Candy Cookie Bars

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Candy Cookie Bars! Two layers of gooey chocolate chip cookie dough is stuffed with the candy of your choice. The perfect dessert recipe to use up that Halloween Candy or adapt them for any holiday.

Front view of a stack of 3 Candy Cookie Bars.


Do you need a way to use all that extra Halloween candy (like this Candy-Stuffed Rice Crispy Cake)?

Want a 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.

In this recipe, two layers of gooey chocolate chip cookie dough is stuffed with the candy of your choice. The perfect dessert recipe to use up that Halloween Candy or adapt them for any holiday.

Overhead side view of two Candy Cookie Bars.

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 Musketeers, Milky Way, etc.
Front view of a stack of three candy cookie bars.

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…

Overhead view of a baking dish with the first layer of Candy Cookie Bars dough pressed into the bottom.

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 delicious success with every flavor of Hershey’s Kisses, Twix, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, etc.

Overhead view of a baking dish with Candy Cookie Bars dough with three rows of three Reese's cups on top.

Cover the Candy with Dough

Next, take the rest of the 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.

Overhead view of Candy Cookie Bars in a baking dish before baking .

I topped these with some 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.

Try using peppermint hugs stuffed inside of a cookie completely covered in Christmas sprinkles for Christmas. Use chocolate hearts and valentine’s sprinkles for Valentine’s day. The possibilities are endless.

Overhead view of Candy Cookie Bars sprinkled with sprinkles on top before baking.

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.

Overhead view of Candy Cookie Bars sprinkled with sprinkles on top after baking.

If you have guests over and need to make a knock-your-socks-off dessert in 30 minutes, this recipe is a winner. It is my go-to when we’re entertaining and I don’t want to spend all 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!

Store

These candy cookie bars keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I suggest slightly reheating them in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to restore their fresh-from-the-oven gooeyness before enjoying.

Freeze

To freeze, let the bars cool completely. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

front view of a stack of three halloween cookie bars.

Recipe FAQs

How do you know when cookie bars are done?

You can tell they done when the top is golden-brown and they are only slightly “jiggly.”

Can I use any candy in this recipe.

Technically yes, you can test many different candies and see which is your favorite. You can use a mixture of different varieties as well (e.g., Reese’s, Rolos and kisses all in one batch). Just be sure to spread it in an even layer.

Will cookies harden as they cool?

When the cookie bars come out of the oven they will be softer. As they cool down, they will harden more.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan.

Front view of a stack of two cookie bars.

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Candy Cookie Bars

Laura
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! 
5 from 5 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Bars
Calories 250
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9×9” 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

Note: you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ baking dish.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • 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 Musketeers, Milky Way, etc.

Store

These candy cookie bars keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I suggest slightly reheating them in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to restore their fresh-from-the-oven gooeyness before enjoying.

Freeze

To freeze, let the bars cool completely. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.5g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 12.5g | Saturated Fat: 6.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23.8g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

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Recipe Rating




45 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    OMG!!!! I wish I could rate this Recipe HIGHER THAN 5 STARS!!!!!! Every Chocolate Chip Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookie bar disappeared when I made these for work & I had TRIPLED the recipe cut them into bite size pieces and put them into cupcake liners! I used a mix of dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and semi-sweet chocolate chunks the cookie dough top & bottom layers when I made them. I purchased snack size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to place in the middle of the cookie dough layers as I thought it would be easier to cut into a perfect size for cupcake liners. Everyone was so excited to try these and they did not disappoint! This recipe is a Keeper! And I will definitely be making these again for work! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS RECIPE!!!

  2. Chocolate mint addict here!
    Try adding a tablespoon of cocoa to the flour, and use York peppermint patties, Andes candies or Junior mints (or all three) for the candy. Keep everything else the same. Outstandingggg!

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 5 stars
    Ohmygoodnesss these look so ridiculously indulgent (and delicious)! Such a great idea for leftover Halloween candy!