Description
Halloween Chocolate Cookies are intensely dark, rich cocoa-flavored treats topped with festive orange M&Ms. These soft, fudgy cookies combine black cocoa powder and classic baking ingredients for a spooky seasonal dessert perfect for Halloween celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (20g) black cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (99g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- Orange M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate mixing bowl, use a mixer on low speed to cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and combined.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix again on low speed until just incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies soft.
- Shape and Top Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Press orange M&Ms generously onto the outside of each dough ball for festive decoration.
- Bake Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 13 minutes. If any areas lack M&Ms after baking starts, press more M&Ms onto the hot cookies gently.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake cookies in batches one sheet at a time for best results.
Notes
- Black cocoa powder provides the intense, dark color of these cookies. If unavailable, natural unsweetened cocoa powder can substitute but color will be lighter.
- Add black gel food coloring with natural cocoa powder to achieve a darker, nearly black cookie appearance.
- Press M&Ms firmly on cookie dough before baking to prevent them from falling off during baking.
- Spacing cookies 3 inches apart allows for spread and even baking.
- Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
