect addition to the fudgy brownies. Like I mentioned before I used the Fireworks OREO’s but you can use any variety you would like.

M&M FUN

These brownies are a perfect 4th of July treat, especially with the red, white and blue M&M’s, but these are perfect for anytime of the year. With all the varieties of M&M’s out there you could come up with endless combinations of flavors.

You could use peanut butter M&M’s, or the caramel ones or the new espresso crunch M&M’s…really anyone of them would be so good. Let your imagination run wild and have some fun with your combo’s. Just make sure to take pics and tag me @sparklesnsprouts so we can all see your creations.