Spooky Eyeball Black Cocoa Cookies
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Their striking black color makes them the perfect Halloween treat, especially topped with candy eyeballs for a creepy-cute finish!
Yield: 12 large cookies or 20 small medium | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 9-10 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes
What Are Spooky Eyeball Black Cocoa Cookies?
Think of these as the dark side of your favorite chocolate cookie. Made with deep, inky black cocoa powder (the same kind that gives Oreos their signature flavor), these cookies are rich, chewy, and perfectly balanced between sweet and bittersweet. Add candy eyeballs on top, and suddenly you’ve got the most dramatic cookie on the block fun, festive, and surprisingly elegant for something staring right back at you.
Ingredients You Will Need
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Egg
Vanilla extract
Milk of choice
All-purpose flour
Dark cocoa powder
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
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Our Tips for Spooky Eyeball Black Cocoa Cookies
Chill the dough: Don’t skip this step! A quick 30-minute chill keeps the cookies thick and chewy instead of spreading flat.
Press the eyeballs while warm: The cookies need to be soft enough for the eyes to stick without melting.
Use black cocoa, not Dutch-process: Black cocoa has a lower fat content and gives the signature dark color and Oreo-like taste.
Underbake slightly: Pull them from the oven when the centers look just set; they’ll finish baking on the sheet for perfect texture.
How to Store Spooky Eyeball Black Cocoa Cookies
Refrigerator: Place cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Store up to 1 week. Warm briefly in the microwave for that just-baked texture.
Freezer: Scoop and roll dough into balls, then freeze in a zip-top bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, letting dough rest 15 minutes at room temperature before baking and adding 5 extra minutes to bake time.
Spooky Eyeball Black Cocoa Cookies
They’re cute, creepy, and a little too good.
Ingredients
- 10.5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk of choice until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Scoop and Bake: Using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop, form dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are firm but the centers are still soft.
- Add Eyeballs: Gently press candy eyeballs into the cookies while they’re still warm. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Black Cocoa Power Move: Black cocoa has less fat than regular cocoa, so it can make cookies drier if overmixed. Keep the mixing gentle after adding the flour.
- Butter Softness Counts: Too soft and the cookies will spread too much; aim for butter that still has a slight chill when pressed. My butter was soft but still cold to the touch.
- Milk of Choice: Add a little extra moisture to the cookie dough with a splash of milk. I used lactaid but any type of milk or water works!
- Bake Time Is Flexible: Oven temperatures can vary, so pull cookies when edges are set and the middle looks slightly underbaked for a chewy center.
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