Candy corn cookies

Candy corn cookies

Whenever October rolls around, I always find myself buying a bag of candy corn. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a waxy, sweet treat that is dyed white, yellow, orange and looks like a piece of corn. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I sort of like candy corn – until I eat too much of it and I feel a little grossed out. Since I always have a bag of candy corn lying around during Fall, I thought to myself, “how do I use this as an ingredient?” That’s when I figured out I should used these brightly colored confections in cookies. 

My candy corn cookies recipe combines the candy’s subtle flavors of vanilla and honey with the creaminess of white chocolate and the nuttiness of walnuts in a simple cookie dough. Although it sounds like it would be an overtly sweet cookie, it has a nice balance to it that I think both kids and adults can enjoy. If you want to figure out a way to use up candy corn, I recommend trying out this recipe. 

Candy corn cookies on a cutting board

About the ingredients

Butter: You can use soften or melted butter for this recipe. I recommend using butter instead of oil because it gives the cookie more structure and flavor. 

Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: I use a combination of two sugars for this cookie. Light brown sugar helps keep the cookie moist and it’s also less sweet. The granulated sugar keeps the cookie crisp, sweet, and helps the batter spread slightly. 

All-purpose flour: This is a standard flour for making cookies. You can also use gluten-free flour too, if you want. 

Corn starch: This might seem like an odd ingredient, but for this cookie, corn starch helps thicken the cookie, prevents it from spreading too much, and helps keep it moist longer – just like the freshly baked cookies at bakeries.  

White chocolate: This adds creaminess and richness to the cookie and pairs really nicely with the butter and candy corn in the cookie. I like to use a combination of small and regular sized morsels to create different textures. 

Candy corn: I recommend using the candy corn that are shaped like corn kernels and not the pumpkins, which are too big. You want to save about 20 to 36 candy corns to add as garnish on top of the cookies before baking. The rest you’ll chop up into small pieces so that they incorporate nicely into the batter.

Walnuts: Adding nuts is optional, but I think it adds a nice texture and flavor. The nuttiness of the walnuts helps balance the sweetness of the candy corn and the white chocolate. 

Milk: You can use whole milk, 2% milk, or heavy cream for this recipe. This helps add more moisture to the batter. 

Can I substitute candy corn for something else? 

Yes, if you want white chocolate and walnut cookies and you want to omit the candy corn, that’s totally fine. The cookies will still turn out delicious. You can also add in other candies like M&M’s or chopped candy bar chunks if you want to create different flavor combinations. 

Who invented candy corn?

Someone did intentionally invent candy corn and that person was George Renninger. He created the candy in the 1880s. He was an employee at the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first called the candy  "Chicken Feed" because it looked like the corn kernels that chickens would eat, but that name was obviously very unappealing and the name candy corn caught on instead. The treat became popular during Halloween in the early 20th century. It remains a popular candy during the Fall season in the United States.

Candy corn cookies in a fall setting with pumpkin and glowing candle

Recipe: Candy corn cookies

Yields: 12 large cookies 

Oven temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Active cooking time: 20 minutes | Inactive cooking time: 1 hour | Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes | Total cook time: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup of butter (melted or softened) 
  • ½ cup of light brown sugar 
  • ½ cup of granulated sugar 
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt (if using unsalted butter) 
  • 1 large egg 
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 
  • ¼ cup of milk or heavy cream 
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon of corn scratch 
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ cup of chopped-up candy corn 
  • ⅓ cup of white chocolate chips 
  • ½ cup of chopped walnuts 

Instructions 

Melt a stick of butter in the microwave. 

Add your melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk everything together until very smooth. 

Wet ingredients for the cookie batter

Next, add your room-temperature large egg to the sugar and butter mixture. Whisk until well combined. 

Whisked wet ingredients for cookie batter

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients. Sift your dry mixture into your wet batter. This will ensure there are no clumps.  

Dry ingredients to be sifted into wet ingredients

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together with a sturdy spoon. Be careful not to over mix, otherwise, you will get a chewy cookie. 

Cookie batter mixed together

The batter should look like sugar cookie dough at this point. Add in your candy corn, white chocolate, and walnuts to the batter. Fold the ingredients together. 

Candy and nuts mixed into batter

After everything is combined, put the batter into the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour. 

Once the batter has chilled. Set your oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You might need to use two baking trays as these cookies will spread as they bake in the oven.

Portion out cookies with ice cream scope or cookie scope. This helps ensure your cookies are uniform in size. 

Cookie batter portioned out with ice cream scope 

I am able to make 12 large cookies that I roll with my hands and make into balls.

Raw cookie batter rolled into balls and placed onto a baking tray

 

After you shaped your cookies into balls, press 2 to 3 candy corns into the cookies. This will give the cookies a professional look once they are baked.

Candy corn pressed into cookie batter before baking

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should still look pale with the faintest color on them. 

Baked cookies

Take them out of the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes, then dig in.

The cookies should be moist for up to 3 to 4 days. If you don’t plan to eat the cookies in a few days, stick them in the refrigerator to help them last longer. They will keep for about 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. If you want to freeze them, they can last for 2 to 3 months, just warm them up in the microwave on a low setting for 15 to 30 seconds to defrost. 

Did you make this recipe? Let me know if you like it by adding a comment. Thanks!

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