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Candy Corn Cookies Recipe

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4.4 from 7 reviews

Candy Corn Cookies are festive, colorful treats perfect for Halloween or any fun occasion. These buttery, soft cookies feature vibrant layers of white, yellow, and orange dough stacked and shaped to resemble candy corn. They are lightly flavored with vanilla and a hint of almond extract, baked to a tender finish with a slight crust on the outside. Fun to make and delightful to eat, these cookies bring a playful spirit to your dessert table.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
  • 1/4 cup (2 oz) full fat cream cheese, room temperature (56g)
  • 1 large egg yolk (20g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (5g)
  • 1 tsp almond extract, optional (5g)

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch (5g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

Additional

  • Yellow and orange gel food coloring
  • Granulated sugar, optional, for coating

Instructions

  1. Prepare the butter and cream cheese: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, beat together the unsalted butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and well combined.
  2. Add sugar and mix: Incorporate granulated sugar and mix on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy.
  3. Add egg yolk and extracts: Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, and optional almond extract on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  4. Incorporate dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Mix on low speed just until everything is combined, making sure not to overmix. Scrape down the bowl to ensure even mixing.
  5. Divide and color dough: Divide the sticky dough into three equal parts. Leave one portion plain (white), color one portion yellow, and one portion orange using gel food coloring. Flatten each portion into approximately 1/3 inch thick rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap for easier rolling later.
  6. Chill the dough: Refrigerate the wrapped dough for about 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes. Dough can also be chilled overnight; if so, let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling.
  7. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
  8. Roll out dough portions: Remove plastic wrap and dust dough and rolling pin with flour lightly. Roll each dough portion to 1/4 inch thickness on the plastic wrap.
  9. Stack and seal layers: Place the rolled yellow dough on a flat surface, then place orange dough on top, then white dough on top of orange. Use the rolling pin to gently press the layers so they stick together.
  10. Cut cookies: Using a large sharp knife, cut the stacked dough into 1/3 inch wide strips. Then cut tall, narrow triangles from these strips to mimic candy corn shapes.
  11. Optional sugar coating: Toss cookies in granulated sugar if desired, which adds a slight crunch but reduces the realistic candy corn look.
  12. Arrange cookies for baking: Place cookies on prepared baking sheets with 1/2 inch spacing, as they will not spread much during baking.
  13. Chill cookies before baking: Chill the cookie trays in the fridge for 15 minutes or freezer for 5 minutes to help the cookies keep their shape.
  14. Bake the cookies: Bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack for 8-12 minutes, rotating halfway through. The cookies should be lightly firm on the outside but still soft inside—avoid browning edges. Test doneness by gently pressing; slight softness is okay.
  15. Cool: Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.

Notes

  • Using gel food coloring prevents dough from becoming too wet compared to liquid colorings.
  • Chilling the dough thoroughly helps maintain defined candy corn layers and prevents spreading during baking.
  • If chilling overnight, allow dough to warm slightly before rolling for easier handling.
  • Cookies continue to firm up after baking, so be careful not to overbake.
  • Cookie thickness and size can be adjusted, but baking times may vary accordingly.
  • This recipe can be doubled but bake on separate sheets to avoid overcrowding.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/candy-corn-cookies-recipe/