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.
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.
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 here, here, and here.
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.
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.
Top with the remaining batter.
And if you’re so inclined, sprinkle on a little more candy and some chocolate chips.
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.
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.
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.
Pin This Recipe
Loaded Fudgy Candy Bar Brownies
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.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), melted
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 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
- 3/4 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
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 1/2 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)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for topping
- 1/3 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.
Adapted from The Ultimate Fudgy Caramel Brownies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
812Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 668Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 274mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 3gSugar: 63gProtein: 9g
Related Recipes
Peanut Butter-Swirled Fudgy Brownies
The Ultimate Fudgy Caramel Brownies
Homemade Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oreo Cookie-Stuffed Brownies with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Banana Bread Brownies with Vanilla Caramel Glaze
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars – Soft and squishy centers with chewy edges. Dense, buttery, and full of gooey creaminess from the sweetened condensed milk. Mini peanut butter cups in every bite
Milky Way Chocolate Cookie Crumble Bars
Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars – Peanut butter is use 3 different ways. Great for pantry odds-and-ends cleanout
Soft and Chewy Brownie Cookies
In my cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort I share 4 more of favorite brownie recipes, all involving peanut butter
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)?
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!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
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!
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!
I love these, there delicious… thanks for posting up this recipe..
Simon
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.
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!
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!
Ok good luck!
Also see this post of mine :)
https://www.averiecooks.com/20-recipes-to-use-leftover-halloween-candy/
Your website is going to make me so fat – and yet I just can’t hate you for it! x
LOL :)
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!
And it’s not imperative but if you happen to have it, toss it in. If not, no worries!
This post made me sniffle my friend, absolutely beautiful!
:) thanks!
ooooooh these brownies are SOOOO fudgy and I love all the different candiiiiiies!
Thanks, Kayle! :)
I am not going to be waiting on Halloween leftovers to make these brownies. The more candy the better!
I like the way you think!
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.
It was a great pantry cleanout recipe – right before Halloween. Because my candy stash multiplies ten-fold in Oct! Thanks for pinning :)
Love how packed with candy these brownies are! So decadent!
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.
I have not personally tried doubling the recipe and baking in a 9×13 pan but it would probably be okay.
Omg!! I’m drooling at 5am, and it’s not good ;)
This really is the perfect way to clean out my pantry! And the perfect midnight snack when I’m blogging away :)
I need one now with my latte!!
Averie! I can’t wait to show my boys these! Super cute! And ohhhhh so yummy!
Wow. These are so intense! I’d love to get some of them into the oven ASAP! Looks like an awesome recipe to bring along to a club meeting :).
Oh my goodness, Averie, these look awesome! I have a feeling these would be awesome a couple weeks after Halloween! Granted, I have no kids whose candy I can sneak away but those day after Halloween candy sales are my favorite! :) Storing this recipe away for then!
file it away for a rainy day!
OH gosh your killing me with these Averie! Oh and they have espresso, I know these will be perfect for after Halloween. I can just taste them they look so good!!!
That brownie is calling my name! LOVE.
How awesome are these? It’s like a surprise in every bite – what kind of candy bar will I bite into this time….FUN!
Yum, these bars look delicious, I made your apple and cinnamon muffins last week and loved them!
Thanks for telling me you made those muffins and love them! YAY! :)
I’ve seen your comments on Oh She Glows so had to come see what you do! :) First, let me say I LOVE food/cookie/bars/dessert stacks! Your photos rock! Your desserts make me wish I wasn’t vegan. lol I’ll have to see if I can make any vegan-friendly versions because they all look like blissful bites of yum stacked on top of tasty treats I want to eat. :)
I used to be vegan and am vegetarian now. Been one or the other my whole life.
Many of my recipes ARE vegan or you can easily adapt out the butter and use a flax egg for a real egg. I don’t call for any specialty or hard to find ingredients in any of my recipes so hopefully you can indulge in some things! For instance just last week I made 3 vegan recipes – https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/chocolate-peanut-butter-mocha-powerballs.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/vegan-chunky-apple-cinnamon-muffins.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/vegan-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-muffins.html
And then within each of those recipes, there are at least 10 links each to related recipes, many of which will be vegan. So you’re not out of luck, at all!
Thanks for stopping by and the nice compliments!
I’m exploring your blog better now and yes, see vegan options! Woot! I just started with this post and went from there. Thanks for the comment back, btw. I’d have a hard time swapping out that candy in the brownies, I think. I haven’t really discovered great vegan m&m’s etc. Unless I”m missing something? (Please tell me I’m missing something. lol.) I’ve only been vegan for a little over one year so am still learning the ropes!
Well you may not be able to get M&Ms but you may be able to get other things; you have to think creatively. Like oh I can’t get vegan this or that, but I can always use homemade chopped vegan peanut butter cups. The add-ins are secondary; it’s can I adapt this dough base, muffin base, brownie base to work for my needs. Then what you sprinkle on or into it become secondary. And yes, I do think all of these candies exist in vegan forms online from specialty shops – pricey and I dont know if it’s worth it, but if you just have to have a vegan snickers, you can probably buy one, somewhere.
