Last Modified: Sep 3, 2026 by Tara Gerner 30 Comments

Double Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies: A Fun Halloween Cookie Recipe

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Double chocolate candy corn cookies take a classic chocolate cookie and dress it up for fall with sweet, crunchy pieces of candy corn folded right into the dough. Every bite has that deep, fudgy chocolate flavor you'd expect from a double chocolate cookie, balanced out by the pop of color and sweetness from the candy corn scattered throughout. They come together with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand, and they bake up soft in the center with just the right amount of chew. Whether you're baking for a Halloween party, a fall bake sale, or just because the season calls for something festive, these cookies are an easy way to bring a little seasonal fun to your cookie jar.

Why this is the best Double Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies recipe

Candy corn cookies are a fun Halloween cookie recipe. The dark chocolate cookies with bright candy corn pieces have all the colors and flavors you want in a festive Halloween dessert.

Chocolate candy corn cookies are thick, chewy, and chocolatey. Unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips give these cookies plenty of rich chocolate flavor, while chilling the dough helps create thick, bakery-style cookies.

Double chocolate candy corn cookies are easy to make with basic baking ingredients. Butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, flour, chocolate chips, and candy corn come together to make a fun seasonal treat without anything complicated. You probably already have it all in your pantry, but if not, any local grocery store will most likely have these ingredients.

Candy corn cookies are great for Halloween parties, fall get-togethers, classroom treats, or an afternoon of baking with the kids. The candy corn makes an ordinary chocolate cookie feel extra festive without requiring cookies cutters, decorating, or frosting.

What you'll need to make the best Double Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies

Equipment

Stand mixer - Any mixer will be fine. You can also use an electric hand mixer if you have one; if you don't have either, a whisk and spatula will do the job, though it'll take a lot of elbow grease.
Scoop set - I always use a scoop when baking cookies or cupcakes, to ensure that they are all the same size and cook at the same time. If some are bigger and some are smaller, the smaller ones will be hard and overcooked before the bigger ones are done in the middle.
Cookie sheet - Obviously, you need something to bake these cookies on.
Parchment paper - So that your cookies don't stick to the cookie sheet.

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Ingredients

Melted butter - It doesn't really matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter, as there isn't really enough salt in salted butter for the average person to taste a difference.
Brown sugar - Make sure this is tightly packed. This makes soft and chewy cookies.
White sugar - This gives makes the cookies spread and gives them their crispy edges
Vanilla bean paste - I prefer vanilla bean paste to vanilla extract because the paste has a much stronger and richer vanilla flavor. Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol and then removing the beans. Vanilla bean paste is made by mixing crushed vanilla beans into concentrated vanilla extract. You can use them interchangeably in equal amounts.
Orange extract - This works really well with candy corn. If you are using a different kind of candy, substitute vanilla bean paste for orange extract if you think the orange will clash with flavors in your candy.
Eggs - Eggs are the powerhouse in cookies. They add moisture and fat and make the cookies hold together and bake up nice and chewy. If you skip the egg, your cookies will be crumbly piles of flour.
Unsweetened cocoa powder - This makes your cookies chocolatey.
All-purpose flour - You can substitute this with a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix.
Baking soda - This makes your cookies rise.
Salt - This is also a leavening agent which makes your cookies rise.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips - This is the "double chocolate" component. You can leave them out if you want or replace them with another kind of chip like milk or dark chocolate or even peanut butter. (I don't recommend peanut butter chips with candy corn. That would be weird.)
Candy corn - You can really use any seasonal goodie - mint chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, mini marshmallows, M&Ms, chopped nuts, red hots... you're only limited by your imagination.

How to make easy Double Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies

In a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and orange extracts.
Add eggs one at a time, and beat until well incorporated.
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Whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift. Note here that you measure the ingredients before you sift.
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Add sifted ingredients to the mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to fold the dry ingredients in until they're just combined.
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For the longest time, it will feel like you're just moving around the sifted ingredients. Suddenly, it will feel like you're trying to stir cement. This is what you want.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the candy.
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Mix just enough to distribute. Don't overwork the dough!
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Dip a small scoop into water (to prevent sticking) and drop dough onto a baking sheet about 1½ inches apart. Flatten the balls slightly, and try to make sure that none of the candy corn pieces are precarious. If they are sticking out too far, they'll melt and slide off the cookie. It doesn't hurt anything, but they won't be in your cookies, either.
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Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown (less if using a thinner metal cookie sheet, so watch them carefully starting around 10 minutes). Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet.
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Repeat in batches for the rest of your cookie dough.

Substitutions & variations

If you don't like candy corn or can't find it, you can replace it with another seasonal candy or baking mix-in. M&M's, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, mint chips, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, mini marshmallows, or cinnamon candies can all work well.

You can change the cookies for different holidays simply by changing the candy. Try red and green M&M's for Christmas, mini eggs for Easter, or peanut butter candies when you want a chocolate-peanut butter version.

The recipe uses orange extract because orange works nicely with chocolate and candy corn. If you're using a different candy and don't think orange will complement it, replace the orange extract with additional vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.

You can also combine two or three mix-ins instead of using only candy corn. Try candy corn with extra chocolate chips, peanut butter chips with chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips with chopped nuts. Just keep the total amount of added candy and chips reasonably close to the original recipe so the cookie dough isn't overloaded.

Storing leftover Double Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies

Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. Place them in an airtight container at room temperature, where they should stay soft and chewy for about 4 to 5 days.

If you want to keep the cookies longer, freeze them in an airtight freezer container or zippered freezer bag for up to 3 months. Place parchment or wax paper between layers so they don't stick together.

Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before serving. If you like your chocolate cookies warm and gooey, microwave an individual cookie for just a few seconds before eating it.