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M&M Blonde Brownies

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These soft, chewy M&M Blonde Brownies are a fun snack any time of day.  Try packing them into your kid’s lunch boxes or snacking on them after school with a glass of milk.

M&M Blonde Brownies - these easy and delicious blonde brownies are filled with lots of M&M candies. Make this easy cookie bar recipe for parties, picnics, or bake sales! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

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(Post updated and republished on February 15, 2019)

Today I am slightly dragging a little.  I have discovered that boys are much louder than girls.  And by boys, I really mean grown men.

Last night my hubby had game night at our house.  Seriously I think 5 grown men huddled around a board game are much louder than any group of women for sure.  Loud voices and laughing do not make going to sleep very easy.

Usually they set up the game in the basement, but last night it was upstairs in the dining room.  Of course, it was the room without carpet, so it just echoed through out the entire house.  I did stay up for a bit doing some computer work in the office.

All I heard was laughing and talking about which army was going to destroy the rest.   I finally waved the white flag and went to bed even though they were still going strong on their game at midnight.  Thank goodness the closed door blocked some of the sound.

M&M Blonde Brownies - chewy blonde brownies loaded with lots of colorful candies will be the first treat to disappear. Make these easy cookie bars for any kind of party! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

Next time I am baking more pans of M&M’s Brownies and Peanut Butter Cup Cookies for them.

My thinking is that if they are busy shoving food in their mouth, they can’t laugh and shout at the game plays.

M&M Blonde Brownies - soft cookie bars loaded with lots of colorful candies makes this a favorite dessert recipe with everyone. Make a pan of cookie bars and watch them disappear! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

Baking Blonde Brownies

These M&M’s cookie bars are one of my family’s favorite treats.  I almost always under bake ours slightly because we like the soft, chewy, and sometimes gooey texture.  22 minutes is just the way we like them.

Feel free bake your bars a few minutes longer than that if you like blonde brownies that are a little more done.  Just be careful and watch them closely as they bake. It is easy to over bake these bars.

These chewy blonde brownies WILL look undone when you pull them out of the oven, but they will set up as they cool. Just trust me on this!   If you bake them too much, they will be hard when you cut into them later.

If you are making these cookie bars for a bake sale, I do recommend baking them the full 25 minutes.  Gooey under baked treats are only good if you are eating them at home.

M&M Blonde Brownies - these sweet cookie bars are loaded with lots of colorful candies. Change out the colors for different holidays! Make this easy recipe and watch them disappear! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

Making M&M Blonde Brownies

Make sure you set out your butter ahead of time. Soft room temperature butter is much easier to beat into the sugar.

Add the salt, vanilla, and eggs and beat the mixture again.  Be careful not to over mix the batter at any point because that can make the top crunchy and crackly.  Which is not really a bad thing, but it does change the texture slightly. I prefer the tops of my blonde brownies soft and chewy.

Stir in the baking powder and flour until you get a thick cookie dough.

Now comes for the fun part. It’s time for adding your mix-ins. Obviously, this batch got loads of M&M candies. Feel free to use miniatures or regular M&M’s.  You could also do cookies, nuts, or sprinkles. Or a mixture of all the above.

Make sure you store the blondies in a sealed container.  They will stay softer longer if you keep them from getting dried out.  Of course, if your family is anything like mine, you will not have very many M&M Blonde Brownies to deal with.

Holiday Blonde Brownies

I love changing up the colors of the candies for different holidays. The rainbow of colors from the candies is so pretty when you cut into the M&M bars.

  • Pink and red M&M’s would make these so pretty for for Valentine’s Day.  
  • Use mint M&M’s for St. Patrick’s Day.
  • A bag of pastel M&M’s would be perfect for Easter.
  • Red, white, and blue M&M’s would turn these into the best patriotic dessert.
  • Use orange, brown, and white M&M’s for a Halloween cookie bar.
  • And of course, red, white, and green M&M’s would be so pretty for Christmas.

See how easy it is to transform this easy recipe into a fun holiday dessert?  You can also use any other candy in place of these M&M’s. Reese’s pieces are super yummy too!

M&M Blonde Brownies - these chewy blonde brownies are sweet and delicious. Change up the colorful candies to make these the perfect treat for any party or holiday! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

More easy cookie bars that you may enjoy:

Gooey marshmallow and Reese’s Pieces candies add a sweet goodness to these Marshmallow Reese’s Blonde Brownies.

