These candy bar brownies are filled with Easter candy so every bite hides a tasty surprise—just like an Easter egg hunt!
*This post was sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and MARS® Incorporated. All opinions are my own. #SpringMoments #CollectiveBias
Each year my kids can’t wait for the Easter egg hunt. They love finding the little plastic eggs and discovering the treats inside. If you’re anything like me, chocolate is the only candy worth hunting for, so I buy it in bulk for egg stuffing. This year I picked up the MARS® Spring Mix at Sam’s Club — it’s perfect for filling eggs and for baking into treats.
The mini candy bars in the spring mix are just the right size for Easter eggs. I even spotted it on a cart down an aisle at Sam’s Club, so it’s a popular seasonal item—shop early if you want to snag some before they sell out.
Because my kids love searching for candy, I thought it would be fun to create a second “hunt” by hiding candy bars inside brownies. When they bite into a brownie they get a little surprise—sometimes they even try to guess which candy bar they found, since the chocolate gets a bit disguised by baking. It turns dessert into a fun game.
This recipe is straightforward and uses common pantry ingredients: granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, butter, eggs, vanilla, and your favorite MARS® mini candy bars from the spring mix.
Start by sifting the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla, then stir in the dry mixture until combined. Add melted, slightly cooled butter and mix until just incorporated—don’t overmix.
Grease a 9×9 inch square baking dish and spread half of the batter across the bottom. Unwrap the mini candy bars and press them firmly into the batter, spacing them as desired. Spread the remaining batter on top, then press the small M&M’S® packs or candies halfway into the surface (avoid placing them directly over the wrapped bars). This gives a colorful, festive top and hides more little surprises inside.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing so the candy centers settle and the pieces hold together.
Once cooled, cut into squares. I like trimming the edges so each piece looks like it’s from the center, but the edges are still delicious and always disappear first at our house!
What mini moments are you enjoying this spring? Anything fun planned? Share in the comments below!
Easter Candy Bar Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (27 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted and cooled
- 15 MARS® Mixed Mini Candy Bars (13 mini candy bars and 2 mini packages M&M’S®)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients. Pour in the melted butter and mix until just combined.
- Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Unwrap the mini candy bars and press them firmly into the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the top and press M&M’s halfway into the surface, avoiding areas with candy bars underneath.
- Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut into squares.
Notes
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