These homemade Take 5 Bars have layers of sweet and salty goodness. Adding peanuts, caramel, and chocolate-covered pretzels to a peanut butter blonde brownie recipe is a very delicious idea.
My favorite type of dessert is one loaded with sweet and salty flavors. There is something about that combo that just gets me every single time. And now I'm craving salted caramel brownie bites...
I think my love for sweet and salty is why I love the Reese's Take 5 candy bars. They have the sweet goodness of milk chocolate and caramel with salty nuts and pretzels in every bite.
One of the desserts that I make for group events or bake sales is these M&M blonde brownies. Not only are they extremely easy to make, but everyone loves them.
Over the years, I have given the blondie dessert different looks and tastes with various ingredients. One of my top favorites is marshmallow Reese's blonde brownies.
This time, I decided to make a batch of Take 5 cookie bars using the peanut butter blonde brownies as the base.
What is a Take 5 candy bar?
The Hershey Company released this awesome candy bar in December 2004. Recently, they added more peanut butter goodness to the bars and added the words Reese's to the candy bar name.
The Take 5 Bar has five layers of sweet and salty goodness. It features crunchy pretzels, smooth peanut butter, salty peanuts, and creamy caramel, all wrapped in a milk chocolate coating.
Key Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: As always, using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt added. If all you have is salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to just a pinch. softened butter
- Peanut Butter: The recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, but you can also use crunchy peanut butter. Just use less chopped nuts later.
- Brown Sugar: Using all brown sugar keeps these bars soft and delicious with a chewy, caramel flavor
- Eggs: Two large eggs provide moisture to the batter, making the cookie bars chewy.
- Vanilla and Salt: Enhance the flavor of the butter and ingredients.
- Baking Powder: A little bit gives a little bit of lift to these blonde brownies.
- Flour: Use the spoon and level method when measuring flour, so the bars bake dense and not cakey.
- Mix-Ins: Peanuts, caramel bits, and peanut butter chips add the sweet and salty to the dough.
- Topping: A coating of chocolate chips and pretzel pieces makes these look just like the candy bars.
How To Make Take 5 Bars
These homemade blonde brownies have all the flavors of a Take 5 candy bar. They are such an easy bar cookie to make for dessert or for bake sales.
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy. (full recipe at bottom) Add the eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla, and beat again.
- Stir together the salt, flour, and baking soda, then mix until a soft dough forms.
- Add the peanut butter chips, caramel bits, and chopped peanuts and stir gently.
- Spread in a pan and bake. Let cool completely.
- Top with melted chocolate chips and pretzel pieces, then let it set at room temperature. Use a hot knife to cut through the chocolate layer gently, so it doesn't separate from the blonde brownies.
More Blonde Brownie Recipes
- S'mores Swirled Blondies
- Loaded Blonde Brownies
- Whatchamacallit Blondies
- Tropical Blonde Brownies
- Oreo Butterscotch Blondies
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Recipe
Take 5 Bars
These homemade Take 5 Bars have layers of sweet and salty goodness. Adding peanuts, caramel, and chocolate covered pretzels to peanut butter blonde brownies is a very delicious idea.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped peanuts
- ½ cup peanut butter baking chips
- ¾ cup caramel baking bits
- 2 cups chopped pretzels
- 3 cups chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon shortening or coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat again.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients until a soft, doughy texture forms. Stir in the peanuts, peanut butter chips, and caramel bits by hand.
- Spread the dough in the prepared pan. Bake for 24-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- When the bars are completely cool, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning.
- Lay the chopped pretzels on top of the cooled bars and spread the melted chocolate on top. Let it set at room temperature before cutting with a hot knife.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 356Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 265mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 26gProtein: 7g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
The post for Take 5 Bars was first published in September 2011, and the photos were redone in June 2015. Post and photos were updated and republished in January 2021.
J. says
Made as directed and topping separated from base with every cut. Disappointed because I made them for a special occasion. Lots of expensive ingredients.
Jocelyn says
I am so sorry to hear that they separated. I've made them multiple times and never had that happen. Was the topping cold or just room temperature? I would use a hot knife to gently slice through the chocolate topping so the layers stay together better.
Karina says
I've never tried a Take 5 chocolate bar, but these bars look delicious!
Beth says
It's a 12 mile course?!!! Strange timing but last night I dreamt I was running a 5k and I think it actually worked on my body.. I woke up this morning feel all sore.. haha
Jamie says
I made these yesterday and while they were really yummy they were almost impossible to eat! The dough is slightly undercooked yet it is still super crumbly. And how did you get the pretzels and chocolate to stick to the cookie base? Mine is two separate layers. So we just held the cookie pretzel layer on to the base to eat, super messy but tasty!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Hhhmmm I'm not sure why they would be crumbly. I have never had a blonde brownie come out crumbly to be honest. Did you use margarine or real butter? I always use real butter in every thing I make. And the chocolate should stick to the bar no problem...again that's not something I have ever had happen. I'm glad to hear they were yummy though 😉
Jamie says
Yeah I used real butter, I despise margarine! I have never had crumbly blondies either, they kind of fell apart in big chunks, not tiny crumbs. I would have thought the chocolate would make them stick too but it didn't. Oh well, they were delicious and I will just have to make them again until they come out perfect! 🙂
Rita Leafstedt says
I had the same issue with the chocolate base sticking. I wonder if I need to thin out the chocolate more with more shortening?
Karyl says
Yum-double yum-triple yum! Thanks!
Kels @ K and K Test Kitchen says
These bars are seriously yummy!! I'm so glad that I picked them for Secret Recipe Club and I'm glad that I had a chance to explore your blog more! Thanks for sharing.
bRitTanYlEi says
i was literally eating one of these today and thinking that they would be so easy to make! And then I came across your blog, which I love!!!! now following 🙂
awanderousmind.blogspot.com
Marie says
YUMMY! Thanks so much for linking up with us at Show & Share! Hope you’re joining us again this week!Marie<br
Lady Behind The Curtain says
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your recipe has been featured this week at CAST PARTY WEDNESDAY by LADY BEHIND THE CURTAIN. Please come by and grab your "Featured" button. And don't forget to party with us while your there!
Lindsay says
Wow, these look delicious! I would love to give them a try, I bet my family would love them! Thanks so much for sharing this @ Show & Share!
Chef in Training says
these look great! Thanks so much for linking up to Tuesday Talent Show! I would love to have you stop by and link up again tomorrow with more great projects!-Nikki
Jenn Erickson says
Congratulations Jocelyn, I'm really proud of you and impressed that you're breaking out of your comfort zone and diving with gusto into your muddy new pursuit!
Your bars sound wonderful, and I can't wait to hear how the big event goes in November. Looking forward to the pictures!
Jenn
Christina @ It's a Keeper says
Hi! Your recipe was one of the most popular links on It's a Keeper Thursday! I'll be featuring your recipe this week on It's a Keeper! I’d love if you stopped by and grabbed a button.And, feel free to link up another great recipe this week too!Cheers!Christina
Amy says
My favorite candy bar in the whole world! Thanks so much for linking up, and I'm going to be featuring you this weekend.
Holly Lefevre says
Dangerously good. I always get in a little trouble when I visit - so much yumminess!
Kacey says
These look so good. My all-time favorite candy bar is the Take-5. It is completely under appreciated!
rebecca @ beurrista says
MMM, they look fantastic. What a great bar cookie!
Mama J says
Best candy bar... EVER. Can't wait to try these!