In today's post, I'm sharing how to make Easy Halloween Vampire Cookies with chocolate chip cookies, marshmallows, slivered almonds, and a little red frosting.
Also called Dracula's dentures, lol! We used store bought cookie dough to make it easy, but you could totally make the cookies from scratch. I made these with my daughter who surprised me with a visit from college. She's in Georgia and I'm in Florida so I was overjoyed. We had fun making these creepy cute cookies together!
Why I Love These Easy Halloween Cookies
• Very simple to make and the kiddos love these Halloween treats! Perfect for Halloween parties and so much fun to make.
• You can use these Dracula dentures as a party favor by simply wrapping them in a cellophane baggie.
• Halloween is a beloved holiday for many people, and vampire cookies are a fun and delicious way to celebrate the season. A great way to get into the Halloween spirit.
• If you are looking for easy cookies for Halloween then you are going to love these Vampire Cookies!
• Halloween fun is all about the spookiness, and these cookies fit the bill. Kids will love the idea of biting into a deliciously eerie treat.
• These vampire cookies make for excellent gifts or sweet treats to share with friends and loved ones during the Fall and Halloween season.
• A fun treat that's great for parties! Your Halloween party guests will get a kick out of these vampire sandwich cookies.
What You Need
ingredient notes
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - We used store bought (pre-cut) cookie dough by Nestle Toll House brand. If you prefer, you could make the cookies from scratch. I have a great recipe on my blog. I think it's ok to do a semi-homemade recipe if you want to save some time. Don't feel bad if you are using store bought cookie dough. But making the homemade frosting will make it taste a little extra special if you ask me.
• Buttercream Frosting -You can make a small batch of frosting in a separate bowl. Scroll to see the recipe. If you're in a hurry, you can use canned frosting but I don't think it tastes as good as homemade. Why do I prefer homemade frosting? Homemade frosting is made with fresh, real ingredients. You have control over the quality of the components, such as butter, cream, and flavorings, ensuring a fresher and more natural taste.
• Marshmallows - Use the mini marshmallows for this recipe.
• Slivered Almonds - These are available at most grocery stores on the nuts aisle. Make sure you get SLIVERED almonds and NOT sliced almonds. The sliced almonds aren't the right size and shape for the vampire fangs.
• Red Food Coloring Gel - Wilton brand is my favorite. It creates a very nice shade of red for your frosting.Why should you use food coloring gel instead of regular food coloring? Food coloring gel is more concentrated than liquid food coloring. This means you need to use less of it to achieve vibrant and intense colors in your baked goods or culinary creation. Find it at your favorite grocery store, local craft store or department store such as Walmart.
How to make Easy Halloween Vampire Cookies
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper or wax paper to keep them from sticking after baking. Bake cookies as directed on package, usually about 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges. After 10 minutes, remove cookies baking sheet and let them cool completely before proceeding. Carefully cut each cookie in half.
Step 2 - Prepare the frosting with an electric mixer, hand mixer or by hand. In a medium bowl, cream butter then gradually add powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until smooth and the right consistency. Scrape down sides of bowl, if needed. Then stir in a few squirts of red food coloring gel. Stir until combined. Spread a layer of frosting on the back side of each cookie half. You don't need a piping bag for this. For best results, you will be assembling one Vampire cookie at a time, so the frosting doesn't set.
Step 3 - On one cookie half, place mini marshmallows in a half circle around the rounded edge of the cookie (on top of the frosting). Then place a few more in the middle. Place the other half of the frosted cookie on top.
Step 4 - Place two slivered almonds to resemble vampire fangs. And that's it! Aren't these cookies so easy?
Step 5 - Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or for one week in the refrigerator.
Quick Tips
• If you prefer homemade cookies, use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe or your favorite sugar cookie recipe instead of the packaged cookie dough. If you're going the homemade cookie router, after making your cookie dough, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Chilled dough is easier to work with and holds its shape better.
• For best results, make your cookies sort of large (about 3 inches in diameter is good). This way, you have plenty of room for the marshmallow "teeth".
• It's important to cool the cookies after baking. Allow your cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing. This prevents the icing from smudging.
• Using a sharp kitchen knife will ensure your cookies have clean edges.
• We assembled one vampire cookie at time because the frosting sets quickly. You need to have it sticky for the marshmallows to stick.
• If you don't want to make the homemade buttercream, feel free to use a store bought tube of red frosting.
• Use low calorie, gluten free or dairy free versions as you need them for these vampire cookies.
• If you're feeling really healthy, you can substitute apple slices instead of chocolate chip cookies for these fun Dracula dentures. And peanut butter instead of frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to change up this recipe? You can make a vampire cookie with different colors such as blue gums instead of red. Or, go really crazy and make black cookies with some food coloring and use orange coloring for the frosting. It’s Halloween! Do whatever you want!
What are slivered almonds? To make slivered almonds, whole almonds are typically blanched, which means they are briefly boiled and then cooled to loosen the skins. The skins are then removed, leaving behind the white, smooth almond meat. Once blanched, the almonds are thinly sliced lengthwise, resulting in the slivered form. Although you could prepare them yourself, it is much easier to buy almonds that are already slivered.
Can I make these sandwich cookies ahead of time? Yes you can. I honestly prefer making them the morning of for maximum freshness. But you can make them the day before, if you wish. After your vampire cookies are assembled, store them in a single layer either in an air-tight container in a cool dry place.
How do I store these Dracula Dentures? Carefully place them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. After that, store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze these for a few months.
Can I use a different flavored cookie? Yes, of course. Use whatever cookie flavor that you like such as sugar cookie dough, oatmeal cookie dough, double chocolate cookie dough or chocolate sugar cookies dough.
p.s. Those are my daughter's hands with her very cool Halloween manicure!
You might also like these holiday recipes
Candy Corn Cookies from Averie Cooks
Cupcakes with Halloween Sugar Cookie Recipe
Halloween Spider Donuts with Candy Eyes
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Love this recipe? If you try it, be sure to tag me on @Instagram! You can also find me on Pinterest, YouTube and Facebook.
Easy Halloween Vampire Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough we used Nestle Toll House brand that makes 12 cookies
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened or 1 stick
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel add more if you want a deeper red color
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Bake cookies as directed on package, usually about 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges. Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to let them cool completely before proceeding. Carefully cut each cookie in half.
- Prepare the frosting with an electric mixer, hand mixer or by hand. In a medium bowl, cream butter then gradually add powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until smooth and the right consistency. Scrape down sides of bowl, if needed. Then stir in a few squirts of red food coloring gel. Stir until combined. Spread a layer of frosting on the back side of each cookie half. You don't need a piping bag for this. For best results, you will be assembling one Vampire cookie at a time, so the frosting doesn't set.
- On one cookie half, place mini marshmallows in a half circle around the rounded edge of the cookie (on top of the frosting). Then place a few more in the middle. Place the other half of the frosted cookie on top.
- Place two slivered almonds to resemble vampire fangs. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or for one week in the refrigerator.
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