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sprinkle cookies

Halloween Sprinkle Cookies with Black Cocoa

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Halloween Sprinkle Cookies

Soft and fudgy chocolate sprinkle cookies made with festive black cocoa powder and holiday sprinkles. Add a few candy eyeballs to these chocolate cookies post-bake for an extra fun Halloween cookie!

Halloween Sprinkle Cookies

It’s officially October, which means Halloween is just a few short weeks away. There’s something about this extra spooky season that triggers my holiday spirit every year – Halloween is like an intro to the real holiday season, right?! 😉 We strung spider webs across our porch last night, and the kids had a blast carefully placing the myriad of fake spiders we’ve acquired over the years.

We’ve all been enjoying my extra festive Halloween bakes this past week, and I know you’ll love these Halloween Sprinkle Cookies as much as we have. They’re a fun and simple chocolate cookie enrobed in Halloween sprinkles. I was feeling the black and purple this year, but any Halloween sprinkles will look cute on these cookies!

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

  • Fudgy texture that stays soft for days
  • Dark chocolate flavor
  • Naturally colored dough that’s almost black
  • Tried and true recipe that comes out perfect every time

What You’ll Need

  • Chocolate chips are melted and mixed into the dough for extra chocolate flavor. I use dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips and find semi-sweet works best. I don’t recommend dark chocolate since we’re using black cocoa in these cookies.
  • Plant-based butter adds flavor and moisture. I use the Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Olive Oil. Regular butter will also work.
  • Sugar adds sweetness, of course! I use white granulated sugar for these cookies, but you can use coconut sugar, raw sugar, or an unrefined cane sugar (just note that the gram measurements will vary).
  • Vanilla extract adds flavor.
  • Eggs bind the ingredients and help create the perfect chewy chocolate cookie. I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg alternatives.
  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cookie dough. I like to use an unbleached variety, but any all-purpose flour will work.
  • Black cocoa powder brings that dark, festive black color to these cookies. Since black cocoa powder isn’t used for deep chocolate flavor, you’ll also be using a Dutched cocoa powder.
  • Dutched cocoa powder adds a dark chocolate flavor to these cookies. Since it’s darker in color than natural cocoa powder, I don’t recommend using natural (regular) cocoa powder in these cookies (we want these cookies as dark as possible!).
  • Baking soda leavens the cookies and aids in proper spread.
  • Salt enhances flavor.
  • Sprinkles add that extra festive touch and make these, well, sprinkle cookies. I don’t recommend using any candy-like sprinkles as they may melt in the oven. Candy eyeballs should be added after baking the cookies.

FAQ

Can I use regular (natural) cocoa powder? No, only black cocoa powder and Dutched cocoa powder will work for this recipe. The black cocoa is for color, and the Dutched cocoa is for color and flavor. 

Do I have to chill the dough? Yes, chilling the dough firms it up so you can roll the dough balls and get perfectly smooth/round cookies. Chilling also allows the cocoa powders to darken, resulting in a darker cookie.

When do I add the candy/sprinkle eyeballs? You’ll add these immediately after baking. As soon as you pull the baking sheet out of the oven, you’ll gently press the eyeballs into the tops of the cookies. The eyeballs might melt if added before baking.

How many cookies does this recipe make? I was able to make 11 bigger cookies with my dough balls being 3 Tbsp in size.

Can I bake them ahead of time? These can be baked up to one day in advance – these cookies will still taste fresh on Day 2. The dough can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Can I make the dough balls smaller? Definitely. I haven’t tested this, so I can’t provide an exact bake time. You will follow the instructions as written and then bake the smaller dough balls for less time.

