Sometimes your kids come home from trick-or-treating with just way too much candy. In case you’re looking for a creative way to get rid of it, this cookie bar recipe is my most delicious suggestion to use up those fun-size chocolate bars! It’s a thick and chewy cookie bar with chunks of your favorite candy bars folded in, so you get a variety of tasty flavors and textures in every bite.
Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, plus your extra Halloween candy.
- Thick + chewy. These cookie bars are just the right amount of thick and chewy, almost like a blondie.
- Crowd pleasing flavors. Because these cookie bars use a variety of fun-size candy bars and small chocolates (like m&m’s), the flavor sounds very intriguing and actually lives up to the hype. No two cookie bar squares are quite alike, which is part of the fun!
What Kind of Halloween Candy to Use
Before you start tossing in any kind of Halloween candy, let me tell you what tastes best. You don’t want to use anything that’s not chocolate (like taffy, gummy stuff, etc). But after baking these a few times here’s what I love the most as add-ins:
- Peanut Butter Cups
- Snickers
- Milky Way
- Almond Joy
- M&Ms and/or Reese’s Pieces
- Twix
- Kit Kat Bars
- Hershey’s Bars
Feel free to stray from this list as long as what you’re using is chocolate. I’m sure there are other candy bars that would taste amazing in this!
How to Make Halloween Candy Cookie Bars
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, then grease and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. Be sure to leave an overhang so it’s easy to lift the cookie bars out when they’re done baking.
Step 2. Melt the butter, then whisk it together with the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Step 3. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
Step 4. Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt) until a dough forms.
Step 5. Fold in the chopped candy bars and press the dough into the prepared pan.
Step 6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are set.
Halloween Candy Bars FAQs
- Can I bake this in an 8×8 pan? Yes, but the bake time will be slightly longer since the bars will be thicker, about 28-35 minutes.
- Can I bake this in a 9×13 pan? Yes, but you’ll want to double the recipe first.
- Do I have to add the cornstarch? Using cornstarch in this recipe softens the cookie bars and makes them a little more tender, which I love. If you don’t have cornstarch (aka corn flour) on hand, you can substitute it with 1/2 tsp baking powder in a pinch.
- How do I know when they’re done? The bars will look slightly golden and the edges should look and feel set. You want to lean on the side of underbaking vs. overbaking these bars.
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re looking for similar recipes, I have a few suggestions from my blog that you’ll love:
- Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Sheet Pan Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
I hope you love these Halloween candy cookie bars as much as I do! They’re such a fun way to use up extra candy bars and a real crowd pleaser any time of year. Let me know if you make them in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post any pics. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Halloween Candy Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 Cups (298g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3/4 Cup (150g) packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cups (150g) fun-size candy bars, chopped into bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining with parchment paper. Be sure to leave enough of an overhang that you can easily lift the cookie bars out once baked.
- Melt the butter: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter in 20-30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until the butter is melted. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour the melted butter on top and whisk together until uniform. Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until uniform.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until a dough forms. Reserve about 1/8 Cup of the Halloween candy, then fold the rest into the dough.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan and top with the reserved Halloween candy. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are set and the top is golden. The cookie bars might seem soft in the middle but don't be tempted to over-bake! Let them cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before lifting them out and cutting into squares.
Notes
- The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months before baking.
- The baked cookie bars can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or wrapped with plastic wrap over the top of the pan). They will remain fresh for up to three days this way. Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie bars for up to one month. I recommend wrapping them first in plastic wrap, then in foil.
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