M&M Blondies
M&M Blondies: A perfect blondie base chock full of M&M candies! They’re a delicious way to use up leftover candies.
This Blondies Recipe is dotted with candied coated chocolates making them colorful and festive!
Why You Must Make
- If you’re like me, you may think that blondies are the same as patting Tollhouse cookie dough in a pan and baking it. But this is a true blondies recipe.
- They’re made with all brown sugar and no white sugar giving a lovely caramel undertone with every bite.
- I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love M&Ms, and you can shake things up with seasonal packages of them for Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and more!
So I turned to Cook’s Illustrated, I made a batch of their blondies recipe but tossed in a few M&M’s instead of all chocolate chips. I’d see if the family liked some official M&M Blondies.
Recipe Tips
- There is one cup of add-ins in these blondies, ½ cup of M&M’s, and ½ cup of chocolate chips. You can easily tweak this recipe by adding some different ingredients depending on your mood.
- Try other chocolate chips like white chocolate chips or peanut butter chocolate chips. Or use chocolate chunks or discs, instead.
- Add some toasted nuts, dried fruit, toffee bits, or other candies.
- PRO-Tip: I like setting aside some extra candies and/or chocolate chips to press into the top of the brownies after they come out of the oven. Otherwise, a large percentage of the M&M’s and chocolate chips are hidden beneath the surface.
- This must be done while the bars are still hot, so be careful. Adding more visible candies makes for a nicer presentation.
- PRO-Tip: These blondies are made with baking powder, which typically expires while it’s sitting in your pantry since it’s not used as frequently as baking soda. So check the expiration date or test it by adding a spoonful to a cup of hot water. If still active, it will bubble vigorously.
- Note that since these bars have a thin delicate crust, some cracks may develop as you press in the candies.
Frequently Asked Questions
There were a couple of obvious differences from my typical chocolate chip bars. First, there was no white sugar, just brown. This led to more of a caramel flavor, not a bad thing in my book. Then the ratio of butter to flour was greater in the blondies, making for a more delicate structure.
The crust of the bars was almost flaky, but the insides were dense and chewy. The third difference was the use of baking powder in the blondies instead of soda. This Huffington Post article suggests this may keep the bars lighter in color and possibly doughier in the middle. Again, all this was good with me.
And if you’re wondering the difference between a Brownie and a Blondie, the former has chocolate batter whereas a blondie has vanilla batter.
Blondies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. Stored in the fridge, they’ll last for up to a week. And if you’d like to store them longer, they’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Well, my taste testers don’t give a hoot about baking chemistry, just taste. These bar cookies were winners, and Bill tried to mask his disappointment as I packed up most of these blondies for Nick to take back to his apartment. He and his college roomies came home for the Indy 500. Boy, can those boys eat. I’m not sure these even made it out of the car after the ride back to campus!
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M & M Blondies Recipe
Perfect blondies dotted with vibrant M & M's
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter (1½ sticks), melted and cooled
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup M & M's (plus a few extras to garnish)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, leaving enough overhang to help you lift the blondies from the pan when they're done.
- Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips and M&M's pat batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
- Push in a few M&M's on top of dough to garnish.
- Bake until the top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 27-30 minutes; do not overbake.
- Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
- Remove bars from pan using foil and cut to serve.
Notes
Pressing some M&Ms and/or chocolate chips into the top of the just-baked brownies highlights what's in the bars. Often during baking, the majority of these add-ins will sink below the surface. This is an optional step that's nice when you're serving these to company or giving them away to friends.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g
Skinny Tip
I’m starting a new series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature tips on some of my upcoming blog posts.
Tip #15: Don’t drink your calories unless they are nutrient-dense. Give up those sugary sodas and limit your wine to just a glass with or before dinner. And if you have a glass of orange juice or a smoothie, ensure you’re just drinking one serving’s worth. Read your labels for those details.
65 Comments on “M&M Blondies”
making these for my son to take to college. Use salted or unsalted butter. Thanks.
I used salted butter. If you use unsalted, just add a little more salt. Hope he enjoys!!
Can you use all M&Ms instead of them and chocolate chips?
Hi, Constance, Yes, all M&Ms would work fine! Hope you enjoy these.
Blondies texture is always addictive. Thick and chewy. We would need to put these in the freezer just so they don’t get inhaled by the boys in a nanosecond.
Yummy! I’m much more of a fan of blondies than I am of brownies. These are so fun too, I know they wouldn’t last long at my house!
How cute are these! I have both M&Ms and peanut butter chips in the house at the moment so I could make either flavour combination.
I love making cookie bars, they are so quick and easy! This version is one of my go-to favorites!
These are beautiful blondies Liz! Pinning for the holidays! I know some kids that would love these! xo
Liz, yep, blondies are so much more than just chocolate chip cookie bars. Yours look perfectly baked and just the right texture. I like mine with toasted pecans rather than anything sweet. But they do look extra cute with the m&m candies.
I do love some good blondies for their deep caramel flavour and amazing buttery texture! It’s funny that despite being an easy dessert, I have failed it quite a few times. So, when I am making it next time, I know where I can find a good recipe – your version looks perfect! Love the addition of m&m’s, too!
Love these! Much better than brownies in my way of thinking! Thanks, Liz!
I have so many M&M’s right now that need using so this was the perfect way to use them! So good!
Oh boy, Christmas calories don’t count, right? Perfect with a strong cup of coffee:@)
I like all your comparisons with what I think is the beginning of the blondie – a batch of choc chip cookies baked in a pan. Will be trying this recipe Liz! Blondies are one of my favorite bars, you can add any extras you want and they always deliver.
I agree with your taste testers. Chemistry doesn’t matter as long as they taste good!
Lizzy,
These bars look delicious. Of course I pinned them.
I wish I had the metabolism of your son and his friends, so these goodies wouldn’t add to my middle.
Annamaria
Is it bad that I just had a day dream about sinking my teeth into that gorgeous blondie?
I don’t think I have much luck with blondies. Every time I make them, I’m a bit disappointed and blondies made by other people always taste better to me. Thanks for testing this recipe out and for all the tips. I need to try my hand at your recipe and hopefully some of that Liz magic will rub off on me 😉 These look fabulous!
LIz, your description has my mouth watering! Caramelly, delicate, flaky, dense and chewy? With chocolate? I’ll take a dozen 😉
I have only recently started making blondies so thanks for the tips as I am still trying to perfect these treats. I’m sure these didn’t even last the trip home for your son and his friends 😀
Yes I am going to try this recipe. I like that you fiddled with the different ingredients to get a better blondie. Now maybe I’ll make them with peanut m & m’s!
I love blondies and these look amazing. Love the m&m’s 🙂
Blondies are so much fun to make.
It just does not seem fair that on a fabulous recipe of blondies, with m and m’s, no less! that you should have a skinny tip. So, I am assuming that if I have just one 8oz serving of skim milk that I am allowed to have two blondies!
Oh how delicious – now I can bake perfect blondies!!
Mary
Looks like a winner recipe to me! I love the crunchy coating on m&m’s. These look yummy!
These look divine, Liz. I could certainly eat a giant handful of these right now. Love the addition of the M&Ms, and the fun colours too.
I love eating blondies! Beautiful photography!
Great skinny tip! I had a friend who always said she never drinks her calories. Seemed to work for her! I drink a lot of water with Crystal Light and one diet soda a day for caffeine, but every now and then I have a Starbucks Light Frappucino. I know some people have found drinking grapefruit juice helps them lose weight?
Thanks for the calorie reminder, Liz! I think I’ve been needing that lately. Your bars look soft and smooth!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
they look so great and sweet and crunchy with the m&ms and my kids would love them!
I had no idea that that’s what true blondes were! I always thought they were the caramel version of brownies. Your tips are great, I’m so glad I never got into drinking pop and I’ve always maintained fruit should beat eaten. It’s the one glass of wine I’m having trouble with
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These are a great treat! Blondies are delicious!