Lots of candy and pretzels makes a pan of these Caramel Pretzel Peanut Butter M&M Bars disappear in a hurry.

These Nutella M&M Bars are easy cookie bars that are made in one pan.

These soft and chewy chocolate filled Congo Bars are a great recipe to make the next time you have company over.

A pan of these S’mores Sugar Cookie Bars would never last long around me. I love a good chocolate, marshmallow, and graham treat!

M&M Blonde Brownies - adding lots of colorful candies makes these cookie bars disappear in a hurry. Make these easy cookie bars for any party, picnic, or bake sale! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

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Yield: 24 blonde brownies

M&M Blonde Brownies

M&M Blonde Brownies

These easy M&M Blonde Brownies are loaded with candy goodness. A batch of these cookie bars never last very long in our house.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups M&M candies, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
  3. Sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour. Slowly beat into the butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the M&M candies by hand.
  4. Spread the batter in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the extra 1/2 cup candies.
  5. Bake for 24-28 minutes. Let the cookie bars cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 24 bars. Store in a sealed container.

Notes

*They will seem under done and under baked when you pull them out. Let them sit on the counter for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into them

**If you are making them for a bake sale, bake them 25-28 minutes.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g
© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies & Bars
M&M Blonde Brownies - these soft and chewy cookie bars are loaded with lots of M&M candies! Make this easy recipe for any party, picnic, or bake sale. They are also perfect for after school snacks or lunch boxes! #blondebrownies #candy #easydessert #cookiebars #bakesaletreats

 

 *This post for M&M Blonde Brownies was first published on March 11, 2014. It has been updated and republished on February 15, 2019.

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Comments

  5. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says

    UNLESS they laugh and shout WITH brownies in their mouths, and then that could be problematic. I only say so cuz I know food has never stopped me from being awful and talking. >_< That's why I can't have nice things like these awesome brownies LOL.

    Reply

  7. Mark Butler says

    I would love to see a blonde made with Sugar Babies candies and toasted pecans! Serve this with vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce! Decadent!

    Reply

  15. katie says

    Umm yes please. It’s not even 8am and I’m already craving brownies!!! Too funny about your hubby and his friends. At least they had a good time. I think your plan to bake more next time is a good one 🙂

    Reply

  18. Karly says

    I love listening to grown men play games and shout and laugh. It’s like a little glimpse of them as children. Big, hairy, overgrown children. 🙂

    Love these bars! Perfectly gooey centers!

    Reply

  28. Linnea says

    These are in the oven right now! Im soooooo excited to see how they turn out!!!:) Thank you for the recipe, and thanks to Pinterest for me being able to find it!

    Reply

  30. N says

    I made these today with pLAnS of taking them to a church dinner tomorrow. My family convinced me to eat them today. I’m glad I did! Under asked is one thing. These were raw. Batter running everywhere when cut and they were completely cooled. It took an extra 10 minutes to get done to an edible consistency. They are delicious but I was very disappointed at the first attempt. Glad I cut it tonight or I would have been one embarrassed lady at church!

    Reply

  31. Tammy Herr says

    Wow! I just made these as a surprise treat for my kids after school. I took a piece as a sample and wow ! terrific. Will def make again!

    Reply

  32. Katie says

    I just made the brownies, made to the exact measurements and times you said. Mine were WAY raw in the middle. so much that they would fall apart if i tried taking them out. I feel like the recipe is missing something or I did something wrong.

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      I am so sorry to hear that! But no, the recipe is exactly the way I make them every single time. How soon did you cut into the bars? They are gooey when they are warm and first out of the oven. I always undertake mine slightly, but at 24 minutes they are never raw coming out of my oven. All ovens are different though, so maybe just bake the next batch slightly longer. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  34. Kathy Zimmerman says

    I just made these for tomorrow’s bake sale at my son’s school. It was baked at a minimum time, and it was overcooked. They looked ready in 15 minutes. Nevertheless, they taste amazing! I ate too many for a “taste test”, and now I need to make another batch. My family will love the extras now. LOL

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I am so glad that they still tasted amazing! I wonder if your oven runs hotter than mine. Ours always take about 22-24 minutes to bake to a slightly under baked goodness.

