Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 150 g Butter, melted; 130 g Caster sugar; 100 g Brown sugar; 1 Medium Egg; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 1+½ Teaspoons Black gel food colouring; 250 g Self-raising flour; 100 g Milk chocolate chips ((plus extra for topping)); 60 g Orange M&Ms or Smarties

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My Halloween chocolate chip cookies are the perfect sweet treat for scary movie nights! These soft, chewy jet-black cookies are packed with milk chocolate chips and orange M&Ms. They're super easy to make and great for sharing with friends and family!

overhead image of chewy halloween chocolate chip cookies

I've been in full seasonal baking mode lately, and I think these Halloween chocolate chip cookies might be one of my favourite creations so far! They have all the delicious texture and flavour of a classic choc chip cookie but with a spooky twist. I dyed the dough jet black and then covered the tops with milk chocolate chips and bright orange M&M's for the perfect Halloween vibe.

I wanted something fun and festive that didn't require tons of effort, so these turned out perfect. They look super striking on a plate, but they're honestly so easy to make. My fiancé got his hands on them before they even cooled down, and they were gone almost immediately, which is always a good sign! I can't wait for you to make them for yourself!

Here's everything you'll need

Ready to get baking? Grab your ingredients:

Butter: Melted butter will give these cookies a firm, chewy texture, which is personally my favourite! Don't swap butter for margarine as the flavour and texture won't be as good.
Sugar: I always use a mix of white and brown sugar in my cookies. My go-to sugars are caster sugar and soft light brown sugar for the perfect balance.
Egg: Just one, which is our main binder in the recipe.
Vanilla extract: For flavour. You can swap this out for another flavour extract if you prefer, such as orange or almond.
Black gel food colouring: To get a striking black colour, you'll need to use gel food colouring. Liquid colours are not strong enough to dye a batch of cookie dough this big! If you prefer not to use food colouring, swap 2 tablespoons of flour for black cocoa powder instead.
Self-raising flour: This gives our cookies a very slight lift without needing to add raising agents separately. If you've only got plain flour, you can add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe.
Chocolate chips: Milk chocolate chips are my favourite but dark chocolate chips are fine to use too.
Orange Smarties or M&Ms: For a pop of Halloween colour. We'll add these on top of the cookies after baking as they tend to crack in the oven.

Kitchen tools

Baking tray: Or two! These cookies spread quite a bit as they bake so you'll need to leave space between them on the tray. I usually bake 4-5 per tray.
Baking paper: To prevent sticking.
Bowls: A large one for making the dough and a smaller heatproof one for melting the butter.
Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing and a couple of teaspoons for measuring.
Food scale: For accuracy when baking. This is also handy for when you're portioning out your dough.

halloween chocolate chip cookies on a white surface

How to make Halloween chocolate chip cookies

Step 1: Melt 150g of butter in a small bowl or saucepan then pour it into a large bowl along with 130g caster sugar and 100g of soft light brown sugar. Mix well.

melted butter mixed with sugars in a bowl

Step 2: Add 1 medium egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1+½ teaspoons of gel black food colouring to the bowl. Mix well to make a smooth, shiny mixture.

Step 3: Add 250g of self-raising flour to the bowl. Mix well to create a thick, sticky dough.

Step 4: Pour 100g of milk chocolate chips into the bowl with the cookie dough. Stir them in gently, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout.

Step 5: Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place them onto a lined baking tray (or smaller plates if you're short on freezer space) and freeze for 1 hour.

Step 6: While the cookies are freezing, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens).

Step 7: After the hour has passed, place your cookie balls onto your lined tray with 2-3 inches of space in between to allow for spreading. Bake them for 14-15 minutes, until they're firm to the touch around the edges (they should be soft in the middle).

Step 8: While the cookies are still warm, gently press orange M&Ms and chocolate chips on top. You'll need 60g of M&Ms and a large handful of chocolate chips.

Step 9: Leave the cookies on the tray until they're completely cool then enjoy!

Chewy cookie tips

Use a mixture of caster and soft light brown sugar. They complement one another very well to create a melt-in-your-mouth, soft, chewy texture.
Black gel food colouring can be swapped for black cocoa powder. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour from the recipe and replace it with 2 tablespoons of black cocoa powder.
Don't skip freezing the dough, or the cookies will spread too much and burn in the oven.
Use a scale to ensure all your balls of cookie dough are exactly the same size. Cookie size affects baking time so it's best to be as accurate as you can.
For a fun Halloween twist, use candy eyes instead of or as well as the M&Ms.

FAQs

How long do Halloween chocolate chip cookies last?

These will stay fresh for about 5 days if you store them in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature but I personally like to store mine in the fridge to make them extra chewy.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance. Shape it into balls, cover the tray with clingfilm and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking straight from the fridge.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies in airtight containers for up to 3 months, using pieces of baking paper to stop them from sticking together. Alternatively, you can freeze them on a lined baking tray until they're solid then transfer them to a freezer bag. Defrost them at room temperature for an hour or two and do not refreeze.

stack of 4 halloween chocolate chip cookies

More Halloween cookies

I hope you like my Halloween chocolate chip cookies! If you make them at home, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment below. Enjoy!