Ultimate Trash Brownies
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These yummy, ultimate Trash Brownies are the kind of ‘party’ brownies you’ll want to indulge with all the sweet and salty goodies included for your spooky Halloween bash & Fall festivities! These brownies pretty much have everything you could ever want in loaded brownies and more!
Since Halloween is coming up, we topped these brownies off with Halloween Oreos, pretzels, Reese’s pieces, salted roasted peanuts, mini peanut butter cups and marshmallows galore!
Trash never tasted so good! Sweet and salty together is a perfect match and always has you coming back for more! Like these Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies, these 30 Peanut Butter & Candy Desserts and these M&M Pretzel Cookie Bars!!
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I can honestly say I’ve never met a brownie I didn’t love, and these epic trash can brownies or garbage brownies as they call them, will not disappoint! These gourmet-ish, fun brownies are super simple to whip up!
We took a shortcut and made delicious Ghirardelli’s Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix brownies and from there, we just added all the fun party candies and cookies on top! Now that’s easy!
Of course, you can make my Super Easy Homemade Brownies if you want to make your brownies from scratch. Either way, they will be delish and they will be devoured ASAP!
What are Trash Brownies?
Trash Brownies are ultra‑gooey, candy‑packed brownies loaded with all your favorite sweet and salty treats — the fun, chaotic mix‑ins we all secretly love. They’re the perfect holiday or Halloween dessert because you can customize them with whatever candies, cookies, or salty snacks you have on hand.
For this batch, I used Halloween Oreos, pretzels, Reese’s Pieces, salted peanuts, mini peanut butter cups, and marshmallows. But you can easily swap the toppings for any holiday theme — Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, or whatever celebration you’re baking for.
I love using Ghirardelli Brownie Mix when I go the box‑mix route. It always delivers an incredibly moist texture and rich chocolate flavor, giving these loaded brownies the perfect fudgy base for all those delicious mix‑ins.
Halloween Candy Mix‑Ins for Trash Brownies
Add your favorite potato chips, m&m’s, Rolo candies, chopped candy bars (like Snickers, Twix or Kit Kat), salted cashews, roasted almonds and any Oreo flavored cookies or sandwich cookies to your garbage brownies.
Color coordinate them with special occasions, like birthdays with multi-colored sprinkles and rainbow colored m&m’s, etc. You can’t go wrong with any combination for any holiday!
Ingredients You Need
- 1 or 2 boxes Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate or Double Chocolate brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on box (any boxed brownies will work)
- Halloween Oreos or any sandwich cookies
- Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Pretzels, broken in half
- Reese’s Pieces or m&m’s
- Salted Peanuts
- Optional: Mini Marshmallows
Instructions How to Make Halloween Trash Can Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9×9 or 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, then pour into prepared pan.
- Top brownies with Oreos, Reese’s peanut butter cups, pretzels, peanuts and Reese’s pieces. If adding marshmallows, pull brownies out of oven with remainder of last 10-15 minutes of baking brownies and scatter them on top of the brownies and place back in oven to finish baking brownies.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few moist crumbs, according to box instructions, approximately 39-45 minutes. Let brownies cool before removing from pan and cutting into.
- Add more of less of any of the toppings to your liking! As for the marshmallows, you can also add them after the brownies are baked and use a mini torch to toast them afterwards.
Variations
- Halloween Trash Brownies Load them up with Halloween Oreos, candy corn, Reese’s Pieces, mini peanut butter cups, spooky sprinkles, and candy eyeballs. Perfect for parties and trick‑or‑treat leftovers.
- Fall Harvest Trash Brownies Add caramel bits, toasted pecans, maple chips, cinnamon chips, or pumpkin spice M&M’s for a cozy fall twist.
- Christmas Trash Brownies Use crushed peppermint, holiday M&M’s, Andes mints, sprinkles, or chopped peppermint bark for a festive holiday version.
- Valentine’s Day Trash Brownies Add pink/red M&M’s, heart sprinkles, chopped chocolate truffles, or strawberry baking chips.
- St. Patrick’s Day Trash Brownies Mix in green M&M’s, Lucky Charms marshmallows, mint chips, or crushed chocolate‑mint cookies.
- Salty Snack Lovers Version Go heavy on pretzels, potato chips, peanuts, or salted cashews for a sweet‑and‑salty combo.
Tips for the Best Trash Brownies
- Don’t overmix: Stir just until combined for dense, fudgy brownies.
- Use a light‑colored metal pan: Ensures even baking and prevents over‑browning.
- Check your pan size: Ghirardelli mixes vary — 8×8 or 9×9 gives thicker brownies; double the mix for a 9×13.
- Add mix‑ins on top: Press candy and cookies gently into the batter so they stay visible and don’t sink.
- Don’t overbake: Remove when the toothpick shows moist crumbs for fudgy brownies.
- Cool completely for clean slices: Especially important when using lots of candy.
