Halloween Cookies (Fudgy Chocolate Cookies with Candy Eyeballs)

Black chocolate cookies decorated with orange, green, and purple candy-coated chocolates, sprinkles, and edible candy eyes.

Halloween Cookies (Fudgy Chocolate Cookies with Candy Eyeballs)

These soft and chewy Halloween cookies get their dramatic dark color from black cocoa powder. They're loaded with orange, green, and purple candy-coated chocolates and Halloween jimmies, then topped with googly candy eyeballs while still warm. They're dark, fudgy, a little bit spooky, and so fun to decorate. An easy Halloween cookie recipe to make with family and friends!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword halloween cookies, halloween monster cookies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Cool/Chill Time 50

Total Time 1 20

Servings cookies

Calories 241kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190 g), spooned and leveled
⅓ cup black cocoa powder (28 g)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter (170 g), softened
¾ cup light brown sugar packed, (150 g)
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)
1 large egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup orange, green, and purple candy-coated chocolates (about 150 g), plus more for decorating
3 tablespoons Halloween jimmies plus more for decorating
Candy eyeballs for decorating

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars. Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat for about 2 minutes, until creamy and well combined.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until a dark cookie dough forms and no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
Fold in most of the candy-coated chocolates and the Halloween jimmies, keeping a small handful of candies aside for decorating. The dough will be quite soft and slightly sticky.
Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The dough should become noticeably firmer and easier to handle.
While the dough finishes chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the cookies. Scoop the chilled dough into portions of about 3 tablespoons each and gently roll into balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between each cookie.
Press a few of the reserved candy-coated chocolates and a small pinch of sprinkles onto the tops of the dough balls. Keep some candies and sprinkles back for decorating after baking.
Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Black cocoa makes it hard to judge doneness by color, so take care not to overbake.
Decorate while warm. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press candy eyeballs, more candy-coated chocolates, and a few extra sprinkles into the warm tops. The heat helps the decorations stay in place.
Cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. They will be soft at first but will set as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Notes

I've included step-by-step photos below this recipe card for visual guidance.
Where can I find black cocoa powder? Look for it at specialty baking shops or online. It's sold under a few brand names, usually labeled "black cocoa" or "ultra Dutch-processed cocoa." See more ingredient tips here.
Black Cocoa Substitute: Use the same amount of Dutch-process cocoa. The cookies will be dark brown instead of black.
Measure the flour correctly. Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Packed flour makes dry, cakey cookies.
Don't skip the chill. The dough is very soft at first. Chilling for 30 minutes keeps the cookies thick and prevents them from spreading too much.
Watch the clock, not the color. Black cocoa hides browning. Start checking at 10 minutes. The edges should look set and the centers soft and puffy.
Baking in batches? Keep the remaining dough in the fridge while the first batch bakes. Let the baking sheet cool before adding the next batch.
Bake one sheet at a time: For the most even baking, bake one sheet at a time on the center rack. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge between batches.
Don't overbake: Pull the cookies when the edges look set, even if the centers look underdone. They firm up as they cool.
How do I know they're done? Since you can't see them brown, check the edges. They should look set and dry, while the centers still look soft and slightly puffy. The cookies finish setting as they cool on the baking sheet.
Why did my cookies spread too much? The dough was too warm, or the butter was too soft. Chill the dough for the full 30 minutes and keep unbaked dough in the fridge between batches.
Why did my candy eyeballs melt? Candy eyeballs can soften if the cookies are piping hot. If yours start to slide, wait 1 to 2 minutes after baking, then press them in. The tops will still be warm enough to hold them.
Find more baking tips here and variations here.
Special Tools: Electric Mixer | Large Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Cookie Scoop (3 Tablespoon) | Large Baking Sheets | Parchment Paper | Wire Cooling Rack

Storage, Freezing, Make-Ahead

Room temperature: Let the baked cookies cool completely before storing. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between layers to protect the decorations.
Freezing baked cookies: Freeze in a single layer, then move to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. The candy eyeballs may get a little tacky, so I prefer freezing the dough.
Freezing the dough: You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to an airtight freezer container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time as needed.
Make-ahead: Make the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping.

Nutrition