These Halloween monster cookies are the easiest way to make a party table look festive. They’re big, soft chocolate chip cookies studded with orange, green and purple candies, and each one gets a few candy googly eyes the second it comes out of the oven. Kids go crazy for them, and honestly, so do the adults.
The dough is simple and doesn’t need any special tools. The only rule is to add the eyes after baking, never before. I’ll explain why below.
What Makes These Monster Cookies So Good
They taste as good as they look. Underneath the decorations is a proper bakery-style cookie: crisp at the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, with plenty of melty chocolate.
Candies on top, not just inside. Pressing a few candies onto each dough ball keeps the colors visible. The ones mixed into the dough tend to hide.
Eyes go on warm cookies. Candy eyes melt in the oven. Pressed into a hot cookie, they stick perfectly without any icing.
A quick chill. Thirty minutes in the fridge keeps the cookies thick, so the monsters don’t turn into flat pancakes.
Halloween Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Halloween-colored candy-coated chocolates orange, green and purple
- 24 to 36 candy googly eyes for decorating
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and creamy.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed, or with a spatula, just until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and most of the candies, keeping a handful aside for the tops.
- Scoop the dough into 12 balls (about 3.5 oz each), press the reserved candies on top and set them on a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake 6 cookies per sheet, well spaced, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look soft.
- Right away, press 2 or 3 googly eyes into each warm cookie. Let them cool on the sheet for 15 minutes before moving them.
Notes
- Never bake the googly eyes: they melt in the oven. Add them as soon as the cookies come out.
- Look for seasonal candy-coated chocolates in October, or use regular ones and pick out the fall colors.
- Don't skip the chill: it keeps the cookies thick.
- Store airtight at room temperature for 4 days, away from heat so the candies don't bleed color.
- Freeze dough balls (without eyes) up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
Fun Ways to Decorate Them
- Mix the eye sizes: one giant eye on some cookies, three or four tiny ones on others.
- Add sprinkles: Halloween sprinkles pressed into the warm tops add even more color.
- Drizzle: melt a little green or purple candy melt and drizzle it over the cooled cookies.
- Mini monsters: roll 24 small balls and bake for 9 to 11 minutes. They’re perfect for party bags.
Baking Them With Kids
This is a great recipe to make together. Little helpers can pour the candies, roll the dough balls and, best of all, place the googly eyes. Just handle the hot baking sheet yourself and let them do the decorating on the counter. Work quickly: the eyes stick best during the first couple of minutes.
Make Ahead and Storage
Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, away from heat so the candy shells don’t bleed color.
To prep for a party, freeze the dough balls without the eyes for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes, then decorate.
Want more seasonal baking? My moist pumpkin bread is made in one bowl, and when the holidays come around, these chewy Christmas cookies with dark chocolate and pecans are a favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the googly eyes before baking?
No. Candy eyes melt and lose their shape in the oven. Press them into the cookies right after baking, while the tops are still warm and soft.
Where can I find candy googly eyes?
Most supermarkets carry them in the baking aisle in the fall, near the sprinkles. Craft stores and online shops sell them year-round.
What candies work best?
Candy-coated chocolates hold up well in the oven. Look for the seasonal Halloween mix, or buy a regular bag and pick out the orange, green and purple ones.
Up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay soft the whole time.
If you make these for a Halloween party, let me know in the comments how your monsters turned out!