Big Chewy Candy Bar Cookies
Big Chewy Candy Bar Cookies are bakery-style cookies loaded with candy pieces. Pick your favorite candy or mini candy bars and make something everyone will love! Recipe yields 12 to 14 giant (5 inch) cookies or 2 to 3 dozen standard sized cookies.
Candy Bar Cookies are a delicious treat — especially when you make them giant! Different flavors and textures make this cookie recipe a hit for any occasion.
Baking cookies with candy bars is a great way to use up some leftover Halloween candy or holiday candy. Just add in whatever you have on hand and make them festive with seasonal colors!
We love using Reese’s, KitKats, Hershey’s (especially dark), and M&Ms. I’ve added sprinkles for fun, but those are optional. Feel free to use chocolate chips in place of some of the candy bars.
Baking Tips:
To make standard cookies:
Follow directions as written using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Bake cookies 2 inches apart for 8 to 10 minutes.
If you want to “see” some of the candies on top of the cookies:
For better presentation, reserve a few pieces of each chopped candy. Remove cookies from oven 3 or 4 minutes early, add on remaining candy pieces, then return to oven to finish baking.
Bake in batches to keep dough chilled:
Since these are big cookies, you won’t fit as many on a cookie sheet. Keep the dough refrigerated between batches for best results (to keep them from spreading too much and making a thinner, crunchier cookie).
The best candy for candy bar cookies:
I’ve found it’s best to stick with similar flavor profiles (not mixing coconut and peanut butter, for example) but just about any candy bar or small candy will work.
Make sure everything is chopped into smaller pieces. Some candy types will blend into the cookie dough (like Butterfinger or toffee), but most candy bars tend to hold their shape.
Big Chewy Candy Bar Cookies
Equipment
- dark or parchment lined cookie sheets
- stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter = 1 stick
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 15 to 18 assorted fun size candy bars, chopped = about 2 cups of mix-ins
Instructions
Read all directions first. The dough will be made, then chilled for 30 minutes before baking.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Set out 2 large, parchment lined or dark cookie sheets.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Turn speed to medium low and beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add in vanilla and scape down sides if needed. Mixture should be pale and fluffy.
- Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Using a spatula, mix in the candy pieces by hand. Stir the candy until it's distributed evenly, but be careful not to overwork the dough.
Bake the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (can do this during last 10 minutes of chilling time).
- Use mounded 1/4 cup scoops to drop cookies onto the baking sheets. Place far apart (3 or 4 inches). Cookies should be about palm-sized.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until golden around the edges and middle is set. Do not overbake.
- Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Substitutions:
- use all butter in place of the shortening
- use any candy bars or candies you like! Use smaller candy (like M&Ms) or chop bars into smaller pieces).
- Baking tips:
- Depending on the size of your cookie sheets, you may only fit 6 cookies on at once. It is best to bake in batches: keep remaining cookie dough in the fridge until ready to scoop and bake (up to 2 days, covered)
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calorie count will vary depending on size of cookies and which candies (if any) are mixed in. Standard size cookies will have about 145 calories each, but giant cookies will have about 300 calories.