Yield: 11 Cookies

Halloween Sprinkle Cookies with Black Cocoa

Halloween Sprinkle Cookies with Black Cocoa

Fudgy chocolate sprinkle cookies made extra festive with black cocoa powder and Halloween sprinkles!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup (78g) plant-based butter (or regular butter)
  • 3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (130g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (20g) black cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup (20g) Dutched cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • ~1/2 cup Halloween sprinkles

Instructions

  1. In small, microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips and butter. Microwave in 15-30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until chocolate is melted and smooth; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the melted chocolate.
  3. Sift in the flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt. Use a large spoon to gently mix in the dry ingredients. Your dough will resemble brownie batter.
  4. Cover and chill the dough for 3 hours. This allows the dough to stiffen enough to be rolled into balls AND deepens the color of the dough for a darker, more black color.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F for 10 minutes and prepare a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper. Add your Halloween sprinkles to a small bowl, separating the sprinkle eyeballs and setting them aside for after baking.
  6. Scoop dough balls, six at a time, 3 Tbsp in size. Roll all of the dough balls smooth (I wash my hands after this step). Roll each ball in the sprinkles and place on the baking sheet - avoid adding sprinkles to the bottoms of the dough balls.
  7. Bake cookies at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should begin to spread and may crack slightly. For fudgy cookies like the ones pictured, be careful not to over-bake.
  8. Immediately after pulling the cookies out of the oven, gently press candy eyeballs into the tops of the cookies. If needed, use the back of a spoon to carefully re-shape any lopsided cookies. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  9. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all cookies are baked. Enjoy warm for a gooey cookie. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature - these cookies say soft for a few days after baking.

Notes

  1. Butter: I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Olive Oil.
  2. Eggs: the eggs do not need to be room temperature for this recipe. I used mine straight from the fridge.
  3. Sprinkles: the exact sprinkles I used can be found here and here (I took out the green balls and big eyeballs). I also mixed a little black sanding sugar (black sugar sprinkles) into the purple and black sprinkle mix.
  4. Refrigeration: chilling the dough is mandatory for these cookies. The dough needs to be chilled for at least 1 hour to be properly rolled, but a few hours is better as the black cocoa powder darkens as it sits.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

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Ultra soft Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars with a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream. These sweet cookie bars are the perfect base recipe for whatever sugar cookie bar you can dream up.

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

First things first: do we like “confetti” or “funfetti” to describe these cookie bars? Because I truly cannot decide what to name these bars! I’ve previously used both terms to describe my sprinkle-laden treats, but for everyone else’s sake, let’s go with FUNFETTI. I think this term is more widely used.

Anyway, these cookie bars are everything you want in a simple sugar cookie bar. They’re seriously soft-baked (thanks to the powdered sugar in the dough), they’re topped with the easiest vanilla buttercream, and, of course, the sprinkles add a whole level of excitement and versatility! Turn them into holiday-themed bars, birthday bars, or, leave out the sprinkles all together for a more sophisticated cookie bar. ALSO. Flavor options. This recipe is an amazing base recipe that can be flavored with lemon, orange, peppermint, or whatever else you’re feeling. Mix up the buttercream topping and you can have pink strawberry bars! Go wild, friends. And most importantly, enjoy!

Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars

  • Seriously soft in texture
  • Frosting to cookie ratio is *chef’s kiss*
  • The perfect base recipe for flavor add-ins
  • Can be cut into 18 or 24 bars
  • Simple recipe made with pantry staples

What You’ll Need

  • Plant-based butter adds moisture and a buttery flavor to the cookie dough and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based butter or regular salted butter.
  • Powdered sugar is used instead of granulated sugar in the cookie dough, making the dough very soft (like a Lofthouse cookie!). You’ll also need it for the buttercream frosting.
  • Eggs bind the ingredients together – I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes.
  • Vanilla bean paste lends a lovely flavor to the bars and frosting. Regular vanilla extract will work just fine, but you’ll miss out on those little specks of vanilla bean! If you’re looking to edit the flavor, this is where you can use orange extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract, etc. I recommend replacing up to 1 tsp of the vanilla bean paste with another flavor.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness – very necessary for these sweet bars!
  • Corn starch also keeps these cookie bars soft in texture. And helps them last longer (they stay soft for a few days on the counter).
  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cookie dough. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety.
  • Jimmies sprinkles (the long ones!) are the best sprinkles to use for the cookie dough as they give those little bursts of color that we’re after. For the top of the bars, you can use whatever sprinkles you like.
  • Plant-based milk helps thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Feel free to use any plant-based milk, regular milk, or even water.

