Vegan Halloween Cookies – Namely Marly

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These colorful vegan Halloween cookies are so silly and delicious, you can’t help but smile when you eat them! Decorate these gooey chocolate cookies with vegan googly eyes and colorful candies, to make each bite ridiculously tasty.

For even more vegan Halloween treats, try these Vegan Candy Corn Ghosts. They’re so cute!

A stack of vegan Halloween cookies shows the top one with a bite taken out. There are more cookies in the background.

It’s Halloween, and I’m so excited I’m counting the minutes until the little goblins show up on our doorsteps. I’m thinking about dressing up for Halloween this year. Is that a shocking idea? I can’t decide. Whether or not I wear a costume, I can dress my cookies.

That’s where this vegan Halloween cookies recipe comes in handy. It’s time to get out the googly eyes and Halloween-themed sprinkles. A few vegan M&M candies add a nice touch, too!

Halloween is so fun!

How to Make Vegan Halloween Cookies

It’s fun to make these spooky Halloween monster cookies! There are just a few simple steps involved.

  1. Make the flax egg and set it aside.
    A measuring spoon drizzles a flax egg mixture into a small glass bowl
  2. Beat butter until light and fluffy.
  3. Add sugars and beat again.
    Looking at a beater full of creamy vegan butter and sugar whipped together in a stand mixer.
  4. Add the flax egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
  5. Add dry ingredients in with the butter mixture. Beat to combine. 
    A chocolate flour mixture is poured into a stand mixer bowl with a creamed butter mixture.
  6. Add most of the chocolate chips, reserving some chocolate chips for after baking.
    Looking down on a bowl of chocolate cookie dough with colorful candies and chocolate chips on top.
  7. Drop cookie dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet, at least 1 1/2 inches apart.
  8. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
  9. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for up to 5 minutes.
  10. Press more chocolate chips, candies, and sprinkles to the top of each cookie.
  11. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Key Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Vegan egg — We’ll be using a flax egg for this recipe. You could substitute a chia egg.
  • Vegan butter — You’ll need one cup of vegan butter. Be sure to use plant-based butter that’s made for baking. I do not recommend using tub margarine, because they have too much water content. If you can’t find vegan butter for baking, substitute refined coconut oil or even vegetable shortening.
  • Sugar — We’ll use equal amounts of brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  • Vanilla — I recommend using real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
  • Flour — Use all-purpose flour for these cookies.
  • Cornstarch — We’ll add a bit of cornstarch to make the cookies soft and chewy.
  • Cocoa powder — Here, I recommend using dutch-process cocoa powder to create gorgeous dark cookies. If you don’t have dutch-process, substitute natural cocoa powder.
  • Leavener — We’ll add both baking soda and baking powder.
  • Salt — To get the best flavor from your cookies, we’ll add a teaspoon of salt.
  • Chocolate chips — Here’s my guide to finding the best dairy-free chocolate chips!
  • Vegan candies — See below for tips on which ones and how to add vegan candies to add to your cookies.
  • Halloween sprinkles — Use your favorite dairy-free sprinkles with the perfect colors for Halloween.
  • Candy eyes — Some storebought candy eyes are made with gelatin and are therefore not vegetarian. I talk about making vegan candy eyes on this Vegan Halloween Donuts post. They’re easy to make!


Why This Recipe is a Winner

  • FUN— Colorful candies, sprinkles, and candy eyes creates colorful and fun cookies.
  • PARTY FAVORITE — Decorated, seasonal cookies will draw everyone into the party mood!
  • DELICIOUS — The perfect combination of flavors and chewy chocolate texture means these cookies are irresistible!
Colorful chocolate Halloween cookies sit next to each other on a white table. There are candy eyes between the cookies.

Decorating Halloween Cookies

You can make just about any cookie suitable for Halloween with the right decorations. Even vegan shortbread cookies will look spooky with the right decorations.

There are several options for vegan candies to add to your baked Halloween cookies.

  • Skittles — I do not recommend mixing the skittles candies into the cookie dough batter before baking. That’s because the skittles candies become very hard once baked. Attach them to cooled cookies using icing or melted chocolate
  • Vegan M&Ms — Several brands are offering dairy-free M&Ms, such as Unreal & Lily’s. Sometimes the colors fade when baked, so I recommend pressing them into cookies right after they’re removed from the oven. Pressing the candies into melty chocolate chips will help the candies stay put once the cookies cool.
  • Vegan Googly Eyes — See this Halloween Donuts recipe for a guide on making vegan candy eyes. Most store-bought candy eyes are made with gelatin, but it’s pretty simple to make them yourself.
A hand holds a Halloween cookie with a bite taken out, revealing lots of chocolate chips inside.


Storage Tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 to 7 days. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 14 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Be sure to let refrigerated or frozen cookies come to room temperature before eating them!

Looking down on Halloween cookies surrounded by candy eyes.

Halloween Monster Cookies Candy Eyes

The only other thing in this recipe was to veganize those monster googly eyes. I was a little perplexed when I went to the store and saw that every version of store-bought googly eyes had gelatin in them. Gelatin is not only non-vegan, but it’s also not vegetarian either.

No worries! The vegan candy eyes from my Halloween Donuts recipe work great.

So, there you have it. Vegan Halloween Monster Cookies. See? Even vegans can have Halloween fun too. I guess that means I’ll be getting my goth on for Saturday night. What about you? Are you dressing up for Halloween too?

Vegan Halloween Treats

If you love these vegan Halloween cookies, then be sure to try these other vegan Halloween goodies. They’re spooky and delicious!

If you’re throwing a Halloween party, here are more vegan Halloween party food ideas!

A stack of Halloween vegan cookies shows the top one with a bite taken out.

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  • Make the flax egg and set it aside.

  • Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light and fluffy. Add the flax egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

  • In a separate bowl, combine the flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir to combine.

  • Assess your batter. If the dough seems too crumbly, add 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2) of plant-based milk and stir to combine. Don’t add too much moisture because it can create flat cooks.

  • Add most of the chocolate chips, reserving some chocolate chips for after baking.

  • Use a cookie scoop to drop cookie dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet, at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for up to 5 minutes.

  • While the cookies are still hot, press in chocolate chips on top and use the melted chocolate to add candies and sprinkles to the top of each cookie. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. You can also use the melted chocolate to add googly eyes to each cookie.

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Vegan Candy

There are several options for vegan candies to add to the baked cookies.

  • Skittles — I do not recommend mixing the skittles candies into the cookie dough batter before baking. That’s because the skittles candies become very hard once baked. Attach them to cooled cookies using icing or melted chocolate
  • Vegan M&Ms — Several brands are offering dairy-free M&Ms, such as Unreal & Lily’s. Sometimes the colors fade when baked, so I recommend pressing them into cookies right after they’re removed from the oven. Pressing the candies into melty chocolate chips will help the candies stay put once the cookies cool.
  • Vegan Googly Eyes — See this Halloween Donuts recipe for a guide on making vegan candy eyes. Most store-bought candy eyes are made with gelatin, but it’s pretty simple to make them yourself.

Measuring Flour

Use the sift, spoon, and level process to measure flour, to prevent adding too much flour to the batter. To do this, sift the flour (it settles and compresses as it sits) to lift it, then spoon it into a measuring cup until it’s higher than the cup’s edges. Then use a butter knife to level it.

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2022.

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