These fudgy mini egg brownies make the perfect Easter dessert - fun, festive, and incredibly easy to whip up! With just 10 simple ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep, you'll have a rich, chocolatey dessert that takes Cadbury eggs to the next level. If you already love them on their own, just wait until you taste them in brownie form!
I'm not much of a candy gal, but when you offer me creamy chocolate in a crunchy candy shell I'll never turn it down. M&M's? Love them. Cadbury mini eggs? Even better. And I'll gladly eat them straight from the bag, but mixed into a gooey chocolate brownie, they're 10x more irresistible.
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Highlights of This Mini Egg Brownie Recipe
- Made From Scratch: Whether we're talking carrot cake, chocolate pudding, or Easter brownies, one thing is always true: we do things from scratch around here! If you've never made perfectly chocolatey brownies without a mix, I'm here to change that. With the right techniques, it's practically foolproof!
- Minimal Prep: Like my other brownie recipes, this one won't take up too much of your time - because who doesn't want an easy holiday recipe?! You can pick up any ingredients you're missing at your nearest grocery store and have them in the oven in under 30 minutes.
- Easily Adaptable: You can easily make these gluten free, use other varieties of candy coated eggs, or even swap the eggs for a different candy (peanut butter cup brownies, anyone?) In fact, most of the ingredients in this recipe have some degree of flexibility. Check out the Ingredients and Substitutions section below for more details.
- SO Rich & Fudgy: In my mind, brownies should be intensely chocolatey, and these are just that. Similar to my recipe for Oreo brownies, we accomplish this by adding a mixture of melted chocolate and butter to the brownie batter. They turn out soft and dense with a deep chocolate flavor that's not overly sweet - an incredible base for those crunchy Cadbury mini eggs!
- Perfect for Easter! With the pastel-colored eggs speckled through every bite, these are such a fun Easter treat that kids and adults will love.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You'll find the full list of ingredients needed for these Easter egg brownies in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful things to note:
- Baking chocolate - Use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for this recipe, since the added sugar and milk chocolate mini eggs will add plenty of their own sweetness to the brownies. You can chop up a bar of baking chocolate or use chocolate baking wafers. For the best tasting brownies possible, make sure whatever you use is high quality!
- Butter - Since we'll be melting the butter for this recipe, I recommend slicing it into tablespoons so it melts evenly. If you're using salted butter, you can decrease the added salt in these brownies to ¼ teaspoon.
- Eggs - You'll need two large eggs for this recipe, plus a third yolk. Similar to its use in my double chocolate cookies, the fat from the extra yolk yields a softer, richer finished product with the perfect amount of chew. Keep in mind that in order for your brownie batter to come together properly, all of your eggs should be brought to room temperature before use.
- Flour - You can make this recipe with basic all-purpose flour, or use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Cocoa Powder - I like to make these brownies with Dutch processed cocoa because it has a smoother, deeper chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder. Either will work fine, but again, quality counts here.
- Mini Eggs - These wouldn't be Cadbury brownies without the Cadbury mini eggs, but you can certainly use a similar candy like pastel M&M's, or even good ol' chocolate chips. I like to chop the mini eggs up into (rough) quarters before adding them to the batter, but keep a couple whole eggs (plus any tiny shavings) on hand for sprinkling on top!
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep baking pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil greased with cooking spray).
- Melt butter and chocolate: Combine chopped chocolate (or chocolate wafers) with sliced butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted and evenly combined. Set aside to cool briefly.
- Whip sugar and eggs: Using a medium bowl and handheld electric mixer, or a stand mixer with a wire whip attachment, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs on medium-high speed for several minutes. When sufficiently whipped, the mixture should be much thicker and lighter, and should ribbon down from the beaters when they're lifted. The beaters should also leave a trail behind when mixing that retains its shape for several seconds before settling back down.
- Add butter and chocolate: With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Then, add vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix until smoothly combined, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add flour and cocoa to the batter and mix in on lowest speed until mostly incorporated. Wipe down the bowl and beater with a spatula once more. Add the chopped mini eggs and gently fold everything together just until evenly combined. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer to pan: Scoop the batter into your prepared baking pan, spreading it out into a flat, even layer that covers the bottom surface. (A small offset spatula is helpful here!) Scatter the top with extra chopped eggs, a small handful of whole eggs, and any chocolate egg shavings you might have on your cutting board, pressing the bigger pieces in lightly with your palm.
- Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes, or just until edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs. For fudgy brownies, always be cautious not to overbake!
- Cool: Place pan over a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely. At that point, they can be sliced immediately or refrigerated for about 30 minutes first, which will yield extra-clean slices.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Store sliced brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for about 1 week.
Alternatively, store them in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
My Top Tips for This Easter Brownie Recipe
- If possible, use a scale to measure your flour and cocoa powder. This is always a good idea when baking, and will help you make sure your brownies have a perfectly fudgy texture!
- Don't overmix. Specifically, once you've added the dry ingredients to your batter, your goal should be to manipulate the batter as little as possible. This is important for soft, chewy chocolate brownies.
- Check your pan size. While a 9" square pan will technically work for this recipe, your brownies will be on the thin side. On the other hand, if you want to make a bigger batch, double the recipe and use a 9"x13" pan. The baking time may need to be increased by a few minutes, so look for the visual cues mentioned above that indicate they're fully baked.
- If you're gluten free, keep in mind that Cadbury mini eggs could potentially contain traces of wheat from the manufacturing process. You can always swap them with a different mix-in if needed!
