Description
Okay, so picture this: you take a chewy brown sugar cookie, stuff it with gooey caramel and chunks of Butterfinger candy bars, then roll the whole thing in crushed Butterfinger pieces so every bite has that satisfying crunch. These cookies are what happens when you take everything good about candy bars and cookie dough and smash them together into one absolutely unhinged dessert. They’re crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, with pockets of melted caramel and that distinctive peanut buttery crunch that Butterfingers are famous for. I brought these to a potluck once and watched a grown man take three cookies, wrap them in a napkin, and put them in his jacket pocket “for later.” That’s the level of obsession we’re dealing with here.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark, your call)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Butterfinger candy bars (about 8–10 fun-size bars), divided
- 24–30 soft caramel squares, unwrapped (Kraft caramels work great)
For Rolling:
- 1 cup crushed Butterfinger pieces (about 4–5 fun-size bars, crushed fine)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar (optional, for extra sparkle)
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Your Candy
Chop up your Butterfingers. You want some bigger chunks (like pea-sized) for texture, and some finer pieces for rolling. Put the crushed rolling pieces in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Unwrap all those caramels. This is tedious but necessary. Do it while watching TV or something.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat softened butter with both sugars for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Don’t rush this—the fluffiness matters.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined. Don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough.
Fold in 1 cup of the chopped Butterfinger pieces. Save the rest for later.
Step 3: Stuff These Bad Boys
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough (a medium cookie scoop works perfectly).
Flatten it slightly in your palm, place a caramel square in the center, and wrap the dough around it completely. Make sure the caramel is fully enclosed or it’ll leak out during baking.
Roll the dough ball in your hands to smooth it out.
Roll it in the crushed Butterfinger mixture until it’s completely coated. Press gently so the pieces stick.
Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. They spread like crazy.
Step 4: Bake to Perfection
Bake for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and set, but the centers will look slightly underdone. That’s what you want—they’ll continue cooking on the baking sheet.
DO NOT OVERBAKE. Seriously. Set a timer. These go from perfect to hockey pucks in about 90 seconds.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (this is when they finish cooking and the caramel sets slightly), then transfer to a wire rack.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped Butterfinger pieces over the warm cookies so they stick.
Step 5: Exercise Restraint (Good Luck)
Try to wait at least 10 minutes before eating. The caramel is molten lava and will burn the roof of your mouth.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Both are phenomenal.
Hide a few for yourself before serving them to others. This is self-care.
Notes
These are basically a dessert unto themselves, but if you want to go full dessert mode:
- Serve with vanilla ice cream for a cookie sundae situation
- Drizzle with extra caramel sauce because why not
- Pair with cold milk (obviously)
- Crumble over ice cream for the world’s best cookies and cream
- Warm them up for 10 seconds in the microwave to re-melt the caramel
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~195 kcal
- Fat: ~9g
- Carbohydrates: ~27g
- Protein: ~3g