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These Butterfinger Cookies are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with crunchy chopped Butterfinger candy bars, giving you the best mix of melt-in-your-mouth cookie and that signature crispety-crunchety candy bite. I made these to use up leftover Halloween candy and now my girls beg for them year-round. If you love candy-bar treats, you have to try our Butterfinger brownies next.
A peanut butter cookie base is the perfect partner for Butterfingers, making these cookies rich, chewy, and totally irresistible.
Butterfinger Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 20 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 230kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, peanut buttery, and crunchy
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our peanut butter cookie bars
Quick Answer
Cream butter with granulated and brown sugar, then beat in peanut butter, an egg, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then fold in chopped Butterfinger candy bars. Chill the dough one hour, roll into balls, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. Chilling the dough is the secret to thick, chewy butterfinger cookies that do not spread too thin.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Peanut butter dough loves Butterfingers. The nutty peanut butter base perfectly matches the peanut-buttery crunch of the candy.
- Chilling keeps them thick and chewy. An hour in the fridge firms the dough so the butterfinger cookies bake up thick instead of flat.
- Brown sugar adds chew. Using both brown and granulated sugar gives the cookies a soft, chewy texture and deeper flavor.
- Chopped candy in every bite. Folding the Butterfingers right into the dough means crunchy candy throughout each cookie.
- A great way to use leftover candy. These butterfinger cookies are the perfect home for extra Halloween or holiday candy bars.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They combine soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with crunchy Butterfinger candy in every bite.
- Chilling the dough makes them thick, chewy, and bakery-perfect every time.
- They are a fun way to use up leftover candy, just like our Butterfinger brownies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for these butterfinger cookies. Simple pantry staples plus the star candy bars.
- Butterfingers: Chopped fun-sized bars that add that signature crispety, peanut-buttery crunch.
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter gives the cookie base its rich, nutty flavor.
- Butter and sugars: Creamed together with brown and granulated sugar for a soft, chewy texture.
- All-purpose flour: The structure that holds these chewy cookies together.
- Baking soda and powder: A little of each gives the cookies the perfect lift and spread.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These butterfinger cookies are easy to make your own. Try these swaps and add-ins.
- Add chocolate chips: Stir in semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips for extra richness.
- Swap the candy: Use chopped Reese’s, Snickers, or Twix in place of the Butterfingers.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Melt chocolate and drizzle over the cooled cookies.
- Make them bars: Press the dough into a pan and bake as butterfinger cookie bars.
- More candy treats: Try our chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels for another sweet-salty bite.
How to Make Butterfinger Cookies
- Cream the softened butter with a hand mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the granulated and brown sugar and beat for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla until combined, then mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt just until incorporated.
- Stir in the chopped Butterfingers, cover the bowl, and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, scoop and roll the dough into 2-inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the sides are set and the tops are no longer shiny. Cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the chill, one hour in the fridge keeps these butterfinger cookies thick and chewy instead of flat.
- Chop the Butterfingers small so the candy distributes evenly through every cookie.
- Use softened, not melted, butter so it creams properly with the sugars for the right texture.
- Do not overmix the flour, stop as soon as it is combined to keep the cookies tender.
- Press extra candy on top right after baking for a bakery look, like we do with our peanut butter cookie bars.
- Bake until just set, the centers finish cooking as they cool, which keeps them soft and chewy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These butterfinger cookies are best slightly warm with a cold glass of milk, when the candy is just a little soft and gooey. They make a fun addition to any cookie tray, bake sale, or holiday plate, right next to our soft frosted lofthouse cookies.
They are also a great way to use up leftover Halloween, Christmas, or Easter candy. Crumble a couple over vanilla ice cream for an easy sundae, or sandwich a scoop between two cookies for an over-the-top treat.
For a candy-bar dessert spread, serve them with our Butterfinger brownies and a batch of fudgy brownies. Store leftovers in an airtight container so they stay soft for days.
Butterfinger Cookies FAQs
Chilling firms up the butter so the butterfinger cookies bake thick and chewy instead of spreading thin. One hour in the fridge makes a big difference in texture, so do not skip it.
Yes. Roll the dough into balls, freeze them solid on a tray, then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes for perfect butterfinger cookies anytime.
These cookies work with almost any chopped candy bar. Try Reese’s, Snickers, Twix, or chopped peanut butter cups in place of the Butterfingers for a fun twist.
Flat cookies usually mean the dough was too warm or the butter was melted. Make sure to chill the dough the full hour and use softened, not melted, butter for thick butterfinger cookies.
Store cooled butterfinger cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to help keep them extra soft.
Peanut butter is key to the flavor and chewy texture here, but you can swap in a creamy nut or seed butter like almond or sunflower butter for a similar butterfinger cookie.
Want more candy-loaded treats? Try our thick and chewy Butterfinger brownies next for another irresistible dessert.
Our swirled white chocolate raspberry cookies belong in the cookie tin rotation too.
For a cozy autumn bake, try our soft and cakey pumpkin cookies.
For the Christmas plate, our powdered sugar snowball cookies disappear fastest.
When the occasion calls for color, our sprinkle cookies bring the confetti.
Candy and cookies collide again in my chocolate blossom cookies with their melty kiss centers.
Candy bar cookie fans should also try my no bake almond joy cookies.
For a no bake candy to go with these, my crockpot candy could not be easier.
Sweet and salty fans need my chocolate drizzled potato chip cookies.
Candy bar cookies covered? Now bake our Crumbl chocolate cupcake cookies with piped ganache.
Butterfinger Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 fun sized butterfingers
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter using a hand mixer until creamy and smooth, scrape the sides of the bowl.3/4 cup unsalted butter
- Add the sugar and brown sugar to the butter and beat for close to 2 minutes until it is light and fluffy.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract and beat once again till combined. Scrape the sides.1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine everything, do not overmix.1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add in the chopped butterfingers and stir into the dough. Cover the bowl and let sit in the fridge for one hour.8 fun sized butterfingers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and roll the balls into 2-inch balls, placing on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the sides are set and the top isn’t shiny anymore.
- Let the cookies set for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Creaming Perfection: Ensure your butter and sugars are creamed just right—light and fluffy—to get the best texture in your cookies.
- Don’t Over-Mix: After adding your dry ingredients, mix just until incorporated to keep your cookies soft and tender.
- Chill the Dough: Letting your cookie dough chill can prevent spreading and helps intensify the flavors.
- Uniform Cookies: Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake consistently.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature for seamless mixing.
- Watch the Oven: Keep an eye on your cookies as oven temperatures can vary. They’re done when the edges are just golden.
Nutrition
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