Halloween Cookie Cake 

This easy Halloween Cookie Cake is the ultimate festive treat, combining the rich flavors of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with fun Halloween-themed spider web icing decorations. Perfect for parties and gatherings! 

Why use a store-bought cookie cake for Halloween when you can make your own delightfully spooky treat at home?! This easy recipe is a fun twist on your typical Halloween cookie ideas – turn classic chocolate chip cookie dough into a giant, golden, chewy cookie topped with creamy, homemade colorful frosting and your favorite holiday candies! The soft, buttery cookie base and playful decorations make this Halloween dessert fun to eat and visually stunning. 

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party, need a festive treat for school parties, or just want to make a special holiday-themed dessert for your family, this cookie cake is the perfect choice! It’s easy to make, and the Halloween cookie cake designs are highly customizable. Instantly transform your dessert table with this edible decor! For more Halloween cakes and cookies, check out my Brain-y Fault Line Cake, Fuzzy Tarantula Cupcakes, or Life-Size Skeleton Sugar Cookie.  

Why You’ll Love This Halloween Cookie Cake Recipe

• Easy Prep: This fall cookie cake recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions, making it suitable for any skill level!
• Festive Fun: The vibrant colors and playful decorations bring the Halloween spirit to your dessert table. 
• Customizable: Easily tailor the frosting colors, candies, and design to match your Halloween theme or preferences. 
• Perfect for Parties: This cookie cake is made to share, and its fun presentation is ideal for a Halloween bash, school event, or casual get-together. 

Ingredients for Halloween Cookie Cake 

• Unsalted Butter – Use unsalted butter to best control the flavor of the cookie dough. Bring it to room temperature for easy mixing and the best texture. 
• Granulated Sugar – Provides sweetness and contributes to the cookie’s chewy texture. 
• Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor to the cookie dough. 
• Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract adds depth of flavor to the cookie dough and the homemade frosting. 
• Large Eggs – Helps bind the cookie dough ingredients and contribute to the cookie’s soft texture. Bring the eggs to room temperature for easier mixing. 
• All-Purpose Flour – Provides structure and a tender crumb to the cookie dough.
• Chocolate Chips – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips for a classic flavor. 
• Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese adds a tangy, creamy taste and texture to the frosting. Soften it to room temperature before adding it for the smoothest, creamiest texture. 
• Powdered Sugar – Provides the icing with the perfect sweetness and a light, fluffy texture; adjust the amount to your desired sweetness level. Sift it before adding it for lump-free frosting.
• Food Coloring: A combination of orange, black, and purple food coloring adds a festive touch to the frosting. 
• Halloween Candy: Choose your favorite Halloween candies for decorating. Consider candy spiders, candy eyes, and M&Ms to match the spider-web design. 

Helpful Tools

• Electric Stand Mixer
• 12” Cookie Pan or Deep-Dish Pizza Pan
• Piping Bags
• Star-Shaped Piping Tips
• Round Piping Tips
• Rubber Spatula 

How to Make Halloween Cookie Cake

Step 1: 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Ass the salt, vanilla, and eggs, mixing until combined. Gradually mix in the flour and baking soda until just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.  

Step 2:

Spray a 12” cookie pan (or deep-dish pizza pan) with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to press the cookie dough into the pan. Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let the cookie cook completely in the pan.

Step 3: 

While the cookie cools, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until smooth. Divide the frosting in half. Dye one half orange, the other half purple. Take ⅓ of the purple frosting and some black food coloring to dye it black. 

Step 4: 

Decorate the cooled cookie cake. Use the black frosting to pipe a spider web across the cookie’s surface. Then, pipe alternating dollops of orange and purple frosting around the edges of the cookie as an outer border. Finish by adding Halloween candies to the frosting border and, if desired, onto the cobweb. Slice and enjoy!

Substitutions for Halloween Cookie Cake

Need to use a different ingredient? No problem! Below are recommendations for alternative ingredients: 

• Unsalted Butter – Substitute with dairy-free butter to suit dietary needs. You can also use salted dairy butter and reduce the added salt in the recipe by a pinch. 
• Brown Sugar – You can swap dark brown sugar for light brown sugar for a more intense molasses flavor and moist texture. 
• All-Purpose Flour – Substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free alternative. 
• Chocolate Chips – Dark or milk chocolate chips can be substituted based on your preference, or dairy-free chocolate chips to suit dietary needs. 
• Cream Cheese- For a lighter (less creamy) option, use reduced-fat cream cheese or a dairy-free cream cheese alternative to suit dietary needs. 
• Food Coloring – Feel free to choose different colors to achieve your desired design. 

