Candy Cookie Bars! Two layers of gooey chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed with the candy of your choice! The perfect dessert recipe to use up that Halloween Candy or adapt them for any holiday!
Do you realize there are only two weeks until Halloween? Honestly, I could totally live without this holiday. I could go on and on about why I don’t love it…but I’ll spare you {you’re welcome! 😂}, and instead, I choose to make the most of it…with this recipe for Candy Cookie Bars!
Need a way to use all that extra Halloween candy (like this Candy-Stuffed Rice Crispy Cake)? Want dessert and don’t want to decide between cookies or a Reese’s {or snickers or twix}? Then today is your lucky day. You’re going to love these leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Bars!
How to make Candy Cookie Bars
1. Make the Dough
To make the dough I simply cut my recipe for The Most Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies in half! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? Spread a little less than half of the dough in a baking dish…
2. Fill with candy!
Then comes the clincher. Take your favorite candy from your kids’ trick or treat bags {YES, you can eat as much as you want…you are raising them} and make a layer on top of the cookie dough.
I used Reese’s cups this time, but have had raging success with every flavor of Hershey’s Kisses, Twix, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, etc. etc.
3. Cover the candy with dough
Next, take the rest of your cookie dough and completely cover the candy. If you leave a little crack you can expect to have some gooey chocolatey candy leakage occur.
Another important note, be sure to leave about a half of an inch gap between your dough and the edge/side of your pan. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars puff up and fill the pan as they bake.
4. Make them fun for any holiday!
I topped these with some super-fun Halloween sprinkles (although I have left them plain)! The great thing about these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars is you can adapt them for any season!
Helllllooo peppermint hugs stuffed inside of a cookie completely covered in Christmas sprinkles! 😉 Seriously the possibilities are endless!
5. Bake!
Bake the Candy Cookie Bars for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown {see below}. They will be a touch doughy {because that’s the only way to eat a cookie}, so you have to let them cool for at least 30 minutes before serving!
I mean seriously. If you are ever having guests over and need to make a knock-your-socks-off dessert in 30 minutes, this recipe is a total winner. It is my go-to when we’re entertaining and I don’t want to spend alllllll day in the kitchen! I mean, look at that gooey, doughy, perfectly delicious stack of cookies down there.
Enjoy!
Serve these candy cookie bars slightly warm for the best flavor! They will be slightly gooey with crispy edges and little pockets of candy! YUM!
Candy Cookie Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let’s chat a little bit about the ingredients in this candy cookie bar recipe!
- All-purpose flour: If you need a gluten-free version…simply substitute Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour for the regular flour and choose gluten-free candy!
- Butter. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works great too!
- Chocolate chips. Both mini and regular chocolate chips work well in this recipe!
- Candy: Choose your favorite candy! I recommend sticking with chocolatey varieties, but the sky’s the limit! Here are some candy suggestions:
- Reese’s
- Twix
- Snickers
- Rolos
- Hershey Kisses
- M&Ms
- You favorite chocolate bars!
- Reese’s Pieces
- Peanut butter Chips
- 3 Muskateer
- Milky Way
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Candy Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips regular or mini
- 25 Miniature Reese’s Cups or 9 full size (or any other candy of your choosing)!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9x9” baking pan with parchment paper
and lightly grease. Set aside. - In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add egg and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
- Press a little less than half of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking pan, leaving about a ½ inch gap between the cookie dough and the side of the pan (it expands during baking)
- Place Reese’s cups (or any other candy of your choosing) evenly spaced on top of the first layer of dough.
- Top with the remaining cookie dough, making sure to completely cover the candy on both the top and sides.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Let the bars cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the cookie bars out of the pan, then cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Annnnnd I could literally post 5,000 photos of these cookies because I went a little photo crazy! But you know, there’s no food more photogenic {in my opinion} than a stack of ooey, gooey dessert bars!
Question: How do you feel about Halloween? Love it to pieces – or – could live without it?
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Helena
Great…. Wow, it sure looks delicious.!!
SOFIA CINTRA
This is wonderful, I’ll go on vacation with my kids
Marj - Fit Biscuits
You had me at Reese’s cups! I love that they look so colorful and fun. The kids are going to enjoy this. I’ll keep a few for myself though I’ve been trying to cut down on sweets.