      Reply

  35. Kristy says

    Hi there. Two problems with this recipe. The batter was so stiff that I had to press it into the tin with a fork. It definitely needs some more liquid in it. In addition 24 minutes in the oven resulted in rock hard brownies. I’ve seen recipes where melted butter is used, so I am wondering if this might make the batter better?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Well, something is definitely not right with your batter. How soft was your butter when you started and did you use both eggs? It should not have been so stiff that you had to press it in the pan with a fork, and 24 minutes should have resulted in still slightly under baked brownies. I have made these so many times over the years and have never had a problem with the recipe the way it is written.

      Reply

  36. Ruth says

    Made these for a bake sale and people went nuts over them. All the parents and staff wanted more, so I will make another batch as it is a week-long thing. Sold out straight away. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  37. Britney says

    I’m sorry but this had to b the worst recipe ever. Came out as hard as a rock and I followed the ingredients to a T.

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I am so sorry to hear this didn’t turn out for you. I have made this many times, and I have had lots of people who have made it and loved it too. Something must have gone wrong when you measured or baked it. All ovens do bake differently and also elevation plays a part in baking time, so that might have caused it to over bake.

      Reply

      • Kristy says

        Mine came out a little hard too. Taste great though, and they ate every single one (the only person who noticed they were over-baked was me)! I believe this was all user error (AKA my fault!), because they didn’t look or feel done, and I let them continue to bake after the directed time. I came back to re-read the recipe and see where above the recipe you say they will look under-baked and not to overcook…guess I need to quit skipping ahead to the recipe card! Great way to use up the copious amounts of M&M’s we have leftover from after holiday sales, thanks for the recipe!

        Reply

        • Jocelyn says

          I’m glad to hear you didn’t have any leftovers! And I’m glad you saw the mention about not over baking them, even it was too late. I’ll add a note in the actual recipe card for future bakers. I usually only bake ours for about 22 minutes because I love them under done. It all depends on your oven too…some ovens run hotter than others so they will cook faster.

          Reply

  38. Nicole says

    I make these all the time. This is my number one go-to recipe for a quick, easy, delicious dessert. I brown the butter which gives it a little bit of a nutty flavor and I bake for no more than 20 minutes so they are soft and gooey. I find that any longer than 20 minutes in my oven and they come out hard. These go fast and I don’t usually have much left!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      These are a favorite in our house too. They usually never last the day with 3 hungry teenagers grabbing at them. Brown butter is the bomb in these, so I’m glad to hear you do it too. I usually only bake ours about 22 minutes because I love them slightly underdone. It does all depend on ovens and how hot they run.

      Reply

  40. Heather says

    Made these using Bob’s Red Mills 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Cooked for 30 minutes (gf cooking always takes a few extra minutes). Turned out awesome! Yummy!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Baking powder and baking soda are two different leavening ingredients. If you need to use baking soda, only use 2/3 of a teaspoon plus 3/4 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to activate it in the dough.

      Reply

  44. C Turner says

    I can’t seem to get these to work 🙁 they always end up rock solid on top and uncooked on the bottom. Any idea where I am going wrong? If I cook for less time the mixture is literally uncooked and runny underneath! FYI, they still rate yummy!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Are you sure you are only using the right amount of butter? I only ask this because once I accidentally doubled the butter and ended up with the runniest center ever. My boys still thought it was amazing. LOL! Also how long do you beat the butter and sugar mixture before adding in the rest of the ingredients? I have found that beating that too long results in a crunchier top.

      Reply

  46. Lindsay says

    I’m super disappointed. I was baking these for a fundraiser for a little boy with cancer, and I don’t think I can sell these ????. I’m afraid people will think they are too under cooked.

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Oh, no I’m so sorry to hear that! Have they cooled completely? They do set up after cooling. We do tend to like ours slightly under baked because they are absolutely amazing that way. How long did you bake them for?

      Reply

  51. Jackie Jacoby says

    This recipe does not work. There is way too much brown sugar. I never should have followed through with it when I re-read the ingredients. Look at other blondie recipes- this is off.

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I’m sorry to disagree with you on this, but this recipe does work. I make it all the time for my family and bake sales and it always gets rave reviews!

      Reply

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