Description
These Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies are rich, fudgy, and bursting with festive orange M&M’s for a perfect spooky treat. With a deep dark cocoa flavor and bursts of chocolate chips, they are wonderfully soft and chewy, perfect for Halloween celebrations or any chocolate lover’s craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter (1 cup), room temperature
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Dark Cocoa Powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark®)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder (optional)
Add-ins
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 ¼ cups Orange Colored M&M’s® (or other orange candy coated chocolate candies)
Instructions
- Prepare Mixing Equipment: Use a stand mixer to handle the thick cookie dough more easily.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In the mixer bowl, beat together the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, incorporating fully after each addition.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and instant espresso powder (if using) to ensure even distribution.
- Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer, blending until a smooth, thick dough forms.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Stir in the dark chocolate chips evenly through the dough.
- Fold in M&M’s: Gently mix in the orange colored M&M’s, careful not to break too many candies.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two cookie baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Scoop Dough: Using a 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop, place scoops of dough onto the lined baking sheets in 3 rows of 4 cookies per sheet, making 24 cookies total; do not flatten.
- Add Extra M&M’s: If desired, gently press additional M&M’s on top of each cookie to showcase the bright orange color before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are set and firm but the centers remain soft and slightly puffed.
- Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and cool them on the baking sheets for 5 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra coffee flavor, include the optional instant espresso powder—it enhances the chocolate depth.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be soft in the center when removed from the oven.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, a sturdy hand mixer or vigorous hand mixing will work though it may require more effort.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week to maintain freshness.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend of equal measure.
