Description
These Pumpkin Ghost Cookies are a spooky and delicious Halloween treat that combines the warm flavors of pumpkin and spices with rich chocolate chips. Soft and festive, these cookies are decorated with white candy melts to resemble ghosts and accented with cute little details using a black edible pen or mini chocolate chips, perfect for a fun and festive fall dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Decorations
- White candy melts or white chocolate
- Black food-safe marker or edible black icing pen
- Optional: Mini chocolate chips for eyes
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which incorporates air for a soft texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to ensure even mixing, then stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agent.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture while mixing on low speed until just combined to avoid overmixing that can toughen the cookies.
- Add Pumpkin and Chocolate Chips: Stir in the pumpkin puree and semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly incorporated into the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown, indicating they are just cooked through.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely to prevent breakage.
- Melt White Chocolate: Melt white candy melts or white chocolate according to package instructions, ready for decorating.
- Pipe Ghost Bodies: Transfer the melted white chocolate to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off, then pipe ghost shapes onto each cooled cookie.
- Draw Faces: Once the white chocolate sets slightly, use a black food-safe marker or edible icing pen to draw spooky eyes and a mouth on each ghost, or use mini chocolate chips for eyes to add dimension.
- Set Decorations: Let the decorated cookies sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate decorations to fully set before serving or storing.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened but not melted for best creaming results.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to keep cookies tender.
- If pumpkin puree is too watery, drain some liquid for better dough consistency.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to avoid cookies sticking during baking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
- White candy melts can be substituted with melted white chocolate but temper it properly to avoid bloom.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pumpkin ghost cookies, Halloween cookies, pumpkin spice cookies, spooky treats, fall dessert, chocolate chip cookies
