Chunky Candy Brownies
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dense, fudgy brownies swirled with chunks of chocolate and topped with chopped candy bars. Rich, chewy texture contrasted with crunchy candy bits. Uses cocoa and baking chocolate melted with butter, mixed just enough to keep tender crumb. Adapted for slight changes in flour and baking times, with flour-dusted chocolate chunks to prevent sinking. Sweet vanilla aroma steams from the oven. Bite demonstrates gooey interior, slight crust on top. Serves 16 with 574 calories each, moderate protein, high sugar and fat content. Easy substitutions for ingredients and tips to rescue overbaked edges. A hands-on treat for home bakers looking for a candy-packed brownie with texture play.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
60 min
Servings:
16 servings
#baking
#chocolate
#dessert
#brownies
#candy
#fudge
#American
Brownies dense. Chewy. Sticky fingers inevitable. Chocolate aroma punches air, thick and sweet, promising fudge inside and crisp-on-top edges. I fuss less now about perfect timings, adapting bake time to oven quirks and look. Tried doubling vanilla but it overwhelmed, stuck to classic teaspoon. The flour-dusted chunks trick—game changer—stops them sinking like sad rocks at bottom. Candy bar bits tossed on hot brownies, melt slightly but keep crunch and chew. Whopper pieces crown richer candy—texture explosion. Don’t skimp on chocolate chunks or candy bars; sub peanut butter chips or toffee for a twist. Eggs at room temp always. Cooled melted chocolate blends with sugar like magic before eggs go in—no scrambled mess. The test is visual, toothpick sticky crumb, edge pull away, that crackle on top. Not perfect edges better than brittle dry every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for chocolate chunks
- ½ cup unsalted butter, chopped
- 5 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup chocolate chunks or chips, dusted with flour
- 1 cup chopped assorted candy bars (snickers, twix, whoppers preferred)
About the ingredients
Flour and cocoa powder blend gives rich base; use all-purpose flour unless gluten-free alternative is handy, tapioca flour or almond meal can work with texture compromise. Cocoa powder choice—Dutch processed for darker color and smoother flavor if available. Flour dust on chunks—staple hack to keep mix-ins suspended; skip and chunks drop bottom, no fun. Butter—not margarine—and good quality baking chocolate critical for deep taste; chocolate chips too sweet, won’t melt same way. For sugar, standard granulated sugar, but coconut or raw sugar can alter slightly texture and moisture. Vanilla extract adds floral warmth. Eggs at room temp help emulsion and bake rise. Candy bars chopped uneven bits preferred for interest; swap with your favorites, but watch salt balance. Last minute topping melts slightly but mostly stays intact, so chunk size matters. Prep pan with parchment sling for easy removal; simplifies cooling and slicing.
Method
- Preheat oven 345F. Line 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper leaving a generous overhang for removing brownies in one go.
- In medium bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa powder thoroughly until mixture is even. Set aside.
- Toss chocolate chunks in tablespoon of flour. Shake off excess. This keeps them suspended in batter instead of sinking to bottom.
- In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter with chopped bittersweet baking chocolate. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Once fully melted and glossy, remove from heat and pour into large bowl to cool till just warm to touch.
- Add granulated sugar and vanilla extract to chocolate mixture. Whisk briskly until glossy and combined. Sugar needs to integrate well here or texture will suffer.
- Add eggs one by one, whisking well after each addition. Batter should thicken slightly and become shiny. The eggs carry the structure here so don’t rush or add cold eggs straight from fridge.
- Fold in dry cocoa-flour mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Less is more. Overmix and brownies turn tough.
- Gently fold in the flour-coated chocolate chunks. Avoid breaking them up too much.
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared pan, smoothing surface with spatula. Batter will be thick and fudgy.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, but watch closely from minute 28. Edges will set, top slightly cracking but center still soft. Test with toothpick inserted - should come out with moist crumbs, never clean.
- Rest brownies 5 minutes in pan uncovered. While warm, sprinkle chopped candy bars evenly over top pressing lightly to adhere.
- Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing with sharp knife pulled through mean cutting motion to avoid tearing.
- Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze for longer life.
Cooking tips
Heating chocolate with butter on low keeps mixture silky, no grainy lumps, patience pays here. Constant stirring needed to prevent scorching, swirling movement allows even melt. Cool to just warm so eggs don’t cook on contact; sudden steam means wait. Adding sugar early integrates sweetness well but whisk fast to dissolve granules. Eggs added one at a time aid smooth batter, avoid curdling. Fold dry ingredients gently; over mixing activates gluten, tough slabs dreaded. Folding flour-coated chocolate chunks last prevents over bleed in batter. Baking cues—top crackled, edges firm, toothpick moist with crumbs, no sticky batter—beats staring at clock. Resting allows fudge to set, hot brownies crumble. Candy bar sprinkle while warm sticks well, press gently to embed without sinking. Cool fully before cut; cutting warm makes mess, dull blade or sawing motion helps. Store air tight to keep chewy, avoid fridge where texture becomes dense and tough. Freeze if not eaten fast—thaw at room temp buried in parchment.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Preheat oven fully, watch edges from minute 28. Brownies crack top signals near done but keep toothpick moist crumbs. Overbake makes tough slabs. Texture shifts fast past 35 minutes.
- 💡 Flour dust on chocolate chunks is key. Stops sinking. Toss in a tablespoon, shake off excess but coating must be light, no clumps or mix will turn gritty. Crucial trick. No coating means sad dense bottom.
- 💡 Room temp eggs carry structure better. Cold eggs shock batter, cause uneven rise. Whisk sugar and melted chocolate till glossy. Sugar must dissolve to avoid gritty texture later. Patience stirring melted mix prevents grainy chunks.
- 💡 Candy chunks pressed on right after baking while warm, not hot. Melt slight but mostly intact texture. Size uneven for bites with crunch variety. Too fine, melt too much; too big, might sink if folded in batter.
- 💡 Fold dry ingredients gently. Overmix gluten activates tough chewy instead of tender crumb. Same with chocolate chunks last to avoid bleed or chocolate melt into batter. Batter thick, fudgy; smooth surface with spatula.
Common questions
How to prevent chocolate chunks sinking?
Dust chunks with flour before folding in. Coat lightly no clumps. Keeps chunks suspended. Skip dust dust chunks drop. Batter thickness matters too, fudgier better.
Can I swap candy bars?
Yes use peanut butter chips or toffee chunks. Watch salt balance—too salty candy offsets overall flavor. Uneven size bits for texture contrast. Last-minute sprinkle better than mixing in.
How to tell when brownies done inside?
Watch edges firm and top crackle small cracks. Toothpick inserted shows moist crumbs—no sticky batter or wet spots. Resting helps fudge set. Under or over bake ruins texture.
Best storage method?
Room temp airtight up to 3 days keeps chewy texture. Refrigerate makes texture dense, dulls fudge bite. Freeze if needed wrapped tight in parchment or plastic wrap. Thaw at room temp, no microwave.
