Kitchen Sink Bars are a delicious treat loaded with candies, chocolate chips, pretzels, and more. This easy one-bowl recipe comes together in minutes and has a sweet and salty flavor everyone loves.
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Kitchen Sink Bars
Our pantry always has extra candy, chocolate, and pretzels because I bake sweet treats often. One of my favorite ways to use these leftovers is in blonde brownies.
This time, I added peanut butter chips, M&M's, Rolos, and pretzels to the thick and chewy cookie bars. The combination of sweet and salty flavors in a dessert always makes me smile.
If you've never tried blonde brownies, you're missing out. The chewy texture and caramel flavor will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No chill time is needed. You can bake the bars immediately after making the dough. Plus, there is no need to scoop any dough for individual cookies!
- Loaded with mix-ins. Use your leftovers by emptying your cupboards and pantry for this recipe. Have fun combining your favorite ingredients!
- Sweet and salty flavor. Pretzels and sea salt complement the sweetness of the candy, creating a delicious taste.
Are you looking for more sweet and salty desserts? If so, you'll want to try our Take 5 bars or our salted caramel brownie bites.
Main Ingredients
To make this kitchen sink bar recipe, you'll need basic pantry ingredients and some leftover candies and chocolate chips.
- Unsalted Butter: Set it out beforehand so it mixes in better. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt by ¼ teaspoon.
- Light Brown Sugar: Gives the dough a caramel flavor and sweetness.
- All-Purpose Flour: Measure the flour correctly (spoon and sweep). Too much flour can make your blonde brownies dry and cakey.
- Baking Powder: Provides just a little bit of lift and rise during baking.
- Mix Ins: For this recipe, we used peanut butter chips, peanut butter M&Ms, salty pretzels, and Rolos. Feel free to use any combo you love.
Fun With Mix-Ins
Blondies are the perfect dessert for adding extra mix-ins and toppings. Get creative with what you have in your kitchen right now, and use any combination from below.
- Baking Chips - white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips
- Candy - toffee bits, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, Peanut Butter Cups, Rolos, any candy bar
- Fruit - craisins, chocolate-covered raisins, banana chips, shredded coconut
- Cookies - Oreos, Nutter Butters, chocolate chip cookies
- Salty Snacks - mini pretzels, potato chips, popcorn
- Spreads - peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, cookie butter
- Nuts - almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds
- Spices - cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and sugar
How To Make Kitchen Sink Bars
I enjoy baking cookie bars because they are incredibly easy to make. Mix the ingredients, spread the batter in a pan, and then bake for a few minutes!
- Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla extract, and then mix again.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Gently stir in the peanut butter chips, pretzel pieces, and M&M's, then press cookie dough into an even layer in a prepared pan.
- Gently press Rolos onto the top of the dough. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the dough turns golden brown. Once done, take it out and let it cool completely before cutting it into bars.
Storage Recommendations
For soft and chewy bars, keep the cooled bars in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If stacking, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers so they do not stick.
Tips and Tricks
- Please do not substitute margarine for the butter because it will not bake right or taste good.
- Measure the flour correctly. Too much can result in a cakey or dry blondie.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Do not overbake! When you take them out of the oven, they will look underdone. The blonde brownies will continue to bake as they cool and then set up.
- Cool the kitchen sink cookie bars completely before cutting them into squares for clean slices.
FAQs
A blonde brownie is made with butter and brown sugar, resulting in a dense bar with a caramel taste. This basic recipe can also be customized with various mix-ins.
When it comes to cookies, the size you cut them in determines the serving size. For a 9x13 pan of bars or brownies, I usually cut them into either 24 or 15 squares, depending on how generous I'm feeling.
More Bar Cookies
- M&M's Brownies
- Butterfinger Blonde Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Snickers Bar Blondies
- Coconut Bars
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Recipe
Kitchen Sink Bars
Kitchen Sink Bars are a delicious treat loaded with candies, chocolate chips, pretzels, and more. This easy one-bowl recipe comes together in minutes and has a sweet and salty flavor everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- 1 cup peanut butter M&M’s
- 1 ½ cups chopped pretzels
- 48 Rolos, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 pan or dish with nonstick spray.
- Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Add in the salt, baking powder, and flour slowly until incorporated.
- Stir in the peanut butter chips, M&M’s, and pretzels by hand. Spread in the prepared pan. Press the Rolos into the batter.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and add a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Let them cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Please do not substitute margarine for the butter. It doesn't work well or taste good.
- Measure the flour correctly. Too much can result in a cakey or dry blondie.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Do not overbake! When you take them out of the oven, they will look underdone. The blonde brownies will continue to bake as they cool and then set up.
- Cool the kitchen sink cookie bars completely before cutting them into squares for clean slices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 6g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was first published in November 2011. The photos were updated in May 2017, then the post was updated in May 2024.
Deb
YUM!! I made these as one of my Super Bowl treats and loved the flavor combination. All of the things I've tried from your blog are great and I'm totally impressed with your ability to keep coming up with amazing things. I think I pin every single thing you make!
oureatinghabits
These look so good! I just discovered your blog, and am spending way more time looking through your yummy recipes than I should!
Kim McCallie
I love Aimee, too. These bars look amazing - they contain so many of my favorite candies. Rolos are a mainstay here, too. I always use a bag or two over the Christmas holidays. Thanks for sharing on Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
Holly
I am SO bookmarking these! I am inlove with Rolos! YUM!! 🙂
Holly Lefevre
See...it is late..I am hungry and I pop over to be tempted! As always another amazing creations...and caramel is seriously a weakness of mine!
Tami
Hi, This is Tami from your Group D of the Secret Recipe Club. Just checking in to make sure that you've received you blog assignment for the month and that you are still participating for the month? Please email to let me know. Thanks!
srctami {AT} gmail {DOT} com
Amy
I live for PB M&Ms. Thanks for linking up at A Little Nosh this week!
Jen
Delicious!!!!! :o)
Kim B.
You had me at ROLOS!!! YUM!! I am definitely making these & will be thanking you while eating them 🙂 Hopefully, I will share so the rest of my family can thank you too ...ha ha Thanks!
jsprik
i think i just gained back every single pound of the 39 i lost just looking at these beauties....now i gotta go do like 300 sit ups or something...k-bye
peanutbutterandpeppers.com
Crap! I just checked out Shugary Sweets and she said to check out your Rolo M&M Bar's and now that I did, I am buying some stretchy pants, and going to bake your guys goodies and eat in front of the tv all weekend! Time to veg out and doing that with Rolo treats sounds perfect!
Something Swanky
ooohhhh, mama!!!
Jennifurla
OH MY Sugary GOOOOOOODNESSSS
The Answer Is Chocolate
You knew I'd find these! YUMMMMM!
The Miller Five
Caramel, Pretzel, peanut butter....probably my four most favorite words in the English language. Aaahhhh. Looks like dinner to me!
Erin
Oh my heck! You packed so much awesomeness into these bars. My mouth would explode with joy! Can't wait to make them!!!
Liz @ Two Maids a Milking
I think I live some where in between the two of you and if either of you ever need a taste tester I would like to apply for the job!!! Glad you guys found each other!!
Michele {The Scrap Shoppe}
I'm guessing you knew I'd be by today what with the hint of peanut butter and chocolate in the title of your blog post. lol! These look (and sound!) fantastic! The addition of the caramel sounds dreamy.
And yay for getting to meet a blogging buddy!!!
NanAppetit
These look really good for us salty/sweet lovers! I pinned it.
Aimee
We are totally getting together. Like, a slumber party, with candy, and I'll bring some Biscoff, and we will dip candy in it. And then we will giggle all night.
Or we could do lunch. Hehe!!!!