I don't know about you, but Oreos are my favorite sweet treat. This dark chocolate sandwich cookie is the homemade gourmet version of Oreos.
For Halloween, you can make these cookies in fun shapes, like these adorable bat cookies.
Coming up with Halloween party food recipes is one of my favorite types of recipes to create. I love figuring out creative and creepy ways to serve up fun savory Halloween party treats.
If you haven't seen my Savory Parmesan Monster Fingers, then you need to check them out.
This bat oreo cookie is inspired by a recent trip to Austin, Texas.
If you didn't know this fun fact already, Austin Texas has the largest bat population in the county. For a few species, in the actual world.
What? Yeah, I didn't realize this when I first got there.
While I was staying at my hotel, which happened to be located at one end of the Congress Street Bridge, I found out that 1.5 million bats come out every single night to feed on 30 thousand pounds of insects.
These bats live under the Congress street bridge right on the edge of Austin's bustling downtown. Every single night at sunset these bats exit their lair, which takes about 3 hours.
Watching the bats was surreal. I couldn't believe how many of them there were. But secondly, how many mosquitos would be in Austin without these bats and their insect control service? The city of Austin thanks you!
These cute Halloween cookies are a cutout cookie
What that means is that you will need to roll out the cookie dough like a sugar cookie dough and use cookie cutters to cut out whatever shape you want.
I decided to make my chocolate sandwich cookies as bats. I also created a simple round sandwich cookie filled with a bright Frankenstein green buttercream. You can make these cookies as fancy or as simple as you want to.
Chocolate cookies are one of my favorite kinds of cookies. Especially Oreos! I'm usually a baked goods snob. I don't bother with packaged cookies at all except for Oreos.
There's something so right about the deep dark chocolate cookie and the irresistible creme filling. I'm sharing the secret!
At one of the gift shops, I had to pick up a bat cookie cutter.
Where ever I travel, I am always on the lookout for how I can bring something back to cook.
Sometimes I am inspired by a local dish that I've never tried before. Or sometimes the inspiration comes in the form of a story. I live my life through food and the memories that I have, and I love sharing them with you!
Here are some Halloween cookie cutters
Just in case you don't already own your own bat cookie cutter. These can be used for these chocolate sandwich cookies or for making Halloween sugar cookies.
- Ann Clarke 5 piece Halloween Cookie Cutters
- Wilton 7 piece set of Halloween Cookie Cutters
- Bat Cookie Cutter
- Round Pastry Cutters
How to make this homemade oreo recipe
Start with the basic cookie ingredients.
- Butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Salt
- Baking Soda
Then add the special ingredient that makes these cookies more than just a chocolate cookies.
Black cocoa is ultra-processed dutch cocoa. This extra processing gives this version of unsweetened cocoa powder that extra dark color and extra dark cocoa flavor that you will recognize if you've ever mowed down a row of Oreos.
Putting your chocolate cookie dough together.
- Start by creaming the butter and the sugar together.
- Add in the eggs one at a time. Beat until fluffy.
- Add in the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is just coming together.
- Turn the dough out on parchment paper. Smoosh it all together with your hands.
- Wrap it up in the parchment and store it in the fridge for about an hour before rolling out.
Rolling out the cookie dough
- Cut the chilled dough in half. Working with one-half of the dough is more manageable.
- Form the dough you are working with into a compact disc or rectangle and press flat.
- Add parchment paper over the top. With a rolling pin, roll out to desired thickness. (Use thickness guide rings to make this easier.)
PRO-TIP: This dough isn't super sensitive to overworking because it has a high concentration of cocoa and not as much flour. Therefore, this dough perfect for rolling out, smashing back together, and re-rolling out without ending up with tough and chewy cookie dough.
A dough like this is versatile. Here are a few other ways to use this chocolate cookie dough recipe.
- Chocolate sugar cookies with royal icing.
- Chocolate sugar cookies without icing.
- Chocolate Christmas cutout cookies.
- Bake the dough and crumble to make crushed Oreos. Top ice cream.
How to make sandwich cookies.
What are good homemade treats for Halloween?
Whenever I host a Halloween party I have a few favorite dishes that I serve up.
- The Best Chili Recipe, of course
- Savory Parmesan Shortbread Monster Fingers
- Pork Ragu Sauce, which I label with something disgusting like "Dracula Guts"
- Polenta in the shape of a rib cage or skull, or a brain. Using a recipe for a dense, sliceable polenta is perfect here.
Halloween Cookies (Bat Oreos)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ cups Black cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
Butter Cream Filling
- 1 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 tablespoon Milk thin to consistency
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and salt with a mixer until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix each one in with the mixer.
- Add one half of the flour mixture. Mix in slowly until just combined.
- Add the second half of the flour mixture. Mix in slowly until just combined.
- Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and press together with your hands until the dough forms a consistent mass.
- Fold the parchment paper over the dough and refrigerate for about an hour.*
Butter Cream
- Cream the butter, using a mixer, until it is light and fluffy.
- Add in the confectioner sugar.
- Start the mixer slowly and incorporate the sugar.
- Once the sugar is incorporated add the vanilla paste.
- Turn the mixer on high until the buttercream is a thick, fluffy consistency.
- Add the milk if you need to adjust the consistency.
- Set the buttercream aside and preheat the oven to 350°F
Rolling and cutting the cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F if using convection)
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough in half and place one half on a large piece of parchment paper.
- Press slightly to flatten the dough.
- Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. (use rolling pin guards)
- Remove the parchment paper from the top and then dust the top of the dough with about one tablespoon of cocoa powder. Spread over with hands.
- Return the parchment to the top side and then flip the dough over.
- Remove the parchment paper from the second side and dust this side with an additional tablespoon of cocoa powder. Spread over with hands.
- Cut out as many rounds as you can.
- Place each round on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cookies can be close, there is very little spreading.
- Gather up the remaining dough, smash it together and continue to roll the dough out between parchment paper until you have enough rounds to fill your baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Watch closely as oven temperatures vary.
- Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.
- PRO TIP: Simply slide the enter pied of parchment with all the cookies onto the rack.
- Repeat the rolling out and baking until you have used all of your dough.
- Any remaining dough scraps can be baked and then saved for crumbling on top of ice cream.
Madalaine McDaniel
Are these are good as they are cute? I bet they are! I can't wait to try them with my granddaughters. What a great Halloween treat!!!
Laura
Madalaine,
Yes, they definitely are as good as they look! My husband took them to work and they had rave reviews! Stock up on the milk 🙂
Thank you for the comment.