By About the author: Annum Munir is a Muslim blogger who loves infusing creativity and faith into her artistic and adventurous pursuits. She hopes to inspire you to travel more fully and make ordinary things just a tad bit extraordinary.
Ramadan isn’t just the holiest month in Islam, it’s also one of the most social. From iftar parties, to iftar potlucks, to IHOP suhoor runs, to post-taraweeh hangs, Ramadan has a special ability to bring us together to eat, pray, love (see what I did there?) and celebrate as one ummah (community).
As my inbox fills up with invitations, one big, important, head-scratching question come to mind: “What should I take?!”
Whenever I attend an iftar, I like to bring a gift for the host as a token of gratitude and appreciation because Allah knows cooking up a feast while fasting is no easy feat. Plus, gift-giving is also part of the sunnah — meaning bonus points in Ramadan.
In this article, I’ll share a recipe for a simple, yet delicious and colorful baked treat that you can package and take as a Ramadan (or Eid) gift.
Presenting your newest dessert obsession: Loaded Oreo and M&M bars!
These bars are pleasing to both the eyes and the taste buds. Best of all, you can make them quickly, without a hand-mixer, and using ingredients you probably have lying around in your pantry.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 sticks or 1 cup of unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs (try to use ethically-harvested, cage-free eggs if you can because being mindful of animal welfare is also part of the sunnah)
- 2 cups of light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons of alcohol-free vanilla extract
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 30 birthday cake or regular Oreos, ignoring the mind-boggling debate on whether they’re halal or haram (you can use more or less Oreos depending on your preference of how Oreo-y you want these bars to be)
- 1 cup of regular M&Ms (or funky M&Ms, whatever floats your boat!)
Once you have your ingredients assembled, here’s what to do:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 13 x 9 rectangular pan with parchment paper
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and then let it cool for a few minutes before whisking in the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract
- Add the flour and stir until just combined
- Roughly chop up the Oreos and stir them into the bowl
- Scoop the batter into the rectangular pan and carefully spread it out towards the edges
- Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top, pressing them in gently
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is slightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Let the bars cool and set in the pan before cutting them up, otherwise they’ll break
- Place the bars in bakery boxes with a window and then seal them using washi tape with a festive “Ramadan Mubarak or Happy Ramadan” sticker for that extra pizazz!
An edible gift is a wonderful way of thanking your host for having you over. Besides,And fresh homemade goodies are always better than their store-bought equivalents (but of course no one is judging if you go the store-bought way because #AintNobodyGotTime in Ramadan).
Happy Ramadan & Eid gifting!
Note: This recipe makes about 18-20 bars, but it can easily be halved and made in a 8 x 8 square pan.
As an extra tip, pair these bars with a Ramadan-themed greeting card from Hello Holy Days! I love this Muslim-owned business because the whimsical card designs match perfectly with the brightly-colored bars.
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks.