White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies — These Halloween cookies are PACKED with candy corn and white chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and are always a hit with the kids!
Creating These Candy Corn Cookies
Candy corn. Oh, the memories of a few pieces clanking against the bottom of my trick-or-treating bucket. On Halloween, houses that ran out of fun-sized Snickers, or so-called ‘good’ candy, used to toss out candy corn.
After seeing it recently appear in stores for the season I promptly tossed it into my cart not knowing for sure what I was going to make with it. I baked it into the most soft, tender, buttery cookie dough base in my cookie arsenal. And then I added white chocolate chips.
I used a dough base I haven’t used in about a year. It’s one I used for both my Maraschino Cherry White Chocolate Cookies and my Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies, which are cookies inspired by my Cranberry Bliss Bars. I like this dough base for recipes where I want a softer, lighter, more delicate and tender dough, and when white chocolate is involved.
This dough is slightly sweeter and creamier than my trusty chocolate chip cookie dough base. Candy corn would have been fine in that base too, but it really shines in this dough. The dough is reminiscent of Lofthouse cookie dough, minus the cake flour. It calls for 2 tablespoons of cream or half-and-half which isn’t much, but the milk really tenderizes the dough and it just melt in your mouth.
When I had previously used this base, I hadn’t yet hopped on the cornstarch bandwagon. So this time around I added two teaspoons, like I do with most of my cornstarch cookies. It helps create a softbatch-style cookie that’s so soft and supple, without turning cakey.
I had no idea my 6-year-old loved candy corn as much as she did until she went nuts over it these cookies. Growing up with more sugar in our house than in many bakeries, she’s usually pretty immune to what I make. Like me, it takes quite a bit to get her excited anymore.
After one of these she said, “Mom, I’m going to be thinking about these cookies all day tomorrow at school.”
I said, “Well sweetie if you want another one now, go for it.”
If I had a 6-year-old metabolism, I’d have seconds when fresh cookies were involved.
But she said, “No, I’d rather not so I can dream about them all day tomorrow.”
What’s in These Candy Corn Cookies?
To make this candy corn recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cream or half-and-half
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Candy corn
- White chocolate chips
How to Make Candy Corn Cookies
To make these Halloween cookies, you’ll first need to cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and stir until just combined, then gently fold in the candy corn and white chocolate chips.
Then, scoop out the dough. I made 20 mounds of dough, each about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough. Because the candy corn and white chocolate chips are bulky, the raw dough mounds look quite large before being baked, but in the oven and as the dough cooks down around the candy corn and chips, the cookies flatten and turn out to be of average size.
Once you’ve formed the cookie dough balls, they need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Once the dough has been chilled, you’re ready to bake the cookies.
I bake these candy corn cookies for just over 9 minutes. They’ll look very pale, glossy, and underdone, but they set up dramatically as they cool. Because this dough base is so buttery, baking longer than about 10 minutes could result in the undersides become overly browned.
Can I Freeze Candy Corn Cookie Dough?
Yes, absolutely! I would freeze the dough itself once rolled into mounds, and from there it will keep for probably 3 to 4 months in the freezer. You can bake the cookie dough balls from frozen (no need to thaw).
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
Yes, but I wouldn’t add more than 2ish cups of mix-ins total. Otherwise your cookie dough will be impossible to shape into balls.
Can I Make These Cookies Gluten-Free?
I haven’t tried that myself, so I can’t say for sure. Try making these with a gluten-free flour blend intended for baking and see how they turn out!
Can I Make These as Cookie Bars?
I haven’t tried this exact recipe as candy corn cookie bars, but I do have a recipe for Candy Corn White Chocolate M&M’s Blondies you might like.
Can I Omit the Cornstarch?
Technically, yes. However, I can’t guarantee that your Halloween cookies will turn out exactly like mine did if you omit the cornstarch. If you make these candy corn cookies without the cornstarch, please leave me a comment down below letting me know how they turn out!
Can I Scale Back the Amount of Mix-Ins?
Yes, feel free to add less chocolate chips and candy corn, if desired. I like these cookies as is, but I know everyone has different tastes, so tweak this recipe as desired.
