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.
Very well Explained! Great work!
Very well Explained! Great work!
Very well Explained! Great work!
What an interesting recipe. I think I like this recipe. Nice review. Thanks for sharing wonderful content.
What an interesting recipe. I think I like this recipe. Nice review. Thanks for sharing wonderful content.
What an interesting recipe. I think I like this recipe. Nice review. Thanks for sharing wonderful content.
Sorry. Cloyingly sweet. I made these for my son.. we both happen to like candy corn. Should have followed my inclinations and cut (way) back on the corn and used chopped nuts rather than the white chocolate to counter the sugar load but I felt I should try the recipe as is. W A Y too sweet. Sorry.
I have made this recipe quite a few times – love it every time and so do my friends, neighbors and co-workers! A total winner!! I keep candy corn all year for this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this!!
These are the best cookies I have ever made and eaten!! To die for! My sister kept eating the dough so I am shocked they even made it into the fridge to chill. I had 5 right after they were done cooling haha they just looked so beautiful. The cooking time is spot on. I left a tray in for 11 minutes because the tops were so light but the bottoms got golden brown. 9-10 is the perfect time. I used chocolate covered peanuts, doughnut flavored candy corn, sprinkles and white chocolate chips! The candy corn melted a bit around the edges and got caramelized like creme brûlée. It was pure sugary heaven. I am a huge candy corn fan and you made me love them even more. I even sandwiched a few with buttercream because I like my sugar with a side of sugar haha Thank you so much for this recipe! I will be making it for the rest of my life!!!
If you are reading this, make them! You wont regret it!!
These are the best cookies I have ever made and eaten!! To die for! My sister kept eating the dough so I am shocked they even made it into the fridge to chill. I had 5 right after they were done cooling haha they just looked so beautiful. The cooking time is spot on. I left a tray in for 11 minutes because the tops were so light but the bottoms got golden brown. 9-10 is the perfect time. I used chocolate covered peanuts, doughnut flavored candy corn, sprinkles and white chocolate chips! The candy corn melted a bit around the edges and got caramelized like creme brûlée. It was pure sugary heaven. I am a huge candy corn fan and you made me love them even more. I even sandwiched a few with buttercream because I like my sugar with a side of sugar haha Thank you so much for this recipe! I will be making it for the rest of my life!!!
If you are reading this, make them! You wont regret it!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these are the best cookies you’ve ever eaten!
I made these yesterday to go with Halloween drinks and my friends ate them in about ten minutes flat. And most claimed that they usually don’t like candy corn! I wish I had doubled the recipe and hid some away for myself because I am still dreaming of them.
Two notes: First, I omitted the cornstarch and I could not see anything wrong with the structure or the texture of the cookies. That said, this was my first time making them so I wouldn’t know the difference. Second, I added the candy corn to each individual cookie mound and none of it melted or spilled. Right before I put the trays in the oven, I stuck a few pieces in each cookie mound, making sure to put them all in the middle. Then, right when they came out of the oven, I added a couple more pieces to the top of each cookie. All the candies maintained their shape. A little extra work but definitely worth it for appearance and taste!
I made these yesterday to go with Halloween drinks and my friends ate them in about ten minutes flat. And most claimed that they usually don’t like candy corn! I wish I had doubled the recipe and hid some away for myself because I am still dreaming of them.
Two notes: First, I omitted the cornstarch and I could not see anything wrong with the structure or the texture of the cookies. That said, this was my first time making them so I wouldn’t know the difference. Second, I added the candy corn to each individual cookie mound and none of it melted or spilled. Right before I put the trays in the oven, I stuck a few pieces in each cookie mound, making sure to put them all in the middle. Then, right when they came out of the oven, I added a couple more pieces to the top of each cookie. All the candies maintained their shape. A little extra work but definitely worth it for appearance and taste!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were gone in 10 minutes flat!
Glad to know that without cornstarch they were still great. And I think your technique of adding the candy corn to each cookie is great with no melting or spilling!
I made them with candy corn, peanuts, and chocolate chips, and they were amazing. I did have to let them sit on the pan for more like fifteen minutes, though, or they totally fell apart. Even then I wasn’t sure they’d set up, but they were absolutely perfect when completely cooled.
I made them with candy corn, peanuts, and chocolate chips, and they were amazing. I did have to let them sit on the pan for more like fifteen minutes, though, or they totally fell apart. Even then I wasn’t sure they’d set up, but they were absolutely perfect when completely cooled.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were amazing! Yes they a more delicate cookie and allowing them to rest as long as they need on the sheet pan is recommended.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes but just note that they cookies will have a saltier final taste. As long as you’re ok with sweet and salty desserts you’ll be fine.
Thank you for answering! I can’t wait to make these!
I’m rating a 4 because I’m not sure where I went wrong but a lot of the candy corn melted, I think maybe I’ll use less candy corn next time because it was difficult to keep them tucked away. But the taste is AMAZING!!!!