Leftover Candy Bar Cookies

Have a bunch of leftover candy from holidays or parties? Use it up in these delicious candy cookies!! Crunchy edges with soft chewy centers, all your leftover candy will be put to good use.

Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies for the Win

I don't know about you, but after a holiday I get sick of all the candy lying around. I want it gone! Leftover candy cookies are a great way to use up what's left and still get a delicious dessert out of the deal - one that isn't candy.

I love using up all the leftover candy from holidays or parties in these delicious candy cookies. One of my favorite reasons - I can freeze the dough! No pressure to eat or throw out the candy just so it's not sitting out anymore. {#protip: You can also just freeze the chocolate candies if you don't have time for cookies!}

I love making these for New Year's parties because I can use up all our Christmas candy - ha! But they also work super well after Easter and Halloween...or after you've made the hilarious parenting decision of getting your kid a pinata for their party. Is there anything funnier than a bunch of little kids trying to beat candy out of a cardboard figure with a bat? I don't know why, but it gets me every time.

Best Candy for Candy Cookies

Anything chocolate is going to be delicious in candy cookies. You can use anything from full-sized chocolate bars to mini bars. You can even chop up bars like Snickers or Twix and mix them in. They'll melt into the cookies and be delicious.

Candy Bar Cookies Recipe Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Leftover chocolate candy

How to Make Halloween Candy Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until combined well. - - Whipping them together will create a cake-like cookie, just mixing until combined will create a gooey cookie. I usually go for gooey.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients, paying attention to the dough consistency. The dough should be slightly sticky when touched. You may need to add a little extra flour, or leave a little bit out.
6. Add in the chocolate candy and mix until evenly distributed.
7. Drop rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets (or you can grease them), I usually fit a dozen per sheet.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway and checking at 8 minutes. The cookies should appear done on the edges but still soft in the middle when they are finished cooking.
9. Let cool on the cookie trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I love cookies that are chewy on the inside and a little crisp on the outside. To get this texture, you start with a stick of softened butter, I ere on the side of a little chilled as opposed to super soft and mushy.

Then, instead of whipping it into the sugar until it's fluffy, I just mix it until everything is evenly combined. If you whip it, you'll get a cake-like cookie. Which is also delicious, but not my preferred cookie.

After that, mix the eggs in. Again, just until everything is mixed well together but not until it's whipped and light. No cakey cookies over here, I'm all about that cookie goo.

Next, mix in that leftover candy! I like to chop mine so it's about the same size that a chocolate chunk could be, maybe a little bigger. I also use a cutting board that makes it easy to scrape all those tiny flecks of chocolate into the cookie dough. I love how they mix and melt into the dough.

If you're feeling extra fancy, press a few candy pieces into the top of the cookies so they stick out and everyone knows what they are getting when they take a bite.

Leftover Candy Cookies Tips

• For extra thick and chewy cookies, stack two tablespoons of dough on top of each other and flatten slightly. Extend the baking time by a few minutes.
• Press candy pieces into the top of the portioned-out dough for a perfect cookie.
• Let your eggs and butter come to room temperature before using them to get an even bake on your leftover candy cookies.

Storing Candy Bar Cookies

Candy bar cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After that they will begin to go stale. Alternatively, you can store baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. You could also store the dough in the freezer for easy baking later.

I hope you love these easy leftover candy cookies as much as we do! They are the perfect way to use up all that extra chocolate you have in your life. Because if you're me and you try to hide it and keep it all for yourself, you forget where you hid it and end up finding it a year later. Ha!

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Check out these!

• Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
• Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies