Description
An easy recipe for candy bar blondies. These chewy, buttery cookie bars are packed with leftover Halloween candy in addition to classic chocolate chips. Rich and decadent, simple to make, and easily adaptable. Gluten and dairy-free friendly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1–1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp (20g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup M&Ms
- 1/2–3/4 cup chopped chocolate candy bars
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or grease lightly with butter. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, until combined. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until completely combined, about 1 min. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and mix in the vanilla.
- Add the egg and mix until smooth and creamy and the mixture has slightly lightened in color, about 30 seconds.
- Turn the mixer down to low, and spoon in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Stir in the candy bars and chocolate chips, reserving some for the top.
- Turn the cookie dough out into the prepared baking pan, and use an offset spatula to even out the top and smooth the dough into the corners. The dough will be thick.
- Sprinkle the remaining candy on top.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the bars look shiny and set, the edges are golden, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cookie bars cool in the pan before slicing. Serve warm. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Some candy will hold their shape better than others during baking. Snickers for example, will melt into gooey oblivion, while M&M’s and Reese’s seem to be more sturdy. You can also save a few pieces to stick on top once they emerge from the oven – they’ll melt a bit but be more recognizable if that’s important to you!
- For reference, if you are using fun-sized Halloween candy, I used 4 M&M packs, 8 mini Snickers, and 8 mini Reese’s. You can cut them smaller than shown in the photos (fourths work well), or leave them larger!
- Make them dairy free: Use a plant-based butter such as Miyokos or Earth Balance Buttery Baking Sticks. I find that while both result in similar textures, Miyokos has a less noticeable flavor. You’ll also need to use dairy-free chocolate candy bars and chocolate chips.
- Make them gluten free: Substitute equal parts of a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.