These candy bar cookies are always fun to make after Halloween when you are loaded with all sorts of chocolate bars. Mix it up to your own liking!
CANDY BAR COOKIES
These cookies came about years ago when I was trying to figure out a way to use up some of my kids halloween candy in a fun way. They each got to choose a few candy bars that they loved to put in and then we mixed them all up. Everyone loved them and it's become a fun tradition ever since. And the best part is you can use whatever you love to make them your favorite!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Candy Bars
- Flaked Sea Salt
HOW TO MAKE CANDY BAR COOKIES
- In a bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour. Set aside.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add egg and yolk one at a time, mix until smooth on low speed. Beat in vanilla.
- Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. I usually stop when I still have some flour remnants around the bowl.
- Chop up the chocolate bars into chunks, trying to keep some large and some small for different variants of size. Stir the chocolate into the dough until combined.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use the ¼ cup cookie or ice cream scoop. At this point you can either have the patience to chill the dough knowing the results which be better, or bake your cookies because you just can't seem to resist. I like to scoop out all the balls and lay them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, turn the oven on to 350 F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place 8 chilled cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet, sprinkling with the flaked sea salt. Some people salt their cookies after they bake them, but I like to do both. This gives the salt that falls off the tops an opportunity to bake underneath the cookie and give even that much more flavor.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside, with a slightly glossy texture to the inside. If your cookies don't come out in a perfect circle, I like to take a spatula and circle the rim of the cookie to bring in any spots that have spread a little too far.
WHICH CANDY BARS ARE BEST TO USE
While I do believe whatever is your favorite is the best to use, the basic staple candy bars are always good to use and pair well with each other. We generally use kit-kats, snickers, twix, reese's cups and m&m's.
ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS
Something I have found to be helpful through the years is not allowing the butter and eggs to come to complete room temperature when making cookies. This is ideal for cakes and some bars, but cookies are different. I like to sit my butter and eggs out for about 15-30 minutes before I begin the cookie mixing process. You want your butter to be warm enough to make a small finger imprint, but not so warm that you can push through the butter.
HOW TO STORE COOKIES
The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container or large ziplock bag for a few days, although I rarely keep them out of we don’t eat them the first day.
Freezing is key if you ask me. I always have frozen cookie dough balls and baked cookies in my freezer. Maybe because I grew up like this, but you always want to be prepared with cookies. You can easily pull out a handful of already baked cookies and throw them in a cute cellophane bag, and you’ve got a gift for a friend. Just let them defrost and they are just like they were baked the same day.
OTHER POPULAR COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:
Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment below if you make them and love them as much as I do.
Candy Bar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 15-20 fun size chocolate candy bars
- flaked sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour. Set aside.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add egg and yolk one at a time, mix until smooth on low speed. Beat in vanilla.
- Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. I usually stop when I still have some flour remnants around the bowl.
- Chop up the chocolate bars into chunks, trying to keep some large and some small for different variants of size. Stir the chocolate into the dough until combined.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use the ¼ cup cookie or ice cream scoop. At this point you can either have the patience to chill the dough knowing the results which be better, or bake your cookies because you just can't seem to resist. I like to scoop out all the balls and lay them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, turn the oven on to 350 F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place 8 chilled cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet, sprinkling with the flaked sea salt. Some people salt their cookies after they bake them, but I like to do both. This gives the salt that falls off the tops an opportunity to bake underneath the cookie and give even that much more flavor.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside, with a slightly glossy texture to the inside. If your cookies don't come out in a perfect circle, I like to take a spatula and circle the rim of the cookie to bring in any spots that have spread a little too far.
- I prefer to only bake the amount of cookies we are going to eat at the time, which is usually one pans worth. Freeze the rest of the dough balls in a ziplock, and pull out whenever you're craving a warm cookie or two.
Ashley Rencher
Made these tonight for a neighborhood block party and it got rave reviews. My husband and I are self-declared foodies (and fellow Austinites) and your recipes are always a go to for us. We are big fans of salted sweets (and how salt enhances flavor in general) and this recipe did not disappoint! Also, great way to get rid of the never ending Halloween candy around here: freezing it into cookies for the future! PS: Tks for putting grams in your measurements: it makes measuring so much easier.
brooke
Thank you so much Ashley! You just made my night! Amen to the measurements, and I truly feel you can't live in Austin and not be a foodie!:)
AJ
Everything on this blog/insta I’d DELICIOUS !! These cookies are so buttery and chewy my family ate them all.
4 stars!
Jill
These were a hit! So good and so easy.
brooke
yay!! so glad. I agree they're so easy and always a crowd pleaser!
Britten
These were a huge hit for a gathering the other night! I made them with Twix bars and butterfingers and have never gotten so many compliments on a cookie recipe!!
Nikki
ADDICTING! Perfection with the salty and sweet combo. I loved that every cookie had a different surprise based on which candy took to the scoop. So darn good.
Travis G
Great cookies!!!! I have been looking for something to do with all this candy. I followed the recipe to the T and they turned out so good.
I am somewhat new to this gourmet style of cookie baking, and when I follow the recipe they workout so well!!
Thank you so much!!
Jackie Peng
These looked so amazing and I also had a lot of leftover candy from Halloween 🎃 This will be my staple bake every year!!!
Claire
Love these! I thought they’d be just your normal salted cc cookie recipe but with candy…. But they were different! Obviously incredibly sweet because #candy, but a fun way to use them. Texture spot on.
Tyler
This could be my new all time favorite cookie recipe! The Dough is incredible! Thanks for sharing Brookie Monster 😂
Kim Huish
Delicious! Loved using up some Halloween candy!
Valerie
Making these again since they were gobbled up SO fast the first time and we still have candy floating around 😫. The salty-sweet combo is a fav of mine any day, but the Halloween candy made them so fun! Can't wait to try more of her creations!
Allison
The recipe that allows me to steal my kids' Halloween candy without them even being mad about it - I don't know if they're more excited for the cookies or the candy these days!
Amanda
not only the yummiest cookie but also a GREAT use of halloween candy!