Salted Candy Bar Blondies {gluten-free}

Got a stash of leftover candy? Turn it into something even more delicious with these easy-to-make, gluten-free Candy Bar Blondies.

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This recipe for Salted Candy Bar Blondies is sponsored by OXO.

Thanks to these Salted Candy Bar Blondies, I've recently discovered (or re-discovered?) that I secretly love M&M's.

M&M's in ice cream? Why not. M&M's at the movie theater? Definitely better than popcorn in my book. M&M's AND Hershey's in a chewy brown sugar blondie? YES. I may not be a kid anymore but I'm still here for it. Can you get on my level? Good.

Let's Talk About These Blondies:

In case you've lived in a blondie-free world up until today, blondies are kind of like a cross between a brownie and a cookie. They're made with brown sugar and without cocoa powder, so they're definitely more cookie-like in flavor and have a sweet butterscotch taste. They're baked in a pan, like brownies, but like cookies, you can add pretty much any mix-ins you want. Since Halloween is right around the corner, I figure you're bound to have some extra candy lying around your house. So this variation involves candy - specifically M&M's and Hershey bars, if you're on the same page as me.

So here's how we make these Salted Candy Bar Blondies:

In one bowl, we whisk together our dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, we beat together our wet ingredients: butter, brown sugar, and vanilla (for that classic butterscotch blondie flavor), plus an egg. Then the dry ingredients get mixed into the wet to make a rich, brown sugar-laced cookie dough.

Mix your candy into the dough, press it into a square pan, top with more candy (ya, you heard me), and sprinkle on a lil' fleur de sel or sea salt. (←That last part is optional, but I do like how the salt cuts into the sweetness of the candy a bit.)

Then, bake into golden-brown, chewy blondie perfection.

Also, in case your kitchen is in need of a little pre-baking organization:

You might notice my OXO POP containers holding my ingredients in some of these photos. I've been a fan of this brand for a long time and I've been using their containers for years. They're airtight so they keep your ingredients fresh, and since they're stackable and space-efficient, they do an amazing job of keeping your pantry more organized. They also have new accessories that come with them and secure to the underside of the lids, and I'm LOVING them. The scoops are perfect for flour and sugar, and the disk around the brown sugar lid is made out of terracotta to help keep your brown sugar soft, which I think is *genius*. If you're as psyched about kitchen organization as I am, you can learn more about the 8-Piece POP Container Baking Set you see in these photos here.

Looking for more blondies?

Here's a variation for Chocolate-Topped Chewy Caramel Blondies.

If you're looking for less candy and more fruit, these Brown Butter Strawberry Blondies are amazing. The brown butter adds another layer of rich butterscotch flavor that I love ♡.

For the best of both worlds, check out these One-Bowl Orange-Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Blondies.

Salted Candy Bar Blondies {gluten-free}

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Got a stash of leftover candy? Turn it into something even more delicious with these easy-to-make, gluten-free Candy Bar Blondies.

• Author: alexandra
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 blondies 1x
• Category: desserts
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: american

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 7 ⅜ ounces (1 ¾ cups, spoon and level) gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 7 ½ ounces (1 cup, packed) brown sugar
• 1 egg*
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 ¾ ounces (½ cup) M&M’s**
• 3 ounces (2 full-size bars) Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, chopped**
• Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt, for sprinkling***

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8” square pan with parchment paper or foil. If using parchment, cut the parchment to 8” wide by about 16” long so that you have overhang on two opposite sides of the pan. Spray the exposed sides of the pan with cooking spray. If using foil, spray the entire surface of the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat into the butter until fully combined, wiping down the bowl and beater as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat in until incorporated.
4. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in on low speed just until almost fully incorporated. Add the remaining flour and continue to mix just until all ingredients are evenly combined, scraping down the bowl and beater as necessary. 
5. Toss the M&M’s and chopped Hershey bar together. Add ¾ of the mixture to the dough and fold in with a spatula just until evenly dispersed. 
6. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use hands to press into an even layer that covers the entire bottom surface. Using a flat spatula or bench scraper, press down on the dough to flatten it out. Sprinkle the remaining candy mixture over the surface and press in lightly with your hands. Sprinkle with fleur de sel or sea salt. 
7. Bake blondies in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top is golden-brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
8. Place pan on a wire rack and allow blondies to cool to room temperature before lifting from pan and slicing into 12 bars.
9. These are best served fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple days.

Notes

*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place in a bowl filled with warm water to cover. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before using.

**It might go without saying, but you can feel free to switch these out with about 1 cup of whatever candy you have on hand. 

***Skip the salt if you're not typically a fan of salted desserts!

Recipe Adapted From Kristen Tomlan via OXO

Keywords: candy bar blondies, salted candy bar blondies, gluten-free cookie bars, gluten-free blondies, M&M cookie bars