Every Easter there is a moment — usually somewhere around the candy aisle at the grocery store — where you pick up a bag of mini Cadbury eggs and think about eating them straight from the bag on the way home.
And you probably do. But this year, save some of them. Because these Cadbury Egg Cookies are about to become the most requested Easter bake in your entire circle.
We are starting with a base cookie dough that is specifically engineered for that perfect soft and chewy result — brown butter for depth, more brown sugar than white for chewiness, and a resting period in the fridge that makes all the difference between a good cookie and a genuinely great one.
Into that dough goes a generous amount of mini Cadbury eggs, roughly chopped so you get shards of that crispy candy shell and creamy milk chocolate in every single bite, plus chocolate chips for extra richness throughout.
The result is a cookie that has everything. Soft center, slightly crispy edges, pockets of melted chocolate, pieces of pastel candy shell that stay slightly crunchy even after baking, and that unmistakable Cadbury chocolate flavor running through the whole thing.
These disappear faster than any other cookie I have ever put on an Easter table. Fair warning issued. Let us get into it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Brown butter makes these extraordinary. Taking five extra minutes to brown the butter before making the dough adds a nutty, toasty, almost caramel-like depth that elevates these cookies from good to genuinely outstanding. It is the kind of difference you notice immediately and cannot stop thinking about.
- That soft and chewy texture is everything. More brown sugar than white, an extra egg yolk, and a chill time that most people skip — these three things together give you a cookie with a perfectly soft center and slightly crispy edges that is genuinely hard to stop eating.
- Mini Cadbury eggs in every single bite. We are not being stingy here. A full bag of mini Cadbury eggs chopped and folded through the dough means every cookie has multiple pieces of that iconic candy shell and creamy milk chocolate.
- Ready in about an hour start to finish. Most of that time is hands-off chill time. The actual active work is maybe 20 minutes. These are genuinely easy to pull together even on a busy Easter morning.
- They look absolutely stunning. The pastel pink, blue, and yellow candy pieces against the golden cookie dough look like spring on a plate. Press a few whole mini eggs on top before baking and the presentation is complete.
- The whole family can help make them. Crushing the Cadbury eggs, scooping the dough, pressing extra eggs on top — there are plenty of hands-on steps that kids love to be part of.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter — this gets browned before going into the dough. Browning butter takes about 5 minutes and transforms the flavor of the entire cookie. You are looking for the butter to melt, foam, and then develop golden brown specks at the bottom of the pan while smelling nutty and toasty. Pull it off the heat immediately when you see those brown specks and pour it into your mixing bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool for 15 minutes before using.
- 1 cup packed brown sugar — the higher ratio of brown sugar to white is intentional and important. Brown sugar contains molasses which adds chewiness, moisture, and a deeper flavor that pairs beautifully with the Cadbury chocolate.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar — balances the brown sugar and helps the edges of the cookies crisp up slightly.
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk — the extra yolk adds richness and fat which contributes directly to that soft, fudgy center. Room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly.
- 2 tsp vanilla extract — pure vanilla. It rounds out the brown butter and chocolate flavors beautifully.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour — spooned and leveled. The standard amount for this size batch — not too much, not too little.
- 1 tsp baking soda — gives the cookies the right lift without making them cakey.
- 1 tsp cornstarch — the secret ingredient for extra soft, tender cookies. Cornstarch inhibits gluten development and keeps the texture soft for days after baking. It is a small addition with a noticeable result.
- 1/2 tsp salt — essential. Balances all the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor more pronounced.
For the Mix-Ins
- 1 1/2 cups mini Cadbury eggs, roughly chopped — one standard bag should give you enough. Roughly chop them so you get a combination of larger chunks, smaller shards, and fine pieces throughout the dough. A few rough chops with a sharp knife on a cutting board is all it takes. Reserve about 1/4 cup of whole and halved eggs to press on top of the cookies before baking for that bakery-worthy look.
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips — use good quality chocolate chips. The chocolate chips add extra pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookie and complement the Cadbury chocolate without competing with it. Semi-sweet is the right choice here — milk chocolate chips make the whole thing too sweet.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Brown the Butter
- Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. A light-colored pan lets you see the color of the butter as it browns — a dark pan makes it impossible to judge and you risk burning it. Stir occasionally as the butter melts and begins to foam.
- Continue cooking, stirring frequently, as the foam subsides and the butter begins to sizzle. You will start to see golden brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan — that is the milk solids caramelizing. The butter will smell intensely nutty and toasty. That is exactly what you want.
