Halloween Chocolate Chip Treats (Printer-Friendly Version)

Delight in large chocolate chip cookies topped with candy eyes and colorful sprinkles, ideal for spooky celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

→ Sugars

05 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

→ Fats

07 - 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

10 - 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
11 - 1 cup mixed green, purple and orange candy-coated chocolates (e.g., M&Ms)
12 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
13 - 1 cup mixed green, purple, orange, and black Halloween sprinkles and nonpareils
14 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
15 - 48 candy eyeballs

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Position an oven rack in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda.
02 - In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time along with vanilla extract; continue beating on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed, scraping the bowl once, until just combined, approximately 1 minute.
05 - Mix in oats, candy-coated chocolates, chocolate chips, half of the sprinkles, and pecans (if using) on low speed until evenly distributed, about 30 seconds.
06 - Spread remaining sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Using a 1/4-cup scoop, portion dough, roll into balls, and lightly flatten. Press the top of each ball into the sprinkles, place six dough balls per baking sheet, and top each with two candy eyeballs. Refrigerate remaining dough while baking batches.
07 - Bake cookies at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until edges are crisp and golden. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool slightly before moving cookies to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough after baking sheets cool.

# Additional Tips:

01 - For varied texture and appearance, experiment with different sizes of candy eyeballs; one medium and one large per cookie creates a playful, deranged monster look.
02 - Cookies develop a crisp edge and chewy center when baked on parchment-paper-lined sheets with proper pan rotation.