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These Easy Cauldron Cookies bring Halloween magic right to your kitchen with a simple chocolate cookie base topped with vibrant green buttercream and festive sprinkles. They are perfect for a fun activity with kids or to wow guests with a spooky yet delicious treat that looks like bubbling witch’s brew.
I made these for a neighborhood Halloween party last year and they were an instant hit. The kids loved helping decorate and the adults kept asking for the recipe.
Ingredients
- Devil’s Food cake mix: provides a rich chocolate flavor and soft texture. Choose a good quality brand for better depth.
- Large eggs: help bind the dough and add moisture
- Canola or vegetable oil: keeps the cookies moist affordable and neutral flavored oil works best
- Black food coloring: optional, deepens the chocolate color for a more dramatic look
- Unsalted butter: for the frosting, softened for easy mixing and fluffy texture
- Powdered sugar: sweetens and stabilizes the buttercream
- Vanilla extract: adds warm aromatic notes to the frosting
- Salt: balances the sweetness and enhances flavor
- Milk: adjusts the frosting consistency for perfect piping
- Green food coloring: creates the signature cauldron color
- Round green sprinkles, Halloween sprinkles, candy eyeballs, pretzel sticks: add texture and spooky decoration. Choose fresh and vibrant sprinkles for best visual impact
Instructions
- Scoop the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Devil’s Food cake mix, eggs, oil, and black food coloring until fully blended. Use a spatula or mixer to get a smooth dough.
- Prep the Pan:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease three 12cup mini muffin pans to prevent sticking.
- Fill the Muffin Cups:
- Scoop about a half tablespoon of dough into each muffin cup. Flatten the dough slightly with your fingertips so it bakes evenly and forms a nice base.
- Bake the Cookies:
- Place the pans in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies look firm.
- Form the Cauldron Indentation:
- Once baked, remove from the oven and immediately press a tablespoon measuring spoon into the center of each cookie to create a small indentation or cup. This will hold the frosting later.
- Cool Completely:
- Allow the cookies to cool fully in the pans on a wire rack. This step is crucial so the frosting does not melt when applied.
- Make the Buttercream:
- In a medium bowl, beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and pipeable. Add green food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green.
- Pipe the Frosting:
- Transfer the green buttercream to a piping bag and fill each cookie indentation with frosting, making it look like bubbling green potion.
- Decorate the Cookies:
- Sprinkle round green sprinkles and Halloween sprinkles over the frosting. Add candy eyeballs for a spooky effect. Break pretzel sticks and insert one half into each cookie as a stir stick for extra fun.
- Serve:
- Arrange on a festive platter and enjoy. These cookies are great fresh but can also be stored for a day or two before serving.
I love the green buttercream because it instantly transforms a simple cookie into something playful and thematic for Halloween. One year we made a whole batch and set up a decorating station for the kids. It was a memorable day full of laughs and creative messes.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you prefer a dairy free version, use a plant based butter alternative and substitute milk with almond or oat milk. You can swap canola oil with melted coconut oil for a slightly different flavor profile. If food coloring is a concern, try using natural colorings like matcha powder or spirulina for green tint, or omit altogether for simple chocolate cookies with the decorations on top. For the sprinkles, you can use any festive confetti or crushed candy to tailor the look.
Storage Tips
Store unfrosted cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies on a tray then transfer to a freezer bag to keep for up to three months. Frost the cookies just before serving if freezing to maintain the best texture of the buttercream. Leftover frosting can be refrigerated and brought back to room temperature before using again.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these cookies alongside hot apple cider or spiced pumpkin lattes to enhance the Halloween vibe. Pair with vanilla ice cream for a delightful dessert. Arrange on a themed platter with other Halloween treats for a party centerpiece.
These cookies are a playful Halloween treat that are as fun to make as they are to eat. Enjoy baking and decorating with family and friends.
Common Questions About Recipes
- → What ingredients create the chocolate base?
The base uses Devil's Food cake mix, eggs, oil, and optional black food coloring for a rich, dark appearance.
- → How is the green buttercream prepared?
Softened butter is beaten with powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk until smooth, then tinted with green food coloring.
- → What decorative toppings are used?
Green sprinkles, Halloween-themed sprinkles, candy eyeballs, and pretzel sticks for stirring are added to each treat.
- → How are the cauldrons shaped?
After baking, an indentation is pressed into each mini muffin cookie with a spoon to create a cavity for filling.
- → Can black food coloring be omitted?
Yes, it is optional and used to deepen the chocolate color for a spooky effect but can be left out if preferred.