Turn leftover Halloween candy into the ultimate shareable dessert with this Candy Skillet Cookie! It’s soft and chewy in the center, slightly crisp around the edges and loaded with all your favorite chopped-up candies. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and plenty of spoons!
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Few desserts are as fast to whip as they are to eat than a skillet cookie. We have proof of this when it comes to skillet chocolate chip cookies, and we have even further proof when it comes to skillet brownies (oh yes we did!).
But what happens when Halloween has come and gone and you’re staring down a mountain of leftover candy?
There’s only one thing to do: Cookie skillet it all!
This giant cookie is my favorite way to transform a handful of assorted candies into one seriously irresistible dessert. We’re talking a buttery cookie base, pockets of melted chocolate and caramel, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to balance all that sweetness.
And while it’s especially perfect for using up leftover Halloween candy, you can make it any time of year with whatever candy you have on hand.
The Best Candy to Use
The beauty of this recipe is that the candy mix-ins are practically endless. I like using a mix of chocolate, peanut butter and caramel candies for a little variety in every bite. A few of my favorites:
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Snickers
- Kit Kats
- M&Ms
- Rolos
- Milk Duds
My #1 tip for success: Choose candies that melt rather than dissolve. Chocolate-covered caramels, like Rolos, work beautifully, but hard candies and unwrapped hard caramels (like Werther’s) aren’t ideal. I’d also skip gummy candies and anything fruity or sour.
You’ll need 2 cups of chopped candy total, so feel free to mix and match your favorites. And if you don’t have quite enough leftover Halloween candy, chocolate chips are an easy way to fill the gap!
My Top 3 Tips for Candy Skillet Cookie Perfection
- Use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. No scooping individual cookies or rotating baking sheets here! Just be sure to grease the skillet really well with butter before adding the cookie dough.
- Save some candy for the top. Mix most of your chopped candy into the dough, then scatter the rest over the surface before baking. You’ll get plenty of candy throughout the cookie and a colorful, candy-studded top.
- Don’t skip the sea salt! No matter which type of candy you choose, that last-minute shower of crunchy, flaky sea salt helps balance out the sweetness while ushering in endless scoops of your ice cream of choice.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
One of my favorite things about skillet cookies is that you can prep them ahead of time! Mix up the dough, spread it into your greased skillet, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, let the skillet sit at room temperature while the oven preheats to take some of the chill off. Bake as directed, keeping in mind that chilled dough may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To bring back that just-baked texture, warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
And if you have even more leftover Halloween candy to use up, don’t miss my Leftover Halloween Candy Blondies. Or head over to my Halloween Recipes collection for even more cute and creepy treats!
And here’s a fun little bonus: This candy-packed skillet cookie was featured in Woman’s World! It’s one of my favorite ways to turn leftover Halloween candy into a dessert that’s made for sharing. Just add vanilla ice cream and a few spoons!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp, plus more for greasing skillet
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped candy (See Kelly's Note)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the bowl aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter with the sugar and light brown sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture into the stand mixer and mix just until the dough comes together. Beat in the chopped candy until combined.
- Scrape the dough into the skillet, then sprinkle it with the sea salt.
- Bake the cookie until it's almost fully baked but still slightly underdone in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the cookie from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving topped with ice cream.
Kelly’s Notes
- Any variety of candy will work, but M&Ms, Reese’s Cups, Snickers, Kit Kats and Rolos are a few of my favorites.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dough, spread it into a greased skillet, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let the skillet sit at room temperature while the oven preheats to take some of the chill off. Bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Microwave individual slices for a few seconds to soften before serving.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Just thought you’d like to know the print function on the recipes is not working.
Hi Suze! We just tested it out and it’s working on our end. Did it open in a new window for you? It should open at this link: https://www.justataste.com/wprm_print/38040
This was absolutely perfect! I used leftover Reese’s, Snickers and Peanut M&Ms (we love peanuts and peanut butter in our house!) from Halloween. I’ll definitely make this again. TY!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Cindy!