These easy Halloween Sprinkle Cookies are the perfect addition to your Halloween festivities!
I didn’t intend to do a Halloween recipe this year (mostly due to poor planning on my part with the move and all), but Mother Nature has intervened. My plans for this week were drastically altered due to three massive rainstorms that hit us this week.
Dark and gloomy days do not make for good picture taking weather. So, instead of the pretty cake I was going to make and decorate and shoot later in the week, I had to switch gears and whip up something quick and easy on Monday. Clearly I have not gotten my crap together since the move and have no posts in the backlog. Well, truthfully, I have one, but I’m holding onto it until after Halloween.
So poor planning on my part means you get a Halloween recipe and that my impulse purchase of these Halloween sprinkles would be put to use after all in these Halloween Sprinkle Cookies!
This isn’t my first time making these Halloween cookies. I actually made them as a base for my Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups a couple weeks ago and they were SO good (for sure the star of the show there), that I thought they needed to shine on their own.
I’ve since also made a holiday version with these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies.
I kept the cookies plain (without any chocolate chips or other additions) because I wanted the candy coating and sprinkles to stand out.
This was actually my first time working with candy melts. I had shied away from it before, because what exactly ARE they?? Some weird candy coating that was clearly not chocolate. I don’t know why, but I thought they just wouldn’t look or taste as good as actual chocolate.
The thing is, I wanted these super dark chocolate Halloween cookies dipped in white but, as you know, white chocolate is actually a bit more yellow than white, so that just wouldn’t work for me. So off I went to the store to buy these candy melts for the first time.
How to use Candy Melts for Dipping
Another thing that initially turned me off of them was that I had heard they weren’t super easy to work with — that they didn’t melt well or ended up super thick once melted. In true Olivia fashion, I googled the crap out of how to make them work so that I would only have to do it once. I found this video from My Cupcake Addiction and basically did exactly what she did.
I ended up adding a bit more shortening once everything was melted to thin it out a bit more. I also left the heat on low while they were melting and only turned it off once it was at the consistency I wanted.
I left the bowl over the double boiler the whole time I was dipping the cookies (stirring the candy melts once in a while), to help ensure that it stayed thin.
This approach worked perfectly, and I’m really happy with the result!! The candy melts took a bit longer to set than I expected — maybe because I thinned them out — so I would recommend letting them set slightly before topping with the sprinkles.
If you’re vehemently opposed to using candy melts, white chocolate will work just fine, but it will have more of a yellow tint. You can try to neutralize that yellow with some of my tips here.
These Halloween Sprinkle Cookies are honestly some of the best I’ve ever had. They rival my favourite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownie Cookies.
The chocolate cookie part tastes exactly like an Oreo, but softer and chewier. The white candy coating and the sprinkles add a delicious flavour and crunch. I will be making these again for sure! Probably for every season :).
Looking for more Halloween Recipes?
- Spiderweb Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Cobbler
Halloween Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 2 Tbsp black cocoa powder sifted*
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light-brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 lag Bright White Candy Melts or white chocolate **, melted
- vegetable shortening as needed
- Halloween nonpareils
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until light and fluffy (approx. 2-3mins). Reduce speed and add egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Chill dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion dough onto baking sheet (I did 9 cookies per sheet). Bake for approximately 10 mins, or until the middle is set. Cookies will crinkle a bit upon cooling.
- Cool on pans for 5 mins then transfer to to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dip in melted candy melts or white chocolate, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with nonpareils. Allow to set.
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Notes
** Read post for details on how to properly melt candy melts.
Originally published on October 2016
Linda says
These cookies are beyond delicious. Very buttery with rich chocolate taste.
Olivia says
Hi Linda! So happy you liked them 🙂
Katherine says
Can I freeze the cookies after they are dipped and sprinkled? How do the sprinkles hold up? Does the candy melt coating stay firm after thawing?
Olivia says
Hi Katherine! The candy coating should be fine. I worry slightly about the sprinkles bleeding when thawing though, if there is any moisture.
Cindy says
I have a similar question and concern. Wondering if the sprinkles will bleed or soften if I make these cookies on a Sunday but they aren’t used/eaten until Wednesday. My son’s teacher asked me to bake six dozen cookies and I am so busy during the week I don’t know that I will have time!
Olivia says
Hi Cindy! It might depend on the brand of sprinkles you get, but I think they should be fine as long as they are stored in something airtight. I would not refrigerate/freeze them personally.
Saffa says
Hi Olivia, thank you for posting this Halloween cookie recipe, I love it and bake them each Halloween now 🙂 I just wanted to ask you, can these cookies be frozen in the freezer to save for another day? Any thank, Saffa xx
Olivia says
Hi Saffa! Yes, the cookies can be frozen no problem!
Jordyn says
I love this recipe! Im going to feature it in my halloween cookie post!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Jordyn!
Ashley says
My husband loves them! They’re delicious–thanks for the great recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Ashley! So happy to hear that you guys liked these 🙂
Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates says
haha I’ve never used candy melt for the exact same reason – what ARE they?! haha But I’m thinking I definitely need to make these this weekend.
Olivia says
Haha! I know, right? Seriously impressed with how yummy they were. Will be trying again! And I hope you like these!
Cathy | whatshouldimakefor.com says
sometimes nothing beats a sprinkle cookie. i can labor for house on a cake, only to have my boys bypass it and make a beeline for a plate of simple cookies. what a sweet Halloween treat! Love those sprinkles!
Olivia says
Haha too funny!! There is something about cookies, right? 🙂
heather says
what a fun Halloween treat, easy enough for Stella to make almost all on her own 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks so much Heather! 😀
Nancy says
Those look great!! Where did you find the nonpereils, I like how they aren’t glaringly Halloween!
Olivia says
Thanks!! And I know, those colors had me hooked! I got them at Michaels. This is the only link I could find, but have never used this site to order:
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/the-gourmet-baking-co-halloween-nonpareils-blend/0000000231455
I wish I had only paid $3 for them! I think it was more like $11 :o.
Nancy says
Thank you!! I ended up getting the Halloween colors, the Autumn mix, rainbow and Christmas!! I was going to be charged $7.95 shipping for one or for all, might as well go big!! The super cute jars didn’t hurt either!
Olivia says
Awesome!! 😀 Totally love the jars too 🙂
Riz says
Ah! I love this, they look so cute… yet not so Halloween-specific that they’d look out of place during the rest of the year.
I’ve been wrestling with whether or not to post a Halloween recipe myself. I have one in mind, but it’s so incredibly bad for people that it actually frightens me to post it! So far I’ve managed to refrain. So far!
Riz
Chocolates & Chai
Olivia says
Now I’m intrigued! What could be so bad?? 🙂 And thanks!!