White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
Not sure what to do with that bag of candy corn? Bake it into these white chocolate candy corn cookies, soft and buttery brown sugar cookies loaded with candy corn and white chocolate chips. A splash of cream and a little cornstarch keep them tender, and they bake in about 10 minutes.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
- Main Ingredients: unsalted butter, softened, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, cream, all-purpose flour, baking soda
- Why You'll Love It: Loaded with sweet white chocolate and candy corn pieces, these white chocolate candy corn cookies are melt-in-your-mouth buttery soft and the perfect treat to make this Halloween.
The candy corn softens just a bit in the oven and the white chocolate turns creamy, so every bite tastes like a sweet fall treat. If you’re a true candy corn fan, my candy corn poke cake belongs on your Halloween table too.
Why These Candy Corn Cookies Stay So Soft
Mostly brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of cream keep the dough moist, and cornstarch makes the cookies tender instead of cakey. Chilling the flattened dough balls before baking helps them hold their shape so you get thick, soft cookies, and pulling them out while the centers still look a little underdone keeps them soft once they cool.
Ingredients for Candy Corn Cookies
Candy corn: Fresh, soft candy corn mixes in best. Keep the pieces tucked inside the dough, since any touching the pan can melt or burn.
White chocolate chips: Caramel chips, milk chocolate chips or salted peanuts all make tasty swaps.
Cream and cornstarch: These two keep the cookies extra soft, so don’t skip them.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Soften the butter at room temperature so it creams up light and fluffy.
- Mix just until the flour disappears so the cookies stay tender.
- Chill the dough balls for a few hours for thick cookies, or bake them right away if you like them thinner.
- Make the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 4 months.
How to Make White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
1Cream the Butter and Sugars
Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2Add the Dry Ingredients
Scrape down the bowl, then add the cream, flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix on low just until combined.
3Fold in the Candy
Fold in the candy corn and white chocolate chips.
4Scoop the Dough
Scoop heaping 2-tablespoon mounds of dough.
5Flatten and Chill
Flatten the dough balls slightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.
6Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the dough rounds 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are just starting to set. They’ll firm up as they cool.
Serving and Storing
Pile them on a platter for a Halloween party with big chewy Halloween candy cookies and ghost meringue cookies, or pack them into treat bags for a class party. You’ll find more ideas in our list of easy Halloween treats and desserts, and a mug of hot spiced apple cider goes nicely on the side.
Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Candy Corn Cookies FAQs
Why did my candy corn melt?
Candy corn melts and can burn where it touches the hot pan. Press any pieces on the outside back into the dough before baking.
Can I bake the dough from frozen?
Yes. Bake frozen dough balls without thawing and add a minute or two to the bake time.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Swap in a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend and double-check that your candy and chips are gluten-free.
White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- pinch salt optional
- 1 cup candy corn
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla on medium-high speed in your stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Or mix as best as you can with beaters or good ole elbow grease.1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add cream, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt (salt is optional), and mix on low speed until just incorporated, or about 1 minute. Don't overmix. Add the candy corn, white chocolate chips (or peanuts), and mix or fold in.2 tbsp cream, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cornstarch, pinch salt, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup candy corn
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds (about 20). Place these on a large plate, flatten them slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few hours before baking. If you want flatter thinner cookies then you can use the warm dough.Important note: keep candy corn off the cookie sheet because it will melt or burn. The candy corn pieces need to be inside the cookie dough not touching the cookie sheet.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a tray with a baking sheet or spray with cooking spray. Place cookie dough rounds on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart, and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set. If it's slightly undercooked in the middle, that's okay. The cookies will firm up as they cool. Baking longer than 10 minutes could result in cookies that are a lot browner on the bottom.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Would love to make, but is there a substitution for cream?
These look yummy and so festive for Halloween. I think I may need to run to the store to get the missing ingredients and make some up for the grandkids—oh, who am I kidding a few for me and their Gramps too!
Can’t wait to hear how you like them Linda! Thank you for the comment 🙂