I find that Halloween usually goes one of two ways. Either you get a slew of little ghosts and goblins and you’re out of candy 30 minutes in, or you’re staring down a giant basket of Reese’s, Kit Kats and Twix at the end of the night, wondering where the heck all the kiddos went.
These leftover Halloween candy cookie bars are for the latter.
They start with a stir-together brown sugar cookie base (one bowl, no mixer, thank you very much) that you can load up with whatever chocolatey candy you’ve got lying around. I leaned heavy into the Reese’s. Mini pumpkins, Take 5 bars (my fave) and Reese’s Pieces all went into the dough, with a few pieces saved for sticking on top. I also threw in some pretzels, because I’m a sucker for salty-sweet and why not?
The result is a thick, chewy bar with golden edges, gooey pockets of peanut butter and enough crunch to keep things interesting. They cut clean, stack nicely in a tin and travel well, so you can send the candy (in its new and improved form) right out the door to neighbors, teachers or the office break room. And nobody has to know they started as the bottom of a trick-or-treat bag.
What’s the best leftover Halloween candy for cookie bars?
Honestly? Whatever you’ve got. But a few tips from my testing:
- Chocolate and peanut butter candies are the MVPs. Reese’s cups and pumpkins, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Kit Kats, M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces all bake up beautifully.
- Caramel is your friend. Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and Take 5 bars melt into gooey little caramel pockets.
- Skip the fruity stuff. Skittles, Starburst and anything sour or chewy tend to go hard and sticky in the oven. Save those for the lunchbox.
- Mix textures. A little crunch (pretzels, Kit Kats, Butterfinger) keeps every bite from tasting the same.
You’ll want about 1½ to 2 cups of chopped candy total. For reference, I used 6 fun-size Reese’s pumpkins, 4 fun-size Take 5 bars and ½ cup of Reese’s Pieces.
Why a cookie bar instead of a blondie?
I went back and forth on this one. Blondies are dense and fudgy, and they depend on pulling them from the oven at the exact right gooey moment. Cookie bars have a little more flour, so they bake up chewy and sturdy, with crisp golden edges. That extra structure is what lets them hold a LOT of chunky candy without sinking or turning greasy. They’re also more forgiving to bake, which is exactly what I want in the post-Halloween fog.
Tips for the best candy cookie bars
- Freeze the candy first. Chop it, then pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes. The peanut butter pieces hold their shape instead of smearing into the dough.
- Save some for the top. Pressing a few pieces of candy and a handful of whole mini pretzels on top before baking makes them look bakery-pretty with zero extra effort.
- Don’t overbake. Pull them when the edges are golden and set and the center still looks a little underdone. My first batch was plenty done at 22 minutes, so start checking at 20.
- Check your pan. Pan sizes are measured across the top. If yours is an 8×8, the bars will be thicker, so add about 5 minutes and watch for those golden edges.
- Be patient. Let them cool completely (yes, the full 1½ hours) before cutting. Warm cookie bars fall apart, and the melty candy needs time to set.
- Finish with flaky salt. Optional, but it makes the peanut butter and chocolate sing.
Leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Bars
Chewy brown sugar cookie bars loaded with leftover Halloween candy and pretzels. One bowl, no mixer.
Makes: 16 bars · Prep: 15 minutes · Bake: 20 to 25 minutes · Cool: 1½ hours · Pan: 9×9-inch
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1¼ cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 6 fun-size Reese’s pumpkins, quartered
- 4 fun-size Take 5 bars, chopped
- ½ cup Reese’s Pieces
- ½ cup chopped pretzels, plus a handful of whole mini twists for the top
- Flaky salt, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with a parchment sling.
- Chop the candy and freeze it for 15 minutes (optional, but it helps the pieces hold their shape).
- In a large bowl, whisk the warm melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Whisk in the egg, yolk and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold until a few streaks remain.
- Fold in the Take 5, about ¾ of the pumpkins and Reese’s Pieces, and the chopped pretzels. Press the dough evenly into the pan. It will be thick.
- Press the remaining candy and the whole pretzel twists on top. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and set and the center still looks slightly underbaked.
- Cool completely in the pan, at least 1½ hours, before lifting out and cutting into 16 bars.
Swap it: Use 1½ to 2 cups of any chopped chocolate or caramel candy in place of the Reese’s.
How to store candy cookie bars
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Heads up, the pretzels inside the bars soften by day two, while the ones on top stay crisp. To freeze, wrap the bars individually and tuck them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter (or don’t, I won’t judge).
Leftover candy cookie bar FAQ
Can I use any kind of Halloween candy? Most chocolate, peanut butter and caramel candies work great. Skip hard candy and fruity chews, which turn sticky and hard in the oven.
Can I make these in an 8×8 pan? Yes. The bars will be thicker, so add about 5 minutes to the bake and look for golden, set edges.
Can I double the recipe? Absolutely. Bake it in a 9×13-inch pan and start checking around 25 minutes.
Do I need a mixer? Nope. Everything gets stirred together in one bowl with a whisk and a spatula.
Why are my bars falling apart? They probably needed more cooling time. Give them the full 1½ hours in the pan before you cut.
If you make these, shoot me a message and let me know what you tossed in! And if you’re looking for more ways to use up that candy stash, try a build-your-own sundae bar, candy-loaded brownies or loaded caramel apples.
