Introduction

These easy Halloween cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for the spooky season. With rich chocolate chips baked into buttery biscuits and decorated as spiders and bats, they’re sure to delight both kids and adults alike.

Easy Halloween Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
50g caster sugar
100g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
250g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
100g milk or dark chocolate chips
60g dark chocolate, melted
60g royal icing sugar, mixed with 2 tsp water
20 Maltesers
5 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
10 caramel-filled chocolates

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
Step 2: Beat the softened butter with caster and light brown sugar using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and egg, then beat again to combine.
Step 3: Stir in the plain flour and baking powder with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough forms, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and roll into balls. Place them on the baking sheets spaced well apart. Gently press the tops down slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
Step 5: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 6: For the spider cookies, arrange 10 cooled cookies in front of you. Fill two piping bags, one with melted dark chocolate and one with royal icing. Attach two Maltesers (head and body) to each cookie using royal icing. Pipe eight legs around the Maltesers with melted chocolate, then add eyes using small dots of royal icing and chocolate.
Step 7: For the bat cookies, separate the cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and scrape off the cream filling. Cut the chocolate cookies into semicircles for wings. Attach a caramel-filled chocolate to the center of each remaining cookie with royal icing, then stick wing pieces on each side. Pipe eyes onto the caramel chocolates using royal icing and melted chocolate.

Tips & Variations

Use white chocolate chips for a different twist in the dough.
Try decorating the spiders and bats with colored royal icing for extra Halloween colors.
To avoid spreading too much, chill the dough balls in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking.
You can substitute Maltesers with small round candies like M&Ms or cake balls for the spider bodies.

Storage

Store the decorated Halloween cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them separated by layers of parchment paper to avoid smudging the decorations. For longer storage, freeze the plain cookies before decorating, then add decorations after thawing. Reheat slightly in a low oven if desired to refresh the texture.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use regular granulated sugar instead of caster sugar?

While caster sugar dissolves more easily for a finer texture, you can substitute it with granulated sugar if needed. The cookies may have a slightly coarser texture but will still bake well.

What can I use if I don’t have royal icing sugar?

Royal icing sugar is finely powdered sugar specifically for icing. You can substitute with regular icing sugar mixed with a small amount of lemon juice or water to reach the right consistency, but be sure it’s finely sifted to avoid lumps.

Easy Halloween Cookies Recipe

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These Easy Halloween Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween celebrations. Featuring classic buttery sugar cookies mixed with chocolate chips and creatively decorated as spooky spiders and bats using Maltesers, chocolate sandwich cookies, caramel-filled chocolates, melted chocolate, and royal icing, these cookies are both delicious and visually delightful for kids and adults alike.

Author: zara
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Yield: 20 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

150g butter, softened
50g caster sugar
100g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
250g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
100g milk or dark chocolate chips

Decorations

60g dark chocolate, melted
60g royal icing sugar, mixed with 2 tsp water
20 Maltesers
5 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
10 caramel-filled chocolates

Instructions

Prepare Oven and Dough: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas Mark 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and egg, then beat again to combine thoroughly.
Mix Dry Ingredients: Stir the plain flour and baking powder into the wet mixture using a wooden spoon until you form a stiff dough. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, ensuring even distribution without overmixing.
Shape and Bake Cookies: Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Place the balls spaced well apart on the prepared baking sheets. Slightly press down the top of each cookie with your palm or the bottom of a glass to flatten. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges turn golden.
Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to firm up. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
Make Spider Cookies: Arrange 10 cooled cookies on a surface. Fill one piping bag with melted dark chocolate and another with royal icing. Attach Maltesers using a dot of royal icing to represent the spider’s head and body on each cookie. Using melted chocolate, pipe eight legs around the Maltesers. Use royal icing to dot eyes on the spider heads, then add tiny melted chocolate dots for pupils. Optionally, decorate spider bodies with royal icing for added detail.
Make Bat Cookies: Use the remaining 10 cookies. Gently separate the cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and scrape off the cream filling carefully. Cut the chocolate cookie halves into semicircles with a serrated knife to form bat wings. Affix a caramel-filled chocolate in the middle of each cookie with royal icing, then stick a chocolate cookie semicircle on each side as wings. Pipe eyes onto the caramel chocolates using royal icing and melted chocolate for pupils to complete the bats.

Notes

Ensure cookies are completely cool before decorating to prevent melting the decorations.
You can substitute the chocolate chips for nuts or dried fruits if preferred.
Royal icing consistency may be adjusted with more or less water for easier piping.
Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven; watch for golden edges as a sign of doneness.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Keywords: Halloween cookies, spider cookies, bat cookies, chocolate chip cookies, spooky treats, Halloween desserts, easy Halloween recipe