Soft, chewy, and loaded with colorful M&Ms and chopped candy bars, these leftover candy cookies start with a simple brown sugar cookie dough and are a fun way to use up extra Halloween candy!
If you love sweet treats that rival your favorite candy, try my Twix cookies and homemade Snickers too!
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Key Takeaways: Leftover Candy Cookies
- Loaded with candy: M&M’s and candy bar pieces make every cookie colorful, chocolatey and fun.
- Soft and chewy: These candy bar cookies bake until the edges are just barely golden, keeping the centers soft.
- Easy to customize: Use your favorite leftover candy bars, like Snickers, Milky Way, Twis, Reese’s, Hershey’s or Rolos. I love to use leftover Halloween candy!
- Great make-ahead cookie dough: Chill the scooped dough before baking for the best shape and texture.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love that no two batches of these leftover candy cookies have to be the same. Use whatever candy you have on hand, whether that means M&M’s like my M&M cookies or chopped chocolate bars like my Milky Way cookies.
They’re especially fun to make after Halloween, Easter or Christmas when there’s extra candy around. For another thick and chewy favorite, try my brown butter toffee cookies with chopped Heath bars.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter and eggs: Use salted butter that’s just barely softened. You don’t want it overly soft or melted, which can cause the cookies to spread too much. Use large eggs.
- Brown sugar and granulated white sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and helps create that soft, chewy texture, while the white sugar helps the edges turn lightly crisp.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances all the chocolate flavors.
- All-purpose flour: Measure carefully so the cookies stay soft instead of becoming dense or dry.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies lift and helps them spread just enough while baking.
- M&M’s: Add color, crunch, and plenty of chocolate. Save a few to press into the tops before baking for prettier cookies.
- Chopped candy bars: Use 1 to 2 cups, depending on how loaded you want your candy bar cookies. Milky Way, Snickers, Reese’s, Hershey’s, Twix, and Rolos all work well.
How to Make Candy Cookies
Step 1: Make the dough. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined, then fold in the M&M’s and chopped candy bars.
Step 3: Scoop and chill. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough (large cookie scoop) per cookie onto prepared baking sheets. Top with extra candy pieces, then refrigerate the dough balls for 30-60 minutes.
Step 4: Bake. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once you add the flour, mix only until everything is combined; otherwise, your cookies will be tough.
- Chill before baking. Refrigerating the scooped dough for at least 30 minutes helps prevent spreading and creates thicker cookies.
- Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are barely golden. The centers may look slightly underdone, but will continue to set as they cool.
- Use a mixture of candy. Combining M&M’s with different chopped chocolate bars gives you the best variety of flavors and textures.
- Extra-thick cookies. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the dough and chill the dough balls for the full 60 minutes before baking.
Leftover Candy Cookie FAQs
Chocolate and caramel candies work best. Try M&M’s, Milky Way, Snickers, Reese’s, Hershey’s or Rolos, or use a combination of whatever you have on hand. I would avoid hard candies, larger sized candy like Whoppers and gummy candies since they don’t bake into the cookies as well.
Make sure the butter is just barely softened, not warm or melted, and don’t skip chilling the scooped dough. The recipe chills the dough balls for 30 to 60 minutes to help prevent spreading. For even thicker cookies, you can also add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch.
Yes. The recipe uses about 3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, but you can make them smaller, like my mini M&M cookies if you prefer. Just start checking them earlier since smaller cookies will bake faster.
Definitely. Scoop larger portions of dough and leave plenty of room between each cookie for spreading. They may need a little longer in the oven, so bake until the edges are just barely golden and the centers still look soft.
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
More cookie recipes to try include: Rolo cookies, chocolate chip cookies and salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.
More Cookie Recipes
Candy Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter , just barely softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup M&M’s , plus more for tops if desired
- 1-2 cups chopped candy bars , see notes
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar for 1 minute. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients then chill dough. Add 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir mix just until combined. Fold in 1 cup chopped candy bars and 1 cup M&M’s.
- Scoop dough. Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place extra M&M’s and candy bar pieces on the top of the cookies if desired. Refrigerate dough balls on pan for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Bake. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden brown. Allow cookies to set on pan for 2-3 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
