This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy
Candy Pizza — a soft chocolate chip cookie crust topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter, then loaded with lots of your favorite candy!
Candy pizza is one of those desserts that makes everyone at the table grin. It starts with a big, gooey chocolate chip cookie baked in a round pan, gets a layer of melted chocolate and peanut butter poured over while it’s still warm, and then gets piled high with chopped candy bars. Cut it into wedges like a pizza and watch it disappear. The first time I made this candy bar cookie pizza, my husband took a slice out to someone doing work on our house, and I was only slightly worried he’d find more work to do just to get another piece!
This is my favorite way to use up leftover Halloween candy, but you really don’t need a holiday to make it. Peanut butter cups, Rolos, and M&M’s are my go-to combo, but you can raid the kids’ trick-or-treat bags, grab whatever is in the candy aisle, or use up Easter and Valentine’s candy too. Homemade or store-bought cookie dough both work, so it’s an easy dessert for birthday parties, movie nights, or any night you need something fun.
Erin’s Notes
- Uses up leftover candy. It’s the perfect home for all that extra Halloween candy (or any holiday candy).
- Easy shortcut option. Store-bought cookie dough works great when you’re short on time.
- Totally customizable. Use any mix of candy you like — every pizza can be different.
- Ready in about 25 minutes. Quick enough for a weeknight treat.
- Kid-friendly and crowd-pleasing. Kids love helping sprinkle on the candy, and it slices into easy-to-serve wedges for a party.
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate chip cookie dough: Use one batch of your favorite homemade chocolate chip cookie dough or store-bought refrigerated dough. Both work great.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These melt with the peanut butter to make the creamy layer that holds the candy in place.
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter melts the smoothest and pairs perfectly with peanut butter cups. You can also leave it out (see Variations).
- Candy: About 1 1/2 cups chopped candy. I like peanut butter cups, Rolos, and M&M’s, but Snickers, Twix, Kit Kats, Butterfingers, and other candy bars all work. Chop bigger candy bars into bite-size pieces so they stick to the topping and slice cleanly.
Candy Bar Cookie Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 batch chocolate chip cookie dough, (homemade or store bought)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups candy, , chopped (whatever you like)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Spread cookie dough in a 10-inch springform pan (or a 9-inch baking dish).1 batch chocolate chip cookie dough
- Bake for 10–15 minutes until edges are golden and the center is set. Do not overbake; it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together until smooth.3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/3 cup peanut butter
- Pour over cookie. Spread in an even layer.
- Immediately sprinkle chopped candy over the cookie.1 1/2 cups candy
- Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. It will be very messy unless you let the chocolate set completely.
Notes
- A 12-inch pizza pan or 9×13 pan also works. The crust will be thinner, so start checking for doneness early.
- To skip the peanut butter, melt the chocolate chips on their own. Use nut-free candy for a nut-free version.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Candy Pizza
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the cookie dough in an even layer in a 10-inch springform pan or a 9-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set. Don’t overbake — the cookie keeps cooking after it comes out of the oven.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Melt the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate over the cookie and spread it into an even layer.
- Add the candy. Immediately sprinkle the chopped candy over the top so it sticks while the chocolate is still soft.
- Let it set. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. It will be very messy unless you let the chocolate set completely.
Recipe Tips
- Pull the cookie a little early. It should look just set in the middle. It firms up as it cools and stays soft and chewy.
- Add the candy right away. The warm chocolate layer acts like glue — if it starts to set, the candy won’t stick.
- Chop larger candy bars. Bite-size pieces are easier to slice through and spread more evenly over the top.
- Wait before slicing. Give the chocolate time to set so you get clean wedges. A large sharp knife or pizza cutter works best.
- Use a springform pan for easy serving. Just release the sides and slice right on the base.
Variations
- Store-bought cookie dough: Press refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough into the pan instead of making it from scratch.
- Mix up the candy: Try Snickers, Twix, Kit Kats, Butterfingers, or any mix of candy bars you have on hand. Peanut butter cups, Rolos, and M&M’s are my favorite combo.
- Skip the peanut butter: Melt the chocolate chips on their own for a plain chocolate topping. For a nut-free candy pizza, skip the peanut butter and choose nut-free candy.
- Use a different pan: A 12-inch pizza pan or a 9×13 pan both work. The cookie will be thinner in a larger pan, so start checking for doneness early.
How To Store Candy Pizza
Store leftover candy pizza covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep it somewhere cool so the chocolate layer stays set.
More Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes
Erin, this is the very best way to enjoy Halloween candy. The cookie base looks perfect and it’s fun to customize with whatever kind of candy you have left over.
If I had kids, I would definitely take a parent tax from their candy… like all the snicker’s bars!!
My kids would go nuts over this! I may have to convince them to fork over some of their halloween candy and make this with me!
How fun does this look! Sweet tooth perfection!
Wowzers!! Love this so much! The perfect way to use up leftover trick or treat candy! 🙂
Haha. You could tell him he can do all the work he wants if he’s okay being paid in sweets. 😀 This cookie pizza looks amazing! I love easy desserts like this so much.
This is such a fun way to use up those pounds (and we have POUNDS here) of Halloween candy. My kids would love this!
Oooh, what a dreamy dessert! Two of my kids are nuts for peanut butter cups, so this cookie pizza is going on my baking list ASAP!