This easy chewy Halloween cookies are packed with M&Ms, chocolate chips, and brown butter flavor—soft, spooky, and perfect for fall baking.

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This week, I made something fun and a little silly: Chewy Halloween Snickerdoodle Cookies! 🍪👀

They may look a little lopsided and derpy, but trust me—they taste amazing! Soft, chewy, and full of chocolatey goodness with a hint of cinnamon sugar.

They’re soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon sugar to get that classic snickerdoodle flavor, with Halloween M&Ms and dark chocolate chips scattered inside for a rich, chocolatey bite. To make them extra fun, I added candy eyes on top so they look like little monster cookies — perfect for Halloween baking with kids or just to enjoy with a cozy cup of coffee. ☕

Halloween has always been one of my favorite seasons (next to Christmas!), and baking these cookies made me feel all the cozy, spooky vibes. My son loves chocolate chip cookies, but he didn’t eat this one because of the eyes he said “it looks weird”— ha-ha! Still, I had so much fun making them.

So, here are some of the details:

🧈 Ingredients (measured with a kitchen scale)

🧈 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter – brown it for that nutty flavor
🍯 90 g brown sugar – adds caramel sweetness
🍬 35 g white sugar – balances the chewiness
🥚 1 egg + 1 egg yolk – for that soft, rich texture
🌿 1 tsp vanilla extract – a cozy flavor essential
🧪 ½ tsp baking soda – helps the cookies rise just right
🧂 ½ tsp salt – brings out the sweetness
🌾 160 g all-purpose flour – the base of your cookie dough
🍫 150 g Halloween M&Ms – for that spooky pop of color
🍪 50 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips – for melty goodness
🍂 1 tsp cinnamon (for the dough) – a warm fall touch
🎃 For coating: 1 tsp cinnamon + 2 tbsp white sugar – roll before baking for that classic snickerdoodle finish

🍪 Instructions

First, always preheat the oven first.

Then I started by browning the butter — just melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Browning the butter not only adds that delicious, toasty flavor but also makes the cookies extra moist and rich. Let the butter cool for a few minutes before mixing.

In a bowl, whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Then add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, mixing until the mixture looks creamy and glossy — this forms your wet ingredients.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Be careful not to overmix — you just want everything to come together. Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips, saving a few to press on top later.

Now for the fun part — in a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar for coating. Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar before placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This gives them that classic snickerdoodle flavor and a light crunch on the outside.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes, then take out the tray and tap it gently on the counter to flatten the cookies a bit (this helps create that chewy, crinkled look). Put them back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centers still look soft.

Once out of the oven, gently press in a few more M&Ms and candy eyes while the cookies are still warm. Let them cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

💡 Baking notes & Cozy tricks

⚖️ Use a kitchen scale — for consistent results and perfectly chewy cookies every time.
⏰ Don’t overbake! Cookies keep baking on the tray even after you pull them out.
🍪 Tap the tray halfway — it gives that bakery-style, flat, chewy cookie look.
Add extra M&Ms on top before baking for more color and that festive Halloween vibe.
🧈 Brown your butter — it adds a rich, nutty flavor and makes your cookies extra moist and special.

If you like this cookie, try my other cookie recipe. My favorite of all is the Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate.

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