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These Chocolate Black Cat Cookies are a fun and easy homemade cookies recipe perfect for celebrating Halloween. I’ve been making them since I was a kid myself! Get your kids into the kitchen to bake these chocolate cookies with you!
Baking these fun cookies for Halloween has been a tradition in our house every year since I can remember! They are a quick and easy Halloween treat that are fun for kids of all ages to help with, too.
Seriously, my kids have been helping to make these cookies since they were toddlers and now they are teenagers! They will often make them on their own now to share some with friends.
The original recipe is from a newspaper clipping my mom cut out many, many years ago and they were something we made as I was growing up. And I’ve literally been making them ever since!
A few years ago, I even won third place in a regional magazine’s recipe contest years ago! How fun is that? With just a few ingredients, they are an easy and festive chocolate Halloween cat cookies are ready to enjoy in no time.
Ingredient Tips
All of the ingredients can be found easily at the grocery store but I have a few tips to help you choose them.
Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix – Choose basic chocolate, chocolate fudge or Devil’s Food flavor. As long as it’s chocolate, you’re good to go.
Creamy Peanut Butter – We use the natural peanut butter but any kind will work. You can also substitute almond or sun butter instead.
Eggs – Just a regular large egg here!
Water – I like to list this because sometimes when it’s not in a recipe, I accidentally leave it out if it’s just in the instructions.
Granulated Sugar – I usually buy the sugar at Aldi’s or the store brand to save some money but any brand will do.
Chocolate Chips – We prefer the semi-sweet chips but you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Whatever you prefer will work!
Mini M&M Candies – You can usually find these in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips section. Sometimes they will be in the regular candy section but it depends on the store. Often, I can find just the green and red mix for the holidays and that makes it so much easier to sort out all the reds but the multi-color variety is ok too!
How to Make These Cookies
You may have heard of Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies and these are just a fun twist on those. Starting with a boxed cake mix and just a few other ingredients makes these super easy for kids to make, too. The addition of peanut butter makes them extra tasty!
In a large bowl of a mixer (affiliate link) (1), combine all the ingredients just until blended. (2)
Using a small scoop (affiliate link) or spoon, form 1-inch or so dough balls and roll in sugar (3) and place on a baking sheet (affiliate link) lined with a silicone baking mat (affiliate link) or use a non-stick pan.
With the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten the dough balls to press the dough down to about ¼-inch thick (4).
Then comes the fun part! We use our fingers to pinch two ears at the top of the flattened cookie dough (5).
After that, add a red mini M&M candy for the nose and the chocolate chips for the eyes (6).
Lastly, use the tines of a fork to press “whiskers” into the cookie dough on either side of the cookie, just below the candy nose. I prefer a small fork as it seems easier, but any kind will do (7).
Make Ahead Tips
These chocolate black cat cookies can be made a day in advance of serving and stored in an airtight container (affiliate link).
You can also do part of the prep ahead of time. Sometimes I separate the M&M candies the day before I planned to make the cookies which saves a little bit of time. This is something your kids can help with too!
Are These Cookies Freezer Friendly?
Yes! These Halloween cat cookies freeze wonderfully! If you’re feeling really organized, they can be made ahead and stored in the freezer up to three months. Just be sure to use an airtight container (affiliate link) and separate layers with wax paper. I like to use these reusable labels (affiliate link) on my containers.
When you’re ready to serve the cookies, just set them out in the container at room temperature to let them thaw—about 20-30 minutes.
Easy Chocolate Black Cat Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter you could also substitute another nut butter or sun butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- 42 pieces red mini-chocolate candies We use the mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter, cake mix, eggs and ¼ cup water using a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Add more water as needed if dough is too stiff.
- Place ½-cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Then, using a small scoop or spoon, roll dough into 1 ½” balls. Roll ball in sugar and place on baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat or parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
- Using a drinking glass with a flat bottom, press the dough ball flat with bottom of the glass to about ¼-inch thick
- To form cat faces, use finger to pinch two ears at the top of flattened cookie dough.
- Add two chocolate chips for the eyes and one red chocolate candy for the nose.
- Use the tines of a fork to form the whiskers on either side of face.
- Bake 7-8 minutes. They will be soft to the touch.
- Cool on baking sheet for one minute then remove to baking rack to cool completely.
Notes
Make Ahead Cookie Baking Tips
Can These Cookies Be Made Ahead?
Yes! You can make and bake these cookies the day before you plan to serve them and store in an airtight container. You can also do part of the prep ahead of time. Last time I separated the M&M Candies the day before I planned to make them saving me a little time. This is something you can do with your kids too! Sometimes I will also measure out the separated red candies, chocolate chips and granulated sugar either earlier in the day of baking or even the day before. Just put a lid on the containers you use and then when you’re ready to make them those are a few less steps to worry about.Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
These chocolate cakemix cookies freeze wonderfully! You can make them up to three months in advance (unlikely so far ahead, but possible!) Just store them in a labeled airtight container. These are my favorite labels for the freezer! When ready to serve, set them out on the counter and let them come to room temperature–about 20-30 minutes.Nutrition
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