Super Chewy Candy Bar Blondies
Soft, chewy, chocolate-packed Candy Bar Blondies are an irresistible treat! They’ve got a buttery brown sugar blondie base studded with Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, or any or all of your favorite treats. Best of all, they’re super quick and easy to make: mixed by hand in one bowl with minimal prep.
I confess that up until now, I’ve felt a twinge of skepticism in response to baking recipes that call for “leftover candy.”
First, is that really a thing? Even as a chronic over-purchaser of Halloween treats, I don’t really consider the surplus “leftover.” I mean, it would certainly disappear before its expiration date, no problem! But the real reason for my raised eyebrow? The idea of “using up” excess candy by adding more butter and sugar. Like, is that really a good idea?
Yes. Happy to report that it is a VERY, VERY GOOD IDEA.
What are blondies?
Blondies are often considered a cousin to brownies, but I’d argue they are a dessert class all to themselves. The best blondies are buttery, rich, and chewy, with a heavy infusion of brown sugar and vanilla. A perfect blondie is a bit like a marriage of butterscotch flavor and thick, chewy brownie texture.
Chocolate chips, pecans, and other nuts are all common blondie mix-ins. The bars also lend themselves deliciously to being studded with chopped up candy bar bits — no surprise there!
How to make the best candy bar blondies
There are countless blondie recipes out there. My go-to is an adaptation of an old Cook’s Illustrated blondie; I’ve tweaked most of the ingredient amounts over time to produce the irresistibly chewy texture we love, and added a smidge of baking soda for more lift.
Better yet? I always make these in one bowl. It works perfectly. The steps are so simple:
- Melt butter and mix well with brown sugar and other wet ingredients.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients on top and mix just until combined.
- Add chopped up candy and fold in gently.
You can use absolutely any combination of candy you like. For this batch I used a mix of Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, and one or two Reese’s cups.
I love them super sweet like this. My husband loves them with some dark chocolate mixed in, to cut the sweetness just a tad. Experiment and have fun!
Once mixed, the batter will be very thick, more cookie-like than brownie-like.
Press into a lined square baking pan, and bake for roughly 25 minutes. The blondies will puff up along the outer edge and turn golden brown across the top.
Cool, cut, and serve
Straight out of the oven, the blondies will be very soft and difficult to cut, so try your best to wait until they are cooled to lift them out of the pan and cut.
Candy bar blondies will keep well tightly covered at room temperature for 4-5 days. You may also enjoy them cold from the fridge or even the freezer, but this is optional for taste and texture, not a necessity for safe storage.
More brownies and bars
- Perfect One-Bowl Brownies
- Nutella Sea Salt Brownies
- Thick, Chewy Carmelitas
- Toffee Chocolate Chip Shortbread
- Shortcut Samoa Cookie Bars
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Candy Bar Blondies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups assorted chopped candy bars Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line a 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir until evenly combined. Sprinkle flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the mixture, and stir until just combined. The batter will be very sugary and thick.1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- Gently fold in the chopped pieces of candy, then scrape out batter and press gently into an even layer in the baking pan.1 and 1/2 cups assorted chopped candy bars
- Bake for 22-25 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and the edges may puff up slightly. Remove from the oven, and set on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage. Store blondies tightly covered at room temperature for 4-5 days. You may also enjoy them cold from the fridge or even the freezer, but this is optional for taste and texture, not necessary for safe storage.
- Recipe. Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.
