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Chewy Salted Caramel M&M Blondies

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Chewy brown sugary blondies loaded with chocolate chunks, caramel undertones and topped with M&Ms. This big batch of bars is perfect for a party, carry-in or just because.

first piece salted caramel M&M blondies lifted out of pan on spatula showing chewy fudgy center.

I am honored to be a part of the #OXOGoodCookie campaign. I was sent products to use and a donation has been made to Cookies of Kids Cancer on my behalf. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. #OXOBetter

Blondies are the perfect combination of brown sugar goodness with the texture and chew of a brownie.  This recipe mixes in plenty of chocolate chunks, bits of caramel goodness and it’s topped with colorful chocolate candies.  What’s not to love about that?

This is a large batch that is perfect for sharing, or freezing. Though they may disappear more quickly than you think!

Each September OXO has a campaign to deliver delicious dessert recipes to you while also spreading awareness during childhood cancer month.  I am honored to be a participant again this year as both desserts and childhood cancer are things that are near and dear to me.

two pieces of chewy salted caramel m&m blondies stacked on plate with soft centers showing.

This year I was asked to make a batch of salted caramel candy blondies with a recipe Kristen Tomlan. I had every intention of doing just that until I got started.

One thing led to another and the next thing I knew the batch had grown to half sheet pan size instead of 9×13″ size.  Has that ever happened to you? Baked goods have a way of doing that in my kitchen.

Anyway, I was not at all disappointed as things grew and morphed and I am over the moon happy with the results  My family was too, they gobbled them up.  My coworkers didn’t mind that the oversized batch meant leftovers for them as well.

sheet pan full of blondies dotted with candies

The bigger size means it is perfect for potlucks, carry-ins, BBQs and parties.  You can share with all of your friends and family or keep them to yourself.  Just freeze some individually wrapped bars and warm them up a bit in the microwave when you need a treat!

Why I love supporting Cookies for Kids Cancer

I have written more extensively about our connection with childhood cancer in previous posts. I’ll keep it short here and just say a couple of years ago childhood cancer went from something that happened to those poor kids on T.V. to something that happens close to home.

When a very dear friend’s two year old nephew was diagnosed with liver cancer, I quickly became much more aware of the statistics. Our smallest cancer warriors only get 4% of the government funding for research.

That means most of them get treatment designed for adults. The problem is they are still growing and developing, so some of these treatments leave long lasting or permanent negative effects.

Cookies for Kids Cancer was started by the parents of a childhood cancer warrior that lost his battle. Now his parents are on a mission to make the prognosis better for future warriors.

They work with a team of physicians and scientists to determine how to best use the funds.  OXO is making a donation on my behalf for helping to spread awareness  during September, which is childhood cancer awareness month.

I feel extremely privileged to be a small part of supporting such a great organization yet again.  You can be a part of the mission too!

three pieces of chewy salted caramel m&m blondies stacked high on plate with candies scattered around.

Tools for baking great treats

As we all know, I do really enjoy my OXO kitchen gadgets.  Their cookie scoops are the only ones I’ve never broken, every other scoop I’ve met has had an untimely end.

For this post they sent me some OXO POP Containers which have already made my pantry look so much nicer. They are airtight but super easy to open and close.

bowl of wet blondie ingredients, bowl of dry blondie ingredients and various components in oxo pop containers.

In fact, Little Dude was so excited to see them.  His kindergarten teacher had some for treats in her classroom last year. So he was very happy to show me how they work.

I love the accessories that hang from the lids as well.  You can have a scoop or even a brown sugar disk right in the container where you need it.  So convenient.

Because I scaled the recipe up, I was also able to use an OXO half sheet pan.  I have several of them and love them. The quality is fabulous.

mixing bowl of blondie dough with container of chocolate chunks, m&ms and salted caramel chips in measuring cup.

You can check out a set of the containers and accessories on Amazon by following this link.

Tips, Tricks and Substitution Ideas:

Most of my other blondie recipes use oil as the fat instead of butter, so I was a little surprised at how dry this dough felt when I was stirring it together.  It looked almost a bit crumbly but did come together into a dough. Don’t be surprised if you experience the same thing.

If the dough is sticking to your hands while spreading it out in the pan, you can wet your finger tips a bit.  You don’t want to work a lot of water into the dough, but moist fingers will help you get a sticky dough spread.

blondie dough loaded with salted caramel chips and chocolate chunks spread in half sheet pan with M&M candies scattered over the top.

To double ensure they didn’t stick to the pan I both sprayed the pan and laid a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom.  I honestly think just a sprayed pan would work ok, but you can never be too careful if you want nice pieces.

I used a mix of salted caramel baking chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks inside the blondies with M&M’s on top.  But don’t feel limited by those choices.  I think using peanut butter or butterscotch chips instead of caramel ones would also be amazing!

Chewy brown sugary blondies loaded with chocolate chunks, caramel undertones and topped with M&Ms. This big batch of bars is perfect for a party, carry-in or just because.

More delicious treats developed to help the cause

looking down on a couple of pieces of chewy salted caramel m&m blondies on plate with candies scattered around.

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

first piece salted caramel M&M blondies lifted out of pan on spatula showing chewy fudgy center.

Chewy Salted Caramel M&M Blondies

Carlee
Chewy brown sugary blondies loaded with chocolate chunks, caramel undertones and topped with M&Ms. This big batch of bars is perfect for a party, carry-in or just because.
4.75 from 8 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 Servings
Calories 204 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3 cups light brown sugar packed
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups assorted baking chips*
  • ½ cup M&Ms
  • optional: flaky sea salt
Makes: 13 x 18inch rectangle1inch height

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a half sheet pan (13×18") with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper if desired.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until combined and lump free.
    4¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.
    1 cup butter, 3 cups light brown sugar
  • Add the eggs and vanilla then beat until well mixed. 
    3 eggs, 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the baking chips.
    2 cups assorted baking chips*
  • Transfer dough to prepared sheet pan and use your fingers or a spatula to spread dough evenly over pan. Sprinkle M&Ms over the top of the dough.  If desired, lightly dust with flaky sea salt. 
    ½ cup M&Ms, optional: flaky sea salt
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden and the center should be puffed up a bit.
  • Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting. The center should sink back in slightly as it cools.
  • Store extra pieces in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Or wrap individual pieces to freeze for later. 

Notes

*I used half salted caramel baking chips and half semi-sweet chocolate chunks. It would also be great with butterscotch, peanut butter, or regular chocolate chips. Use a mix of your favorites.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 255mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17g
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Recipe Rating




Carlee

Wednesday 25th of September 2019

Thank you!

Amy

Thursday 19th of September 2019

I love that you do this for fighting childhood cancer. Thank you.

Carlee

Wednesday 25th of September 2019

It is my absolute pleasure. Those little fighters (and their families) deserve every ounce of attention and help we can give.

Family Around the Table

Thursday 12th of September 2019

These look delicious and such a good organization! Wish I had a slice right now with a glass of milk!

Carlee

Saturday 14th of September 2019

I would happily share with you!