Halloween Candy Cookies | Loaded Cookie Bars (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: Like all your favorite treats combined into one heavenly bar of goodness.
Texture: Thick, chewy, soft, crunchy, and wonderful. Perfect with a glass of milk.
Ease: Super easy. No electric mixer needed, no waiting for butter to come to room temperature, no dough chilling, and no scooping and rolling balls. Watch the video to see exactly how these are made PLUS all the cookie tips and tricks.
Pros: Super fun, easy, and tasty treat. Perfect for using up leftover Halloween candy or whatever odds and ends you have in your pantry.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Definitely!

How to Make EASY Loaded Cookie Bars

How Do I Make Cookies Bars CHEWY?

Use lots of brown sugar, an extra egg yolk, half bread flour, and melted butter. Here’s why:

1. Brown sugar draws in and holds onto moisture better than white sugar. Not to mention it’s more flavorful! So that one’s a given.
2. The extra egg yolk adds extra fat and protein, for a richer, chewier bite.
3. The most effective way to add a chewier texture is to use bread flour. The higher protein content will create stronger strands of gluten that yield a beautiful sturdy texture. If you don’t have bread flour, use all AP flour instead. It won’t be as chewy, but it’ll still be delish.
4. Lastly, this recipe calls for melted butter. There’s no creaming butter + sugar together, which is why we don’t need an electric mixer. The creaming process also incorporates more air into the dough, which we don’t want. Instead, we want bars that are more dense and chewy, hence the melted butter!
5. Bonus tip: Don’t overmeasure your flour! I recommend weighing your flour, but if you don’t have a digital kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method, so you don’t accidentally add too much flour. Too much flour can make your bars tough and hard.

How to Tell When Cookie Bars Are Done Baking

Be sure not to overbake this recipe. You want a little gooey softness to remain. Even if the bars look slightly underdone around the 25 minute mark, you may still pull them out of the oven and allow the residual heat to finish them. The only exception is if you’re using a glass or ceramic pan, which tend to cook more slowly. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Pans here.

How to Customize Loaded Cookie Bars

You can add in whatever candy, cookies, and treats your heart desires. Some ideas include:

• Snickers
• Hershey’s bars
• Graham crackers
• Rolo candies
• Milk duds
• Peanut butter chips
• Chocolate covered pretzels
• Whatever is left in your kid’s Halloween bucket
• Whatever your heart desires! Take a look in your pantry before you buy anything else.

How to Store Leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Bars

Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Add an apple wedge, a piece of bread, or a tortilla on the top of the cookie bars to keep them softer for longer. You can also freeze the bars in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature and refresh in a 300°F oven until warmed through, if desired.