Best 4 Jack O Lantern Cookies Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Indulge in the Halloween spirit with these delightful Jack-O-Lantern Cookies, a festive treat that combines the essence of the holiday with a delicious and visually appealing dessert. These charming cookies are not only perfect for Halloween parties or gatherings but also make for a fun and engaging baking activity to enjoy with family and friends. With variations ranging from classic sandwich cookies to soft and chewy drop cookies, our curated collection of recipes offers something for everyone. Each recipe is detailed and easy to follow, ensuring that bakers of all skill levels can create these adorable Jack-O-Lantern Cookies. The vibrant orange cookies, decorated with chocolate chips or candies to resemble the iconic Halloween pumpkin, are sure to impress and delight. Gather your ingredients, put on your aprons, and let's embark on a delightful baking adventure!

Let's cook with our recipes!

JUMBO JACK-O'-LANTERN COOKIES



Jumbo Jack-o'-Lantern Cookies image

Every Halloween, I'd have a batch of these cookies waiting for my kids when they came home from school so they could decorate their own. Eventually, they started bringing friends home to join in the fun.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 40m

Yield 1-1/2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Orange and green decorating icing or vanilla frosting and orange and green gel food coloring

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars; add the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips., Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Spread into 3-1/2-in. pumpkin shapes. Drop 1/2 teaspoon of dough at the top of each for stem. , Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Create jack-o'-lantern faces on cookies with decorating icing or tinted frosting.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 300 calories, Fat 14g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 39mg cholesterol, Sodium 249mg sodium, Carbohydrate 44g carbohydrate (29g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

JACK-O'-LANTERN COOKIES



Jack-O'-Lantern Cookies image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     dessert

Time 1h15m

Yield 4 dozen 3-inch cookies

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (3/4 stick), softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree, recipe to follow
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pumpkin, such as Jack Be Little, Munchkin, or Spookie, 2 pounds

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt; reserve. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat well. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap separately in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 of the disks 1/8-inch thick. Using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter or cardboard Jack-o'-lantern template 5 to 6 inches in diameter, cut out cookies. If using the cookie cutter, finish off the Jack-o'-lantern by cutting out eyes and a mouth with the tip of a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Decorate with colored sugars/chocolates.
  • Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with the oil.
  • Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds and strings (save the seeds for roasting). Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the flesh is soft when pierced with a fork, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Scoop out the flesh into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Spoon the pumpkin puree into a sieve placed over a large bowl. Let the pumpkin drain for 30 minutes before using. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 year.

GINGERBREAD JACK-O'-LANTERNS



Gingerbread Jack-O'-Lanterns image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     dessert

Time 4h10m

Yield Makes about 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 17

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 recipe Royal Icing (see below)
Chocolate chips or candy corn to decorate
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • Beat together the shortening, sugars and the egg until fluffy. Stir in the molasses. Sift together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt, and blend into the sugar mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 3-4 hours.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. This is a tender dough, so work quickly to roll the dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut out pumpkin shapes using a pumpkin cookie cutter, or freehand using a small knife. If you're cutting your pumpkins freehand, don't make the stem too thin or it will break off after baking. Use a spatula to lift the pumpkins onto lightly greased baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes. Don't overbake. Cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
  • To decorate the pumpkins, set aside 1/3 cup of the royal icing and color it green. Color the remaining icing orange by blending in red and yellow food coloring. (Start with 5 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow and add more coloring as desired to make the color more intense.)
  • Spread orange frosting over the pumpkin, avoiding the stem. Allow to set, then use a toothpick to dab green frosting on the stem.
  • You can press on candy corn or chocolate chips to make a face on each pumpkin, or you can pipe a face on with melted chocolate using the following method. Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in a heatproof bowl for 1 minutes. The chips may look unmelted, but stir them with a spoon to see if they have actually softened before putting them in for another minute, if necessary.
  • Spoon the melted chocolate into a zipper-lock bag. Seal the bag, pressing out any air. Use a toothpick to make a very tiny hole in one corner of the bag to release a thin stream of chocolate. Pipe eyes and noses and jagged grins as desired. Allow the chocolate to set before stacking the cookies.
  • With beaters or a standing mixer, whip the egg white and lemon juice until frothy. At medium speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is thick but still liquid enough to beat. Then beat on high until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap while waiting to use it. Royal icing will set to a firm, glossy finish when applied to a cookie. The icing can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

JACK-O'-LANTERN POPS



Jack-o'-Lantern Pops image

As soon as they see these pumpkin pops, your little ghouls' and goblins' faces will light right up. -Clara Coulson Minney, Washington Court House, Ohio

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 package (10 ounces) miniature marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
Red and yellow gel food coloring
6 cups Rice Krispies
Wooden pop sticks
Miniature chocolate, green and yellow Tootsie Roll Midgees, as desired
Miniature green apple AirHeads bars
Black decorating gel or chocolate frosting, optional

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows, butter and salt. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from heat; tint orange with red and yellow food coloring. Stir in cereal. , With buttered hands, shape mixture into six pumpkins. Insert a wooden pop stick into each pumpkin., Cut chocolate Tootsie Rolls crosswise in half; press one half into the top of each for stems. Cut AirHeads into thin strips; roll between hands to form vines. Press vines into pumpkins near stem. For leaves, roll out green Tootsie Rolls on waxed paper to 1/8-in. thickness. With kitchen scissors, cut out leaves and attach to vines., Add Jack-o'-lantern faces using decorating gel or additional Tootsie Roll cutouts made with yellow and chocolate Tootsie Rolls.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 310 calories, Fat 6g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 15mg cholesterol, Sodium 385mg sodium, Carbohydrate 64g carbohydrate (30g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 3g protein.

Tips:

  • Choose the right pumpkin: Look for small, sugar pumpkins that are deep orange in color and have a smooth, unblemished skin.
  • Roast the pumpkin yourself: Roasting the pumpkin in the oven brings out its natural sweetness and flavor. Plus, it's easy to do! Simply cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to an hour, or until it's tender.
  • Let the dough chill: Chilling the dough before baking helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Bake the cookies at a high temperature: Baking the cookies at a high temperature (375 degrees Fahrenheit) helps to create crispy edges and a chewy center.
  • Decorate the cookies with your favorite toppings: Once the cookies are baked, you can decorate them with your favorite toppings, such as chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy corn.

Conclusion:

Jack-o-lantern cookies are a fun and festive treat that are perfect for Halloween. They're easy to make and can be decorated in a variety of ways, so you can let your creativity shine through. With a little planning and effort, you can create delicious and festive jack-o-lantern cookies that will be a hit at your Halloween party. So get baking!

Related Topics