Description
These Halloween Chocolate Cookies are rich, fudgy, and perfectly soft, made with cocoa powder and decorated with royal icing for a festive touch. Ideal for spooky celebrations, they combine the classic chocolate flavor with fun, colorful icing to delight kids and adults alike.
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
Royal Icing or Easy Cookie Icing (Optional)
- Gel food coloring for tinting icings
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside to ensure these dry components are well mixed.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. This step incorporates air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and pure vanilla extract until well incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to avoid tough cookies.
- Chill Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to make it easier to handle and to enhance flavors.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Surfaces: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with cocoa powder to prevent sticking when rolling out dough.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness using the cocoa-dusted surface and rolling pin. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them carefully onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies tender.
- Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate with Icing: Once cookies are fully cooled, decorate with royal icing or easy cookie icing tinted with gel food coloring for a festive Halloween look. Allow icing to set completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Softened butter should be at room temperature to properly cream with sugar for the best texture.
- If dough is too sticky after chilling, lightly dust with cocoa powder when rolling.
- Use a plastic scraper or spatula to transfer cookies to prevent distortion.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For a deeper chocolate flavor, use Dutch-process cocoa powder; for a more natural chocolate taste, use natural cocoa powder.
Keywords: Halloween cookies, chocolate cookies, royal icing cookies, festive treats, Halloween dessert, cocoa cookies