More Easter Desserts!
Looking for a second dessert option to add to your Easter spread? Here are a few of my favorites - all great for the spring season as a whole!
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Mini Egg Brownies Recipe
If you've come looking for the perfect Easter brownie recipe, this is it! These Cadbury mini egg brownies are fun, festive, and SO simple to whip up. Thanks to a combination of cocoa powder, melted butter, and melted chocolate, they're rich and fudgy with just the right amount of chew.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 brownies
- Category: brownies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 grams) chopped baking chocolate or chocolate wafers (semisweet or bittersweet)
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons
- ½ cup, packed (106 grams) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (33 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 cup (184 grams) roughly chopped Cadbury mini eggs (or similar), plus extra eggs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil greased with cooking spray).
- Combine chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave for 30-second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted and evenly combined. Set aside to cool briefly.
- Using a medium bowl and handheld electric mixer, or a stand mixer with a wire whip attachment, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs on medium-high speed for several minutes. When sufficiently whipped, the mixture should be much thicker and lighter, and should ribbon down from the beaters when they're lifted. The beaters should also leave a trail behind when mixing that retains its shape for several seconds before settling back down.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Then, add vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix until smoothly combined, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add flour and cocoa to the batter and mix in on lowest speed until mostly incorporated. Wipe down the bowl and beater with a spatula once more. Add the chopped mini eggs and gently fold everything together just until evenly combined. The batter will be thick.
- Scoop batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it out into a flat, even layer that fully covers the bottom surface. (A small offset spatula is helpful here!) Scatter the top with extra chopped eggs, a small handful of whole eggs, and any chocolate egg shavings you might have on your cutting board, pressing the bigger pieces in lightly with your palm.
- Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes, or just until edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs.
- Place pan over a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely. At that point, they can be sliced immediately, or refrigerated for about 30 minutes first for extra-clean slices.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- If using salted butter, the added salt can be reduced to ¼ teaspoon.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour can be used if desired, as a 1:1 swap.
- Natural cocoa powder can also be used, though Dutch cocoa will yield a slightly smoother, deeper chocolate flavor.
- Cadbury mini eggs can be substituted with any other candy-coated chocolate eggs, M&M's, or chocolate chips/chunks.
Storing and Freezing:
- Fully cooled and sliced brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature, and should keep for about 1 week.
- Brownies can also be stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Scaling This Recipe:
- For a double batch, bake in a 9x13 pan. Baking time may need to be increased slightly; look for the visual cues described in step 7 above that indicate the brownies are fully baked.
Sandra
They look delicious!!!!!
Melissa Klotz
These are out of control adorable!!! I love the colors and the way you styled them and I must use three exclamation points to get my excitement across!!! *drools*
alexandra
Aww thank you so much Melissa! I love the three exclamation marks!!! :)
Natasha
Alexandra! These look so great! What an awesome idea for Easter, I love it. And your photos are gorgeous too, that one with the bite taken out of it actually made me salivate :-) thanks for the link love!
alexandra
Haha thanks Natasha! I'm glad I did justice with the recipe in your eyes. :) Thank you for the inspiration!
Singadiva
Oh my... It's Mother's Day here in Dubai, UAE & I was just thinking of a baking project to do with my terrific 2... No prize for guessing this is it! Can't believe the recipe is tres simple! Thanks, Alexandra :)
alexandra
Aww that sounds like so much fun! I hope you guys enjoy them. :) You're welcome!
Happy Mother's Day!
luv what you do
Those look delish!
I love your cupcake liners!
alexandra
Thanks! The cupcake liners were from World Market.
Jess
Alexandra, these are so fun - I love all the Easter colors! What IS it about Target - there's no way to get in and out of that place without a few extra unplanned purchases...
alexandra
Thank you! I love all the colors too; sometimes baked things can be so brown! Haha It was nice to have a change.
It sounds like you speak from Target experience ;)
Ashley
haha I just bought the same exact M&Ms to make cookie cups : ) These are adorable - and I love those liners! So pretty
alexandra
Great minds think alike! Hah
And I picked the cupcake liners up from World Market during the holidays, but they just happened to work perfectly for this recipe. :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
These are too cute, a great idea for Easter!
Ellen @ Indigo Scones
Ohhh my gosh. You're killing me with these! And isn't Target a wonderland? They have some danged good gummy bears.
alexandra
Lol sorry?!
Gummy bears, huh? Haha there's something for everyone I guess, that's the beauty of it. :)
Ellen @ Indigo Scones
Killing me in the best way possible, of course :) And yes, something for everyone indeed! I love it for that reason.
Erika
Oh man I know what you mean about dangerous Target shopping! Actually, any grocery store is dangerous for me. I always walk out with random bags of wheat germ and squashes and tubs of cornmeal that I didn't mean to buy! Does that happen to other people? I really should use lists. But yay for Easter decorations! These are adorable! Such a good use of your marshmallow creme and the super quick nutella brownies sound so dangerous. TOO CUTE!
alexandra
Omg I know everywhere I go I have problems shopping because I can think of a reason to buy almost anything but I also don't want to waste money... It's like a constant battle of wills. :)
Thanks so much Erika!
2girlsin2cities
Did you see there are also almond M&Ms? Maybe those are the ones you picked up to get the egg shape. Genius! - J
alexandra
I don't know if I did! Like I said, all the choices were too overwhelming... I was on overload haha. The ones I used are the M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs, so it's just like a giant M&M filled with chocolate! The almond ones would be awesome for these brownies too.