Laura
My kids LOVE these too!! A little treat every now and then is good for the soul! 😉
Celete
Can I use pre-made cookie dough?
Laura
In my humble opinion…homemade is always better! 😉 But you ABSOLUTELY can use pre-made cookie dough! 🙂
Celeste
Much appreciated! Will make this weekend
Laura
I hope you love them!
Liz
Ohmygoodnesss these look so ridiculously indulgent (and delicious)! Such a great idea for leftover Halloween candy!
Miz Helen
Your Candy STuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars will be a very special and delicious treat! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Laura
Thank you Miz Helen!
Marci
I am so drooling!! YUM!
Laura
Thank you Marci! They’re so easy to make and super yummy!
Rony Jahid
Wow what a lovely color this bar for a gorgeous party. Desert always complete the dinner perfectly. really good combination which I do not think to make it.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories
Hmmm, I can’t decide. If I make them with Reese’s in the middle I’ll get the pan all to myself but if I put Snickers or Twix, the boys and I will fight over. Should I be a good mom and share or make it all just for me, cause these look divine!
Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup and I hope you link up with our Pretty Pinterest Party that starts tomorrow too. Pinning to our linkup board and hope you found some great posts to visit this week!
Anna
There look incredible! It combines two of my favorite treats: reese’s and cookies. I can’t think of a better combination. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
Laura
Thank you Anna! Please report back and let me know how it goes if you give it a whirl!
Louisa
Oh boy! This looks so moist and yummy! It’s almost 11pm here and I am seriously craving this!
Laura
It’s never too late to eat cookies….I’m just sayin’! 😉
Cait Weingartner
Oh WOW! What could be better than candy and cookies in one delicious treat. I will definitely be making some of these for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!
Isabel
Oh my gosh, these looks amazing! Also, I love Halloween, but it’s never as good and fun as I think it could be because people don’t get into it! If everyone dressed up and let loose a little, it would be even better 🙂
Rachel
Yum! These look delicious!
Mona
Oh my! These look incredible. So great for Halloween!
Kaleigh @Lively Table
Oh my, these look sinfully delicious! Definitely a good for the soul recipe! 🙂
Laura
Yes…every now and then my soul just needs some butter… 😉
Lauren O'Connor
Reeces have been a childhood fav for me! These look so incredibly indulgent and perfect for Halloween!
Laura
I especially can’t resist the big fat holiday shaped ones…trees, pumpkins, eggs…YUM!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus
Oh my!! I must find a way to make these allergy friendly because I’m drooling!!
Laura
Check out my Chocolate Stuffed Paleo Blondies….they’re allergy friendly and OH so good! 😉 Link here! 🙂
Justin
Oh my! I think I gained 20 lbs just by looking at them. 🙂 I will certainly try!
Laura
LOL it’s amazing how resilient the human body is! One cookie won’t make you gain 20 lbs…I pinky promise! 😉
Ali B
What a great idea for a Halloween party! Really you had me at Reece’s, combining my two favorite treats is a great idea!
Laura
Can’t go wrong with gooey cookies and Reese’s collide! 😉
Tiny Whiz
These are so adorable!! My husband would die for these!! He’s a PB junkie lol
Laura
Peanut butter is my favorite food of all time. 😉
Chrissa- Physical KItchness
Ummmm yeah totally pinned. Who could resist these?!
Laura
LOL Chrissa! So gooey and yummy!
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands
Oh my goodness these look good! I’d make them for my youngest daughter’s bday party this weekend if there weren’t so many allergies we had to work around with her friends. Peanut butter cups are mine and her fav!!
Laura
I know allergies can be a killer! I am thankful we do not have any in our family…every time I’m pregnant {like right now} I seriously pray that my child isn’t allergic to peanut butter! Maybe it’s crazy, and of course I’d never eat it again if it could harm my kids…but I would seriously go through a mourning period if I had to do that !LOL!
Kristina
These look unreal! And Reeses are my favorite so I automatically love this! This recipe looks like one that I would completely splurge with & just enjoy them! I’m going to have to try them out!!
Laura
It’s so important (in my opinion) to splurge every now and then! 😉
Kristine-Bites of Flavor
What a fun and easy dessert idea for Halloween! Adding this to my recipe collection!!
Laura
Thank you Kristine! It really is so easy and everyone loves them!