Introduction

These Halloween Cookies are a festive treat perfect for celebrating the spooky season. Rich with black cocoa and colorful Halloween M&M’s, they combine a soft, chocolatey base with playful decorations that are sure to delight kids and adults alike.

The image shows a pile of dark chocolate cookies, each decorated with two white candy eyes on top near the center, giving a face-like look. The cookies have colorful candy-coated chocolates in green, orange, and purple scattered on their surface, along with bright orange, green, and purple sprinkles spread over evenly. The cookies overlap in a casual stack, sitting on a surface with a white marbled texture that contrasts with the dark cookies and vibrant decorations. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
5 tbsp (35 g) black cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (170 g) Halloween M&M’s
3 tbsp (36 g) Halloween jimmies (sprinkles)
Candy eyeballs for decoration
Extra Halloween M&M’s and jimmies for decoration

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Step 3: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar using an electric mixer for about two minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 4: Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed for two minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Step 5: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
Step 6: Gently fold in the Halloween M&M’s and jimmies with a rubber spatula, distributing them evenly through the dough.
Step 7: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, form 17 balls of dough and place them about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Decorate each dough ball with extra M&M’s, candy eyeballs, and sprinkles, pressing them lightly into the dough.
Step 8: Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, until set but still soft in the center.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Replace any melted candy eyeballs after baking if needed. For a perfectly round shape, gently use a large circular cookie cutter to refine the edges while the cookies are warm.

Tips & Variations

Use room temperature egg yolks for better mixing and a softer texture.
Swap Halloween M&M’s for regular chocolate chips or other seasonal candies if preferred.
Press candy eyeballs on after baking if you want them to keep their shape without melting.
For extra chewiness, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep the decorations fresh, avoid stacking cookies or place parchment paper between layers. Reheat slightly in a microwave for a few seconds if you prefer warm cookies.

How to Serve

A close-up view of dark black cookies stacked closely, each cookie decorated with colorful candy eyes, bright round candy pieces in purple, green, and orange, and sprinkled with small, thin sprinkles in neon green, orange, and purple colors. The cookies have a rough texture and the playful, bright decorations create a fun, lively look on the dark cookie surface. The overall image is vibrant with the contrast of dark black cookies and the multicolored candy toppings. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use whole eggs instead of just egg yolks?

Using whole eggs will change the texture, making the cookies cakier. The recipe is designed for yolks only to keep the cookies tender and rich.

What can I substitute for black cocoa powder?

You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but the cookies will be lighter in color and have a slightly different flavor.

Halloween Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 85 reviews

Delightfully spooky Halloween cookies packed with rich black cocoa, festive Halloween M&M’s, jimmies, and candy eyeballs. These soft, flavorful cookies are perfect for celebrating the Halloween season with a fun twist on a classic treat.

Author: Stella
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10-11 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Yield: 17 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
5 tbsp (35 g) black cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-ins and Decorations

3/4 cup (170 g) Halloween M&M’s
3 tbsp (36 g) Halloween jimmies
Candy eyeballs for decoration
Extra Halloween M&Ms and jimmies for decoration

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow even baking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined and uniform in color.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the softened unsalted butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar for about two minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on medium speed for two minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined, avoiding overmixing to keep cookies tender.
Fold in M&Ms and Sprinkles: Gently fold the Halloween M&M’s and jimmies into the cookie dough using a rubber spatula, distributing them evenly without breaking them.
Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using a 2-tablespoon capacity cookie scoop, portion out 17 balls of cookie dough. Arrange them spaced about two inches apart on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets. Decorate each dough ball by pressing extra M&Ms, candy eyeballs, and jimmies on top and around the sides for a festive appearance.
Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes until set but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep them chewy.
Cool and Finish Decoration: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If any candy eyeballs have melted during baking, replace them with fresh ones. For a perfect circular shape, you can carefully press a large circular cookie cutter around each cookie while still warm.

Notes

Make sure the butter is softened but not melted for proper creaming with sugars.
Using black cocoa powder gives the cookies a dark, rich color and chocolate flavor; do not substitute lightly as it changes the texture and color.
Egg yolks add richness and help create a chewy texture.
Be gentle when folding in M&Ms and sprinkles to prevent breaking the candies.
Spacing cookies about 2 inches apart prevents them from merging as they spread in the oven.
If candy eyeballs melt, replacing them after baking preserves the festive look.
For uniform shape, trimming the edges gently with a cookie cutter right after baking while warm helps maintain a neat presentation.

Keywords: Halloween cookies, black cocoa cookies, holiday treats, festive desserts, candy eyeball cookies, chocolate cookies