Candy collecting is right. I’m trying REALLY hard not to buy up a ton of candy this year because we’re currently in an apartment where I know we won’t get any trick-or-treaters :( when previously I’ve always lived in a house that I know kids would be flocking to. But…you never know when those “fun” sized bags will jump into the cart!
those “fun” sized bags jump into my cart all the time too! Those seasonal flavors, or seeing something I havent had in years, it’s impulse buy city for me around Halloween so I really just have to try to not go to Target – that’s the worst for me! We also get like ZERO trick or treaters in my urban ‘hood.
Lady you have the monopoly on yummy desserts… go to site for me when I need something sweet.:)
You’re so sweet, thanks for that, Tracy!
A great way to use up tons of candy! I just want to eat one of these! Man they look good!
Oh wow — you weren’t kidding when you said these were “loaded”! Look at all that candy. I’ll just have to hoard all the Halloween candy for myself so I can make a few batches of these. Candy isn’t good for little kids anyway, right? In fact, I’m doing a FAVOR by saving all the candy for myself!
Thanks for sharing such a decadent-looking recipe!
Exactly to this :Candy isn’t good for little kids anyway, right? In fact, I’m doing a FAVOR by saving all the candy for myself!” — FOR SURE! :)
Now I’m officially craving brownies!
I have to admit Averie, I am kind of glad that I don’t live in your house. You are always making such delicious treats! They look fantastic :)
I have happy friends and neighbors. I have to donate things! :)
Seriously, great question! Where did 2013 go?! I love your halloween inspired recipes, halloween is such a fun time of year but especially with making all these treats- yours to be exact ;) #bakingdessertqueen
Thanks so much for that hashtag!
Don’t you just love how adaptable a simple brownie recipe can be? These look so tempting, Averie! Pinning!
Yes I sure do and thanks for pinning!
Oh my goodness! That is just insanely delicious looking. I am a brownie lover from way back and adding candy and extra goodies just makes it all the more tempting.
Good idea with cleaning out the candy! I still have some from last Halloween and Christmas.
I will definitely be trying these after I recuperate from my beach week.
I still have some from last Halloween and Christmas. <-- what about Easter and Valentine's Day? LOL I have all of the above.
I like being able to shop in my own pantry. Who knows what awesome treats are hiding in the shelves!
Shopping in own pantry is key!
Brownies and sweets?! Awesome! Love them!
If you’re looking for me, I’ll be eating my weight in these brownies till 2014!
Oh yes! I love candy desserts! These bars are truly loaded with some of the best stuff! Love them!
Yep, perfect for fall and to clean out my pantry! And it’s true, once you make your brownie mix, you won’t go back to the box because they taste way better and seem just as easy!
hey taste way better and seem just as easy! = YES so true! I have 3 different bases I use, all are just as easy – just depends on pan size I am going for and whether I want fudgier, chewier, etc. But they’re all whisked together in a minute!
I’ll take the whole pan, please!
Soooo, these brownies pretty much look perfect! Doesn’t get much better than chocolatey goodness loaded with candy!
No it does not, you’re right! :)
I love candy bar brownies–I feel like you can’t mess them up. Delicious gooey brownie and candies. YUM!
These are so full of colour and fun! Love these :)
Loaded and fudgy is the way to go with brownies to clean out your pantry–before or after Halloween! Great tips too, Averie. Ever since I read Maida Heatter’s cookbooks (about 20 years ago now, yikes), and tasted the results, I always add instant espresso granules to my brownie and other chocolate recipes to enhance the chocolate flavor. It works wonders. In fact, I call for it in my bourbon brownies I posted on Saturday. Thanks for sharing, girl! Pinning!
Maida Heatter – need to read up on her! And your brownies..I’ll trade you one of those for one of mine. Yours sound incredible. Thanks for pinning!
These look crazy good–a little candy buffet in every bite! Sadly, the only candy I have on hand is a roll of smarties, an atomic fireball and 2 tootsie rolls. I love putting leftover goodies in bars or chopping them all up and binding them together with melted chocolate. The year is flying by–once July 4 comes the remaining months seem to go by even faster! Hope you enjoyed your time in the test kitchen over the weekend.
LOL at your candy-on-hand. Gosh I wish I could say that about mine. It’s…a wee bit different since this is my job. But it seems to multiply!
The test kitchen was amazing! Such a fun time. Whirlwind, but so fun! Pics are in instagram.com/averiesunshine
I saw your post on Baker’s royal website and I was so excited for you to post this! Some times I dislike Australia because we NEVER have the good candies but they are slowwwly making their way here.
I was inspired by her post to try and HAD to turn this combo into a chocolate brownie ice cream candy filled delight. Never too early for candy even if it is September.
I don’t even remember saying anything to Naomi?! Wow you’ve a got a great memory! Never too early for candy, you got that right!
Oh Averie… your recipes I so sinful! I love it! These just look ridiculously good! I’m amazed that you were even able to wait long enough to bake them! I think I would have just eaten all of the mixture up!
Thanks for making me smile with your comment :)