These Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies are soft, chewy and packed with pieces of your favorite candy bars. Made with a buttery cookie base, brown sugar for a chewy texture and loaded with chopped Halloween candy. They’re the perfect way to use up your extras, whether you’ve got Reese’s peanut butter cups, Milky Way, Kit Kats or any other sweet treat hanging around.
These delicious cookies are especially perfect to bake during this time of the year, when candy bowls are full! Bake up a batch of these cookies for a Halloween party, afternoon snack or to use up your overflowing candy stash. My leftover Halloween candy recipe is a fun way to turn a ton of candy into something fresh and satisfying; we do it for Easter too!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
- What to Serve with Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
- Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
If you’re into Halloween themed recipes, you must try our Cookies from Devil’s Food Cake Mix, Spider Cookies, Mummy Brownies, Mummy Rice Krispies, Alien Brain Haemorrhage, Scooby Doo Shot, Halloween Crockpot Candy or Dirt and Worm Cups.
Why You Will Love This Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
- Chewy Centers and Crisp Edges: These chewy cookies bake up with the perfect golden brown edges and soft middles.
- Endlessly Customizable: You can use any kind of candy! From Heath Bars to Peanut M&M’s to milk chocolate chunks, the possibilities are endless.
- No Chill Time: The cookie dough batter comes together quickly— no need to refrigerate before baking.
- Don’t Let That Candy Go to Waste: A great way to use up your candy instead of it ending up in the garbage.
- Fun for Kids: Let them pick their favorite leftover Halloween candy and mix it in.
- Great for Freezing: Freeze cookie dough balls or baked cookies for a sweet treat at a later date.
Ingredients
Simple pantry staples come together easily to make these delicious leftover candy cookies.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie dough batter, providing structure.
- Sea Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: This leavening agent combo helps achieve a chewy texture with a little lift.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a light golden finish.
- Light Brown Sugar: Provides moisture and that signature chewiness.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds a rich buttery flavor and helps with the texture.
- Large Egg: Binds the dough and adds richness.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and enhances the flavors.
- Leftover Halloween Candy: Adds sweetness, crunch and an extra nostalgic taste.
For this easy cookie recipe, you'll want to have on hand a stand mixer, mixing bowl, whisk, baking sheet, parchment paper, spatula, measuring cups and spoons, cooling rack, 3-tablespoon cookie scoop.
Substitutions and Variations
There are lots of different ways to switch these up based on what’s in your pantry.
- Chocolate Chips: Add a handful for extra chocolatey goodness alongside your candy pieces.
- Potato Chips: For a salty-sweet vibe, add crushed chips as a crunchy mix-in.
- Sprinkle of Flaky Sea Salt: A light sprinkle on top of the warm cookies adds a nice contrast to the sweetness.
- Leftover Holiday Candy: Don’t limit this to Halloween, try it any time of year with leftover holiday candy from Christmas, Valentine’s or Easter.
- Cookie Bars: Press the cookie dough batter into a parchment paper-lined pan and bake as leftover Halloween candy cookie bars instead.
- Candy Bar Cookies: Use chopped candy bars exclusively (like Snickers, Twix, Aero or Kit Kats) to create rich, decadent candy bar cookies.
- Extra Mix ins: Toss in a little bit of coconut, oats or toffee bits for added texture.
How to Make Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
This easy cookie recipe comes together in just a few steps, with simple ingredients and minimal prep.
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Add sugars and butter to a stand mixer and cream together for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add egg and pure vanilla extract and mix again until just combined.
Transfer dry ingredients into the stand mixer bowl and run again until combined.
Fold in chopped candy with a spatula, then scoop 3-tablespoons dough balls and drop them on the prepared pan.
Bake for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Hint: A medium cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies and consistent baking. If you use a different size this may affect the bake time.
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How to Store Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
Keep these cookies the freshest with these simple storage tips.
- Room Temperature: Once cooled, store in an airtight container for 4–5 days on the counter.
- Freezer: Store baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Alternatively, flash freeze dough balls and bake fresh as needed. To flash freeze place dough on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 60 minutes, then transfer to a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
- Reheat: Pop a cookie in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for a warm-from-the-oven feel.
What to Serve with Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
- Fall Cocktails: Halloween sangria, apple cider mimosa, spiked apple cider, alien brain haemorrhage, apple cider sangria with white wine, pumpkin spice white Russian, Scooby Doo shot, witch's brew punch, apple pie shot.
