Halloween Monster Cookies

Bright colored Halloween cookies on a plate with powdered sugar cracks and candy eyeballs.

Halloween Monster Cookies are easy to make with cake mix and neon food coloring. They’re topped with candy eyeballs for a spooky-cute halloween treat that tastes like a sugar cookie. Perfect Halloween party food!

Author Amber Brady

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Yields cookies

Ingredients

15.25 oz (432 g) box white cake mix
¼ cup (30) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup (118 ml) oil, (canola or vegetable)
⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
candy eyeballs, (two sizes)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, flour, eggs, and oil until smooth. (Easiest to use an electric hand mixer for this.)
Divide dough into separate bowls for different colors. Add food coloring to each bowl and mix until the dough is one uniform color.
Use a #50 scoop (about the size of a heaping Tablespoon) to spoon dough into a ball.
Drop dough into a bowl of powdered sugar. Flip the dough over to coat it completely.
Place coated cookie dough balls on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. (NOTE: These cookies spread a lot and will flatten some before they even go in the oven.)
Bake at 350˚F for 10-11 minutes until edges are just starting to brown and the tops are matte, not shiny.
IMMEDIATELY press candy eyeballs into cookies while still warm. (NOTE: Cookies will be thin.) Allow cookies to rest on the pan for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

CAN I USE BUTTER INSTEAD OF OIL? Yes. You can use butter instead of oil in these cake mix cookies. I would use softened butter instead of melted butter though.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD COLORING DO I USE? I used Betty Crocker Neon Gel Food Coloring for these cookies. I generally prefer gel over liquid drops, but use what you have. Use about a pea size amount of gel or 3-5 drops of liquid food coloring. NOTE: If the dough gets really soft from mixing in the color, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to firm it up.
HOW TO MAKE COOKIES THICKER – While you can bake these Halloween monster cookies immediately after mixing, the dough is quite soft, which also produces a thinner cookie. You can chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before scooping and baking. Or you can add an additional 1/4 cup of flour to the dough (1/2 cup total). The additional flour will help with handling as well, if you find the dough to be too sticky.
CAN I MAKE THESE HALLOWEEN COOKIES AHEAD OF TIME? You can make these monster eye cookies ahead of time, just note that if/depending on how you stack them, the eyeballs may fall off. I would keep them flat on a tray and place parchment paper between any layers. Then wrap the pan well with plastic wrap to keep them fresh.

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