Description
These Easy Halloween Cookies are festive, buttery, and loaded with colorful Halloween M&M’s and sprinkles. Perfect for a spooky celebration, they have a crispy edge with a soft, chewy center. Chilled dough helps maintain their shape while baking and enhances the flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 1 cup Halloween M&M’s (or substitute regular M&M’s with blue and red picked out)
- ¼ cup Halloween sprinkles with candy eyes
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the melted and cooled butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until combined, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid over mixing.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in the Halloween M&M’s and sprinkles gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Chill dough: Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion heaping tablespoons of dough. Shape into balls and place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. While still warm, press additional candy eyes and M&M’s on top for decoration.
- Cool cookies: Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- Freeze raw cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months for future baking.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to develop flavor.
- You can substitute Halloween M&M’s with regular M&M’s by removing colors not fitting the theme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
