These oven-baked Halloween candy cookies are the perfect way to use up all your leftover Halloween candy. Baked at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, they’re a sweet treat that leaves nothing to waste, turning your bucket still full of candy into an indulgent dessert. The best part? They’re totally customizable based on whatever candy you have on hand! Recipe yields 49 cookies.
True Story - I Live With A Real Life Cookie Monster
If you know me personally, this Southern cook is married to a sweets-loving chocolate head who can eat so many cookies guy. One of the things I ALWAYS have stocked in the freezer is cookie dough (specifically dark chocolate chunk & cranberry cookies) so that he is never without.
But, this time of year, it seems like sweets and candy is never-ending.
Raise your hand if you have an abundance of Halloween candy lying around. 🙋♀️ Or maybe you're getting ready to...regardless, candy is expensive! I mean, my goodness, you need to take out a loan to pass out candy on Halloween. So don't let any leftovers you didn't give away or that your kids collected go to waste. Use them up in leftover Halloween candy cookies!
Once the candy has run its course, no need to throw away, or stash it in the pantry until you clean it out at Easter realizing how old it is 😂 Repurpose it into a yummy cookie! This is a basic cookie dough base (just like for chocolate chip cookies) made in a stand mixer and then oven-baked, is perfect for any and all candy.
And even better - if you don't want them now because #sugaroverload, keep reading below for how to freeze them so you have cookies on hand for later when the craving hits!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let's Bake
⭐️Before you start⭐️ After recipe testing these a couple of times - here are which candies I find best for this recipe and which ones to avoid. I used any combo of chocolate-based Halloween candy that you have. I stayed away from sour or gummy candies (like Starburst, Skittles, gummy worms, etc) and used chocolate-based ones like Kit Kat, Twix, Reese's cups and Pieces, Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, etc.
I didn't use any specific combination of candy, I just kinda threw it all in there and it worked great. I stuck with chocolate-based candies (and threw in some candy corn just to be festive!). I also placed a couple more M&M's on top after I scooped them out just so they would bake up pretty. Soft Chocolate Reese's Piece Cookies are also fun and delicious this time of year if you have lots of that candy lying around!
This is a great way to get the kids in the kitchen too! Let them help you unwrap all the candy and make the cookies. They can even give suggestions on flavor combos that they love. Have fun with it - there are no rules!
Recipe
Loaded Halloween Candy Cookies
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 49
Description
These oven-baked Halloween candy cookies are the perfect way to use up all your leftover Halloween candy. Baked at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, they’re a sweet treat that leaves nothing to waste, turning your bucket still full of candy into an indulgent dessert. The best part? They’re totally customizable based on whatever candy you have on hand!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter - room temperature
- 1 ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 ½ Cups Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Cups Leftover Halloween Candy - chopped
Instructions
- In a stand mixer add the butter and sugars. Beat on medium for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and mix until just combined. Add in the vanilla and just mix until blended.
- Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix on low until combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Scrape down the sides. Add in the chopped Halloween candy and mix one last time just until combined and the candy is evenly distributed.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top each cookie with more candy.
- Place in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours but up to 72 hours (wrapped in plastic wrap if chilling longer than 2 hours).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Arrange 12 cookies on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and place them in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then place onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container for a week.
- Use any combination of chocolate Halloween candy that you have.
To Freeze Cookie Dough: Make the entire batch of cookies and scoop them out into balls on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes until the cookie dough balls are firm, and transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Keep for up to 6 months. To bake, bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes straight from the freezer. Bake as many or as few as you want and always have fresh cookie dough on hand!
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Once the cookies are cooled completely. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. Place in the freezer for 3-6 months. Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 13.4 g
- Sodium: 83.7 mg
- Fat: 5.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 18.7 mg
