Halloween Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
Halloween Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter Chips are festive perfect for sharing! These super soft dark chocolate cookies are studded with white chocolate, semisweet chocolate, peanut butter chips and Reese’s Pieces for the ultimate treat! Makes 30 cookies.
I realize it’s only September, but I’m so excited for fall and pumpkins and HALLOWEEN.
Which is why, for this here Freaky Friday recipe post, that I wanted to share something festive and fall-like.
And since I was assigned Amy from House of Nash Eats, I had a tough task ahead of me because holy cow, does Amy have some great fall recipes!
I ended up wanting to make her DARK CHOCOLATE HALLOWEEN CHIP COOKIES because they’re festive and fun… but also because I can’t resist a cookie.
And they did NOT disappoint!
Why I love this recipe:
If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you’re going to swoon over these cookies!
I decided on this recipe a long time ago and was waiting for one of the ingredients to appear in my grocery.
Last week, I learned that the product was discontinued, so I had to make some adjustments to Amy’s original recipe.
I would like to think that these cookies capture the essence of hers.
Scroll on down to see how mine differ from hers and how you can make ’em yourself!
More festive Halloween recipes: Halloween Funfetti Cookies | Halloween Dessert Nachos | Melting Monster Halloween Punch | Halloween Caramel Corn | Caramel Corn Cookies | Halloween Trail Mix
Looking for more Halloween food ideas? Check out these 31 Halloween Recipes and my Halloween Recipe Index.
First, let me tell you about Amy from House of Nash Eats
Amy is the reason I learned about the Freaky Friday! She and I knew each other, thanks to being members of various blogger groups, but we never met until the 2018 Everything Food Conference.
We hit it off over lunch one day and have been friends ever since. 🙂
We’ve been known to chat about any and all blogging-related things. And she’s always been so kind in sharing her knowledge.
She also wrote a guest blog here last fall when I was on maternity leave. (Have you seen her Corn Dog Mini Muffins?)
I was thrilled when Amy was my assigned blogger because I’ve been itching to make some of her recipes. Also, maybe it’s just me, but there’s something SO MUCH FUN about being able to cook a friend’s site!
Some of the ones I’ve been drooling over include her Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwiches, Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends and Halloween Chocolate Blossom Sprinkle Cookies.
So… What Is Freaky Friday?
It’s an old-fashioned blog hop.
A blog hop, for those of y’all who haven’t been around the blogosphere for forever, is a collaboration between bloggers where everyone brings something to the table, then you link to one another when the posts go live.
Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, the lady who founded this quarterly collab, secretly assigns everyone another blogger, who we will choose and make a recipe from.
We make their recipe, photograph it as if it were our own, write a post about it with our own personal anecdote and then all share our posts on the selected Friday.
We hope that this collaboration helps you discover some amazing new recipes, as well as find new bloggers to follow!
Some other recipes I’ve made for Freaky Friday include:
What you’ll need to make this recipe:
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- Stand mixer.
- Cookie scoop (I used my 1 tablespoon scoop, but there is a 2 tablespoon scoop available, too)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or nonstick baking mat
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 that’s the base of the cookie dough. Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt content added.
- Granulated sugar—also known as “white sugar,” this is one of the sweeteners we add to our cookie dough.
- Light brown sugar—I love light brown sugar for most cookies because it gives a mild molasses flavor and balances the texture between chewy and crunchy.
- Eggs—these help our cookies keep their structure, as well as give them a little lift.
- Pure vanilla extract—the real deal adds such lovely undertones of vanilla to the batter!
- All-purpose flour—we keep unbleached AP flour in our house, but the regular kind works, too. I have no tried this Halloween cookie recipe with a gluten free flour substitute.
- Dark cocoa powder—this is the chocolate base for our cookies.
- Baking soda—this is our leavener, and it will cause the cookies to puff up as they bake.
- Kosher salt—when I’m baking cookies, I like to use a fine grain kosher salt. You may also use the same amount of fine grain sea salt.
- Fillings—you’ll need a combination of semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces
How to make Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter
You’re going to want to use your stand mixer for this recipe, so be prepared. It’ll make the process a lot easier since we’re making a ton of batter.