If I tried to make these I’d end up eating all the M&Ms, I’ve done it before. 🙁
Well, I wouldn’t say no to these perfectly made blondies Liz, although I am a brunette! haha
You are sooo smart Ms. Liz. I admire how you’ve researched and analyzed the differences between chocolate chip bars and Blondies =) Don’t know how long your M &M beauties would last in a drive in LA either =)
Great blondies. Love the M&M touch, always welcomed…
ela h.
I love blondies and these M&M ones look delicious! So glad they were a hit with the boys 🙂
Those look so scrumptious Liz! Loved the Skinny Tip section as well! 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
I would like these blondies. Anything with M&Ms is a winner, right? Nice tip. I’ll only have one blondie. 🙂
These blondies look marvelous with M&M!
I love blondies as much as brownies… I am crazy for doughy centers! These blondies are a must-try though!
Tip #16 Don’t eat all the Blondies. Give them away. 😀 Lizzy, I am sure looking forwards to more Skinny Tips. But I bet you stay skinny due to very good skinny genes 🙂
I love blondies and these with M & M would be well liked in my house. I love the flavor of brown sugar over granulated sugar. That caramel flavor is delicious!
I’m all for sharing with baby boy but I think Bill has a point. These are too delicious not to hide from anyone under the age of 35!! 😉
I love the chemistry lesson! And the taste to be sure! These look delicious. Cheers to not drinking your calories! Good thing I love me some water!
I have always wanted to bake some blondies but always got side tracked to brownies lol! This sounds like a perfect recipe to start with. Love the slimming tips, if I could follow them, I would be as slim as you!:D sigh!
so far I’m totally with you on the skinny tips! I don’t drink my calories either!
looove these blondies-all that chemistry stuff seems to make sense! 😛
These blondies are totally AMAZING!!! I am also loving the skinny tips!
Cook’s Illustrated is always so fascinating to me. But honestly when it comes down to it I don’t care what is doing what as long it is delicious in the end. These sound fabulous!
Now, those are some really good-looking blondies! I bet they were absolutely delicious! I’m dying to try them I tell you 😉
I love blondies, these look like just what my Monday afternoon needs!
Lucky Nick and too bad for poor Bill! I love how you made these with brown sugar to give a more caramelised flavour and the M&Ms give each blondie all the colours of the rainbow. I know what you mean by uni students and the amount they can eat; Archie’s had a few mates over lately and they all stay for dinner and the amount of food that disappears is staggering xx
Blondies…. mmmmm, I have yet to try these. But they look yummy.
They wouldn’t have made it out of my car either Liz, they look fabulous.
Lizzy!! I love these blondies look perfect and delicious!!! Have a nice week!!xo
Oh, these blondies look great! I love that you used M&M and specific tips such as brown over white, baking powder over soda. I can’t blame those boys and your family for chowing these down based on the looks of them!
Taste always get the best vote! Poor Bill – although I’m sure you’ve got something else up your sleeve for him… Fun colourful swap for the chocolate chips!
I was fairly recently introduced to blondies … but I love them, so thanks so much for the tips! I haven’t seen M&M blondies before – perfect to take to a party! Thank goodness you had a hungry son & friends to help you to eat these (despite hubby’s disappointment!) … I think I would have eaten far too many!
I used to do that driving back to college from a visit home….the treat box would be nearly empty by the time I got back to school!
I’ll bet the bag of blondies was opened before they even got off your street! I know everyone would enjoy them here:@)
we loved reading this post….we learnt the meaning of perfect blondies and they must taste so good with a caramel-like flavor and chunks of M&Ms…..we would rather opt for such delicious homemade goodies..right out of ovens than drink sugar laden sodas which bump up on calories….thanks 🙂
I think I also would like these blondies 🙂 Wouldn’t mind M&M’s instead of chocolate chips 😀