More Sugar Cookie Recipes

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Frosting

Chai Spice Brown Sugar Cookies

Coconut Sugar Cookies (made with coconut sugar)

Yield: 18 or 24 Bars

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

funfetti sugar cookie bars recipe

Ultra soft Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars with a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream and plenty of festive sprinkles - for whatever you're celebrating!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Bars

  • 2/3 cup (150g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (32g) corn starch
  • 2 3/4 cup (358g) all-purpose flour
  • 6 Tbsp (65g) jimmies sprinkles (+ 1 Tbsp to sprinkle on top)

Vanilla Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1-2 tsp plant-based milk (or regular milk)
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Bars

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature (if needed) by adding them to a glass of warm water for roughly 10 minutes. Meanwhile...
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13” baking pan - coat with non-stick spray and line the bottoms + 2 long sides with a large piece of parchment paper. Fold the excess paper over the edges and trim with scissors.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined - it will seem dry at first but will turn into a creamy mixture.
  4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla bean paste. Beat in the salt and corn starch until just combined. Use a large spoon to stir in the flour. And finally, gently stir in the sprinkles.
  5. Spoon the dough into your prepared baking pan. Gently press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan, getting it as level as possible - you can use the back of a spoon, spatula, your fingers, etc.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes. Allow the cookie bars to cool in the pan set on top of a cooling rack.

Frost the Bars

  1. Once cooled, remove the bars from the pan, set them aside, and make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and vanilla bean paste. Beat in the powdered sugar.
  2. Add milk 1 tsp at a time and beat, adding just enough until the frosting texture reaches a firm but spreadable and creamy consistency.
  3. Spoon all of the frosting onto the big cookie bar. Use an icing spatula to swirl the frosting across the surface of the cookie. Immediately top with extra sprinkles.
  4. Slice into even pieces (18 or 24 bars) and enjoy!
  5. Store leftover cookie bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

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Molasses Sprinkle Cookies (dairy-free)

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Soft & chewy Molasses Sprinkle Cookies made extra fun & festive with sprinkles! This easy, one-bowl recipe is especially kid-friendly (hello, sprinkles!), but the molasses flavor will have both kids and adults swooning over these sparkly holiday cookies!

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

I know, I know. There are A LOT of chewy molasses cookie recipes out there. And that’s because a good molasses cookie filled with warm, cozy spices is just what we all want for the holiday season! Add sprinkles and you’ve got one festive cookie that’s just begging to be the star of your cookie exchange. Seriously, these Molasses Sprinkle Cookies are delicious. They’re loaded with molasses flavor and the soft, chewy texture paired with the crunch of the sprinkles couldn’t be more perfect.

For maximum recipe success (i.e. to get cookies instead of a puddle of burnt dough) you will have to chill this cookie dough for at least two hours. The good news? The recipe is one-bowl and comes together very quickly – no mixer required! Whip up the cookie dough and throw that baby in the refrigerator. Leave it overnight or sort your sprinkles while you wait! I promise it’s worth it! And if you have kids, get them involved in the mixing process and let them pick the sprinkles – my daughter loved seeing the end result of all her hard work 😉