Also, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature! That means the butter AND the eggs. They’re easier to work with this way.
Make the cookie dough
Measure the butter and sugars into the bowl of the stand mixer. Cream them, beating for 3-4 minutes until light.
Crack the eggs. Add eggs one at a time. Measure in the vanilla, and mix until nice and smooth.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on the lowest speed so the ingredients don’t dust your kitchen. Mix until combined.
Combine the mix-ins—semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces—in a bowl.
Give them a stir.
Measure out TWO CUPS, and set the rest aside for later. You’ll use ‘em to make the cookies extra pretty.
Finish and chill the batter
Stir those 2 cups of the mix-ins into the cookie batter.
Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Why should refrigerate the dough?
The cookie dough extremely soft, so this step is going to help it firm up. You have to work the dough with your hands to shape it, and if it’s too soft, it’ll stick.
Shape and bake the cookies
When the batter has finished chilling, preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Form the cookies. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie.
Shape the cookies. Use the palms of your hands to shape the cookie dough into a ball.
Place the cookie douh on the prepared baking sheet. Set the cookies 2” apart so they have space to spread.
Press a few of the reserved chocolate and peanut butter chips into the top of each cookie.
Bake for 8-11 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before enjoying!
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Wouldn’t these Peanut Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies be the PERFECT addition to trick-or-treating or a Halloween party?
Here are some tips and tricks to help you entertain in style without the stress!
- Bake the Halloween cookies 1-2 days in advance. These beauties keep in an air-tight container easily, so do yourself a favor and don’t panic bake.
- Let your kids help! This is a really fun recipe to involve the kids. Depending on your child’s age, they can measure ingredients, man the stand mixer, form the cookie dough and press chocolates into the tops. It’s a fun activity for all, even if it can be a bit messy!
- Decorate your platter using additional Reese’s Pieces, as well as the chocolate and peanut butter chips! It’s an easy way to add pops of color that will tell your guests that are in these festive cookies.
- Make a label for them. Since these feature some common allergens, you might will want to label that they contain dairy and nuts.
Quick tips for making these Halloween cookies:
- Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to make these cookies! That’ll give them the time to come to room temperature, and it will help the batter come together more easily.
- Store these cookies in an air-tight container for up to a week. My guess is they won’t last that long, though!
- Not a fan of semisweet chocolate? Throw in your favorite dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips!
Frequently Asked Questions
The dark cocoa powders I’ve read and seen are processed with alkali in the Dutch process fashion.
It’s chemically processed to reduce the acidity, which makes the cocoa darker and also gives it a much more intense chocolate flavor.
Absolutely! The cookies won’t be as dark as they are in my photos or Amy’s or taste as rich, but they’ll still be delicious.
Take A Look At All Of Our Fall 2019 Freaky Friday Recipes:
Looking for a savory meal? I cannot wait to try Healing Tomato’s Stuffed Acorn Squash. These Slow Cooker Applesauce Pulled Chicken Sandwiches from House of Nash Eats are SO good. LeMoine Family Kitchen’s White Cheddar Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes are so comforting.
Soup lover? An Affair from the Heart is cooking up Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup and Life, Love & Good Food’s got a Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe.
Need a fall-flavored finger food? and Aunt Bee’s Recipes has delightful Three Cheese Roast Beef Sliders. Take Two Tapas is sharing Margarita Pizza Pull Apart Bread, and West Via Midwest has Easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings.
Need a dip? A Grande Life is serving Easy Beer Cheddar Dip, and Who Needs a Cape? has a delish Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade recipe, too.
Love all fall flavors? Check out this Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter Recipe from Bowl Me Over and Maple Oven Roasted Carrots from Lemon Blossoms. I cannot wait to try Mildly Meandering’s Saffron Rice.
Love fall sweets? You don’t want to skip Hostess at Heart’s Caramel Apple Pie Snack Mix or Soulfully Made’s Salted Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies.
