Got leftover Halloween candy? These Halloween Candy Cookies are the perfect way to transform those treats into a delicious, chewy cookies that everyone will love! Whether it's chocolate bars, M&M's, or candy-coated chocolates, this recipe is versatile and fun to make. Plus, it's a great way to clear out your candy stash!
If you're anything like me, you always end up with extra Halloween candy lying around. These cookies are the perfect way to turn that leftover candy into a delicious homemade treat! They bake up with perfectly crisp edges and soft, chewy centers, and every bite is filled with your favorite chocolates. Best of all, they come together in one bowl and require no mixer - making them the easiest way to give your Halloween stash a sweet new life.
For more delicious cookies try my apple cider cookies, espresso chocolate chunk cookies or brown butter peanut butter cookies.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Perfect use for leftover candy: No more wondering what to do with that pile of Halloween candy!
- Fun and customizable: You can mix in any candy you like-perfect for creating unique flavor combinations.
- Easy to make: With simple ingredients and minimal prep, these cookies come together quickly.
- Crowd-pleaser: These cookies are chewy, buttery, and filled with everyone's favorite candy pieces, making them perfect for sharing.
Ingredient Notes
- Sugars: This cookie recipes uses a combination of granulated white sugar and light brown sugar for the best texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming with the sugars.
- Halloween Candy: Use a mix of your favorite candy bars. Chocolate-based candies like M&M's, Snickers, Reese's peanut butter cups, and Twix work best in this recipe. You can also add chopped candy bars or candy-coated chocolates.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the perfect chewy texture. Be sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to avoid a dense dough.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs help the cookies rise properly and create a soft, chewy texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake these leftover halloween candy cookies. You can use a stand mixer or a large bowl with handheld electric mixer.
Step 1. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk followed by the vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.
Step 2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Step 3. Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the chopped Halloween candy. Place the cookie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
When ready to bake preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 4.Scoop the Dough: Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top each of the cookie dough ball with extra candy pieces.
Step 5. Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still soft. Gently scoot the cookies using a large cookie cutter to get them into perfect rounds. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Step 6. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optionally sprinkle the top of the cookies with some flaky sea salt.
Tips & Tricks
- Candy Variety: Don't limit yourself to just chocolate! Try adding crushed candy corn, peanut butter cups, or even soft caramels for a fun twist.
- Don't use too much Halloween candy: Putting too much candy in the cookies will result in a bit of a mess, and you want to make sure that there is still a good ratio of cookie-to-candy. 1 cup is the perfect amount for me, but you could go up to 1 ½ cups at the maximum.
- Size Variation: If you like bigger cookies, you can use a larger cookie scoop, but be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly (add 1-2 minutes).
- Mix-in Options: You can also mix in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or pretzels for an added crunch and variety of flavors.
FAQ's
You can use pretty much any of your favorite candies! You want to use candies that can melt well such as Kit Kats, Milky Way, Snickers, Reese's peanut butter cups, Heath Bars, Rolos, Almond Joys, any type of Hershey bars, M&M chocolate candies, candy corn, and Reese's pieces. I would avoid using any gummy candies as they won’t incorporate well in the dough.
Yes! Since this cookie recipe uses melted butter its essential to chill the dough to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but you can try using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.Be sure to check that your other ingredients, including the candy, are gluten-free as well.
Yes! instead of baking them into cookies. Bake the batter in a 8 inch square pan for 25-30 minutes and turn these into leftover halloween candy cookie bars.
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also refrigerate them to extend freshness for up to 7 days.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet for about an hour. Once firm, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply bake from frozen, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
More Cookie Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup (165g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg + egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups (170g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped halloween candy
- Flaky Sea Salt optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the chopped halloween candy, reserving a few for topping.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. Preferably an hour.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Press a few reserved candy chunks on top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally sprinkle the tops of the cookies with flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Chill the Dough: Chilling helps the butter firm up, keeping the cookies thick and chewy instead of flat. Even 30 minutes in the fridge makes a difference!
- Scoop Evenly: Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies that bake evenly every time.
- Perfectly Round Cookies: Use a large round cookie cutter to gently scoot the cookies into perfect circles right after baking for that bakery-style finish.
- Don't Overbake: The cookies should look slightly soft in the center when you remove them from the oven - they'll continue to set as they cool.
- Bang the cookie sheet: Tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times as soon as they’re removed from the oven and before scooting. This helps the centers fall a bit before rounding them out.
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