Get into the spooky spirit with the ultimate treat for your Halloween Celebration! These Black and Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect festive bake for the Fall and Autumn season. This recipe takes a classic, beloved soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie and gives it a vibrant, marbled Halloween makeover. They are incredibly fun to make and look absolutely spectacular on a platter at Parties. Get ready to wow your friends and family with a cookie that is as delicious as it is eye-catching!
Why You’ll Love These Halloween Cookies
This recipe is destined to become your new go-to for the spooky season. Here’s why:
- Incredibly Festive: The striking black and orange marbled effect is perfect for Halloween and looks amazing without any complicated decorating.
- Classic, Delicious Taste: Underneath the fun colors is a perfectly soft, chewy, and buttery chocolate chip cookie that everyone loves.
- Fun to Make: The process of dividing and coloring the dough is a fun activity, especially for kids who want to help in the kitchen.
- The Perfect Party Treat: These cookies are a guaranteed showstopper and will be the star of any Halloween dessert table.
Your Simple Ingredient Checklist
This recipe uses a classic cookie dough base with the simple addition of food coloring.
The Ingredient Lineup:
- Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- Sugars: ¾ cup packed light brown sugar and ¾ cup granulated sugar.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons.
- Flour: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon.
- Chocolate Chips: 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Food Coloring: High-quality black and orange gel food coloring.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The secret to the amazing look of these cookies is in dividing and coloring the dough.
Part 1: Make the Base Cookie Dough
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the Dough: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Part 2: Divide, Color, and Combine
- Divide the Dough: Separate the cookie dough into two equal halves in separate bowls.
- Color the Dough: Add a few drops of orange gel food coloring to one bowl and black gel food coloring to the other. Mix each bowl separately with a spatula (or clean mixer beaters) until the color is uniform and vibrant.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Stir 1 cup of chocolate chips into the orange dough and 1 cup into the black dough.
- Create the Marbled Effect: Take a small scoop (about a tablespoon) from the orange dough and a small scoop from the black dough. Gently press them together and roll them into a single ball. Do not over-mix, or the colors will become muddy.
Part 3: Bake the Cookies
- Arrange on Pan: Place the marbled dough balls onto your prepared baking sheets, about 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are still soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do I get the black and orange colors so vibrant? The key to deep, vibrant colors is to use gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring is less concentrated and can add too much moisture to your cookie dough, which can affect the texture and cause the cookies to spread too much. Gel coloring provides intense color with just a few drops.
2. Can I make this cookie dough ahead of time? Yes! This dough is great for making ahead. You can prepare and color the two doughs, then store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to bake, just scoop, combine, and bake as directed.
3. What if I don’t want to use food coloring? For a more natural approach, you can create a “black and orange” effect without artificial coloring. For the “black” dough, you can add about ½ cup of dark cocoa powder (this will make them chocolate-based). For the “orange” dough, you can add about ¼ cup of pumpkin puree (make sure to blot it with a paper towel first to remove excess moisture) and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for a delicious, naturally colored and flavored cookie.
4. How should I store these cookies to keep them fresh? Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay soft and chewy for up to 4-5 days. Placing a slice of bread in the container with the cookies can help keep them extra soft.
Spooky Halloween Black and Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- as needed black gel food coloring
- as needed orange gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry mixture to wet ingredients on low speed until just combined.
- Divide the dough evenly into two bowls. Add orange food coloring to one and black food coloring to the other. Mix each until color is uniform.
- Stir 1 cup of chocolate chips into the orange dough and 1 cup into the black dough.
- Take a tablespoon of orange dough and a tablespoon of black dough, press them together, and roll gently into one ball without overmixing for a marbled look.
- Arrange dough balls on prepared baking sheets, 2–3 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are soft.
- Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.