Halloween Chocolate Cookies are the ultimate spooky treat for October baking. Made with rich chocolate sugar cookie dough and decorated with colorful icing, these cookies are perfect for everything from haunted bake sales to creepy movie nights. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned decorator, you’ll find this recipe fun, flexible, and totally delicious.
Let’s roll up our sleeves, dust off those cookie cutters, and make some edible Halloween magic!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🍫 Deep chocolate flavor, like a brownie in cookie form
- 🎃 Perfect for Halloween-themed decorating
- 🧑🍳 Great for beginners and experienced bakers alike
- 👻 Holds shape beautifully—ideal for cookie cutters
- ✨ Choose your icing: royal for detail, glaze for ease
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sugar Cookies:
- 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (62g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Decorating (Choose One):
- Royal icing (for detailed decorating)
- OR Easy glaze icing (beginner-friendly)
- Gel food coloring (orange, black, green, purple, etc.)
- Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, and edible glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Make the dough:
In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. - Roll and chill:
Divide dough in half. Roll each half to ¼ inch thickness between parchment. Stack sheets, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. - Preheat and cut:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Cut chilled dough into Halloween shapes using cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps as needed. - Bake:
Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake 11–12 minutes or until edges are set. Cool completely on a wire rack. - Decorate:
Prepare your chosen icing. Tint with gel colors and transfer to piping bags or squeeze bottles. Outline and flood cookies, add details or sprinkles as desired. Let icing set completely (royal: ~2 hrs, glaze: ~24 hrs).
Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (+ chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: ~1.5 hours (with chill time)
- Servings: ~24 medium cookies
- Skill Level: Easy to Intermediate
Nutrition Facts (per cookie, approximate)
- Calories: 140
- Fat: 7g
- Carbs: 19g
- Sugar: 10g
- Protein: 1g
Tips & Variations
- 🕸️ No royal icing? Try buttercream for a softer texture
- 🎨 Darker colors: Remember, icing darkens as it dries—go easy on food coloring
- ❄️ Make-ahead: Dough and undecorated cookies freeze beautifully
- 👀 Short on tools? Use a ziplock bag as a piping bag in a pinch
Halloween Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- – Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- – Cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- – Parchment or silicone mats
- – Icing tools (piping bags or bottles)
Ingredients
- **Cookies:**
- – 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- – ¾ cup cocoa powder
- – 1 tsp baking powder
- – ⅛ tsp salt
- – ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – 1 large egg
- – 1 tsp vanilla extract
- **Decorations:**
- – Royal or glaze icing
- – Gel food coloring
- – Halloween sprinkles or candy eyes optional
Instructions
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt
- Beat butter and sugar until creamy
- Add egg and vanilla
- Mix in dry ingredients
- Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness and chill
- Cut shapes, bake at 350°F for 11–12 mins
- Cool and decorate as desired
Notes
– Icing darkens as it sets
– Add sprinkles before icing sets for best results
FAQs
Can I make these cookies in advance?
Yes! Baked cookies stay fresh for 5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze decorated or plain cookies for up to 3 months.
Do I need fancy tools to decorate?
Nope! Piping tips help, but squeeze bottles or even spoons work great—especially for kids.
Can I use Dutch-process cocoa?
Absolutely. Either natural or Dutch cocoa works well in this dough.
Conclusion
With their deep cocoa flavor, easy-to-handle dough, and endless decorating options, Halloween Chocolate Cookies are a festive baking project you’ll want to return to every spooky season. Whether you go full monster-mode with icing or keep it simple with sprinkles, these cookies are always a crowd-pleaser.