Leftover Halloween Candy Peanut Butter Cookies (Soft & Chewy)
Turn the leftover trick-or-treat haul into soft, chewy peanut butter cookies loaded with chopped Reese's, Snickers, Kit Kats, M&M's and chocolate chips. One bowl, no mixer required, and the dough freezes beautifully.
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Ingredients
Serves 24
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter113 g, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butterno-stir style, such as Jif or Skippy
- 3/4 cup light brown sugarpacked
- 1/4 cup granulated sugarplus 2 tbsp for rolling
- 1 large eggroom temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour190 g, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped leftover chocolate candyabout 8 oz; peanut butter cups, Snickers, Kit Kat, Twix, M&M's, Milky Way
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea saltoptional, for topping
The method
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop the candy into roughly 1/2-inch pieces and set aside about 1/4 cup of the prettiest pieces for pressing on top.
6 minIn a large bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until smooth and lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
2 minBeat in the egg and vanilla until fully combined and glossy, about 1 minute.
1 minSprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt over the bowl and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the chopped candy and chocolate chips.
2 minChill the dough for 15 minutes so the cookies stay thick and the candy doesn't ooze out. (Or refrigerate up to 2 days.)
15 minScoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls, roll each in the remaining 2 tbsp granulated sugar, and space them 2 inches apart on the sheets, 12 per sheet. Flatten slightly with your palm and press the reserved candy pieces on top.
6 minBake one sheet at a time for 10 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look soft. Sprinkle with flaky salt right out of the oven, if using.
22 minLet the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up, then move them to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes more before stacking.
15 min
Timings are a guide. Use the instruction and your own judgment as you cook.
Which candy works best
Chocolate-based candy is the star here: peanut butter cups, Snickers, Kit Kat, Twix, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, M&M’s and Butterfinger all bake up great. Skip hard candy, lollipops and gummies, which melt into sticky puddles, and go light on candy corn. Freezing the chopped candy for 10 minutes makes it easier to fold in without smearing.
Make ahead and storage
Keep baked cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze scooped, unbaked dough balls on a sheet, then bag them for up to 3 months; bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Allergy and diet notes
This recipe contains peanuts, dairy, egg and wheat, and many candy bars contain tree nuts or are made on shared equipment. Some candies (especially chewy and marshmallow ones) contain gelatin, so if you’re baking for vegetarians, check the labels on the candy you use.
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