Name: Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 131 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups chopped candy bars (like KitKats, Mr. Goodbars, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Reeses, Hershey's); 1/2 cup M&Ms; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled); 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 egg (room temperature); Flaky sea salt (for topping (optional))

JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO

5 from 4 votes

Leftover Halloween candy cookies are an easy way to use up leftover holiday candy using a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. Soft, chewy and chock-full of flavor! You can also use the leftovers in my leftover Halloween candy bark.

Cookies stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms piled on a black surface surrounded by candy bars and M&Ms

At my age, trick-or-treating is frowned upon. If I dress up as Batman and wander door to door asking people for food, I’d probably get arrested. Or at the very least, scolded and have doors slammed in my face. So instead, I stay inside and let the age-appropriate children do the hard work.

Now, I just sit on my couch and watch horror movies while a big bowl of candy sits idly by, just waiting to be distributed to superheros and princesses in exchange for an enthusiastic, “Trick or treat!”

What to do with leftover Halloween candy

Mini candy bars piled on a cutting board

No matter how I plan it, I always end up with a bunch of leftover candy on Halloween. And even when I use all my best effort not to snack on them, it happens.

But one way to prevent myself from just sitting on the couch, inevitably covered in candy wrappers is to inject them into baked goods.

It's so simple! Chop and crush up the candy, throw it in with some cookie dough, and bake it.

You only have to adjust a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe a little bit to account for the extra sugar in the candy – just reduce the granulated and brown sugar a bit and you're good to go!

Ingredients for Halloween candy bar cookies

Flat lay photos of ingredients for cookies on a cutting board and counter

Chopped chocolate candy bars and M&Ms piled on a cutting board

Chopped candy bars: Like KitKats, Mr. Goodbars, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey's, etc.
M&Ms: Because M&Ms just make every cookie better
Unsalted butter: Melted and slightly cooled, and unsalted so that we can control the amount of salt in the recipe
All-purpose flour: Measured properly, because too much flour results in thicker, sometimes cakey cookies – which have their place! – but aren't what we're going for with this recipe.
Baking soda: We're using just enough of this classic leavener that will interact with the brown sugar to add a bit of lift during the baking process. Don't add more baking soda to add more lift – too much baking soda can result in a metallic aftertaste, and that is definitely not what you want!
2 kinds of salt: We're using table salt or kosher salt in the dough, and flaky sea salt on top for the perfect sweet and salty combination. Not a fan? Just leave the flaky sea salt off the top – but still include the salt in the dough!
Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar interacts with the baking soda the way we want, and it lends softness, moisture, and a deeper flavor to the dough.
Granulated sugar: We're using a combination of white and brown sugar in the dough because it gives the perfect amount of golden color to your finished cookies. Using only white sugar is a bit bland and results in a pale cookie, and using only brown sugar can be almost gritty in texture.
Pure vanilla extract: Use a good quality vanilla extract! Vanilla is important to a great chocolate chip cookie, and using a low-quality or imitation vanilla extract is just doing yourself a disservice. High-quality pure vanilla extract, bourbon vanilla extract, or even vanilla bean paste are all great.
Egg: Make sure you're using a room-temperature egg to easily incorporate it into the dough. If it's still cold, it can be a bit more difficult to combine, which can result in accidentally overmixing the dough.

How to make leftover candy cookies

Clear bowl full of flour mixture with a whisk

Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Melted butter and sugars in a clear mixing bowls

Step 2: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (aff link) to beat the melted and cooled butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined.

Egg and vanilla added to a butter mixture in a clear mixing bowl

Step 3: Add the vanilla and egg, beating on low speed until just combined.

Tan colored ingredient mixture in a clear mixing bowl

The mixture will be thicker and look… goopy.

Tan colored cookie dough swirled in a clear mixing bowl

Step 4: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

Chopped chocolate candy bars and M&Ms piled into a bowl of cookie dough

Step 5: Add in chopped candy and M&Ms, and stir until evenly combined.

Chopped chocolate candy bars and M&Ms mixed into a bowl of cookie dough

Yep, that's the stuff! Try really hard to not just dig in at this point ;)

Mounds of cookie dough stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms on parchment paper

Step 6: Use a medium cookie scoop (aff link) to scoop out even portions of dough and roll each in your hands. Place each ball on parchment paper on a baking sheet or platter, top with a sprinkle of salt (optional, but recommended).

If you find that the dough is too soft to work with, place it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes first to let it firm up a bit.

Balls of cookie dough stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms on a parchment lined baking sheet covered in plastic wrap

Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill.

Balls of cookie dough stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms on a nonstick mat lined baking sheet

Step 8: Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone mat (aff link), at least 1-inch apart. I recommend doing no more than 6 cookies per baking sheet, just to give yourself plenty of room.

Baked cookies stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms on a nonstick mat lined baking sheet

Step 9: Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 11 minutes, or until the edges have just started to turn golden brown

Baked cookies stuffed with chocolate and M&Ms on a wire cooling rack

Step 10: Remove from the oven and let cook on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks (aff link) to cool completely.

What kind of candy should I use?

You can use all different kinds of candy – Hershey's chocolate bars, Mr. Goodbars, Butterfingers, Crunch Bars, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, KitKats… the list goes on and on.

But you don't want to use just any candy you have left in your bowl – trying to chop up Starbursts or candy corn and toss them in isn't going to have the best results.

I try to stick to chocolate candies, particularly ones that don't have any kind of soft nougat and caramel that can be chopped up without it sticking all over the knife.

With that said, you can totally still include them! You can see in the photos that I have 3 Musketeers and Milky Bars in that batch. Just keep in mind that they'll get sticky and melty, so try to keep them on the inside of the dough balls and away from the bottom if you can.

Can I do this for other holidays?

Of course! You could do this after Christmas or Easter, too – you'd just end up with a different combo of flavors (like peppermint at Christmas).

This is a great way to use up some of your leftover Halloween candy so that you don't just plop down on the couch with the bowl, covered in wrappers with chocolate all over your face. The people who live with you will thank you.

Can I freeze leftover candy cookies?

Yes! To freeze the dough before baking, portion the dough into balls as instructed and then place them on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Let them chill for about an hour and then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe plastic bag or other freezer-safe container.

You can keep the dough stored for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you're ready to bake them, just bake them directly from the freezer – no defrosting necessary. Add a couple of minutes to your baking time, and you're golden! Pun totally intended, by the way.

To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely according to the instructions in the recipe card first. Then wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and store them together in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

When you're ready for a snack, let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or pop them in the oven at 250°F for a few minutes if you want them warmed up.

Quick story of an adorable trick-or-treater

I have to tell you a story about this Halloween. A little girl (dressed as Jasmine, from Aladdin) walked up to my door and asked very politely for five pieces of candy to give her group of friends that are too shy to ask.

I let her pick the candy, she thanked me and said “Happy Halloween!”, and then walked over to her friends and gave them each a piece. She had five friends with her – she didn't even take a piece for herself.

She wasn't carrying a bag, didn't stick any candy in her pockets, nothing. She just melted my cold, black heart with her pure little soul.

Leaving a comment and star rating is a great (and free) way to support Stress Baking! ❤️ After you've made this recipe, please consider clicking on the stars below and leaving a comment to share your experience!