There’s something about the last week of October in our house. The costumes are half-finished on the kitchen table, somebody is always asking how many days until trick-or-treating, and the Texas heat is finally (finally!) easing up enough that turning on the oven feels cozy instead of crazy. That’s when I pull out the stand mixer and make a big batch of these Halloween candy cookies.
With four kids, I’ve learned that the best fall traditions are the simple ones. These cookies are exactly that: a soft, chewy, buttery dough packed with a little bit of everything from the candy aisle. Mini M&M’s, chopped Oreos, little Reese’s cups, salty pretzel pieces and a shower of Halloween sprinkles. Every bite is a little different, and that’s half the fun.
Why Our Family Loves These Cookies
- Everyone gets their favorite. Some of us go for the Reese’s, some for the Oreo chunks, and some for that salty pretzel crunch.
- Sweet and salty in every bite. The pretzels keep these from being too sweet, and they add the best little crunch.
- The kids can help. Chopping candy (with supervision), measuring sprinkles and stirring it all in with a wooden spoon is the perfect job for little hands.
- They feel like a celebration. Those orange, purple and black sprinkles make an ordinary Tuesday feel like a Halloween party.
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
- Chilled butter: Start with cold, cubed butter. Whipping it in the mixer gives the cookies a lighter texture and helps them hold their shape.
- Brown and white sugar: The brown sugar keeps them soft and chewy, and the white sugar gives you those lightly crisp edges.
- The candy mix: Mini M&M’s, mini Oreos, mini Reese’s and pretzels are what I use, but this is a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy too. Just keep the total amount about the same.
- Halloween sprinkles: Any festive mix works. Look for ones that don’t bleed too much color into the dough.
Tips for the Best Halloween Candy Cookies
Chill the dough. If your kitchen is warm (hello, Texas), pop the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. Cold dough spreads less and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.
Don’t overbake. Pull them out when the edges are set and golden and the centers still look a little soft. They’ll finish setting up on the hot pan.
Press in extra candy. For bakery-style cookies, press a few extra M&M’s and sprinkles onto the tops right when they come out of the oven.
Storage. Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. A slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft.
Make ahead. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a sheet pan, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen and add a minute or two to the bake time. It’s so nice to have a batch ready for class parties and trunk-or-treat nights.
If your family loves a good cookie as much as mine does, try my Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, my Fudgy Cocoa Brownies, or these Cozy Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins for fall mornings.
Halloween Candy Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 sticks butter chilled and cubed
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini M&M’s
- 1/4 cup chopped pretzels
- 1/4 cup mini Oreos chopped
- 1/4 cup mini Reese’s chopped
- 1/4 cup Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder, then set it aside.
- Put the cold, cubed butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat it until it turns light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar and white sugar and keep beating until everything is creamy and well blended.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until fully combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a third at a time, letting each addition blend in before adding the next.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the M&M’s, pretzels, Oreos, Reese’s and sprinkles until they’re spread evenly through the dough.
- Scoop the dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving room between each cookie, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Notes
Happy Halloween from our family to yours. I hope these cookies bring a little extra sweetness to your kitchen this season.