- Customize for any holiday: Swap mix‑ins to match Halloween, fall, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or St. Patrick’s Day.
How to Serve Trash Brownies
- Warm with ice cream: Serve warm slices with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel.
- Party‑style squares: Chill fully, then cut into neat squares for dessert tables, potlucks, or Halloween parties.
- Brownie bites: Cut into small bite‑size pieces for snacking or sharing.
- A la mode sundae bar: Serve with bowls of ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, and extra candy toppings.
- Lunchbox treats: Wrap individually once cooled — they hold up beautifully.
- Holiday dessert boards: Add brownie squares to a themed dessert board with cookies, candy, and fruit.
How to Store Trash Brownies
- Room Temperature: Keep brownies in an airtight container for 3–4 days. They stay soft and fudgy.
- Refrigerator: Store up to 1 week. Chilling makes them even denser and richer.
- Freezer: Wrap individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp or warm for a few seconds to soften.
- Make‑Ahead: Bake a day early for parties — they slice cleaner on
FAQs
Q: Can I make these Trash Brownies for Halloween parties?
Absolutely! These brownies are perfect for Halloween because you can load them with leftover candy, spooky sprinkles, and themed mix‑ins. They’re easy to slice, share, and decorate for any party table.
Q: What Halloween candy works best in Trash Brownies?
Mini chocolate bars, Reese’s pumpkins, M&M’s, candy corn, crushed Oreos, and seasonal sprinkles all melt beautifully into the fudgy batter. Anything chocolate‑based is ideal.
Q: How can I make these brownies look spooky?
Top them with orange and black sprinkles, candy eyeballs, crushed Oreos for a “graveyard” look, or drizzle white chocolate to create ghostly swirls.
Q: Are Trash Brownies good for fall baking?
Yes! Their gooey, loaded texture fits perfectly with cozy fall desserts. Add warm flavors like caramel bits, maple chips, toasted nuts, or pumpkin spice M&M’s for a seasonal twist.
Q: What fall mix‑ins can I add to these brownies?
Caramel, pecans, walnuts, maple chips, cinnamon chips, and pumpkin spice candies all work beautifully. They add warmth and richness without changing the base recipe.
Q: Can I make these brownies ahead for fall gatherings?
Definitely. Trash Brownies store well and taste even better the next day. Bake them a day ahead, chill, and slice for parties, game days, or potlucks.
Nothing says “I love chocolate” better than brownies, so who’s ready to party down with some ultimate trash-loaded brownies? I bet I don’t even have to twist any arms! These Halloween garbage brownies really go fast and are so easy to make!
After Halloween, you can make also make these loaded garbage brownies with all your leftover candies as well! For more candy-inspired ideas, check out this Halloween Black Magic Candy Cake and this Chocolate Candy Egg Fudge Cake!
More Party Fun!
- Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Hocus Pocus Cosmic Brownie Bites
- 16 Reese’s Pieces Candy Desserts That Will Mesmerize
- Blinged Out Chocolate Caramel Apples
- Chocolate Covered Hazelnut Cheesecake Bites
- Orange Creamsicle Jello Shots
- Pumpkin Oreo Truffles
- Mini Red Velvet Brownies
- Lunch Lady Brownies
- Easy Brownie Truffles
Yummy Trash Brownies
Ingredients
Trash Brownies
- 1 or 2 boxes Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate or Double Chocolate brownie mix (see notes) plus ingredients called for on box (any boxed brownies will work)
- 8-12 Halloween Oreos or any sandwich cookies
- ½-1 cup Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- ½-1 cup Pretzels broken in half
- ½-1 cup Reese’s Pieces or m&m’s
- ½-1 cup Salted Peanuts
- Optional: ½-1 cup Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
How to Make Trash Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x9 or 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, then pour into prepared pan.
- Top brownies with Oreos, Reese’s peanut butter cups, pretzels, peanuts and Reese’s pieces. If adding marshmallows, pull brownies out of oven with remainder of last 10-15 minutes of baking brownies and scatter them on top of the brownies and place back in oven to finish baking brownies.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few moist crumbs, according to box instructions, approximately 39-45 minutes. Let brownies cool before removing from pan.
- Add more of less of any of the toppings to your liking! As for the marshmallows, you can also add them after the brownies are baked and use a mini torch to toast them afterwards.
Notes
Ghirardelli Brownie Baking Tips
- Make sure to look on the back of the box instructions to see what pan sizes are available for you for your Trash Brownies, before you start making the brownies.
- Some of the Ghirardelli brownie mixes are for 8x8 or 9x9 pan-sized brownies, so if you make the 9x13, they will definitely be thinner brownies, so you may want to double the recipe or just make the 8x8 or 9x9 brownies for best results and thicker brownies.
- To make Ghirardelli brownies, all you have to do is simply add water, oil and an egg to the mix for pure brownie perfection.
- Add more of less of any of the toppings to your liking!
