These mouthwatering candy cookie bars with pastel-coated chocolate candy pieces are a fun take on the classic blondie recipe. They’re super moist and so chocolatey. And they’re fast and easy to make. This is also a great recipe to make with kids!
Cookie Bars Recipe Ingredients
How fun is this candy cookie bar recipe!? These yummy mini egg cookie bars are super simple to make! All you need is one bowl and 8 simple ingredients. Here’s what goes into them.
- BUTTER: This recipe calls for using melted butter which helps give the bars a denser, chewier texture.
- BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar is often used in blondies for both the taste and extra moisture that comes from the molasses in brown sugar.
- EGG
- PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- BAKING POWDER
- KOSHER SALT
- CANDY PIECES: For this recipe, I used whole M&Ms and pieces of mini Cadbury eggs. Make sure to see my tip below on how to cut candy-coated chocolate into pieces.
How to Make Cookie Bars with Candy Pieces
Ready to bake? Here’s how to make these mini egg candy cookie bars.
PREP: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch square pan with butter or baking spray. Then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang (to help you lift the bars out of the pan). Then grease the parchment paper and set it aside.
MELT THE BUTTER: Melt your butter and then set it aside until it cools to room temperature.
GET YOUR CANDY: You’ll need about 1 cup of candy for this recipe. I used whole M&Ms and pieces of mini Cadbury eggs. If you are going to chop candy-coated chocolate into smaller pieces, be careful! The candy shell is hard and a bit difficult to cut through (especially for kids). I recommend putting the candy into a plastic bag, sealing it, and then using a rolling pin to gently break the candy into pieces.
MIX THE BUTTER AND SUGAR: In a bowl, mix together the melted, cooled butter and brown sugar. I used a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. But you can also use a hand mixer or mix by hand.
ADD EGG AND VANILLA: Once the butter and sugar mixture is combined, add the egg and then the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
MIX IN DRY INGREDIENTS: Next add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
STIR IN CANDY PIECES: Gently stir in the candy pieces reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter.
BAKE: Add the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with reserved candy pieces. Bake until cooked through and the bars are starting to turn golden brown, about 22-24 minutes.
COOL AND SERVE: Let the candy cookie bars cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then lift the bars (in one piece) out of the pan using the parchment paper overhangs. Let them continue to cool on the wire cooling rack until they reach room temperature. Then just cut them and serve!
A FEW MORE RECIPE TIPS:
A few more things to keep in mind when baking these candy cookie bars.
- BE CAREFUL CUTTING THE CANDY: If you want to chop candy-coated chocolate into smaller pieces, be careful! The candy shell is hard and a bit difficult to cut through (especially for kids). I recommend putting the candy into a plastic bag, sealing it, and then using a rolling pin to gently break the candy into pieces.
- SUB IN DIFFERENT CANDY: This recipe will work with any type of chocolate candy including leftover Halloween candy. But you certainly don’t have to wait for it to be a holiday! Just cut up and use your favorite candy bars and bake anytime the mood strikes you.
- STORE: Store these candy cookie bars in an air-tight container. They should last up to 1 week at room temperature.
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Easter Candy Cookie Bars
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 9 large cookie bars 1x
Description
These mouthwatering candy cookie bars with pastel-coated chocolate candy pieces are a fun take on the classic blondie recipe. They’re super moist and so chocolatey. And they’re fast and easy to make. This is also a great recipe to make with kids!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate candy pieces
Instructions
- PREP: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch square pan with butter or baking spray. Then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang (to help you lift the bars out of the pan). Then grease the parchment paper and set it aside.
- MELT THE BUTTER: Melt your butter and then set it aside until it cools to room temperature.
- GET YOUR CANDY: You’ll need about 1 cup of candy pieces for this recipe. I used whole M&Ms and pieces of mini Cadbury eggs. If you are going to chop candy-coated chocolate into smaller pieces, see my note below.
- MIX THE BUTTER AND SUGAR: In a bowl, mix together the melted, cooled butter and brown sugar. I used a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. But you can also use a hand mixer or mix by hand.
- ADD EGG AND VANILLA: Once the butter and sugar mixture is combined, add the egg and then the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- MIX IN DRY INGREDIENTS: Next add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- STIR IN CANDY PIECES: Gently stir in the candy pieces reserving some to sprinkle on top of the batter.
- BAKE: Add the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with reserved candy pieces. Bake until cooked through and the bars are starting to turn golden brown, about 22-24 minutes.
- COOL AND SERVE: Let the candy cookie bars cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then lift the bars (in one piece) out of the pan using the parchment paper overhangs. Let them continue to cool on the wire cooling rack until they reach room temperature. Then just cut them and serve!
- STORE: Store these candy cookie bars in an air-tight container. They should last up to 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
BE CAREFUL CUTTING THE CANDY: If you want to chop candy-coated chocolate into smaller pieces, be careful! The candy shell is hard and a bit difficult to cut through (especially for kids). I recommend putting the candy into a plastic bag, sealing it, and then using a rolling pin to gently break the candy into pieces.
SUB IN DIFFERENT CANDY: This recipe will work with any type of chocolate candy including leftover Halloween candy. But you certainly don’t have to wait for it to be a holiday! Just cut up and use your favorite candy bars and bake anytime the mood strikes you.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-24 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake