Chocolate Reese's Pieces Halloween Cookies

Fall is just around the corner, and that means it's totally acceptable to start all my fun Halloween baking (at least, I'm saying it is). These dark chocolate cookies are a real treat with their rich, chocolatey flavor, soft and chewy texture, and lots of Reese's Pieces candies.

You can't go wrong with the satisfying combo of peanut butter candy stuffed into tender, chocolate cookies. It's a family favorite cookie recipe that's going to be a hit at all of your Halloween parties. Yum!

🥘 Ingredients

• Butter - Let your butter soften to room temperature before getting started.
• Sugar - You'll need regular white granulated sugar (plus more for rolling the cookie dough balls in before baking, if desired).
• Light Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar would work too with an added depth of flavor. You can also try a light brown sugar substitute.
• Egg - Like your butter, you'll want to let the egg come to room temperature first. Use a bowl of warm, room-temperature water for about 5 minutes before mixing the egg into your dough.
• Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor, but you could try a vanilla extract substitute.
• Dark Cocoa Powder - You can use dark cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder would work, but you would be missing out on the ultra-rich chocolate flavor.
• Espresso Powder (optional) - Adding espresso powder is a great way to enhance the chocolate flavor.
• Cornstarch - A little bit of cornstarch makes these cookies extra tender.
• Baking Soda - Baking soda is the leavening agent in this cookie recipe.
• Salt - A little bit of salt to help cut the sweetness.
• Flour - Use all-purpose flour that has been spooned and leveled.
• Mini Reese's Pieces - Hang on to a couple of tablespoons of Reese's Pieces so you can press more into the cookies when they are straight from the oven.
• Candy Eyeballs - Use any variety of candy eyes that you like; they can even vary in size.

🔪 How To Make Chocolate Reese's Pieces Halloween Cookies

Whether you're a pro baker or new to baking, these cookies are easy to bake up. You'll need a baking sheet, a stand mixer, measuring utensils, and a silicone spatula.

This makes 18 standard-sized cookies. I like to keep half a dozen and gift the other dozen (or else I'd eat them all).

Make The Cookie Dough

Step 1: Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. Using your stand mixer, cream together ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter, ¾ cup (150 grams) of sugar, and ¼ cup (55 grams) of light brown sugar at medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy (photo 1). Then, add 1 large egg (50 grams) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute (photo 2).

Step 3: Mix in dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients (½ cup (43 grams) of unsweetened dark cocoa powder, ½ tablespoon of espresso powder (if using), 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt) and mix on low speed until smooth again (photo 3). Add 1 ¼ cups (156.25 grams) of all-purpose flour and mix until just combined (photo 4).

Step 4: Fold in the candy. Fold in the 1 cup (188 grams) of Mini Reese’s Pieces (photo 5 - reserving 2-3 tablespoons to place on top of your cookies) until they are evenly distributed in the cookie dough (photo 6).

Bake The Cookies

Step 5: Portion the dough. Scoop the dough into portions that are 2 tablespoons each and roll them into a ball with your hands. Place them onto the baking sheet, leaving 2-3 inches of space in between each one (photo 7).

Step 6: Bake. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges have set and the cookies have puffed up.

Step 7: Top with more candy. Remove the cookies from the oven. Add the additional mini Reese’s pieces candies and 48 candy eyeballs (48 grams) on top of the just-baked cookies (photo 8).

Step 8: Cool and serve. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• Hold off on the extra candy for a better presentation. I found that the additional Reese's Pieces added to the tops of the cookies stick better if you place them on the warm cookie after baking. The Reese's won't melt in the oven (the candy eyeballs will), but the candy shell will split open. So, for picture-perfect cookies, you may want to wait until after they are baked- it's completely up to you.
• Enhance the chocolate flavor. A small amount of espresso powder enhances the rich chocolate flavor of the cookies. Use 1-2 teaspoons for rich chocolate perfection.
• Leave out the candy eyes. These cookies will be tasty without the candy eyeballs. They simply make a cute and spooky addition that kids adore.
• Keep your stored cookies moist with bread. An old kitchen hack that works is adding a slice of white bread to your container of cookies. The moisture from the bread (white bread has the most moisture) will keep your cookies from drying out.

🥡 Storing

Your Halloween cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top storage bag for up to 1 week.

Freezing

Once your cookies have cooled off, you can place them in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

See my post on freezing Christmas cookie dough if you'd like to freeze the unbaked dough.

📖 Recipe Card