Candy Bar Brownies

It's that time of year where the shelves are lined with bags of candy and snacking on chocolate is not only acceptable, but encouraged. While that chocolate is great on its own, its even better when added to delicious brownie batter like with these Candy Bar Brownies.

These Candy Bar Brownies are rich and fudgy and the perfect way to use up that leftover Halloween candy and treat yourself to something extra delicious. Any kind of chocolate candy can be pressed into the brownies before baking so that each slice has a slightly different taste. They're so good it's hard to only eat one at a time.

I used a variety of different candy, including Milky Ways, Twix, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Kit Kats, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and M&M's. I especially liked any chocolate candy bars with nuts or caramel because they really completed the fudgy brownie base, but any chocolate will work well.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Eggs: You want to make sure that your eggs are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.
• Measuring Your Ingredients:
  • I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
• Oven Temperature:
  • Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.
• Check out My Favorite Baking Tools to see what I use when I bake.

Now let's bake! Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray. Heat butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring it until it melts.

Transfer chocolate mixture to a stand mixer, add sugar, and mix on medium until it is well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture and mix just until combined. Carefully pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out until it is even.

Gently press chopped chocolate candy into the batter. Bake brownies for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of it comes out clean.

Cool for 30 minutes on a cooling rack before gently running a knife around the edges of the pan and lifting the brownies out with the parchment paper. Carefully cut the brownies into three rows one way, followed by three rows the other way to make 9 squares.

Leftover brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Enjoy!