Just because there can never be too much sugar at Easter, allow me to present these Easter Blondies – loaded with Easter m&ms, all tucked away in a classic blondie recipe!
It seems that I’ll find just about any excuse to bake with m&m candy. I know how much McKenna and John.e both love m&ms, so it’s easily justified. I can’t eat m&ms on their own; I’m just not a fan of the taste, but when they’re baked into a cookie or an Easter Blondie, they become mouthwateringly delicious!
Baked Easter treats are meant to be whimsical and fun. After all, when it comes to Easter confectioneries and decorations, it’s all about the kids. That’s why I decided to showcase these Easter Blondies two different ways. The recipe below will only give the instructions for the two-bite, mini muffin version, but there’s also the option of creating those little mini pie-type Blondies as well.
If you plan to make the mini pie version, please keep in mind that the baking time will double. So, you’re going to bake them for 18 minutes instead of 9 minutes. And, please, do not bake any longer even though you might be tempted to do so. Brownie and Blondie batter should always look soft and gooey when you remove it from the oven. Just give it a few minutes to cool down and it will solidify.
The mini pie plates are one of my recent Pioneer Woman line purchases. You know how much I love the Pioneer Woman! I bought these on our last shopping trip to Buffalo and had not used them until today. There are four in the set, but I opted to leave out the red one, because it looked too red to fit in nicely with the more Easter-y colours you see in the photos.
In most cases, whenever you see these types of mini pies, tarts, or molten-lava type cakes in mini pie plates, there’s a huge dollop of ice cream sitting right on top of it. I wanted to do that for these photos too, but the rich, sweetness of the cookie as is would be completely over the top with the addition of ice cream. But, my Dear Reader, I’ll leave the choice up to you. My sweet tooth is just not that sweet!
I’ve always been a fan of brownies, and never really knew blondies existed until I jumped head first into the world of food blogging. A blondie is a non-chocolate version of a brownie. They are sometimes referred to as blonde brownies. They resemble a regular chocolate brownie (or two-bite brownie in my case) and are sweet and rich. Blondies substitute vanilla instead of the cocoa that’s used in brownies, and they also contain brown sugar.
Most blondies recipes that you see in cookbooks or online, are made with some kind of nut – usually a walnut or pecans. They also seem to predominantly include a form of chocolate chip – either semi-sweet or milk chocolate – or something completely different like a butterscotch chip. You can add a few nuts or chocolate chips to this Easter Blondies recipe if you want, but I thought the milk chocolate m&ms were enough.
There’s also another significant difference between blondies and brownies. Brownies usually have a frosting whereas blondies do not. Blondies are baked in a pan similar to that of a traditional brownies, and cut into squares when cooled. For me though, I wanted to try my hand at making them into those two-bite version you often see, and of course, the cute little mini pie version as well.
I must say, I think I prefer them over brownies. Brownies are delicious, but I’m not huge fan of large chunks of chocolate. (Unless it’s Lindt balls, then I could eat my weight in those!) That’s why I decided to pair my Easter m&ms with a blondie instead of a brownie. You still get the sweet, sugary taste of the ‘cookie,’ but you can actually taste the chocolate from the m&m; it’s not lost in all of the chocolate that’s present in a brownie.
Please note that like brownies, blondies do not rise much when baking. Fill the batter just to the rim of the vessel you are using. Do not be tempted to overfill, because there is a little bit of a rise. If mini pie plates or two-bite varieties are not your thing, or you just don’t have the time to fuss about, you can certainly bake these off like a normal brownie. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment and pour the batter in. Smooth out the top and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I think the two-bites would be cute wrapped in cellophane, tied with a cute little pastel Easter ribbon, and hidden with the rest of the Easter eggs. I think the kids (and adults!) would be delighted to find these little beauties scattered about. The Easter Bunny had better up his game! Looks like mom or dad is about to steal the show!
No matter if you celebrate Easter for religious reasons, or if you just take part in the family fun and the consumerism, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Easter. Eat as much chocolate as you wish and enjoy the day!
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Easter Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups m&m candy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the melted butter to a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the brown sugar until well incorporated.
- Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until combined.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the m&m candy.
- Add one tablespoon of the batter to the mini muffin pan holes. Top with two or three of the leftover m&m candy if desired.
- Bake for exactly 9 minutes. Remove two-bite blondies from the mini muffin pan immediately and place on a wire cooling rack to completely cool.
Notes
Nutrition
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Shoma says
Definitely making this over the weekend!