- Remove from heat immediately when the specks are golden brown and pour the browned butter into your large mixing bowl. Scrape every last bit of those brown specks into the bowl — that is where all the flavor is. Let the butter cool for 15 minutes before proceeding.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
- Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the eggs and extra egg yolk and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the mixture is slightly lighter in color and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour — do not overmix.
Step 3: Fold in the Mix-Ins
- Fold in the chopped Cadbury eggs and chocolate chips gently with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky — that is correct.
- Reserve about 1/4 cup of whole and halved Cadbury egg pieces in a small bowl to press onto the tops of the cookies after scooping. This gives you that beautiful presentation with the pastel candy pieces clearly visible on top.
Step 4: Chill the Dough
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 72 hours. The longer the chill the better the flavor and texture — the dough hydrates fully and the flavors meld together beautifully. A 30-minute chill is the minimum. An overnight chill gives you an exceptional cookie. Do not skip chilling entirely — warm dough spreads too much in the oven and you end up with flat, greasy cookies.
Step 5: Scoop and Bake
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the chilled dough using a medium cookie scoop or two tablespoons — about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll each portion into a ball between your palms and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. These cookies spread so give them room.
- Press 3 to 4 reserved Cadbury egg pieces firmly onto the top of each dough ball before baking. This ensures beautiful candy pieces are clearly visible on top of every finished cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and glossy. This is intentional and important — the cookies continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you pull them from the oven and will set up perfectly as they cool. Overbaked cookies lose that soft chewy center.
Step 6: Finish the Cookies
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for exactly 5 minutes. Do not move them during this time — they are still setting up and are fragile when hot.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating. If you can wait that long. The centers will be perfectly soft and the edges will have just enough crispness to give you that satisfying contrast in every bite.
Serving Suggestions
These Cadbury Egg Cookies are hard to improve on but here are a few ways to serve and enjoy them:
- Serve them slightly warm with a cold glass of milk. This is the classic combination for a reason and these cookies specifically are incredible slightly warm when the chocolate is still a little soft and gooey inside.
- Pile them on a tiered cookie stand for your Easter dessert table alongside the Italian Easter Cookies and Easter Bunny Chow for a spread that looks completely professional and intentional.
- Pack them in individual bags tied with a pastel ribbon as Easter party favors or gifts. Two or three cookies in a clear cellophane bag look charming and feel genuinely special.
- Add them to an Easter basket alongside the candy and treats for a homemade touch that stands out from the store-bought stuff every single time.
- Serve at room temperature for the best texture. These cookies are genuinely at their best the day after baking when the flavors have fully developed and the texture has had time to settle into that perfect soft and chewy consistency.
- Pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple Easter dessert that feels completely indulgent. A warm Cadbury egg cookie with a scoop of ice cream on top is an experience worth having.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a slice of bread in the container to keep the cookies soft — the bread releases moisture that prevents the cookies from drying out. Replace the bread slice after a couple of days if needed.
- Refrigerator: These keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before eating or warm for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Freezer — Baked Cookies: Cool completely then place in a single layer in a freezer-safe zip-lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Freezer — Cookie Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into balls, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the baking time. Fresh cookies on demand with zero effort — one of the best things in baking.
- Make-Ahead Option: The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. The extended chill actually improves the flavor and texture significantly. This is genuinely one of the best make-ahead cookie doughs you will ever work with.
Go Buy Two Bags of Cadbury Eggs
One for snacking on the way home from the grocery store. One for these cookies. That is the move. Because once you make these and see how fast they disappear off the plate, you are going to wish you had made a double batch. And you will absolutely be making a double batch next time.
Soft centers, slightly crispy edges, brown butter depth, pockets of melted chocolate, and those iconic pastel Cadbury egg pieces in every single bite. This is the Easter cookie recipe you keep. The one you make every year. The one people start asking about in February.
Make them this Easter and drop a comment below telling me how they turned out. And if you make a batch and photograph them — please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram. Seeing those pastel Cadbury egg pieces against that golden cookie dough is one of my favorite things. Happy baking.
— Kip
Cadbury Egg Cookies (Soft, Chewy & Loaded with Easter Candy)
Description
A classic soft and chewy cookie dough loaded with mini Cadbury eggs and chocolate chips, baked until golden at the edges and perfectly soft in the center. The Easter cookie that every single person at your table will reach for first and ask about second.
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