These Spooky Chocolate Cookies with sprinkles, chocolate chips and candy eyes are the perfect Halloween treat!
Y'all should probably know something about me. I love Halloween. Like, I LOVE it. Not so much the horror and gore kind of Halloween (at 33 I still can't sit through a horror movie) but the fun happy ghosts, ghouls and witches kind of Halloween. It's just my favorite season and these cookies are absolutely perfect for getting in the spooky mood!
The Spooky Chocolate Cookies have a deep chocolate flavor and fun exterior that the whole family will love. Happy haunting!
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Tips for involving your kids.
This is a great recipe to make with kids!
Mine love to stir the flour ingredients together and help me pour in the chocolate chips. I also let them roll the cookie dough balls in the sprinkles before baking. Just make sure they don't eat the raw dough!
If you have teenagers or older kids you can also let them help press the eyes on after the cookies come out of the oven. Though this job is probably too hot for those 5 and under.
Have fun!
More Halloween recipes for you to love!
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer: I will forever love my KitchenAid Mixer for making cookies. This KitchenAid hand mixer also works great!
- Baking sheet
- Wire Cooling Rack: Love this Oxo cooling rack!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder: Make sure it is unsweetened and good quality.
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon (optional): I love the warmth that cinnamon gives to this recipe but feel free to omit if you prefer.
- Espresso powder (optional): Espresso powder does something magical when combined with cocoa and really brings out the chocolate flavor. If you don't have any no worries, the cookies will still be delicious. But if you do I highly recommend adding a pinch.
- Unsalted Butter: I love baking with Kerrygold butter. It's such great quality and makes everything delicious!
- White granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate Chips: I like a combination of regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips for this recipe. You could substitute one for the other or even add white chocolate chips if you prefer.
- Candy eyes: I like using these Wilton Candy Eyes because they come is variety of sizes which look really cool on this cookie.
- Halloween sprinkles or colored sugars: As you can see from the pictures I did a mix of Halloween sprinkles and some colored sugars to coat the cookies with. Feel free to just use regular sugar or any kind of sprinkles you prefer.
Step by Step Instructions
Time needed: 1 hour and 35 minutes
How to make Spooky Chocolate Cookies for Halloween:
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Add in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 350 F. Form the cookies and roll in sprinkles or colored sugar.
- Bake the cookies
- Remove from the oven and immediately press spooky eye candies onto the tops of the cookies.
- Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is yes. If definitely makes the cookies better. Refrigerating the dough allows the fat to solidify and the gluten to relax. This allows the cookies to bake more evening and prevents spreading.
I highly recommend against it. Most eye candies aren't made with high heat levels in mind so they will melt and potentially burn, giving the cookies a bitter taste.
You certainly can! Or white chocolate chips or a combo of all three. Get creative!
Nope, the cookies will come out just fine without sprinkles. They just add to the Halloween fun!
These cookies are best enjoyed within the first 3 days if stored at room temperature.
They will stay fresh 2-3 weeks in the fridge and 3-4+ months in the freezer. Make sure they are in an air tight container.
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Recipe
Spooky Chocolate Cookies for Halloween
Ingredients
- 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup butter (1.5 sticks), softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips sub with regular chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
- candy eyes of various sizes
- Halloween sprinkles or colored sugars
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cornstarch, and espresso powder. Stir until well combined (no lumps) and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or mixing bowl with hand mixer) cream together butter, ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
- Add in egg and vanilla extract and beat for additional minute or 2 until well combined.
- Add in half of the dry mixture to the butter mixture and beat low for around 20 seconds until combined. Then repeat with the remaining dry mixture and beat on low until combined.
- Add in chocolate chips and beat on low for 5-10 seconds until just combined. (do not over mix)
- Cover the dough with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- After chilling, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small cup or mug (or plate) pour Halloween sprinkles or colored sugars. Use a cookie scoop, measure out about 2 tablespoon of dough use your hands to roll into a ball. Roll the top of the ball in the sprinkles or sugar mixture to coat. Arrange coated cookie dough balls on the parchment lines cookie sheets about 2-3 inches apart. Repeat the process until the dough has been used up. You should get between 24 and 28 cookies.
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press a few of the candy eyeballs on top of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Dionne
Ah, these cookies are absolutely amazing! I would love to make a big batch of them ASAP! 🙂
Carrie Robinson
Oh my goodness! These are so much fun! Definitely saving this for next Halloween. 🙂
Keri
My kids will love these. I'm always on the lookout for good Halloween recipes!
Amanda Dixon
Well, these are just the cutest Halloween cookies! I adore those spooky eyes, and the fudgy texture is absolute perfection.
Beth
What a fun and lovely cookie! These look amazing and sim so excited to make these with my daughter for Halloween! Saved to my bookmarks.