These festive bat cookies are the perfect adorable Halloween treat. A simple chocolate sugar cookie made into a sandwich with a light and fluffy peanut butter filling. The kids will be asking for seconds.
I love these delicious chocolate bat cookies. They turned out so cute and amazing. and the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is divine.
These Halloween bat cookies would be perfect for fall festivals, hayrides, school Halloween parties, or just a special Halloween treat for the kids!
A simple chocolate sugar cookie filled with a light and fluffy peanut butter filling for a Halloween cookie sandwich. The kids will be asking for seconds.
Looking for more Halloween recipes to celebrate the season? You'll want to check out Halloween Rice Krispies treats, cream cheese Halloween brownies, and these super cute mini pumpkin pie pops.
Just remember, fun treats make any occasion more festive.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- They're quick and easy so you can get in and out of the kitchen fast.
- Feature a classic flavor combo. Crisp chocolate sugar cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling.
- Made with simple ingredients that are probably in your pantry right now.
- Simple recipe the kids can help you prepare!
Ingredients
You'll only need a few basic baking ingredients to make bat sugar cookies. If you don't have them on hand, they're easy to find in most grocery stores.
- Almond extract: Adds a nutty flavor to the bat cookies.
- Cocoa powder: For more dark chocolate flavor in the cookies.
- Black food coloring gel: For a deep, black color for your bat cookies
- Creamy peanut butter: The base for the Halloween cookie filling.
- Heavy cream: To make it light and fluffy.
- Maple extract or syrup: For a rich sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: For even more sweetness and fluffiness.
- Edible googly eyes: Because they're fun!
The full ingredient list with exact quantities is in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make Bat Cookies
We'll be taking a look at the basic steps to make these easy, delicious cookies. You'll find the full instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the rest of the wet cookie ingredients and mix well.
- Mix together the dry ingredients until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. I use an electric mixer on medium speed to do the trick but a wooden spoon works too!
- After the dough is mixed, roll it out onto parchment paper.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into bat shapes.
- Place the bats on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake. Allow to cool on pans for 5 minutes and then place on wire racks.
- Mix all the peanut butter filling ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Add the filling to one side of a cooled cookie.
- Top with another cookie to make cookie sandwiches.
- Add a drop of the filling to the backs of two edible googly eyes and add them to the cookies.
Substitutions and Variations
- No almond extractL You can leave out the almond extract and use more vanilla extract in its place.
- No Peanut Butter: Use almond butter, hazelnut spread, cashew, pecan or walnut butter instead
- No Maple Extract or Syrup: Use almond, vanilla, coffee, or peppermint extract instead.
- Omit the Filling: You could even dip the cookies into marshmallow cream. Or you could even try dipping the cookies into some melted chocolate and then roll them in chopped nuts. The best thing about these soft sugar cookies is that they are so flexible and easy to customize to your family's preferred way to eat them.
- No Smooth Peanut Butter: Use crunchy peanut butter instead
- Make Zombie Bats: Omit the cocoa powder and add an extra ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
- Add Mini Chocolate Chips: Add a half a cup to your batter, if desired.
If you like fun decorated desserts like this, then check out these mermaid cupcakes.
Storage
Room temperature: These cookies will last for about 2 days covered at room temperature.
Refrigerator: You can store these cookies in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze these cookies WITHOUT the peanut butter filling in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to a month. After defrosting the cookies at room temperature, make the peanut butter filling and assemble the cookies.
What to Serve with Bat Halloween Cookies
Whether you’re making a batch for a party or just the family at home, here are some ideas!
- Hot Cocoa: Perfect if it’s cold outside you can make Regular Hot Hot Chocolate, Minty Hot Chocolate or Mexican Hot Chocolate.
- A Selection of Halloween Recipes: I love them with caramel apples and Halloween brownies.
- Use them as a teacher’s gift or party favor by wrapping them up in a festive bag.
- Other tasty drinks: Oreo Frappuccino, Fancy Cup of Coffee or a big glass of milk.
Expert Tips
- Black food coloring gel is better than plain black food coloring because it makes a deeper black color.
- Find bat cookie cutters online. You can also find them at most big box stores.
- Be sure to lift your cookie cutter straight up without twisting to keep your bat shape intact. You don't want to damage your bat wings.
- Are your bat cookies are browning too fast? Cover them with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Be sure your baking soda is fresh. Old baking soda loses its ability to make baked goods rise, which results in a flat cookie.
FAQ
This dough doesn't require chilling. They can go right into the oven.
Not at all which is why they hold their bat shape so well.
Don't worry. This is a thick, semi-dry dough. That's why it doesn't spread when it bakes. It's actually a good thing!
Mix it with vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, your baking soda is still good. If not, it's time to buy more.
Video
More Delicious Halloween Recipes:
Halloween Bat Cookies
Ingredients
Bat Cookies
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon food grade activated charcoal or black food coloring gel, if desired
Peanut Butter Filling
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons maple extract or maple syrup
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients. Preheat to 375 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together butter and sugar for 30 seconds with an electric mixer.
- Add in vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together, baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour. Stir until blended.
- Slowly add dry ingredients into wet. Add drops of black food coloring gel or a heaping tablespoon of activated charcoal at this point to get black bats.
- Mix with a spoon until combined.
- Add dough to parchment paper and place a piece of parchment paper on top.
- Roll out dough with rolling pin. You will want the dough to be 1⁄4" thick.
- Cut out dough with bat cookie cutter and place on lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and maple extract in a medium bowl.
- You can add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream until you have reached a creamy smooth texture.
- Remove cookies and place on rack to cool.
- Spread peanut butter filling to one side of a cooled cookie. Make a sandwich by adding another cookie on top.
- Continue until all cookies have filling inside them.
- Add a tiny drop of filing and place edible googly eyes on top, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy every bite!
Video
Notes
- Black food coloring gel is better than plain black food coloring because it makes a deeper black color.
- Find bat cookie cutters online. You can also find them at most big box stores.
- Be sure to lift your cookie cutter straight up without twisting to keep your bat shape intact. You don't want to damage your bat wings.
- Are your bat cookies are browning too fast? Cover them with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Be sure your baking soda is fresh. Old baking soda loses its ability to make baked goods rise, which results in a flat cookie.
Nutrition
This post was originally published September 2021. It has been updated with new images and content.
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