Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies

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Halloween is just around the corner in only 6 weeks. Where did 2013 go?

I made these brownies to clear out candy odds-and-ends. Because October tis-the-season to accumulate more.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

The brownies have more variety of miniature and fun-size candy bars baked in than most gas stations sell.

Butterfinger, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Snickers, Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Nestle Crunch, Twix, and M&Ms.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

I adapted one of my favorite brownie bases because it makes an 8×8 pan and with brownies this decadent, a bigger pan enters into dangerous territory.

There’s no melted chocolate in them, and they’re made simply with cocoa powder. I used to think cocoa powder brownies couldn’t possibly hold a candle to melted chocolate brownies or be as fudgy, but this base proves me wrong. I’ve used it previously herehere, and here.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

They’re as easy as a boxed mix and ready in a half hour. Melt butter in the micro, stir in the sugars, eggs, coffee, and vanilla, before whisking in the espresso granules, cocoa powder and flour.

The splash of coffee and pinch of instant espresso granules doesn’t make the brownies taste like coffee and instead enhances and brings out the chocolate flavor, but they’re optional.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the pan, and top with candy bars of your choice.

I encourage you not to buy any new candy for these. Shop in your own pantry. Try chocolate-covered pretzels or nuts, two-day old chopped up cookies, leftover caramel corn, diced Nilla wafers or graham crackers, whatever you have that’s snacky and munchy, toss it in.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

Top with the remaining batter.

And if you’re so inclined, sprinkle on a little more candy and some chocolate chips.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

The brownies remind me of many previous recipes, but I had never done loaded brownies.

I’ve  made Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars (cookie dough base), Milky Way Chocolate Cookie Crumble Bars (chocolate cookie dough base), Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars (blondie base with PB three ways), and Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars (blondie base loaded up).

And now I have a trashed up brownie, full of random candy.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

If you don’t bake and write cookbooks for a living and don’t have a pantry that overflows with sugar quite as badly as mine does, just wait a month.

Halloween is coming up, then there’s Christmas candy and holiday baking season (chop up some of Grandma’s creme de menthe fudge or your mom’s sugar cookies and bake them in), Valentine’s Day candy, and Easter candy.

So many candy collecting opportunities.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

You could, of course, just eat your fun-size candy bars, but it’s so much more fun baking them into fudgy, soft, dense, brownies.

Rich, decadent, and just want the pantry cleanout doctor ordered.

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies - Fast, Easy, No-Mixer Recipe at averiecooks.com

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4.50 from 4 votes

Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies

By Averie Sunshine
These dense, fudgy brownies are loaded with candy bar pieces, making them supremely decadent. They’re as fast and easy as a boxed mix, and everything is whisked together in one bowl. I used a variety of fun-size and mini candy bars that were cluttering my pantry. Use the recipe as an excuse to thin our your baking odds-and-ends or the candy accumulated from various holidays. With Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s and Easter candy, there’s never a shortage of candy and these bbrownies help thin the stash. Rich, moist, very chocolaty, easy, and ready in a half hour.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 1/4 sticks, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, leftover from the morning brew is fine, optional but recommend to enhance chocolate flavor and does not make brownies taste like coffee
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process, I used Hershey’s natural
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee granules, optional but recommend to enhance chocolate flavor and does not make brownies taste like coffee
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • about 12 to 15 fun-size candy bars, diced in half if it’s larger like a Twix (I used Butterfinger, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Snickers, Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Nestle Crunch, Twix)
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for topping
  • â…“ cup M&M’s for topping, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang on the sides, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Allow butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the eggs.
  • Add the eggs, sugars, optional coffee, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Add the cocoa powder, optional espresso granules, optional salt, and whisk to combine. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, it could take a couple minutes of vigorous whisking.
  • Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  • Turn two-thirds of the batter out into prepared pan, reserving the remaining one-third; just eyeball it. The reserved amount should be about 1 1/2 cups; set reserved portion aside.
  • Place candy bar pieces onto batter, distributed evenly, in an even, flat layer. I made 5 rows with about 5 pieces candy per row.
  • Top with reserved batter to cover candy. Gently smooth and distribute batter with a spatula or knife
  • Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
  • Evenly sprinkle the optional M&M’s over the top.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes, or until done; don’t overbake. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, but will likely have a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow brownies to cool in pan for about 1 hour before lifting out with foil overhang and slicing.
  • Brownies will keep airtight at room temperature or refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I prefer to store them in the fridge and serve them slightly chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 668kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 274mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 63g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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In my cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort I share 4 more of favorite brownie recipes, all involving peanut butter

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Thanks for the entries in the 7″ Kindle Fire HD (16GB) and $20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

And in the Mr. Coffee® Café Latte Machine Giveaway ($100 Value)

What’s your favorite brownie recipe? Favorite way to use random candy (other than just eating it)?

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Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Holy crap were are these brownies amazing! Moist, rich, and all that chocolate! Wow, what a great recipe. It’s amazing to me to be able to make these brownies, at any time, with items that I generally have in the house, and they’re made in one bowl! This is the perfect go to brownie recipe, that is obviously extremely versatile. Thank you…it’s a keeper!

  2. I just made these for my son’s birthday. The teenage boys and my chocoholic family will love them! I used leftover reese’s miniatures and hershey kisses. I opted for adding the m&m’s on top and I think that really made for a cute presentation. Thanks, Averie!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Happy Bday to your son! Your choice of candies sounds perfect!

  3. Ok, just tried these also( I’m on a baking streak) and once again you have made me and my family happy! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I GUARANTY I will make another one of your recipes.

    1. That’s wonderful to hear! I am so glad they were a hit & that you’re on a baking streak. Keep it up and LMK what else you try!

  4. So, now that I have about a pound of leftover Halloween candy, my plan is this: I am going to combine this recipe and another one from Bakerita for Brown Sugar Bars, and make a 3 layer blondie/candy/brownie monstrosity. Wish me luck!

  5. Interesting brownie recipe! I love brownies so I’m going to have to try this! I think I’ll have to make a convenience store run for coffee though since I don’t drink it!

  6. These fudgy brownies remind me of your m&m Oreo cookie bars, Averie! And I just love this brownie base – I need to add coffee to it next time! you used several of my favorite candies in these brownies and I can only imagine how amazing butterfingers are in them!! Pinned for sure. Gorgeous.

    1. It was a great pantry cleanout recipe – right before Halloween. Because my candy stash multiplies ten-fold in Oct! Thanks for pinning :)

  7. Can the recipe just be doubled if making a 13 x 9 x 2 pan? Whenever I bake I bring my creations to work for my co-workers and the quantity made in a 9×9 just isn’t enough and it would be nice to not have to make two pans.