Did the kids bring home way too much Halloween candy this year? Don't let it go to waste, turn it into these chewy Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies! Packed with gooey melted chocolate, pockets of soft caramel and crunchy bits of your favorite treats!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A fun kid-friendly recipe. Let your kids pick out the candy they want to use to make their very own versions of leftover Halloween candy cookies!
- These cookies can be made with any candy, all year round! Use M&M's, full-sized chocolate bars chopped up, or any chocolate candy pieces you want!
- They are very easy to make and come together in about 45 minutes!
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Ingredients To Make Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
- Halloween Candy - Any kind of chocolate-based candy can be used for this recipe. Avoid using gummy candies, they will not work. The types of candy bars we used in this recipe are OhHenry!, Reese's Cups, Reese's Pieces, Smarties, KitKat, Whoppers, and Hershey's Cookies and Cream.
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Turn Them Into Cookie Bars - Follow my recipe for mini egg cookie bars, except substitute the mini eggs for chopped Halloween chocolate!
- Add Chopped Pretzels - To give the cookies more crunch and a salty bite, add a handful of chopped pretzels to the cookie dough.
- Use Only Chocolate Chips - This recipe was adapted from my soft small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe, but to make these jumbo chocolate chip cookies, all you need to do is substitute the Halloween candy for chocolate chips or chunks.
How To Make Cookies With Leftover Halloween Candy
Step 1
Select and chop the Halloween candy. For this recipe, you need 2 ½ cups of chopped Halloween candy.
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Step 2
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, blend the sugar, brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until completely smooth.
Step 3
Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no dry bits remain. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
Using a wooden spoon, fold the chopped Halloween candy into the cookie dough batter.
Chill batter for 15-30 minutes.
Step 4
After the dough has slightly chilled, using a ¼ cup scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll it into balls.
Bake 6 cookies per sheet, leaving 4-5 inches between each dough ball on the baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 14-15 minutes until cookies are golden brown and centers are just set.
Step 4
After baking, let the cookies sit on the tray for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
The centers of the cookies may look slightly undercooked when they come out of the oven; this is ok, and means the cookies will have a chewy interior. The cookies will continue to cook as they cool.
Expert Top Tips
- Let the dough chill slightly before baking, this makes the cookies thicker and chewier.
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing leads to dense, hard cookies. For soft cookies, mix the dough just until there are no dry bits of flour remaining, then stop the mixer and fold the chocolate in by hand.
- Leave a generous amount of space between each cookie. These are jumbo cookies, and I bake 6 at a time on a full-sized cookie sheet. Aim to leave about 4-5 inches between each cookie dough ball.
- If the cookies spread and look misshapen (this can happen if there is a particularly melty piece of chocolate on an edge), use a spatula to gently push the edges into a circle as soon as the cookies are done baking. This has to be done while the cookies are still hot and malleable.
How To Store And Freeze Lefover Halloween Candy Cookies
Store extra cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To freeze leftover Halloween candy cookie dough, portion the dough, roll it into a ball and freeze it on a baking sheet. After the dough balls are completely frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To bake cookies from frozen, preheat the oven to 350°F, place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet, with 4-5" spacing between the dough balls. Bake for 15-17 minutes, let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Halloween candy, specifically chocolate-based candy, is delicious baked into cookies!
The best type of Halloween candy to use is chocolate-based candy.
Yes! This is an excellent way to always have fresh cookies on hand! Freeze dough portioned into balls. Once the cookie dough balls are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. See the storage and freezer directions for full instructions on baking frozen cookie dough.
Yes! Regular chocolate chips can be used instead of Halloween candy. This recipe is directly adapted from my chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Chocolate-based Halloween candy is the best option to use for these cookies. Do not use gummy or gelatin-based candies.
For these cookies, we used a mix of KitKat, OhHenry!, Hershey's Cookies and Cream, Reese's Cups, Reese's Pieces, Smarties, Areo, and Whoppers.
The easiest way to chop candy bars is to use a sharp knife, cut the candy bar lengthwise down the center, and then chop it into cubes. Some candy can be hard to cut; use caution when using a sharp knife.
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📖 Recipe
Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour (350 grams)
- 2 ½ cups Chopped Halloween Candy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Using a hand mixer, mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix for an additional 2 minutes until a light and airy batter forms.
- Add the baking soda, kosher salt, and half of the flour. Mix on low speed until just combined, add the remaining flour and mix until no dry bits remain (be careful not to overmix the dough). After the dough is mixed, use a wooden spoon to fold in the chopped Halloween candy. After the candy is fully incorporated in the dough, place the dough in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes.
- After the dough has chilled, using a ¼ cup measuring scoop, scoop the cookies into portions and roll them into balls. Place on a cookie sheet with 4-5 inches spacing in between each cookie dough ball. Bake for 14-15 minutes until cookies are just set. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Notes
- Any kind of chocolate-based Halloween candy, chocolate bar or chocolate chips can be used in this recipe. We used a blend of OhHenry!, Reese's Cups, Reese's Pieces, Smarties, KitKat, Whoppers, and Hershey's Cookies and Cream candy bars.
- Turn them into cookie bars! Follow my recipe for mini egg cookie bars, substituting the mini eggs for chopped Halloween candy.
- Try adding chopped pretzel pieces for a salty crunch!
- Chilling the dough before baking will make the cookies thicker and chewier.
- Do not overmix the cookie dough, overmixing leads to dense, hard cookies.
- If the cookies spread or look misshapen, quickly use a spatula to press the edges back in while the cookies are still hot.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
- Cookie dough can be frozen in individual portions and baked from frozen. Store frozen cookie dough balls in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Kirsten says
So delicious!! These had a little treat in every bite!
Eddie says
Chocolate bars mixed with the best cookie recipe on the planet. Mad success
Carol says
So much variety in every bite. it tasted like a different cookie with each bite
Samantha says
Such a great way to use leftover candy! Delish 🙂
Jessica says
These cookies are the perfect way to use up all of the leftover Halloween candy in your house, and they are SO freaking delicious.
April says
These cookies are absolutely delicious! A great way to turn all that cheap candy into something truly yummy.
Jaquilina says
Genius. Looking at the bags full of candy my kids brought in this Halloween stressed me out! I know they’re definitely hiding them around the house and eating them when I’m not looking. I turned this recipe into a 3 hour activity on a Saturday afternoon and we packed each cookie for friends and classmates with little notes. These were so fun to make and EAT. The kids were so excited with every bite, just eager to guess what they just took a bite of -beacuse every bite is a familiar surprise. This recipe was a great find! 5 out of 5 without a doubt.
Jaquilina says
Sorry did I mention they are absolutely addictive too? I mean the calories were 109% worth it. But you’ve been warned 🙂
Lu says
I had a TON of snicker bars in my pantry, so I used them up in this recipe and BOY were they tasty! Super easy and simple recipe, but amazing results!
Jessica says
Yay! We are so happy you liked the cookies, thank you for leaving a review!