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These Reese’s Cup brownies are a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy. Or a great excuse to buy some candy.
I’m sure you have leftover Halloween candy. We have TONS. We stupidly spent way too much money on it, too. It was our first Halloween in our new house and the neighborhood is swarming with kids. We were both certain we’d have a ton of kiddos come to the door. We decided to be prepared. Annnnd we shouldn’t have. We had like tops 20 kids come.
Halloween just isn’t like what it used to be anymore. You could always bank on having hoards of kids coming to your door and running out of candy. Now, you’re basically begging for kids to come take the candy and when they do show up, you give them seven fistfuls of candy because you know they’re the only ones you’re getting that night.
It’s funny how generations change. When I was young, Halloween was huge. We didn’t have to really worry about safety or danger of other people, you know? It was a lot less rules. Now, it’s like parents are so scared that they don’t let their kids go trick-or-treating anymore and they play it safe and take them to the mall to do the trick-or-treating. Maybe by the time my friends and I start having kids, it’ll change again and we’ll bring back Halloween and we’ll all run out of candy again at our houses.
So, since we had way too much leftover candy, I stole all the Reese’s peanut butter cups and baked them into a brownie. I figured it’d be a good idea, and let me tell you: it was better than good. It was brilliant. The fudgey and chewy brownie envelopes the Reese’s peanut butter cup. It’s the best surprise, ever, when you take bite into what you think is just a plain ole brownie. Chocolate and peanut butter. Two of the best ingredients collide and make a happy, decadent dessert :)
Reese’s Cup Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup (65 g) Dutch processed cocoa
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 Reese's peanut butter snack size cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and grease a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat then remove from heat.
- Stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, and incorporating each egg in before adding another one.
- In a large bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour into saucepot and stir until all is combined and a thick batter is formed.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan and place Reese’s cups next to each other. There should be 4 in each row.
- Pour the rest of the batter on top of the Reese’s cups, covering them. Spread the batter gently with an offset spatula to make sure everything is covered.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes then remove from oven and let brownies cool in pan until room temperature.
- Using a paring knife, run it around the edge of the pan to loosen the brownies. Flip over onto cutting board and slice into squares.
- Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.
Made them for my boyfriend for Valentine’s day since reese’s is his favorite.. they turned out great and are delicious :) Such a great idea!
What a great Valentine’s Day treat!! I hope he loved them! :)
Mine didn’t cook in the middle while the edges were over cooked :( did I do something wrong?
Hi Kelly, sorry this didn’t work out for you. There can be numerous reasons as to why yours might not have turned out. I may be able to help, but could you give me some insight as to what type of baking dish you used or how you prepared this? Which oven rack did you bake it on, etc.?
Mmm! So perfect for Halloween! (Or anytime!)
OMG if the finished product is half as good as the batter, I’m in big trouble!!! I think the base brownie recipe will be good go to recipe.
At the risk of sounding like a huge fangirl of table for two and Julie (guilty as charged) these were too good to share. The best part of being Julie’s hairstylist is 1- chatting with her about well everything and 2-HER SNACKS. I get to preview these things before they hit Table for two. This just is unfair because I then have to wait forever for the recipe.
These I refused to share with my husband. I told him if he ate the second one he’d wake up missing limbs. So I can’t tell you his opinion until I bake them.
Julie you did it again, you harmonized my good friends sweet and salty….chocolate and peanut.
I’m the worlds crappiest baker but you are inspiring me I give it a go…. Great cook bad baker I think you’re one or the other. I’ll let you know what happens soon!
Great minds think alike! Brownies are the perfect way to use up halloween candy!:)
I need these brownies in my life. With reese’s? Oh wow :D
We should’ve brought Judah to YOUR house for Halloween! Instead, we trick-or-treated in our friends’ neighborhood, where no one was home, but they left a bowl of candy and a sign saying “Take one, Happy Halloween!” I like it more when people are home and the kids have to say “Trick or Treat!” in order to get their candy! :)
btw, pregnant girl here has to make these brownies…now!!!
I’ve been really craving brownies lately, and these look delicious and moist!! I love adding candies to brownies to make them a bit more fun! You have some delicious recipes here on your blog with beautiful pics. :)
Blessings,
Leslie
Thanks, Leslie! I just hopped on over to your blog and your “what I’m thankful post” was wonderful and bittersweet but more-so I love your attitude and optimism. I’m so happy you came across my blog – I’ll be a regular reader now on yours! xoxo
A fantastic idea for leftover candy–although it’s also sad how now, parents won’t even let their kids eat something that’s not store-bought and completely sealed (i.e. if I tried to make and pass these out instead for Halloween, I’m pretty sure I’d be suspected of poisoning predilections…). Still, these look absolutely fantastic! Good ol’ Halloween, I miss you.