Halloween Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Introduction

These Halloween Chocolate Cookies are rich, cocoa-flavored treats perfect for celebrating the spooky season. Soft yet sturdy enough for detailed decorating, they’re ideal for creating festive designs with royal or easy cookie icing. Whether for a party or gifting, these cookies bring delicious fun to your Halloween table.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (or dutch process cocoa powder), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing or Easy Cookie Icing
• Optional: gel food coloring for tinting icings

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl sides and mix again if needed.
3. Step 3: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft; add 1 tablespoon more flour if it feels too sticky for rolling.
4. Step 4: Divide the dough into two equal parts. Dust two large pieces of parchment paper or silicone baking mats with cocoa powder or flour. Place one half of the dough on each surface. Using a rolling pin lightly dusted with cocoa powder, roll the dough out evenly to about 1/4-inch thickness, adding more dusting powder as needed to prevent sticking.
5. Step 5: Lightly dust one rolled dough with cocoa powder or flour, cover it with parchment, then place the second rolled dough on top. Cover the stack with plastic wrap or foil and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days.
6. Step 6: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Step 7: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes from the top layer. Re-roll scraps with dusting powder and continue cutting until all dough is used. Keep the dough cool by refrigerating any unused portions for 10 minutes if it softens too much.
8. Step 8: Place the shaped cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes until the edges are set. Rotate sheets halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.
9. Step 9: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
10. Step 10: Prepare royal icing or easy cookie icing. Divide into bowls if you want to tint with gel food coloring. Add colors gradually, starting with 1-2 drops and increasing as needed.
11. Step 11: Fill piping bags fitted with a small round tip (such as Wilton #4) with icing. Pipe a border around each cookie, then fill the center with a thin layer. Decorate with sprinkles or details as desired. Let colors dry between layers if using royal icing for fine details.
12. Step 12: Allow the icing to dry completely — about 2 hours for royal icing or 24 hours for easy glaze icing. You can refrigerate the cookies to speed up drying if desired.
13. Step 13: Enjoy the cookies right away or store as directed below.

Tips & Variations

• Use natural or dutch process cocoa powder depending on your flavor preference; dutch process gives a smoother, milder taste.
• For brighter icing colors, use gel food coloring rather than liquid to avoid thinning the icing.
• If dough becomes too sticky, chilling it before rolling helps prevent sticking without adding extra flour.
• Royal icing works best for detailed decorations and layering; easy glaze icing dries slower but is simpler to prepare.
• Try different Halloween-themed cookie cutters like pumpkins, bats, and witches to create a festive assortment.

Storage

Store plain or decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to keep them soft. For longer storage, place the cookies in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 10 days. To re-soften chilled cookies, allow them to come to room temperature before serving. Decorated cookies with royal icing are best kept uncovered during drying, then stored covered once set.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, the dough can be prepared and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before rolling and cutting. This helps enhance the flavor and makes rolling easier.

What if my dough is too sticky to roll out?

If your dough feels too sticky, dust your rolling surface and rolling pin with cocoa powder or flour. You can also add an extra tablespoon of flour to the dough and chill it for 10-20 minutes before rolling.

Halloween Chocolate Cookies Recipe

---

★★★★★

4.6 from 103 reviews

• Author: Elara
• Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including chilling and decorating time)
• Yield: Approximately 24–30 cookies depending on cutter size and thickness 1x

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

Description

These Halloween Chocolate Cookies are rich, cocoa-infused treats perfect for the spooky season. Soft yet sturdy enough to hold detailed icing decorations, they are rolled, cut into fun Halloween shapes, baked to perfection, and then decorated with colorful royal or glaze icing for a festive touch.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dry Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (or dutch process cocoa powder), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Decoration

• Royal Icing or Easy Cookie Icing
• Optional: gel food coloring for tinting icings

---

Instructions

1. Make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
2. Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be soft. If too sticky for rolling, add an extra tablespoon of flour.
3. Roll the dough: Divide dough into two equal parts. Dust two large sheets of parchment paper or silicone mats with cocoa powder or flour. Place one half of dough on each and roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, dusting rolling pin and surface as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Chill the dough: Lightly dust one rolled dough with cocoa powder or flour, place parchment paper over it, then stack the second rolled dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Preheat oven and cut cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Remove dough from fridge, carefully peel top dough, and use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes. Re-roll scraps as needed and cut more shapes. Keep dough cool by refrigerating between cutting if it becomes too soft.
6. Bake and cool: Place cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes or until edges are set. Rotate pans halfway if your oven heats unevenly. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
7. Make icing: Prepare royal or easy cookie icing. Divide into bowls and tint with gel food coloring as desired, starting with 1-2 drops and adding more until desired color is achieved.
8. Decorate the cookies: Fill piping bags fitted with Wilton #4 tips with icing. Pipe borders then fill centers with a thin icing layer for quicker drying. Add sprinkles before icing sets if desired. Add details like Jack-O-Lantern faces using royal icing and allow layers to set as needed. Adjust icing thickness by adding confectioners’ sugar if needed for finer details.
9. Let icing dry and set: Allow royal icing to dry for about 2 hours or easy glaze icing for 24 hours without covering. Placing cookies in refrigerator can speed up setting.
10. Serve or store: Enjoy immediately or wait for icing to set. Decorated or plain cookies stay soft for 5 days at room temperature if tightly covered or up to 10 days refrigerated.

Notes

• Use either natural or Dutch process cocoa powder; adjust rolling dusting accordingly.
• If dough becomes sticky while cutting, chill for 10 minutes to firm up.
• Royal icing works best for detailed, layered decorations, while easy cookie icing is fine for simpler designs.
• Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors; colors darken as icing dries.
• Store cookies tightly covered to maintain softness.
• Re-roll dough scraps several times to maximize number of cookies.
• For pumpkin Jack-O-Lanterns, allow orange icing to fully set before adding green details with royal icing.
• When adding candy eyes, attach with a tiny dot of icing for best adhesion.
• Always work quickly to prevent dough from warming and becoming difficult to handle.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Halloween cookies, chocolate cookies, decorated cookies, royal icing, festive cookies, Halloween treats, cocoa cookies, holiday baking