Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

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Halloween Charcoal Sprinkle Cookies (DF)

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I love a good sprinkled dessert. Sprinkle donuts? Yep. Sprinkles on cake? Count me in. Cookies covered in sprinkles? Yesss. The satisfying crunch! The festive colors! The sugary sparkle! And if you’re here, then there’s a good chance you at least feel half as enthusiastic as I do about sprinkles. This Sprinkle Cookie is a soft, chewy, traditional sugar cookie that’s been naturally dyed with activated charcoal and then rolled in sprinkles pre-bake for a lovely, festive look. And they’re delicious. You don’t taste the charcoal at all!

The recipe is simple, but in order to get the spread of the cookies just right, I don’t recommend subbing any of the ingredients. The sugars are interchangeable with one another – you can use 100% coconut sugar for a healthier cookie, or 100% granulated sugar for a sweeter cookie. I chose a mix of the two to get that traditional sugar cookie flavor without the kind of sweet that hurts my mouth. You’ll also need to chill the dough – don’t skip this step as it makes the dough easier to work with and helps create the perfect spread/cookie shape!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut sugar tastes less sweet that granulated sugar. For this recipe, the sugar is necessary for the proper texture and spread of the cookies, so I’ve added a bit of coconut sugar to lessen the sweet flavor. Plus, coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sweetener that tastes nothing like coconut – a win!

Oil makes these cookies so soft and chewy. You can use any vegetable oil you’d like. I used regular olive oil since the color and flavor doesn’t affect these cookies.

Activated charcoal coconut powder makes for a great natural dye. A little goes a long way in creating a dark gray dough that makes for beautiful (and festive!) cookies.

Eggs add moisture to these cookies, and the extra egg yolk brings chewiness to the cookies’ texture. I have not tried any egg replacements for this recipe.

Yield: ~18 cookies

Halloween Charcoal Sprinkle Cookies

Halloween Charcoal Sprinkle Cookies

Soft-baked, chewy sugar cookies naturally dyed with activated charcoal coconut powder and then covered in festive sprinkles!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp activated charcoal coconut powder**
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles (for rolling)

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and charcoal powder; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, vanilla, oil, and egg + egg yolk. Add wet ingredients to dry and use a large wooden spoon or spatula to mix until everything is just combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for two hours.
  3. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the sprinkles to a small bowl. Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop 8 dough balls 1 1/2 Tbsp in size. Roll the dough balls smooth and then dip the tops and sides of the dough balls in your sprinkles.
  4. Place all 8 dough balls on your parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Then gently reshape them to make neater balls, if necessary. Slightly flatten each dough ball. Bake at 325°F for 5 minutes or until cookies have a spread.
  5. Allow cookies to set for 1 minute on the baking sheet, and then gently move them to a cooling rack. Cookies will de-puff as they cool. Repeat until all cookies are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

**Disclaimer: activated charcoal may reduce or prevent absorption of certain medications, drugs, or supplements

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 109 Total Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 31mg Sodium: 136mg Carbohydrates: 13g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 11g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 1g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Cookies

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Other cookie recipes you might like:

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies (DF)
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies (DF)
Soft & Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies (DF)

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies (dairy-free!)

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So about a week ago I decided I wasn’t going to worry about coming up with Valentine’s Day-specific recipes. I thought, Eh, there’s already enough pink and red and heart shaped treats to go around. But then I got on Instagram, like I do everyday, and my feed was bursting with the cutest Valentine’s themed desserts. And it just so happens that I’ve had these pink, red, and white sprinkles in my baking drawer for so long it’s embarrassing. I decided to take my Soft & Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies, swap the coconut sugar for cane sugar, and add sprinkles! What I got is a super festive, ultra chewy cookie that honestly tastes like I’m eating raw sugar cookie dough. Yep. You’ve been warned.

This recipe is honestly so easy. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill for that 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 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! Happy baking, friends!

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies (dairy-free)
Makes 16 cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or a neutral tasting vegetable oil*)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1/4 cup + 1/2 cup sprinkles

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 overbake 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. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

*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.

Soft & Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies (dairy-free!)

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If you’ve been following me and my recipes for any length of time, then you know I’m a huge fan of coconut sugar. I actually prefer it over white or brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. It’s tasty, has a low glycemic index (unlike honey and maple syrup), and it’s an easy 1:1 replacement for white, refined sugar.

Now, when I think of a sugar cookie, I have something very light in color, sweet, and simple in mind. But since coconut sugar is brown in color, it produces darker colored baked goods. These Coconut Sugar Cookies may be slightly different than you’re used to, but the flavor and texture will not disappoint. They’re seriously soft and chewy, and they’re the kind of cookie that will be even softer the day after they’re baked!

The recipe for these cookies is super simple. Aside from the coconut sugar (which you can now find at most stores that carry groceries) all of the items are easily already in your cabinet. The mixing process is quick and easy, but refrigerating the dough is super important since you’ll use olive oil instead of a solid fat for these cookies. Keep in mind that the dough will be very soft and, once rolled, will spread a bit before baking. Your cookies will take less time to bake than you think, so keep an eye on them, and remember that they should look puffy when you take them out of the oven. As they cool, the cookies will settle and look more like what I have pictured. As always, happy baking!

Soft & Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies (dairy-free!)
Makes 12 cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp

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 coconut sugar, olive 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 no flour streaks remain. Cover and chill for at least two hours.

3.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop cookies 1.5 Tbsp in size, rolling the dough into smooth balls (the cookies spread more evenly when rolled). Place six dough balls on your baking sheet. Your dough will be quite soft, so It’s normal for the dough balls to spread before you bake them. Top with sugar if desired.

4.) Bake cookies, six at a time, at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until cookies have spread and puffed. Be careful not to overbake them. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Cookies will deflate and soften as they sit. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.