Halloween Peanut Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup Reese’s Pieces
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Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Beat for 3-4 minutes, until creamed and light.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
- Next, sprinkle in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to the other mixture and mix on low speed, just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces. Give them a quick sir so they’re evenly distributed.
- Mix in 2 cups of the chips into the cookie batter, and place the remaining chips aside in reserve. (You’ll use them later!)
- Refrigerate 30-60 minutes. This dough is extremely soft, so refrigerating it will give it some time to firm up and not melt in your hands.
- When the batter has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, and set aside.
- Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands.
- Once the dough is shaped, place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2” apart.
- Press a few of the reserved chocolate and peanut butter chips into the top of each cookie.
- When all the cookies are on the baking sheet, bake for 8-11 minutes, until set. Do not overbake.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then enjoy with a glass of your favorite milk!
Notes
- Toll House Halloween Morsels no longer exist. I changed up the recipe to bring in more orange, mostly from the Reese’s Pieces, but also peanut butter chips.
- Amy suggests using Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I used Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge Powder for my version of her recipe because I couldn’t find it, and they’re equally dark. If you only have regular cocoa powder, though, that totally works, too!
- Amy suggests pressing the reserved chocolate and peanut butter chips into the tops of the cookies after baking them, though I had better luck placing them on the cookie dough before baking. (I have a bad habit of burning my fingers!)
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I’ m with you…I can’t resist a good cookie and these chocolate gems are calling my name right now!
RIGHT?!? I wish I could send some your way because they’re incredible, Sheila.
Reeses Pieces are just made for Halloween. These cookies look FANTASTIC – as dark chocolate is my FAVORITE of ALL THE CHOCOLATES! 😉
They truly are made for Halloween! And thank you so much–dark chocolate is my favorite of all the chocolates, too. And it’s hard to beat when paired with peanut butter.
What a fun cookie!! I love the chocolate peanut butter combo! going to have to whip up a batch this weekend for sure!
Thank you, Angela! It’s SUCH a good combination. I hope you enjoy these this weekend–we’ve loved nibbling on these and sharing ’em!
These cookies are just adorable and would be perfect for an after-school treat or a Halloween party. I love the dark chocolate with the peanut butter chips. It would be hard to keep my hubby from eating the batter before I get them in the oven!
Thank you, Julie! These would totally make for an amazing after-school treat OR for a Halloween party, too.
We had a hard time not eating all the batter because of the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, but I somehow got some of these into the oven for baking. 😉 Hopefully, you can do the same!
These are delicious!
These cookies are pure perfection. I don’t think I can wait until Halloween to make them though! They must be make NOW!!!
Thank you, Kathy! You absolutely should make them now… for taste testing!
I can’t wait to make these with my kiddos!
That makes me so happy to hear, Brandi! These are so much fun to make with kids!
Erin, these are AMAZING! You take the best photos. I’m so glad you made them and enjoyed this recipe! It was fun swapping with you this round!
Thank you so much, Amy! You are too sweet (because quite honestly, YOU take the best photos!) I was thrilled to have gotten your blog and to have baked these. Shockingly, they didn’t last long in our house… 😉
I loved that we got to swap this round, too. Such a fun one!
I like you burn my fingers so I like that I could put the chips on before baking! These were so good…. being a dark chocolate fan I was in heaven with how great these were! Going to keep the Reeces pieces on hand to be able to make them often for halloween!
What a perfect recipe for Halloween! These cookies sound amazing!
It really is perfect for Halloween, Madi! Thank you!
I can’t wait to try these halloween cookies! Peanut butter is my favorite ingredient in cookies.
HOORAY! Peanut butter is one of my favorite cookie ingredients, too, so I feel you. You might as well bake these now to taste test them for Halloween, right? 😉
Connor had a great time making these this weekend. I had to buy more chips because he kept eating them all! Great tip to add them on the outside of the dough ball before baking! It really allows the colors to stand out and make sure each cookie has a great mix of chips in them!
What’s not to love about these cookies! They are divine!
Oh my these look spectacular! Packed with chocolate and all those wonderful bites, I know they will be a hit, yum!!!
So much to love in these cookies! I’ll be making them year-round because they are delish!