Halloween Cut Out Cookies

Halloween cut out cookies are a delightfully spooky treat for your next fall party. These soft cookies hold their shape beautifully when baked and are filled with plenty of mini chocolate chips.

I've combined my chocolate chip cookie and maple cut out cookie recipes to make this brand new chocolate chip cut out cookie! They are surprisingly simple to make - no frosting or decorating needed.

These Halloween cut out cookies are the perfect mix between a cut out cookie and a chocolate chip cookie. They're soft, filled with chocolate chips, and they hold their shape beautifully. In shapes like pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and cats, they're perfect for all ages.

Serve these chocolate chip cut out cookies at your next Halloween or fall party. Or, use sprinkles and cookie cutters that suit the next holiday - they can be made in any shape!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter (you'll want to omit the salt listed in the recipe). Your butter should be room temperature - not cold, not melted.
• Sugars - We're using a combination of granulated and brown sugars for the perfect texture and chewiness.
• Vanilla extract - Adds flavor to the cookies.
• Eggs - Adds moisture and structure.
• Flour - I've only tested this recipe using all-purpose flour, so I can't say for sure how other flours would turn out. Have a different type of flour on hand? Instead of wasting ingredients, I highly recommend searching for a recipe that's written using the ingredients you have on hand.
• Salt - Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
• Leavening - Baking powder is needed for this recipe, not baking soda. The two are not interchangeable.
• Chocolate chips - I highly recommend using mini chocolate chips for this recipe. You'll be rolling out your dough to about ¼" thickness - larger chocolate chips are a bit too big for this style of cookie.
• Sprinkles - I recommend using Halloween color jimmies, like orange, green, and purple. Nonpareils can work, but their color can bleed a little when mixed into dough. Sprinkles can also be omitted completely.

Tools to make cut out cookies

Other than the basics, like mixing bowls and measuring cups, you'll need a few specific tools to make cut out cookies.

• Rolling pin - a simple wooden rolling pin is all you need.
• Cookie sheets - half baking sheets easily hold about a dozen cookies each.
• Cooling rack - grab a cooling rack to cool your freshly baked cookies.
• Halloween cookie cutters - Look for medium sized (2-3 inch) cookie cutters with easily recognizable shapes. I used this set from Amazon: Halloween Cookie Cutters - 5 pieces, which includes a ghost, bat, scary cat, witch hat, and a pumpkin.
• Halloween sprinkles - I used a combination of orange, green, and black jimmies sprinkles.
• Parchment paper - It prevents cookies from sticking to your baking sheet. I don't suggest greasing your baking sheet - this will make your cookies spread more.

Cut out cookie tips and tricks

Ever struggled to make cut out cookies work for you? These are my favorite tips for cut out cookie success.

• Make sure you're using room temperature ingredients when specified, not melted or cold. Room temperature ingredients emulsify when mixed with the sugar, creating a creamy, even dough.
• Do not substitute ingredients. Baking is an exact science and there is a reason for each ingredient listed. If you don't have the proper ingredients on hand, try searching for a recipe that does include your ingredients.
• The most common mistake I see in baking is the improper measuring of flour. Too much flour will cause your dough to be dry, crumbly, and tough. The most accurate way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. You can find the gram measurements in the recipe card beside the cup measurements. If you don't have a scale, spoon your flour into a measuring cup, then level off with a knife. When scooping directly from a bin with a measuring cup, this compacts the flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to your recipe.
• Chilling your dough is an important step that shouldn't be skipped. Chilled dough spreads less in the oven, ensuring that your cut out cookies keep their shape.
• Don't be afraid to dust everything with flour while you're rolling out your dough. Dust the counter top, your hands, your rolling pin, and your cookie cutters.
• Do not place dough onto a hot baking sheet. This will cause your dough to spread.
• Are your cookies still spreading in the oven? Once you've cut out your cookies and placed them on your baking sheet, refrigerate the entire baking sheet for 10 minutes before placing them in the oven. This will help them spread less.
• Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat instead of greasing your baking sheet. Added grease will cause your cookies to spread more.

Freeze extra cookies

If you have leftover dough or baked cookies, they can both be stored in the freezer!

• To freeze leftover dough - Form leftover dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, then wrap in foil. Or, wrap in plastic and store in a freezer-safe bag. Seal tightly, removing any excess air.
• To freeze baked cookies - First, allow your cookies to cool completely. Layer your cookies between sheets of wax paper in a freezer-safe bag or container. Seal tightly, removing any excess air.

Leftover dough and cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months when stored properly.

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