Delicious Bat-Shaped Halloween Chocolate Cookies
A soft chocolate cookie topped with meringue icing and shaped into creatures of the night. These chocolate Halloween cookies are a delicious way to celebrate Allhallows Eve!
With tender, chocolate cookie dough and a classically sweet icing, these chocolate Halloween cookies are a fun dessert for your next potluck. Made with a shortbread-like, sugar cookie base that’s cut into small bats, the cookies are then topped with a colored meringue frosting to be decorated.
A fun recipe that can be varied to your preferences and a hit with both adults and kids, these Halloween cookies are sure to be delicious and spooky!
Ingredients For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (25 g) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients For the icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- Black food coloring
Preparation time:
Prep time (cookie dough): 10 minutes
Chill time: At least 2 hours, preferably overnight
Rolling and cutting: 10-15 minutes
Chill time before baking (optional): 5 minutes
Bake time: 6-7 minutes
Cooling time: 15-20 minutes
Icing prep and decoration: 20-25 minutes
Icing drying time: 2-3 hours, or overnight for full set
Approximately 30 cookies
Directions
1. Prepare the dough:
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Add the egg and continue beating until fully incorporated.
2. Incorporate dry ingredients:
In the same bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Use a spatula to gently combine the dry and wet ingredients until a smooth dough forms.
3. Chill the dough:
Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the dough to rest and firm up.
4. Roll and cut:
Once chilled, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thick. Use a bat-shaped cookie cutter or any other Halloween-themed cutter to cut the cookies.
5. Chill and bake:
Transfer the shaped cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. For better shape retention, you can chill them again in the refrigerator for 5 minutes or briefly freeze them. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 6-7 minutes, until the edges are set. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Instructions for the icing:
1. Prepare the icing:
In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of water while beating on medium speed for about 7 minutes, or until the icing has a ribbon-like consistency. If it’s too thick, add water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
2. Color and decorate:
Divide the icing into bowls if needed. Add black food coloring to one bowl, mixing until you achieve the desired shade. Transfer the icing to piping bags and decorate the cookies. Use a toothpick to help with finer details or corrections.
3. Allow to dry:
Let the decorated cookies dry completely before storing or serving.
Variations and Substitutions
Decals: On top of the black sugar cookie glaze, you could add on some extra black sprinkles, or black and white pearls for a bit of texture.
Espresso: For the adults who love coffee, adding a dash of espresso powder to the cookie base brings a comforting, bold flavor to the cookies.
Salt: A delicious combination of sweet and salty, you can decorate the Halloween bats with flakey sea salt for both flavor and texture.
Hazelnut extract: Bring a richer taste to the cookies with a splash of hazelnut in the batter.
Flavored eyes: For the eyes on the bats, you could use something like toffee bits, white chocolate chips, or candied eyeballs to change the style of the cookie.
How To Make the Best Chocolate Halloween Cookies
You need the butter to be pliable and at room temperature. Cold butter won’t mix into the dough well.
If possible, sift your cocoa powder through a mesh sieve before you use it. This will help remove any clumps. Also, try to use unsweetened powder to get the best chocolate flavor.
Take care to roll the dough evenly to ¼ inch thickness. This way, everything bakes consistently. If possible, place the cut cookies on a chilled cookie dough sheet. A warm sheet could cause the cookies to soften and lose their shape a bit.
To ensure they keep their shape, you could also place the cut cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes before you bake them.
Keep a close eye on the cookies in the final stages of baking as they’re quick to cook. Overbaking them will result in dry, crunchy cookies.
You’ll want to use gel food coloring for these Halloween cookies. Gel coloring gives a more vibrant look to a black color and liquid coloring can make the icing to runny.
The icing should have a smooth, ribbon-like flow. Do a test with the icing before you start decorating and adjust it with more powdered sugar if it’s too runny and extra water if it’s too thick.
The cookies can take a couple of hours for the icing to fully dry and set. Try not to stack them before then.
When they are set, you can store them in an airtight container for up to one week. Try to store them in a single layer so that nothing smudges. You can store undecorated cookies in a stacked position though.
You can also prepare the cookies in advance by freezing the unbaked dough for up to 3 months wrapped in plastic wrap and in a freezer bag. When you need it, let it thaw in the fridge before rolling it out and cutting the shapes.
Halloween Chocolate Cookies BAT
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup butter (115 g) room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar (150 g)
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190 g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- 2 tbsp water
- Black food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Add the egg and continue beating until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: In the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a spatula to combine the dry and wet ingredients until a smooth dough forms.
- Chill the dough: Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten it into a rectangular shape. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Roll and cut: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thick. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to shape the cookies.
- Chill and bake: Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, refrigerate again for 5 minutes or freeze briefly to help them hold their shape. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before decorating.
Instructions for the icing:
- Make the icing: In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of water while beating on medium speed. Beat for about 7 minutes or until you achieve a ribbon-like consistency. If the icing is too thick, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired texture.
- Color and decorate: Divide the icing into bowls if using different colors. For the black icing, gradually add black food coloring until you reach the desired shade. Transfer the icing to piping bags and decorate the cookies as desired. Use a toothpick to add detail or fix the design.
- Allow to dry: Let the decorated cookies dry completely before storing or serving.
Notes
- Room Temperature Butter: Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing and smoother dough. Cold butter may not blend well with the sugar.
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor. Sift it before adding to the dough to avoid lumps.
- Chilling is Key: Chilling the dough is essential for maintaining the shape of the cookies and preventing them from spreading during baking.
- Roll Evenly: Roll the dough evenly to 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thickness for uniform baking. Thicker cookies may need a longer baking time.
- Use Cold Baking Sheets: Ensure your baking sheets are cool when placing the cookie dough on them to prevent the dough from softening too quickly.
- Short Bake Time: These cookies bake quickly! Keep an eye on them as they only need 6-7 minutes. Overbaking will make them dry and crunchy.
- Shape Retention: For extra sharp cookie shapes, pop the cut cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their form in the oven.
- Icing Consistency: The icing should have a smooth, ribbon-like flow. If it’s too thick or stiff, add water gradually. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar.
- Using Gel Food Coloring: Gel food coloring is ideal for achieving deep, vibrant colors like black. Liquid food coloring can make the icing too runny, so use sparingly if necessary.
- Drying the Icing: Let the icing dry completely before stacking or storing the cookies. Depending on humidity, this can take several hours or overnight.
- Cookie Storage: Store undecorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Once decorated and dry, store the cookies in a single layer or with parchment paper between layers to avoid smudging.
- Freezing the Dough: You can make the dough in advance and freeze it for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling and cutting.
