Halloween Funfetti Cookies (Spooky Cute Halloween Cookies)

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Halloween Funfetti Cookies are the perfect sweet treat to bake this October! These confetti cookies, made seasonal by the use of spooky sprinkles in place of traditional rainbow ones, are perfect for sharing. Makes 32 cookies.

A girl reaches out to grab a Halloween Funfetti Cookie, from above

I’m leaning in HARD to the Halloween cookie recipes this year.

Truth be told, I struggle with Halloween entertaining because while it’s my kind of holiday and low-key, I don’t know what to serve guests.

In the past, we’ve always ordered pizza on our street or gone to a friends’ house for pizza before trick-or-treating, and it appears that this year will be the same.

But we’ll be bringing cookies with us to spread some cheer, too.

And maybe one year, I’ll get stuff together so we can have an actual Halloween shindig… even though I don’t know if I’ll ever make some of the creepy-crawly Halloween recipes you see on Pinterest these days…

Why I love this recipe:

Who doesn’t love a homemade Funfetti Cookie recipe?

These cookies are filled to the brim with colorful sprinkles and oh-so-cute with the eye sprinkles added. Also, you don’t need funfetti cake mix to make ’em.

Sometimes known as Confetti Cookies, these cute Halloween cookies are perfect for a celebration, whether it’s to bring to a classroom or to serve at a Halloween party.

We had a blast making the dough and rolling it with our older daughter, who is 3, and we really enjoyed consuming them once they were cool enough!

More Halloween recipes: Melting Monster Halloween Punch / Sage Pumpkin Hummus / Candy Corn Martini / Halloween Caramel Corn

Looking for a Halloween dish, but you don’t know where to start? Check out my Halloween recipe index!

Close up of mixed Halloween sprinkles in a bowl

What you’ll need to make this recipe:

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Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Unsalted butter—this is the fat we use in our cookie dough. It needs to be room temperature so you can cream it with the sugars.
Light brown sugar—I love how this adds a light molasses flavor to the cookies without becoming overwhelming.
Granulated sugar—also known as white sugar, this is our other sweetener in the cookies. There is no substitute, as it affects both the flavor and texture.
Egg—this adds structure to the cookies themselves!
Pure vanilla extract
All-purpose flour—we keep unbleached AP flour in our house, but the regular kind works, too. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flours.
Kosher salt—I like to use a fine grain kosher salt for cookies. You could also use a fine grain sea salt, too.
Baking soda—this is our leavener, and it’s going to give the cookies a little lift!
Halloween sprinkles and eye sprinkles—to give these Confetti Cookies a spooky feel, you’re going to need these! I purchased mine from Target and Sprinkle Pop Shop.

A girl watches as cookie dough ingredients mix

A girl pours sprinkles into cookie batter

How to make Halloween Funfetti Cookies

This is a recipe where you’ll want to use your stand mixer or a hand mixer.

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and creamy.

Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well-combined and fragrant.

In another bowl, measure the dry ingredients—flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine.

Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. Add the other half, blending until the dough just comes together.

Measure ¾ cup of the sprinkles into the batter. Stir with a spoon or a rubber spatula until just mixed.

Cover the dough, and chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. We’ve chilled it overnight with no issues, too!

A woman holds a cookie dough ball in her hands

Funfetti cookie dough, shown on a baking sheet and in a bowl, before baking

Bake the Spooky Funfetti Cookies

Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to form cookies. Roll the dough between your palms until rounded and smooth.

Roll the dough in the extra Halloween sprinkles until they’re coated, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2” between the cookies so the cookies can spread as they bake.

Once all the cookies are on the baking sheet, bake for 10-11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Press the eye sprinkles into the tops of the cookies once you’ve removed them from the oven. Do this gently, and keep in mind that the cookies are HOT.

Let the cookies cool slightly on a wire rack before enjoying warm.

Halloween Funfetti Cookies on a sheet pan, after baking

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Everyone loves a Halloween party! And Halloween-centric desserts!

Here are some of my tips and tricks for making Halloween entertaining a breeze this year:

Get your supplies before it’s baking time. My first batch of these beauts was missing some sprinkles because I didn’t have enough. Make sure all your ingredients are present and accounted for before you bake—especially if you have to order specialty sprinkles!
Bake these cookies early. They keep well in an air-tight food storage container, so you can bake them beforehand.
If you don’t want to do the whole baking process beforehand, at least make the batter in advance so all you have to do is scoop the cookies and bake ‘em.
Let your kids help. My older daughter LOVED making the batter, as well as rolling the dough balls in sprinkles. While she was too young to help me place the eye sprinkles when the cookies came out of the oven, she enjoyed watching that part, too, and told me where to place them.

Halloween Funfetti Cookies, on a cooling rack

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really have to chill the dough?

If you want your cookies to have any sort of shape that’s not an unrecognizable lump, yes.

The dough is also really sticky, too, so if you don’t give it to the time to chill a bit, it’s going stick all over your hands during the shaping process.

Where can I get sprinkles like yours?

Sprinkle Pop Shop has the cutest sprinkles, and they’re based out of Houston! (Hooray, Texas!) I ordered mine back in August, so they’ve got them in stock, still. I ordered Pumpkin Confetti and Monster Mashup.

Close up of Sprinkle Pop Shop sprinkles, in their container

Cookies on a cooling rack, with extra sprinkles

Quick tips for making this Halloween dessert

Make these cookies dairy free by using vegetable shortening instead of butter. This recipe is adapted from my Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies, which I adapted from a family friend. Her original recipe calls for vegetable shortening, so I know it will work in this dough.
Store in an air-tight food storage container for up to a week.
Not Halloween? Make Classic Funfetti Cookies or make your own sprinkle blend to celebrate a holiday or other gathering!

Overhead of Halloween Cookies on a cooling rack, with Pinterest text

Other Halloween cookie ideas and recipes:

Halloween Peanut Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Caramel Corn Cookies
Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars
M&M Sugar Cookies (be sure to use colorful Halloween candy M&M’s for these!)
Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

32 cookies

Halloween Funfetti Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup assorted sprinkles, Halloween colors, divided
Eye sprinkles, for decorating

Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with a hand (or stand) mixer until the butter is light yellow and the sugars are well incorporated.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beating until combined.
Combine the dry ingredients—flour, salt and baking soda—in a smaller bowl, and whisk.
Pour in half of the dry ingredients, mixing until combined, then add the other half, blending until the batter has come together.
Measure in ¾ cup of the sprinkles. Stir them into the batter with a spoon or a rubber spatula.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight.)

Bake the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to form cookie dough balls. Roll the cookie dough between your palms until rounded and smooth.
Roll in the additional Halloween sprinkles until coated.
Place the cookie dough on the baking sheet, leaving about 2” between each so the dough can spread as it bakes.
Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until golden brown.
Immediately after they come out of the oven, press the eye sprinkle decorations gently into the tops of the cookies.
Enjoy warm with a glass of your favorite kind of milk!

Notes

Adapted from my classic Funfetti Cookie recipe.

Please note: I used a 1 tablespoon scoop to form these cookies. If you use a larger scoop, you will have less cookies in your batch!

If the cookies are cooled and you'd like them warm to eat, heat up in the toaster oven OR microwave on a microwave-safe plate for 10-15 seconds, or until the centers of the cookie is just slightly gooey.