Yield: 18 Cookies

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

Molasses Sprinkle Cookies

Soft & chewy spiced molasses cookies made extra fun & festive with sprinkles! These easy, kid-friendly cookies are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or enjoying all to yourself - we don't judge.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (white or raw)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice or nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, olive oil, molasses, and vanilla. TIP: measure out the oil first and then use the same liquid measuring cup for the molasses for easy cleanup.
  2. Mix in the salt, spices, corn starch, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the flour and gently mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, or overnight.
  3. Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the 1/2 cup of sprinkles to a shallow dish/bowl.
  4. Scoop cookies, 8 at a time, 1.5 Tbsp in size, and then return the leftover dough to the refrigerator. Roll each cookie into a smooth ball and carefully dip and roll the top and sides in the sprinkles. The dough balls will be soft, so you may need to re-shape them a bit as you place them on your baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until the cookies have spread (see Note 1). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
  6. Repeat until all cookies are baked, being sure to alternate baking sheets so that you're always using a room temp baking sheet.
  7. Once the cookies have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I've found them to be chewier and softer the next day!

Notes

  1. To keep these cookies chewy, be sure you don't over-bake them. They only need 5-6 minutes in the oven.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies (DF)

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It’s the holiday season! Which means I am excited for sprinkles! Take a small bowl of sprinkles and add them to a chewy sugar cookie and you’ve got me very excited for something that doesn’t include chocolate (if you know me or my recipes, you know I love chocolate!). These cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with sprinkles. You can add as much or as little sprinkles as you’d like. Do what I did and add them to the batter and roll the dough balls in sprinkles, or choose one or the other. Whatever you do, just know that people will love these cookies! Especially around the holiday season.

This recipe is pretty simple – the hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill for two hours! But once the dough is ready, you’ll shape your dough balls, dip the top and sides of each dough ball in sprinkles, and bake! And, like I mentioned, if eating a cookie covered in sprinkles is too much for you, you can skip that step. You’ll still have a delicious, chewy cookie with bits of festive colors inside!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

White granulated sugar makes these cookies irresistible, giving them a traditional chewy sugar cookie taste! The white sugar adds no extra color to the dough.

Extra light olive oil makes these cookies nice and chewy! I prefer the “light” variety simply for the color, but you can use regular olive oil or other vegetable oils. I don’t recommend using coconut oil.

Extra egg yolk also lends a hand to the chewiness of these cookies.

Vanilla extract flavors these cookies, which is why I like to use 2 whole teaspoons. You could use a mix of vanilla and almond extracts, but I prefer all vanilla.

Yield: 18 Cookies

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies

Soft and chewy sugar cookies loaded with your favorite holiday sprinkles! The perfect cookie for any celebration!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup white granulated sugar (or unrefined cane sugar)
  • 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 3/4 cup sprinkles, divided

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Whisk in the egg + egg yolk until mixture is completely combined and smooth. Add liquid ingredients to dry and use a large spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix until a few flour streaks remain. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of sprinkles. Cover and chill the dough for at least two hours.
  3. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add 1/2 cup of sprinkles to a small bowl. Scoop cookies 1.5 Tbsp in size, rolling the dough into smooth balls – the cookies spread more evenly when rolled. Roll each dough ball in sprinkles (optional). I only rolled the top and sides of my dough balls! Place six cookies on your prepared baking sheet and slightly press down on each dough ball, reshaping as necessary into a neat circular shape.
  4. Bake cookies at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until cookies have spread and puffed. Be careful not to over-bake them! Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cookies will deflate and soften as they sit.
  5. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • I like adding olive oil to these cookies, but if you’re looking for something more neutral in taste, you can try grapeseed, avocado, canola, or safflower oil.
  • If you prefer less sprinkles, feel free to leave the sprinkles out of the batter OR only put sprinkles in the batter (and don't roll the dough balls in sprinkles).

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Occasionally I update the photos in my posts, and I like to keep a couple of the original photos for anyone who may have saved the recipe prior to the update. In this case, Valentine’s Day confetti cookies!

More cookie recipes:

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies (DF)
Peanut Butter Blossoms with Chocolate Ganache (DF)
Soft & Chewy Orange Sugar Cookies (DF)
Soft & Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies (DF)