Tips for Making Candy Corn Cookies
This is very, very important. Do NOT allow the candy corn pieces to lay directly on your baking tray and shield the candy with a pinch of dough. Candy corn is prone to burning, melting, and turning into a hot, crispy, lacey mess if baked directly on a hot tray. The candy corn that’s in the interior of the cookies should not melt or run, provided your dough was chilled before baking. After baking, it takes on a slightly chewier texture that’s scrumptious.
To make sure none of the candy corn is touching the baking tray, I simply check the bottom of the chilled cookie dough balls and push any stray candy corn pieces into the center of the dough as needed. Exposed candy corn on top of the cookie dough balls should be fine, but you don’t want any coming in contact with the hot baking tray.
Also note that you can use salted peanuts in place of the white chocolate chips. Peanuts balance out the sweet candy corn perfectly and make these Halloween cookies salty-sweet.
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White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, soften
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 ½ cups candy corn, 10 to 11 ounces
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, or salted peanuts
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through optional salt), and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don’t overmix.
- Add the candy corn, white chocolate chips (or peanuts), and mix until just incorporated.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds (I made 20). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Important note – Strategically place candy corn so that it’s not baking directly on cookie sheet because it will melt, burn, or turn runny if it is. The candy corn pieces need to be in the interior of the cookies, shielded and buffered by dough.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not overbake because cookies will firm up as they cool. Baking longer than 10 minutes could result in cookies with overly browned undersides.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Halloween Desserts:
Lofthouse Soft Sugar Sprinkle Cookies — The texture of these cookies is similar to Lofthouse-Style sugar cookies. They’re buttery soft and light, without being airy or cakey.
Candy Corn and White Chocolate Blondies — The blondies are super soft, slightly chewy, and buttery. The candy corn stays chewy after it’s baked and the contrast of the dense, moist, tender bars against the chewy candy corn is great.
Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract, the cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars — The bars are no-bake, easy, loaded with bold peanut butter flavor, and plenty of chocolate. There’s both a layer of melted chocolate and assorted candy bar pieces adorn the top.
Chocolate Chip M&M’s Halloween Cookies — Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with M&M’s and chocolate chips!
Loaded Halloween Cream Cheese Brownies – Ultra fudgy, rich brownies topped with a layer of orange cream cheese, sandwich cookies, and chocolate chips!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies – Rich, fudgy brownies topped with pumpkin and chocolate chips!
Originally posted October 6, 2013 and reposted October 30, 2020 with updated text.
I was looking for a great way to use leftover Halloween candy. Thanks–the recipe looks wonderful. But I must say the sweetest thing about this post was your daughter’s “dreamy” response! :)
Awww, that’s so sweet of you to say, Lisa. Thanks! :)
How do you think it would turn out with milk chocolate chips instead of white? I am trying to use 3 bags of milk!
I really do love these cookies with white choc but they won’t be ‘bad’ if you use milk.
Look here https://www.averiecooks.com/category/dessert/cookies
There are umpteen versions you can use your milk choc chips in (just use wherever I call for semi sweet)
LMK what you try!
Love these cookies! My daughter chose these for her Halloween party at school and they were a hit! The white chocolate/candy corn combo is fabulous. My candy corn did melt and run down the sides of some of the cookies but I had no trouble with sticking (just used a greased cookie sheet) and the melted part hardened into its own chewy goodness. The only problem I found was that some of the cookies came apart around the candy corn when I was removing them from the cookie sheet. No worries, though. “I guess Mommy will have to eat that one. It broke.” :) Thank you so much for your great recipies and for feeding my baking obsession!
Thanks for the great comment and praise, Kris! I’m glad the melted part hardened into its own chewy goodness. Sometimes it can turn into burnt ‘lace’ with a moon crater-like surface. lol
And if you try to take them off the baking sheet too early (or just sometimes randomly), the cookie can tear at the fault line, i.e. where the candy corn in, there’s naturally going to be a weaker spot structurally so they can bend or break there but those broken cookies are great for mommy :)
Glad these were a hit! In this post there’s a related recipe for this same dough with cranberries & white choc chips…SO good for the holidays!
