If you need an easy homemade gift that actually gets used, this Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar does the job nicely. You layer the dry ingredients in a jar, attach the baking directions, and the recipient only needs butter and an egg to turn it into sweet, peanut-buttery cookies with crisp little Butterfinger bits.
It also works well for make-ahead baking. Mix up a few jars for the pantry, and you’ve got a quick dessert ready for bake-sale season, holiday trays, or the kind of week where everyone suddenly wants cookies at once. Since raw flour should not be tasted before baking, keep this one firmly in the “wait for the oven” category, as explained by the University of New Hampshire Extension flour safety guidance.
What You’ll Need
This jar mix keeps the ingredient list short and practical: flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered vanilla, baking soda, and broken Butterfinger bars. When you’re ready to bake, add 1 cup softened butter and 1 large egg.
If you like make-ahead gifts, this one sits right alongside Sugar Cookie Mix in Jar and other pantry-friendly cookie mixes. Same smart idea, better candy-bar payoff.
How to Layer the Jar
Use a clean 1-quart jar or a vacuum-seal bag. Add the flour first, then the granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered vanilla, baking soda, and finish with the broken Butterfinger pieces on top. Pack each layer lightly so everything fits without turning the candy into dust.
Attach a tag with the baking directions so the jar is ready to gift: add 1 cup softened butter and 1 large egg, mix well, shape into 1-inch balls, flatten with a fork, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
How to Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Empty the jar mix into a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup softened butter and 1 large egg.
- Mix until the dough is fully combined and no dry pockets remain.
- Shape the dough into small 1-inch balls.
- Place the dough balls on greased cookie sheets and press each one down lightly with a fork.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the cookies are set.
- Cool briefly on the pan, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Expect about 36 cookies, depending on how generously you roll those 1-inch dough balls. If your first tray gives you giant bakery boulders, make the next round a bit smaller and carry on.
If Butterfinger is your thing, you might also like Butterfinger Brownie Mix for the same candy-bar flavor in a richer, fudgier direction.
Tips for Best Results
Soften the butter before mixing. Soft butter blends into the dry mix evenly, while melted butter can make the dough spread more than you want.
Break the candy into small pieces, not fine crumbs. Tiny chunks give you better distribution and keep the cookies from baking up with a few random candy boulders and a lot of disappointment.
Do not overmix the dough. Once the flour is incorporated, stop. Overworked dough can bake up tougher than necessary, and these cookies are meant to stay tender.
Easy Variations
Swap the Butterfinger pieces for chopped peanut butter cups if you want a softer candy bite. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of chocolate chips to the dough for a more chocolate-forward cookie.
If you enjoy candy-bar cookies in general, Peanut Butter Peanut Chip Cookies make another good option when you want that sweet-salty, peanut-heavy flavor profile.
Storage and Shelf Life
Jar mix storage: Store the sealed jar in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Since the mix includes crushed candy pieces, a conservative pantry shelf life is about 3 months for best quality. That’s an estimate, but it keeps you on the safe side for flavor and texture.
Unbaked dough storage: Once mixed with butter and egg, refrigerate the dough promptly and bake it within 2 to 3 days. You can also portion and freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months for best quality.
Baked cookie storage: Keep the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 months. Let them cool completely before sealing them up so you don’t trap steam and end up with soggy cookies. Nobody asked for steamed cookie sadness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these cookies with cold milk, hot coffee, or packed into a cookie tin for gifting. They also fit nicely on a holiday cookie tray beside simpler classics like Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies.
For a casual dessert plate, crumble one or two cookies over vanilla ice cream. That gives you the Butterfinger crunch without having to unwrap another candy bar. Efficient and delicious is a fine combination.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
All-purpose flour |
$2.96 |
2 C. |
$0.31 |
|
Granulated sugar |
$2.98 |
1/2 C. |
$0.16 |
|
Firmly packed brown sugar |
$2.24 |
1/2 C. |
$0.27 |
|
Powdered vanilla |
$5.94 |
1 t. |
$0.50 |
|
Baking soda |
$0.92 |
1 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Butterfinger bars |
$2.98 |
2 ≈ 1 count = 1 stick = 0.5 cup = 4 oz = 113.4 g |
$1.49 |
|
Butter |
$2.98 |
1 C. |
$1.49 |
|
Large egg |
$1.47 |
1 |
$0.12 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$4.35 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.12 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Light Brown Sugar, 2 lb
- Vanilla Powder, 2.8 oz
- Baking Soda, 16 oz
- Butterfinger Share Size Candy Bar, 3.7 oz
- Unsalted Butter, 16 oz
- Large Eggs, 12 count
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar
Use a 1-quart jar. That size gives you enough room for the flour, sugars, baking soda, vanilla powder, and candy pieces without crushing everything into one solid brick.
You can, but add it when you mix the dough, not in the jar. Use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in place of the 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla so the dry mix stays shelf stable.
Pressing the dough helps the cookies spread evenly because this dough is fairly rich and thick from the butter and candy pieces. A light flattening is enough. You want a disk, not a pancake.
Absolutely. Refrigerate the mixed dough for 2 to 3 days, or scoop it into balls and freeze it for up to 2 months. Frozen dough usually needs an extra 1 to 2 minutes in the oven.
Break them into small chunks and keep them near the top of the jar until mixing time. If you crush them too finely, they disappear into the dough and you lose that little crunch you were counting on.
Yes, just double every ingredient and mix in a large bowl instead of a jar. If you bake both trays at once, rotate the pans halfway through so the cookies brown more evenly.
Keep mixing before you panic. Brown sugar lumps and candy pieces can make the dough look rough at first. If it still seems crumbly after thorough mixing, let it sit 5 minutes so the sugar can absorb moisture from the egg and butter.
Plan on about 36 small cookies. That estimate assumes 1-inch dough balls, which is the size listed on the tag directions.
Cold milk is the obvious answer, and for once the obvious answer is correct. They’re also good with coffee, hot cocoa, or crumbled over vanilla ice cream when you want an easy dessert that looks more planned than it was.
Yes, and it usually makes cleanup easier. Parchment also helps limit over-browning on the bottoms, especially if your baking sheets run hot.
📌 Love this Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar? Pin it!
Did you make this recipe? Tell us how it turned out and what you paired it with in the comments. Your practical tweaks might save someone else a batch of cookie frustration.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar
Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Butterfinger bars broken into little pieces
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 large egg
Equipment
Instructions
- Layer the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered vanilla, baking soda, and broken Butterfinger pieces in a 1-quart jar or vacuum-seal bag.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Empty the jar mix into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the softened butter and egg.
- Mix well until fully combined.
- Shape the dough into small 1-inch balls.
- Place on greased cookie sheets and press each ball down with a fork.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is an estimate for layering the jar and mixing the dough.
Jar mix shelf life is about 3 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry for best quality.
Mixed dough can be refrigerated 2 to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.
Baked cookies keep about 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Butterfinger bars are my absolute favorite candy bar. I love the idea of adding them to cookies. Do you think that I could make these in a pan so they’re more like cookie bar style or will they not come out?
Yes, you would want to use a 9″x9″ baking dish for that and grease the bottom lightly or spray it with non-stick cooking spray to make Butterfinger Cookie Bars.