Monster Cookies Recipe

Monster Cookies are very fun to make, look colorful, and are perfect for Halloween! Delicious and festive-looking, they are guaranteed to become a crowd favorite! These are my favorite Halloween cookies! Not only are they easy to make, but they are adorable and taste delicious, too.

Monster Cookies are never scary, instead, they are exactly the opposite! You can never go wrong with these especially when you are serving them to kids. And I have never outgrown my craving for them.

This recipe makes an incredible batch each time and so, feeding a crowd is easy. You can make them in your favorite colors, and also this would be a great recipe to make with kids.

My fun and easy recipe makes this a good way to try something new this year. Instead of handing out candy to the neighborhood kids, give them these delicious cookies.

Making them takes a few minutes, and they will return for more, so make extras. Don’t worry about leftovers. They can be frozen for up to three months.

Another great thing about my recipe is that it saves so much money. These cost over $20 a dozen in bakeries and grocery stores, but making them at home costs just a fraction of that.

Why you will love this recipe

• They are so cute: These cute cookies make perfect Halloween treats to hand out to the kids for trick or treating.
• Fast and easy: In less than 20 minutes, with my easy recipe, serve the kids a tray of fun and tasty monster eyeball cookies made from scratch.
• Have a Halloween party: Make a triple or quadruple batch and you’ll have enough for a party!
• Kiddo approved: These can be a great project to make with kids!! They love to choose the colors, shape the dough, and add the candy eyes.

What you’ll need to make monster cookies

Special items

• Cookie sheet – I use a large cookie sheet.
• Stand mixer – For mixing the ingredients.
• Bowls
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – I prefer all-purpose flour because it has a balanced protein level that makes soft and chewy cookies slightly crisp with just enough gluten for structure.
• Baking powder – I like baking powder here because baking soda seems to delay the setting process which makes them spread more. It also causes more browning and needs acid to activate.
• Unsalted butter – Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it will make better air pockets to help the cookies rise.
• Granulated white sugar – Adds sweetness, attracts and retains moisture, and helps to encourage lift.
• Large egg – A small egg can cause dry, dense cookies, while large eggs add moisture.
• Large egg yolk – I added an extra egg yolk for a richer flavor and chewier, lighter cookies.
• Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavor and contributes to a soft and fluffier texture. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not vanilla flavoring.
• Powdered sugar – I use powdered sugar to roll the cookies into before cooking for a little extra flavor and spookiness.
• Salt
• Purple gel food coloring
• Green gel food coloring
• Orange gel food coloring
• Blue gel food coloring
• Candy eyeballs

How to make monster cookies?

1. Preheat oven and prepare pan: First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place parchment paper on a greased cookie sheet.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: Then, I whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients: After, in my stand mixer, I whip the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy with a paddle attachment. Then, the egg and egg yolk go in with the vanilla.
4. Combine: Next, I turn the mixer down to low and add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing until they are just combined.
5. Add food coloring: After, I divide the batter into four bowls, add food coloring to each bowl, and stir until they are the color I like. The batter then goes into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
6. Roll and bake: Once it is chilled, I roll the dough into balls, dipping them in powdered sugar before placing them on the prepared cookie sheet. After patting them down a bit, I bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, adding the candy eyeballs when they are still warm.

Expert tip

How do I choose the best food coloring?

When choosing the food coloring for these cookies, I always choose gel. I do not use liquid food coloring anymore because it is not as vibrant and effective as gel. Also, it adds too much liquid to the dough. But let’s talk about the different kinds of coloring. Liquid is the cheapest and is made from water and synthetic coloring. It takes a lot to get even the lightest pastel colors.

Liquid gel colors are a little thicker and water-based but have corn syrup and a more concentrated color. They are good for this kind of recipe and do not take much to turn anything but chocolate into a vibrant color. I use gel paste to color chocolate and high-fat-based ingredients. It is highly concentrated and has to be used carefully, as well as expensive and hard to work with.

Natural food coloring could be used instead of artificial, though. For example, beets or pomegranates can be used to make red, raspberries can be used to make pink, and carrots or paprika can make orange. To make purple, acai, ube, and blueberries are some great choices, and for green, parsley, spinach, and matcha are known to be good choices.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add Kool-Aid: For fruity flavor, add the corresponding Kool-Aid to each color. For example, add cherry, raspberry, or strawberry to the red cookies and grape to the purple ones.
• Chocolate chips: Nobody can resist some chocolate chips in the mix. Dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate chips.
• Make them crunchy: To make these crunchy, toss in some chopped walnuts, pecans, or peanuts.
• Change the decorations: Use different eyes or stick on some mouths and noses as well.
• Other flavors: Make these into oatmeal, peanut butter, or another flavor.

Serving suggestions:

Here are some fun ideas for serving these monster cookies.

• To make a whole Halloween meal, serve my pumpkin pot roast with pumpkin mac and cheese with these cookies.
• Enjoy these yummy monster cookies with a glass of ice-cold milk.
• Instead of milk, they would also be delicious dunked in my homemade hot cocoa made with these pumpkin spice hot cocoa bombs.
• Having a Halloween party? Serve these with a variety of treats like caramel apples and my Halloween cake batter truffles.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my cookies flat?

If the oven is too hot, the fats in the cookies will melt before the rest of the ingredients have a chance to cook, making them turn out flat. And let the cookie sheet cool off completely before putting new cookies on them to cook. Not having enough flour can also cause flat cookies. Check the baking powder too. If it is old, it will not do its job properly. Also, be sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before making the cookies.

How can I make my cookies softer?

Substituting a quarter of the white granulated sugar with brown sugar can make the cookies softer as well as moist. Cornstarch also makes cookies thicker and softer, preventing them from spreading while they bake. If the dough seems dry, add a little bit of softened butter to soften it up. Another way I like to keep my cookies soft is to take them out a minute before they are done. They are just a little doughy, but I love them that way.

Why are my cookies falling apart?

The temperature of the ingredients has something to do with it. If the butter is too soft or melted, the cookies will not be able to hold their shape. Do not let the butter get too soft, and never let it melt. The dough also needs to be chilled before it bakes. Otherwise, it will spread out and be too thin to stay together. Please keep it in the fridge between batches, too. Also, make sure the flour is measured right. Use the spoon and level method. Spoon it into a measuring cup and level it with a knife.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Absolutely, it can be made up to four days in advance. After making it, wrap it in plastic and put it in a sealed container. Then it can stay in the refrigerator for up to four days. If it is going to be longer than that, put it in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container and it can be frozen for up to three months.

How to store:

• Pantry: These will last for 2 to 3 weeks stored at room temperature only. This is the best way to store them if you intend to keep them for just a few days.
• Freezer: To freeze, simply put them in freezer bags, each layer separated with a liner. They will last for up to 3 months.
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor.

More Halloween recipes:

Recipe tips:

• Wear disposable gloves when working with food coloring to prevent stained hands.
• Also, use gel instead of liquid food coloring. It works better and does not add any liquid to the batter.
• Please do not put the eyeballs in before baking, or they will melt.
• Instead of rolling the dough, use a cookie scoop and use a spatula to press them down.
• Save tons of time and use a boxed cake mix instead of the flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and follow the directions as usual.
• Make sure the oven is not too hot and the pan cools off between batches, or the fats will melt before the other ingredients.