Candy Corn Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites

Tis the season for candy corn

What are you going to do with all that candy corn you’ve accumulated?

My suggestion is to make these

They’re easy, no-bake, and the whole project is done within 10 minutes

And who doesn’t love cookie dough?  If you don’t, well, I don’t fully understand.

And there’s only one bowl + one spoon that will be dirtied in the making process

Why spend time doing dishes when you could spend time eating candy corn.

Yes, a baking bomb went off in my kitchen over the weekend but thankfully this recipe contributed very little to the shrapnel dishes.

These are tasty little buggers and for all you candy corn fans, I think you’ll really enjoy getting corny with them.

Of course you don’t have to use candy corn in them.

You can use jelly beans, chocolate chips, Sweet Tarts, pieces of Fun-Size Snickers Bars or Milky Way Bars or whatever candy floats your boat or is in excess in your cupboards or in the bottom of your kid’s pumpkin.

There is no wrong way to take that surplus Halloween candy off your hands.

It’s one of those snacks that are salty + sweet (pretzels + cookie dough/candy corn)

And also crunchy + chewy (pretzels + cookie dough/candy corn)

Lots of flavor and texture combinations satisfied in each bite.

When I made these, I used Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter

Kerrygold also has a new Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter

I also made these cookie dough bites using half of a stick of regular butter

And made them with margarine (to keep vegan)

…And all options worked.   Imagine that.

Taste testing all that cookie dough was a real problem to have.  I’m sure you understand the plight I endured.

 

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Candy Corn Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites (see Vegan & Gluten Free Options)

1/4 c butter (half a stick)

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c flour, approximately (add slowly)

candy corn

pretzels for base layer (optional, waffle type works best or use crackers or omit)

Optional: add chocolate/peanut butter/white chocolate/butterscotch chips to the dough mixture; start with 1/4 c (I did not add them because there was enough going on with the candy corn for me)

Directions: Combine room temperature butter (or soften cold butter/margarine in the microwave for 15-30 seconds) with the sugars in a bowl and stir until smooth.  I did it by hand in less than a minute.  Then add the vanilla extract and then add the flour, slowly, stirring and adding until you reach cookie dough consistency.  I used just under 1/2 c flour by a couple tablespoons; use your judgment.   Take the cookie dough mixture and roll into 3/4 inch size balls.  Insert a piece of candy corn into each ball (or dice 1/4 c candy corn and incorporate it into the cookie dough mixture) and gently mold the dough around the candy corn. Lightly press ball onto a pretzel and set on a plate.  You don’t have to add pretzels, or you could top any cracker you enjoy with the cookie dough balls. Note that these are not ultra “secure”.  They will stick to the pretzels but not incredibly well so be gentle with them.  Store extras in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes:

To keep vegan, use margarine, Earth Balance, or similar and make your own vegan candy corn or buy vegan candy corn.

To keep gluten free use GF pretzels such as Glutino or similar

Also, you could use my Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls recipe or No Bake Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites which are both already vegan and GF.  Hold the chocolate chips/coconut as your palate dictates and add candy corn and pretzels

Yields approximately 18 bites

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So now you know what to do with your leftover candy corn

Grab your pretzels, or crackers (and really they are not necessary but I liked the layers and the salty/sweet, crunchy/chewy combo the pretzels gave)

Add a couple pieces of candy corn to the pretzels

Top with cookie dough and dig in

Taking all that candy corn off your hands is going to be tough, I know.

Questions:

1. Do you like candy corn?  Cookie dough?

I like it, obviously, since I made these.

I know some people love love love it. 

After consuming the customary Halloween-season amount, I’m good with it for the rest of the year.

Plus, I need to move onto chocolate + peanut butter.   Like these cookies.

Cookie dough is always a hit with me.  I have a Pinterest Board with Cookie Dough and also an entire post devoted to about 25 recipes of no-bake cookie dough balls, bites, truffles, and donut holes.

2. What Halloween candy are you most looking forward to having this year?

I would say old school candy like Snickers, Milky Way Dark, Rolo, Skittles, red licorice, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (make your own), or Heath Bar are favorites.

Thanks for the entries in the KeVita Drinks Giveaway

And thanks for your patience with my older links.  2009-2010 posts are having a few issues with links going to the wrong post as a result of my server move last week but my tech team is working on a repair and things should be back to normal, soon.

Happy Halloween!