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These homemade Halloween cookies are a dark chocolate lovers’ Halloween dream! Crisp on the outside with a soft, chewy center loaded with decadent semi-sweet chocolate chips AND rich cocoa powder for that extra chocolatey flavor, these cookies will have you feeling like closing your eyes and savoring every bite. Best of all, they’re super easy to make without any fancy cookie cutters!
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These cookies are the perfect Halloween treat – they’re fun, delicious, and super easy to make! I love that they don’t require any special equipment or cookie cutters. Just a simple baking sheet and some Halloween-colored chocolate candies or sprinkles are all you need to transform these dark chocolate cookies into something special.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE homemade Halloween cookies
- The perfect combination of crispy and chewy. Fan of crispy cookies? Great! Fan of chewy cookies? Great too! How about a combination of both? That’s what you get with these homemade Halloween cookies!
- They’re not cloyingly sweet. If you find most store-bought cookies to be way too sweet, then you’ll love these homemade dark chocolate Halloween cookies. They have just the right amount of sweetness, thanks to the semi-sweet chocolate chips and rich cocoa powder.
- They’re easy to make without any special equipment. Cookie cutters, not your thing? No problem! These homemade Halloween cookies can be made without any special cookie cutters or equipment.
- Simple yet festive. Many of us don’t have time to go all out for Halloween. These homemade dark chocolate Halloween cookies are the perfect way to show some holiday spirit without going overboard or feeling pressured to make the perfect treat.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies
- Cocoa powder: THIS is the ingredient that is going to make or break the flavor of these cookies. You don’t want to skimp on the cocoa powder, so make sure you use a high-quality brand that you know and trust.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Chocolate chips are always a good idea, but they’re especially delicious in these dark chocolate cookies!
- Chocolate-coated candies: You can really use any color you’d like, but I think the orange and black cookies are perfect for Halloween! You can do some green or even all red ones. If you can’t find orange-only chocolate-coated candies, you can get a large bag of assorted colors and have the kids sort them for you!
- Dry ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, brown and granulated sugar, baking soda and a pinch of salt for these cookies.
- Wet ingredients: Butter, egg, and vanilla extract round out the wet ingredients for these dark chocolate Halloween cookies.
HOW TO MAKE Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies
A stand mixer does work wonders for making these Halloween cookies, but you can totally make them with a hand mixer.
Mix Cookie Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Add chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate into the batter with a rubber spatula until it is evenly distributed.
Bake Cookies
- Scoop 12 dough balls on each prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake.
- Working quickly and carefully, press the orange chocolate candies into the warm cookies.
Tips for making Halloween cookies without cutters
- Freeze Dough For Later Use. If you would like to get ahead for the holiday, make this cookie dough in advance. Scoop the prepared dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze on the sheet pan until fully frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for long-term storage. To bake, simply pop the frozen cookie balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake as directed; you may need an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time.
- Use a drinking glass or round object to get a circular shape. This is a great little hack for making perfectly round cookies. As soon as they come out of the oven, take any round hollow object and rotate it around the cookies to encourage the round shape.
- Try this tip for crinkly, flatter cookies. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully tap the pan on the counter to help the cookies flatten out. Then return the pan to the oven and bake for about 2-4 more minutes, or until the cookies are crinkly on the edges and just set in the middle.
- Make sure the oven rack is set in the center of the oven. This way, the cookies bake perfectly, even from the top and bottom, without over-crisping.
POPULAR SUBSTITUTIONS & ADDITIONS
- Try using googly eyes. In the spirit of Halloween, you can make these cookies with googly eye candy instead of orange chocolate candy. And don’t stop with just 2 eyes. Monsters sometimes have more than 2 eyes 😉
- Add in an instant expresso packet. Get the single servings size, so you don’t have to worry about measuring and add it in with the dry ingredients. This will deepen the chocolate flavor of the cookies.
- Add a little cayenne pepper. Love the heat? Try adding in just a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to really intensify the chocolate flavor and give your tastebuds a little kick.
- Use Reese’s Pieces for a PB addition. If you want to add in some peanut butter, use Reese’s Pieces instead of regular orange-coated chocolate candy. I think the peanut butter flavor compliments the chocolate so well!
HoW TO STORE Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies
These dark chocolate Halloween cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you want to keep them fresh for longer, you can store them in the fridge.
HOW LONG WILL Dark Chocolate Cookies LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
If you store them in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last for up to two weeks. But if you’re anything like me, they probably won’t last that long because they’re just so darn good!
CAN I FREEZE Dark Chocolate Cookies?
Yes! These cookies freeze really well. Just make sure to store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. You can freeze the dough itself or the cookies. They will last for up to three months in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use a different type of chocolate. If you want to use milk chocolate or white chocolate, that will work too. Just make sure to adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
If your orange candies won’t stick to the cookies, you can try dipping the bottom of the candy in melted chocolate. This will help them adhere to the cookie. Be careful not to overcook these cookies. Keep in mind that they will continue to cook when removed from the oven.
You can – but I can not guarantee that the coating will not melt and run due to the heat of the oven. I recommend using the method described above, where you press them into the tops of the cookies after they come out of the oven.
These dark chocolate Halloween cookies are so easy to make, and they’re perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth without going overboard. I hope you enjoy these dark chocolate Halloween cookies! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below!
More Halloween recipes:
Check out this roundup full of sweet, savory, and SPOOKY Halloween recipes. And for more recipes, here are my favorites:
- Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Pumpkin Bars
- Frankenguac
- Mummy Pizza
- Halloween Bananas
- Candy Corn Parfait
- Dirt Pudding Cups
- Halloween Snacks
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Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup orange colored chocolate coated candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Set the mixer to medium speed and cream for about 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix at low speed just until no streak of flour remains.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate into the batter with a rubber spatula until it is evenly distributed.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon-size spring loaded cookie scoop, scoop 12 dough balls on each prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are crinkly on the edges and just set in the middle.
- Let sit for about 1 minute, then working quickly and carefully, press the orange chocolate candies into the warm cookies. Let sit for 2-3 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Really good, with the candies reeses i put on top they were just perfect!
Thank you! That sounds so yummy!
Hello! Question: The recipe indicates 1 egg, but the directions state, “then mix in the eggs one at a time until just combined, scraping down the bowl after each addition.” Is it really just a single egg? Thank you!