Here's What Happens When You Microwave M&M's

While some may prefer the crisp crunch of chilled M&M's, other snackers opt for a gooier approach to their candy consumption. Placing the candy-shelled chocolates into the microwave for a dozen or so seconds can yield a squishy treat that can be pinched between fingers and popped into mouths. Whether you're looking for a chewy sweet to satisfy afternoon cravings or want something texturally interesting to place in between two slabs of peanut butter toast, microwaved M&M's are beloved by celebrities and commoners alike.

Microwaving a batch of M&M's results in a soft, warm center of chocolate that remains in its colorful candy shell. The exterior of the bite-sized candies will remain crisp and toothy to chow down on. You'll need to watch your precious pieces of chocolate candy carefully, however, as a few extra seconds in the microwave can cross the line between a delightful treat and an oozing mess. M&M's have the capability of burning in your microwave, and it's a difficult situation to remedy once the chocolate has been scorched. 

Since microwaves vary, you may want to do a test run with a small batch before going to Melty Candy Town with a large bowl filled with the chocolate pieces. Not only will your microwave impact the length of time your M&M's need to reach that delicate balance of crunchy gooey deliciousness, but the candy variety you prefer can also make a difference in cooking time. M&M's packed with peanuts, caramel, or fudge brownies will require different lengths of time to reach that ideal melted point.

If you open the microwave door and are dismayed to find cracked candy pieces with chocolate seeping out, don't worry. Even if the candy coating splits, you can use these over-melted pieces to dress up other snacks. Plop these sticky morsels onto sliced bananas, press them into candy bark, or mix up an impromptu cup of hot chocolate with your chocolate candy experiment. For the candy pieces that have remained intact, microwaved M&M's can be enjoyed as is or tossed onto plates of served brownies, scooped ice cream, or thrown into bowls of freshly made popcorn.