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Halloween Chocolate Cookies Recipe

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5 from 52 reviews

These Halloween Chocolate Cookies are rich, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey, perfect for celebrating the spooky season. Made with natural cocoa powder and a tender buttery base, these cookies have a soft yet slightly chewy texture. Roll them in cocoa powder before baking for an extra chocolate kick and a dramatic dark appearance. Decorate with royal icing or easy cookie icing tinted with gel food coloring to create fun Halloween-themed designs such as spiders, pumpkins, and bats.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 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

Optional Decoration

  • Royal Icing or Easy Cookie Icing
  • Gel food coloring for tinting icings

Instructions

  1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed to ensure consistent flavor and texture throughout the dough.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, usually about 3 to 5 minutes. This step helps incorporate air into the dough for a tender crumb.
  3. Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large room temperature egg and pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
  5. Shape Cookies: Sprinkle some cocoa powder generously on your work surface. Scoop out portions of dough and roll each piece into a small ball. Roll the balls in cocoa powder to coat the outside completely, which creates an attractive dark crust and prevents sticking.
  6. Prepare for Baking: Place the cocoa-coated dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
  7. Bake Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are set around the edges but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep their fudgy texture.
  8. Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Decorate (Optional): Once cooled, decorate the cookies with royal icing or easy cookie icing tinted with gel food coloring to create Halloween-themed designs such as pumpkins, ghosts, and spiders.

Notes

  • Use room temperature egg and butter for better mixing and richer texture.
  • If you prefer, you can substitute dutch process cocoa powder for the natural cocoa powder without changing the baking process.
  • For extra chocolate intensity, dust cookies lightly with additional cocoa powder immediately after baking.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Royal icing needs to dry completely before stacking or storing decorated cookies to avoid smudging.

Find it online: https://amandafood.com/halloween-chocolate-cookies-recipe/