- Fall Drinks: Pumpkin spice latte, iced apple crisp macchiato, crockpot hot chocolate, pumpkin cold foam, pumpkin chai latte, caramel mocha coffee.
- Halloween-Themed Recipes: Halloween brownies, dirt and worm cups, mummy Rice Krispie treats, mummy brownies, mummy hot dogs, Halloween cookie bars, Halloween sugar cookies, Halloween sugar cookie bars, spider cookies, Halloween cake mix cookies.
Top Tips
Want to make these turn out just right? Our tips will help.
- Don’t Overbake: Remove from the oven when edges are golden and centers are just barely set for chewy centers.
- Top with Extra Pieces: Light press a few more candy pieces on top of each dough ball before baking for a bakery-style look.
- Figure 8 Motion: When folding in candy, gently turn the dough with a spatula in a figure 8 motion to avoid overmixing and for a more even distribution of add ins!
- Make Ahead: Freeze extra cookie dough balls in a freezer bag for future baking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cookies with Leftover Halloween Candy
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions and answers about making our leftover Halloween candy cookies.
Most chocolate-based candies work well — think Snickers, Twix, Kit Kats, M&Ms, Reese’s, and Milky Way. Keep in mind that you might want to avoid anything gummy, hard, or sticky like taffy, lollipops, or caramels that could melt too much or make the texture chewy in a not-so-great way.
Yes! Either is a great way to enjoy a treat later. Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop and arrange on a baking sheet. Freeze cookies on your baking sheet until they are firm, then add them to a large freezer bag. They will keep for up to 3 months. There is no need to thaw the dough before baking it — you can just add 1–2 minutes to the bake time. You can keep baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months as well.
This can happen if your butter is too soft or melted. Make sure it’s just softened, not greasy. Also, chopping the candy into small pieces helps the dough hold together better as it bakes.
Absolutely. You can use a hand mixer or mix everything by hand with a sturdy spoon — just be sure to cream the butter and sugars well for the best texture.
Yes, these cookies can be made gluten-free by swapping all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour 1:1. Double check that the Halloween candy you are using is also gluten free.
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Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
- 3 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Cooking Rack
Ingredients
- 250 grams all-purpose flour about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 100 grams granulated sugar about ½ cup
- 100 grams light brown sugar about ½ cup, packed
- 1 stick butter softened, unsalted
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces leftover Halloween candy chopped small (about ⅔ cup) plus more for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add sugars and butter to a stand mixer and cream together for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add egg and pure vanilla extract and mix again until just combined.
- Transfer dry ingredients into the stand mixer bowl and run again until combined.
- Fold in chopped candy with a spatula, then scoop 3-tablespoons dough balls and drop them on the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- A medium cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies and consistent baking. If you use a different size this may affect the bake time. Remove from the oven when edges are golden and centers are just barely set for chewy centers.
- Light press a few more candy pieces on top of each dough ball before baking for a bakery-style look.
- When folding in candy, gently turn the dough with a spatula in a figure 8 motion to avoid overmixing and for a more even distribution of add ins!
- Freeze extra cookie dough balls in a freezer bag for future baking.
- Nutritional information will vary depending on the candy of your choosing.
Nutrition
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Therese says
This is such a great idea!
Eva Filer says
Such a quick one, and great for gifting too!
Risa says
Saving this recipe for Halloween! Such a clever way to use that leftover candy, thanks for the great idea and delicious recipe!
Eva Filer says
Oh ya! We love this recipe after any holiday. They all seem to wind up with leftovers! Enjoy it!
Abi says
Bookmarking the recipe! I'm one such Mom who does't want to waste even halloween candies 😀 My kid is going to love this cookies!!!
Eva Filer says
Same here. We always have leftovers too. I hope you and the kids will enjoy making them as much as eating them!
Madhu says
These leftover Halloween candy cookies sound amazing! Do the chopped candy bars stay nice and melty without making the cookies too sweet?
Eva Filer says
They are so good, and easy to customize. Yes, depending on the candy you use, they typically hold their shape well and you get a little extra burst of sweetness in the bites with candy bits!
Eva Filer says
We love how versatile these cookies are! So much flavor and so fun to use whatever we have at home.