Move over, orange and black sprinkles – these intensely dark and dramatic black cocoa cookies will become your new Halloween baking tradition! The secret to their bewitching colour isn’t food colouring but black cocoa powder, the same ingredient that gives Oreo cookies their distinctive deep ebony hue and sophisticated chocolate flavour.
Unlike regular Dutch-process cocoa, black cocoa undergoes additional alkalizing, creating the striking colour that makes these cookies perfect for the spooky season. When baked, they develop slightly crisp edges while maintaining a delightfully soft center—the perfect canvas for Halloween decorating!
The bonus of using black cocoa powder, which creates that striking deep-black colour, is that it creates the unmistakable chocolatey taste that’s uniquely Oreo-esque. When baked, these cookies spread into perfectly thin rounds with a beautiful snap—no soft centers here! Each bite delivers a deeply satisfying crunch that makes them irresistible. This recipe comes from King Arthur Baking.
Pro tip: Make extra—these hauntingly delicious treats tend to disappear mysteriously fast!
Black Cocoa Halloween Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature 142g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 198g
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- 1/4 tsp. espresso powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup black cocoa 56g
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch 21g
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar 113g
- 5 tsp. water
- 2-4 drops orange food coloring
Instructions
Make the Cooking Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment or working in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, salt, and espresso powder on medium speed until smooth (not light and fluffy. This will take 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and baking soda all at once and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the bowl and mix again briefly.
- Scoop the dough by the tablespoonful (about 24g each) and roll into balls; a level tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.
- Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2" between them.
- Bake the cookies for 28 to 32 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges and centers are firm and crisp; avoid soft centers.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely before decorating, about 45 minutes.
Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar. Add the water and vanilla and stir until is achieves a thin, paint-like consistency.
- Use a pastry brush to apply a thin coating of glaze to every cookie. Allow the cookies to rest at room temperature, undisturbed, for 10 to 15 minutes until set.
Storage
- Store leftover Halloween cookies, covered, at room temperature for several days. Freeze unglazed cookies for longer storage; freezing glazed cookies is not recommended.