Recipe Variations 

Below are optional Halloween cookie cake ideas to switch up this recipe:

• Spooky Decor: For extra festive flair, add Halloween-themed sprinkles or edible glitter to the cookie dough or on top of the frosting. 
• Pumpkin Spice: Elevate the fall flavor by adding one teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the cookie dough for a seasonal twist. 
• Nutty Delight: Add chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, to the cookie dough for added crunch. 
• Nut-Butter Twist: Make a nut-butter-infused cookie by reducing the butter in the cookie dough by two tablespoons and mixing in ½ cup of your favorite nut butter when creaming the butter and sugars. 

Tips for Making Perfect Halloween Cookie Cake  

• Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure the butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start. This helps the ingredients blend more smoothly, resulting in a consistent cookie dough and frosting texture. 
• Optional – chill the cookie dough. If you want a slightly thicker and chewier cookie cake, chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before spreading it in the pan and baking it. 
• Use a light-colored, nonstick cake pan for even baking. This prevents the edges of the cookie from browning too quickly. If using a darker-colored pan, reduce the baking temperature by 25ºF and closely monitor the baking time. 
• Don’t overbake the cookie cake. When you remove it from the oven, it should be golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the center. It will continue to cook as it cools, giving it a perfectly chewy texture. 
• Perfect the frosting consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired decorating consistency. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon. 
• Make clean slices. Chill the decorated cookie cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This helps firm up the frosting and makes it easier to slice without smudging the decorations. 

Serving Suggestions 

Halloween cookie cakes are great for Halloween parties–kids or adults–as a fun after-school treat or as a dessert table centerpiece for group gatherings. Cut it into slices for easy sharing! 

Storage Directions 

At room temperature – Store leftover cookie cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

In the refrigerator – The cookie cake can be kept for up to one week in the fridge, stored in an airtight container. 

In the freezer – Freeze the undecorated cookie cake in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then frost before serving. 

Other Halloween Baking Treats to Try

Caramel Apple Cake

A bundt cake that looks like a ring of caramel apples! Add your favorite candy to each apple to make it extra special.

Worm-Filled Birthday Cake

A spooky surprise for a Halloween party, or even sneakier – a birthday party! Cut a slice and reveal hidden jello worms.

Purple Pygmy Puff Cake from Harry Potter

The cutest (and most delicious) character from Harry Potter!

Harry Potter Hedwig Cake

Make your own Hedwig featuring homemade chocolate feathers!

Halloween Cookie Cake

Celebrate Halloween with this giant, chewy cookie cake! Decorated with homemade vibrant cream cheese frosting and festive candies, it’s a fun, shareable treat perfect for parties.

Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course dessert

Cuisine american

Servings 12 slices

Calories 582 kcal

Equipment

• electric mixer
• 12" cookie pan
• piping bag
• 2 large, star-shape piping tip
• small, round piping tip
• rubber spatula

Ingredients

Cookie dough:

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• cooking spray

Frosting:

• 250 g cream cheese room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• food coloring orange, black and purple

Decorations:

• Halloween candy candy corn, orange and black sprinkles, etc

Instructions

Bake the cookie:

• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly incorporated.
• Spray a 12” cookie pan (or deep-dish pizza pan) with cooking spray. Use a rubber spatula to press the cookie dough into the pan. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden. Cool in the pan completely.

Make the frosting:

• Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating until fluffy.
• Divide the frosting in half. Dye one half orange and one half purple. Take 1/3 of the purple frosting and add some black food coloring to dye it black.
• Place the orange and purple frosting into piping bags fitted with large, star-shaped piping tips. Place the black frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small, round piping tip.

Decorate:

• Using the black frosting, pipe a spider web onto the entire surface of the cookie.
• Pipe alternating dollops of orange and purple frosting around the edges of the cookie.
• Stick the Halloween candy onto the frosting border, and if desired, onto the cobweb.
• Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Storage Directions

At room temperature – Store leftover cookie cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

 

In the refrigerator – The cookie cake can be kept for up to one week in the fridge, stored in an airtight container. 

 

In the freezer – Freeze the undecorated cookie cake in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then frost before serving. 

 

Recipe Success Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure the butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start. This helps the ingredients blend more smoothly, resulting in a consistent cookie dough and frosting texture. 

• Optional – chill the cookie dough. If you want a slightly thicker and chewier cookie cake, chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before spreading it in the pan and baking it. 

• Use a light-colored, nonstick cake pan for even baking. This prevents the edges of the cookie from browning too quickly. If using a darker-colored pan, reduce the baking temperature by 25ºF and closely monitor the baking time. 

• Don’t overbake the cookie cake. When you remove it from the oven, it should be golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the center. It will continue to cook as it cools, giving it a perfectly chewy texture. 

• Perfect the frosting consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired decorating consistency. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon. 

Make clean slices. Chill the decorated cookie cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This helps firm up the frosting and makes it easier to slice without smudging the decorations.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 582kcalCarbohydrates: 47.5gProtein: 6.1gFat: 42.3gSaturated Fat: 26.4gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 311mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 41.8gCalcium: 100mgIron: 1mg

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