Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies

There's something about a jet-black cookie that just screams Halloween, and these Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies deliver that spooky look without a single drop of food coloring. They're rich, fudgy, loaded with crushed Halloween Oreos and chocolate chips, and finished off with candy eyes peeking out of every bite. These are the kind of bakery-style cookies that disappear the second they hit the cooling rack.

If you love fun Halloween treats try my Halloween Pretzel Bark that is loaded with fun candy!

Why You'll Love These Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies!

I am obsessed with black cocoa powder this time of year. It gives these cookies a deep, almost black color that feels so fitting for Halloween, and the flavor is rich and smooth rather than bitter. Once I add in a big handful of crushed Halloween Oreos and chocolate chips, these become the ultimate spooky season treat.

These are big, thick, bakery-style cookies, so they're soft in the middle with just enough chew around the edges. Add on the candy eyes while they're still warm, and they practically decorate themselves.

• Spooky black color: black cocoa powder gives these cookies their signature almost black shade with zero food coloring needed.
• Bakery-style and thick, using a large cookie scoop makes these cookies big, soft, and perfect for a Halloween dessert table.
• Easy to decorate: candy eyes and sprinkles press right into the warm cookies, so even kids can help decorate.
• Perfect for parties, these are a fun addition to any Halloween party, trick-or-treat table, or lunchbox surprise.

Equipment Needed

• large mixing bowl
• hand or stand mixer
• cookie sheet
• parchment paper
• #20 cookie scoop or measuring spoons
• wire cooling rack

Key Ingredients

Unsalted butter, room temperature: Butter is key so it creams smoothly with the sugars for that soft, bakery-style texture.

Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Using both sugars gives these cookies the perfect balance of chewiness from the brown sugar and a little crispness from the granulated sugar.

Egg: Helps bind the dough together and adds richness. Make sure it's room temperature so it blends in easily.

Vanilla bean paste or extract: adds warmth and depth of flavor that balances out all that chocolate.

All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies their soft structure.

Black cocoa powder: This is what makes these cookies so fun for Halloween. Black cocoa powder is a heavily Dutch-processed cocoa that's been treated to reduce its acidity, giving it a deep, almost black color and a smooth, mellow chocolate flavor. It's what gives these Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies their spooky, almost black look without needing any food coloring. You can substitute regular Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but you won't get that same dramatic dark color.

Baking soda and salt: Baking soda helps the cookies rise just enough, while salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the chocolate flavor.

Chocolate chips: Stirred right into the dough for extra pockets of melty chocolate in every bite.

Halloween Oreo cookies: Lightly crushed; half get folded into the dough for crunch and Oreo flavor throughout, and the other half get pressed on top before baking for that classic decorated look.

Sprinkles and candy eyes are optional: These are what really make these cookies feel festive. Press them into the warm cookies right after baking so they stick.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and both the brown sugar and granulated sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another minute.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while mixing until just combined. The dough will be very thick.

Stir in the chocolate chips and half of the crushed Oreos, using a spatula to fold them into the dough.

For jumbo, bakery-style cookies, use a #20 cookie scoop or 3 tablespoons of dough. Drop the dough balls onto the parchment-lined tray. Press an extra crushed Oreo on top of each dough ball to decorate.

Bake the cookies for 13 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and, while still warm, press the candy eyes and sprinkles onto the tops of the cookies.

Cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

Storage

Store these Halloween Chocolate Oreo Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Expert Tips

• Use black cocoa powder, not regular cocoa powder, for that deep, spooky, almost black color. See the notes above for more on why it makes such a difference.
• Add the candy eyes and sprinkles while the cookies are still warm, so they stick to the tops.
• Don't overbake these cookies; they will look slightly underdone at 13 to 14 minutes, but they'll continue to set up as they cool on the tray.
• Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized, bakery-style cookies that bake at the same rate.

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