Frosted Halloween Cookie Bars
These Halloween cookie bars are a delicious soft chocolate cookie base topped with a nice thick layer fluffy homemade frosting. They are always a crowd pleaser, perfect for parties!
We love Halloween but it seems that no matter how far in advance we start planning it sneaks up on us. We’re putting last minute touches on costumes, getting candy purchased, and of course planning our Halloween party!
With any party or gathering I love a festive dessert, but I also love anything that saves me time! These cookie bars check both those boxes beautifully! They come together quickly and easily and make enough to feed a crowd. You don’t have to scoop, bake, and frost individual cookies, instead you can just pop these in the oven and move on to other things.
These are all dolled up for Halloween in for this recipe but you can always dress them up for other holidays with different colors of food coloring and sprinkles! Print this recipe to keep for any occasion!
- Other Posts You’ll Love
- Halloween Spider Treats
- Mummy Cookies
- Halloween Witch Hat Cookies
- Graveyard Dirt Cups
Ingredient Checklist-
Find the exact amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Butter– You’ll be using butter for the cookies and the frosting. I personally like to use unsalted butter in the cookies and salted in the frosting. It will need to be softened for both.
Brown Sugar– This helps give the cookies a nice rich sweetness.
White Sugar– I like to use cane sugar but regular white sugar works great too!
Eggs– Use large fresh eggs for best results.
Vanilla– Make sure to use real vanilla extract!
Milk– This helps make your cookie dough a nice texture. You can use almond milk or other milk alternative.
Flour– You’ll want to use fresh all purpose flour.
Cocoa Powder- This gives the cookies a nice rich chocolate flavor.
Baking Powder– Make sure your baking powder is fresh so that the cookie bars rise properly
Chocolate Chips– These are optional but make a great addition to the cookie bars. You can use milk chocolate or semi-sweet. I like to use mini chocolate chips too!
Heavy Cream– This helps give the frosting a nice creamy texture.
Powdered Sugar– This makes your frosting nice and light and fluffy.
Orange Food Coloring– I always use gel food coloring for the best results.
Sprinkles- You can use your favorite Halloween sprinkles!
One of the best part of these cookie bars is that if you are a regular baker you likely have all of the ingredients in your house right now! It makes them easy to whip up any time or make for a last minute gathering!
Here’s How to Make These Halloween Cookie Bars
First you’ll want to preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 9×13 baking pan. Set your pan aside
Now in the bowl of an electric mixer beat together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy, add in the egg, vanilla, and milk and continue to beat until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir with a whisk until well blended and fluffy.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture mixing well after each addition.
If you’re adding chocolate chips fold them into the dough.
Press the mixture firmly and evenly into your prepared pan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dough appears set. Don’t overbake or cookies will be dry, they will continue to set as they cool. Baking times may vary depending on if your pan is metal or glass, so watch them carefully!
Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Once your cookie bars are completely cooled it is time to make the frosting! You can make this while the cookies are baking and cooling if you’d like!
First whip butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla, salt, and cream. Continue to whip until well incorporated.
Next add in powdered sugar gradually, don’t add it all at once or you’ll have a mess! Mix after each addition until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated and the frosting is nice and fluffy.
Now add in a few drops of orange food coloring and mix thoroughly. Add additional food coloring until desired color is achieved.
Now spread the frosting evenly across cooled cookie bars and sprinkle with sprinkles.
When you are ready to serve cut them into 24 squares
Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Tips & Variations-
Add different chips– If you prefer white chocolate chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips you can use them! Experiment with your favorite flavors!
Make the cookie bars vanilla– Don’t want chocolate cookie bars? Swap out the cocoa powder for an equal amount of flour and you’ll have a delicious vanilla cookie.
Don’t over bake the cookies– Because these are chocolate you can’t watch for golden brown edges. Keep an eye on them so they don’t over bake!
Frosted Halloween Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- Cookie-
- ½ Cup Butter softened
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp. Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- 2 Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Chocolate Chips optional
- Frosting-
- ½ Cup Butter softened
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- 6 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- Orange Gel Food Coloring
- Halloween Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan (or spray with cooking spray)
- With an electric mixer beat together butter, brown sugar,
and white sugar until light and fluffy. - Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk and continue to mix until
well incorporated. - In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and
salt. Stir with a whisk until well blended and fluffy. - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture
mixing well after each addition. - If chocolate chips are desired fold them into the dough.
- Press the mixture into your prepared pan until it is nice and even.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dough appears set. Don’t
overbake or cookies will be dry, they will continue to set as they cool. Baking times may vary depending on if your pan is metal or glass. - Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting.
- Whip butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add in vanilla, salt, and cream. Continue to mix until well incorporated. - Add in powdered sugar gradually mixing after each addition
until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated and the mixture is nice and
fluffy. - Add in a few drops of orange food coloring and mix. Add
additional food coloring until desired color is achieved. - Spread frosting evenly across cooled cookie bars, sprinkle
with sprinkles. - Cut into 24 squares and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