Oh I have a work Halloween party tomorrow and I am so making these!
Oh that’s great! Keep me posted and LMK what you and your coworkers think!
This recipe has so many incorrect instructions. First, it takes a long time for prep due to the candy corn is too bulky for using the 2″ cookie scoop. I had to roll by hand & be sure none of the corn was showing through. Second, it takes longer than 9 minutes for baking. I had to guess at extra minutes & ended up baking for 14 minutes which they still did not look baked but took them out anyway. There was not a hint of brown on the bottoms even baking for 14 minutes. My oven bakes close to exact temps so it’s not the oven. It made approximately 2 1/2 dozen compared to 20 cookies. Besides this, the taste was great. That they did get right! Won’t be making them again though due to the prep time. That was the killer!
That they did get right! <---'They' is me. Yes I am a real person. And for me, I used a 2"-inch scoop heaping full, had no issues with needing to hand roll. Therefore my heaping scoops yielded 20 cookies, not 30. I can see if you made them exactly 2 tbsp/2-inches, you'd get 30, give or take. My prep time was not any longer than I indicated nor was my baking time. Everyone's kitchens, skills, abilities, and speed at which they work varies so timelines are always approximate.
What is your technique for getting the candy corn inside the cookie, only? I made these today after chilling overnight. I will admit I didn’t see the part about not having the cc touch the sheet. But, in thinking about this… is is better to add the cc after you make the dough into balls and then put them in the middle? My teenagers ate nearly the whole batch today… that dentist frenimy is coming my way.
My ‘technique’ was just to lift up the bottom of each mound of dough, examine, and make sure no CC’s were bare/exposed or could possibly touch the baking sheet (Silpat) and just reposition or shield with dough on those critical areas if there were some CC’s exposed. Nothing too fancy! Glad your teenagers devoured them!
Averie, these cookies were amazing! this is such a great dough recipe. I followed the directions closely and so glad I did. One thing I did experiment with was with the baking sheets: 1 with a silpat mat, and 1 with just cooking spray (really because I only have 1 silpat). The cookies that baked on the silpat came out better – retained their shape and less/no spread. I noticed that with the candy corn, the ones that ended up touching the sheet/silpat melted and created spreading vs. burned – but they were still good! I also might put let candy corn next time, it was hard making sure the dough covered them. But either way these are great, my office loved them!
I am thrilled to hear that you loved them! Yes baking on a Silpat is ALWAYS preferred to baking without (it gives the cookies traction and something to ‘grip’ so that they’re less prone to spreading) and yes the cc’s that touch the Silpat will melt and turn into ‘lace’ whereas if they touch a cookie sheet bare, likely to burn. So happy your whole office loved them! And yes a little less c.c. is totally fine. I had some extra to use in a bag and rather than holding back a little, I just added it all but you’re right, 1/4 cup less or so may make things easier :)
Hi Averie,
I noticed you do use cornstarch a lot. Could you use potato starch instead, or would it not have the same effect?
Thanks!
Not sure because I’ve never tried. A big container of cornstarch is like 2 bucks (for a lifetime supply…haha!) so that’s what I use. I don’t know how interchangeable the two starches would or wouldn’t be in a cookie recipe. In something like gravy, I’d say go for it. Here, not sure…
Thanks! You’re totally right, I should get over it and invest a couple bucks in buying some cornstarch. I had potato starch sitting around so figured I’d ask.
On a side note, while I’m here, because this reminded me- thank you so much for mentioning using buttermilk powder in your sweet potato bread recipe. I had no idea that existed and often avoid buttermilk recipes. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me :)
Oh I’m so glad you found that powder…yes, so helpful! And if you ever just have yogurt laying around and the recipe calls for say 1 c of BM, I would use about 1/4 to 1/3 c yogurt and then just top off with regular milk to hit 1 cup. Works every time :)
I just pulled these out of the oven. They are GREAT! I love the taste of the candy corn with the white chocolate. They are already a hit with the family, but we have to save them for a bake sale tomorrow. Yes, a little tricky to bake since the candy corn cannot touch the baking sheet. I felt like the candy corn ratio to dough was a bit much. What I’ll do next time is not even add the candy corn until they are ready to go into the oven, then just press a few into each cookie. Have you made these into bars? I’m wondering if I can just gently press the dough into a 9×13 and make them into bars? Great fall recipe! THANKS!
