Heath Candy Bar Cookies

These bar cookies use a clever split-batter technique. A brown sugar and butter mixture gets divided: most becomes the base batter with egg, milk, and vanilla, while a reserved cup gets mixed with crushed Heath bars and pecans to create a streusel topping that bakes into a crunchy, candy-studded crust.

Six Heath bars crushed into the topping is generous, and that’s exactly the right amount. The toffee chunks melt slightly during baking, creating pockets of buttery, caramelized candy throughout the crumble. The pecans toast alongside them and add a nutty crunch that holds up against the chewy base.

The base itself is soft and cake-like thanks to the milk and baking soda, giving you a contrast between the tender bottom layer and the crunchy candy-nut top.

Kitchen Tips

• Crush the Heath bars while still in their wrappers by smacking them against a hard surface. This gives you irregular chunks instead of fine dust.
• Press the streusel topping gently onto the batter. Don’t mix it in or you lose the distinct top layer.
• Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting. The toffee is sticky when warm and will pull apart instead of slicing.
• Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade between cuts. Toffee and chocolate stick to the blade and drag through subsequent slices.

Variations

• Butterfinger version: Swap Heath bars for crushed Butterfinger candy bars and use peanuts instead of pecans.
• Salted toffee: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the streusel topping before baking for a sweet-salty finish.