These Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, puffy, and a colorful monster mash up of fun. The green, purple, and orange dough is loaded with chocolate chips, Oreos, M&M's, and sprinkles. They're a festive treat for a Halloween party or a spooky dessert table.
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Halloween is one of my favorite times of year to make fun treats. Mostly because I love adding googly eyes to everything! Those little candy eyes make even a simple dessert, like these no bake ghost cookies, so much fun.
This year, I turned my favorite thick chocolate chip cookies into a Halloween monster mash. I tinted the dough three different colors, then mixed in some of my favorite cookies and candies. I felt like a mad scientist as I was rolling everything together.
They turned out so well, and I love how colorful and bright each cookie looks. Adding the candy eyes and bones after baking was my favorite part of making the monster treats.
Why You'll Love These Halloween Monster Cookies
- No chilling required. The dough is ready to shape and bake as soon as you mix it.
- Three colors in every cookie. The orange, purple, and green dough give each cookie a colorful look. Since you're combining the colors by hand, every one will look a little different.
- Loaded with lots of good stuff. Each cookie has Oreo chunks, candy, and a healthy dose of sprinkles!
Main Ingredients
You will need a few baking basics and some colorful extras to make these Halloween monster cookies. For the full ingredient list and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Unsalted Butter: Slightly cold butter keeps the dough thick as it bakes. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: Using both adds sweetness, chewy centers, and crisp edges.
- Large Eggs: Bind the dough together. Using cold eggs also helps keep the dough cool.
- All-Purpose Flour: Helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Cornstarch: Keeps the dough soft and tender in the center.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Work together to allow the dough to rise and spread as it bakes.
- Gel Food Coloring: I used neon green, purple, and orange gel coloring to tint the dough. Gel colors give you a bright shade without adding extra liquid. I used Sunny Side Up Bakery gel colors from Hobby Lobby.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: I like the dark chocolate flavor in these, but you can use semi-sweet, milk, or even white chips.
- Halloween M&M's: Add pops of color and more chocolate. Save a few to press into the warm cookies for a pretty finish.
- Sprinkles: Mix these into the colored dough for even more color and fun. Use extra to roll the balls in before baking.
- Oreo Cookies: Add pieces of cookie chunks for a delicious cookies-and-cream crunch. Save some pieces for decorating the tops. (Use the leftover Oreos to make these Halloween cookies and cream cookies.)
- Candy Eyes and Bones: You can usually find these fun sprinkles in craft stores or Walmart. I press them into the warm cookies after baking to give each one a spooky monster look.
Cookie Variations
- Try other colors. Use black and orange dough for a classic Halloween look. Or mix any colors to create your own monster mash-up.
- Make smaller cookies. Divide the dough into 30 portions for smaller cookies that are great for parties. Start checking them around 7 minutes, since they bake faster.
How To Make Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies
Before making the dough, preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
- Make the cookie dough. Beat the cool butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add the cold eggs and vanilla, then beat again. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together.
- Add colors. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Tint one orange, one green, and one purple, mixing by hand until each color is evenly distributed.
- Add the mix-ins. Stir the candies, chocolate chips, and cookies evenly into each bowl of colored dough.
- Shape the cookies. Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to portion 15 balls from each bowl. Then press one orange, one green, and one purple ball together to form a large ball of dough. Each one should weigh about 3.8 ounces. Roll the tops in extra sprinkles before baking.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake. Immediately swirl a large round cup around the warm cookies to gently shape the edges.
- Add more toppings. Let the cookies rest for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to parchment paper. While they are still hot, press extra mix-ins plus candy eyes and bones into the tops. Let the cookies cool completely before storing.
BruCrew Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Fluff and spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I like to use a kitchen scale for an exact amount. Too much flour will dry out these cookies.
- Keep the colors distinct. Gently press the colored dough together without overworking or twisting it. This helps the colors stay visible after baking.
- Don't overbake! Remove the pan when the edges are lightly brown, but the centers still look slightly underdone. They'll continue to set up on the hot baking sheet.
Storing and Freezing
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
To freeze baked cookies, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw before serving.
You can also freeze the dough for later. Place the shaped dough balls on a parchment-lined pan, then freeze for an hour. Transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
More Festive Halloween Cookies
- Halloween Sugar Cookies
- Spider Cookies
- Halloween Oreos
- Chocolate Monster Sugar Cookies
- No Bake Owl Cookies
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Recipe
Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- I cup unsalted butter, softened 20-30 minutes
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cold large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour (420g)
- Green, Orange, Purple gel food coloring
- 1 cup Halloween M&M's + extra
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips + extra
- 1 cup chopped Oreo cookie chunks + extra
- 3 tablespoons holiday sprinkles + extra
- Edible candy eyes and bones
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Add the cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour and mix slowly until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough evenly into 3 separate bowls. Tint one portion of dough orange, one purple, and one green. Stir gently until all of the dough is evenly colored.
- Add ⅓ cup of M&M's, ⅓ cup chocolate chips, ⅓ Oreo chunks, and 1 tablespoon sprinkles to each bowl. Gently stir until mixed in.
- Use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make 15 dough balls from each color. Press one ball of each color together to make one large dough balling weighing about 3.8 ounces. Roll the top of the balls in the extra sprinkles.
- Bake 4 or 5 at a time in the preheated oven for 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. To fix uneven edges, immediately place a large cup around the outside of each hot cookie and circles around the edges.
- Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for 2-3 minutes before gently moving them to a sheet of parchment paper on the counter.
- Press a few chocolate chips, M&M's, cookie chunks, and edible eyes and bones into the tops of the hot cookies.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, place them in an airtight container.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Fluff and spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I like to use a kitchen scale for an exact amount. Too much flour will dry out these cookies.
- Keep the colors distinct. Gently press the colored dough together without overworking or twisting it. This helps the colors stay visible after baking.
- Don't overbake! Remove the pan when the edges are lightly brown, but the centers still look slightly underdone. They'll continue to set up on the hot baking sheet.
- Make smaller cookies. Divide the dough into 30 portions for smaller cookies that are great for parties. Start checking them around 7 minutes, as they will bake faster.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 575Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 102gFiber: 4gSugar: 48gProtein: 9g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
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