I have not made these into bars but I have a recipe on Wed that uses candy corn M&Ms and bars :) So stay tuned. SO GOOD! The recipe is softer and more like a blondie – like melt in your mouth soft – than it is cookie.
I haven’t tried this dough base as a pan of bars. I don’t know how chewy/soft it will get. I love it as cookies; one of my faves, but not sure how it will behave in a pan. I can assure you my Wed. recipe stays soft like these cookies, but it’s in a pan.
As for the candy corn/dough ratio being high, yes it is. You could scale it back to maybe 2/3 cup and then just strategically place the cc’s on the top. But part of the appeal is to have them baked INTO the cookies, so still add some cc’s to the batter, then press-on a few more on tops.
I just had to leave a comment and say thank you for all of your amazingggg cookie recipes. I’ve been baking things for a few years now but I never found a cookie recipe that I was wowed by. But then I found your blog and baked a few batches of your cookies and wow I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks to you, I’ve found a passion for baking!
I love comments like these and I am glad to hear that because of me and my recipes, you’ve found a passion of your own. What a wonderful thing! And so glad you’re wowed by my cookie recipes. I am exceedingly picky when it comes to desserts, especially cookies, and am very selective about what I will post about. So glad you love these and others you’ve tried. Keep me posted and LMK what else you try!
These look incredible :) such a clever delicious way to use candy corn!
SOOOOOOOO GOOOD! These are fabulous cookies. The base itself is delicious, but when you add the chocolate and the candy corn it’s pure hevean!
Thanks, Jaime! I agree the base is heavenly. Every time I make this base I am always reminded why I love it and that I need to make it more! And yes, adding the white choc + candy corns just pushes it over the edge!
I don’t know if you like Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars, and I have a link to them in this post. But if you keep the white choc in, and rather than using candy corn, throw in some dried crans, it’s a Bliss Bar in cookie form and crazy good cookies!
I have an unhealthy addiction to candy corn, and mellowcreme pumpkins. My dentist becomes a frenemy every October…maybe cookie form is more forgivable? ;)
They look delicious!
My dentist becomes a frenemy = you are the queen of great one-liners this morning. Love them! And thanks for all your comments today!
These look so good! We could also try candy corn M&Ms! Have you tried those? Oh my GAWD they are amazing…and in these cookies….HEAVEN,! Thank you for the great ideas! Xoxoxo happy fall season!
yes I have and Target was sold out or I would have bought more last weekend!
I can’t get over how soft and chewy these cookies look. I can almost taste them through the computer screen! And love that you incorporated candy corn into them. Every year, I forget just how much I love it!
I can almost taste them through the computer screen! <-- GOOD! that means I've done my job :)
I wish I had your daughter’s self-control! When it comes to sweets, especially cookies or chocolate, all of my good will and self-restraint goes straight out the window. But I bet she had the best daydreams of her life during spelling and silent reading time! :)
I think growing up with it in ridic abundance has made her immune to it!
That makes a lot of sense! My mom really disliked baking and cooking, so we only got homemade chocolate chip cookies (the Nestle recipe, of course!) once a month. She never put in any other mix-ins, like your creative candy corn! So maybe I have her to blame (or thank) for being such a cookie monster?…
I love candy corn with peanuts! Do you think peanuts are good in cookies? Maybe if they are eaten right away the nuts would still be crunchy. I’m thinking of trying your recipe with peanuts instead of white chocolate…but I know I’d love that too! Or maybe a peanut butter cookie with candy corn. Hmmm. Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
If you like nuts in cookies, try these! https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/07/soft-and-chewy-honey-roasted-peanuts-and-butterscotch-chip-cookies.html
99% of the time I object to nuts in baked good so it’s rare I put them in but they would work just fine here. I’d do same amt of candy corn and maybe 1/2 c each of peanuts and white choc – or just dump stuff in the mixing bowl til the dough is as packed as it can handle!