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Easy Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars: Best Fall Dessert

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These Easy Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars are the kind of dessert that feels both nostalgic and brand new. A soft sugar cookie base, a creamy cream cheese swirl, and chewy-sweet candy corn come together in under 45 minutes for a festive fall treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (about 225g) candy corn

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 ½ cups granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Add 2 room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Add 1 egg yolk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until creamy.
  6. Press about two-thirds of the sugar cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the dough and gently spread into an even layer. Pinch off small pieces of remaining cookie dough and scatter over the cream cheese layer.
  7. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups candy corn evenly over the top. Gently press the candy corn into the dough just enough so it sticks.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center is set but still slightly soft. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, about 1-2 hours.
  10. Use parchment paper handles to lift bars out of the pan. Slice into 24 squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients matter for best texture. Do not overmix the cookie dough. Watch bake time carefully; start checking at 25 minutes. Gently press candy corn into dough so it stays visible. Cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: candy corn, sugar cookie bars, fall dessert, Halloween, Thanksgiving, easy dessert, cream cheese swirl

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/easy-candy-corn-sugar-cookie-bars-best-fall-dessert/