Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies Recipe
These Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are the absolute embodiment of Halloween cheer: pillowy-soft, orange-tinted sugar cookies, each hugging a surprise core of melty milk chocolate, and all artfully transformed into mischievous Jack-O’-Lanterns. The combination of buttery cookie, creamy chocolate, and playful presentation makes this recipe irresistible to both kids and adults alike. Whether you’re sharing a batch at a spooky gathering or making memories in your kitchen, you’ll fall in love with the magic (and deliciousness) these treats bring.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Just a handful of trusty baking ingredients come together to create something truly special. Each component plays a starring role—lending sweet flavor, vibrant color, delicate crumb, or melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey delight to your batch of Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies.
- All-purpose flour: Creates the perfect cookie texture, sturdy enough to hold the melty chocolate inside.
- Baking powder: Gives the cookies the right amount of lift and softness.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and sharpens every flavor note in the dough.
- Unsalted butter (softened): Brings that rich, classic cookie flavor and helps create a tender, melt-in-your-mouth bite.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and ensures a light, crisp edge to each cookie.
- Packed light brown sugar: Gives a subtle hint of molasses and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- Large egg: Binds everything together and adds richness.
- Vanilla extract: Elevates all the flavors with its warm, fragrant undertone.
- Orange gel food coloring: Transforms your dough into bright, pumpkin-orange perfection; gel keeps the dough from getting too wet.
- Black decorating gel or melted chocolate: For drawing your Jack-O’-Lantern faces—get creative with spooky or silly expressions!
- Milk chocolate (squares): The sweet, creamy heart of every cookie—you can use bars or individually wrapped squares.
- Additional flour (for rolling): Prevents sticking and helps with neat, even cookie shapes.
How to Make Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Step 1: Prepare Your Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment—this will keep your cookies from sticking and make cleanup a breeze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until it’s light, fluffy, and oh-so-creamy (about two to three minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low just until that soft, gorgeous dough forms. Bring on the color—work in the orange gel food coloring a drop at a time, stopping when your dough looks as vibrant as a pumpkin patch at sunset.
Step 2: Roll and Cut the Cookies
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. This thickness keeps your cookies plush while ensuring the chocolate inside melts perfectly. Grab your pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter and start cutting an even number of shapes—half will be the cookie bottoms, the rest the tops. On half of your cut-outs, use a small sharp knife or mini cutter to carve out fun Jack-O’-Lantern faces. Don’t worry about perfection; the quirkier, the better!
Step 3: Stuff and Assemble
Lay the “bottom” cookies (with no faces) on your lined baking sheet. Place a square of milk chocolate right in the center of each. Carefully place the “face” cookie on top of each bottom cookie, gently pressing the edges together to seal. If the dough gets a little sticky, a dusting of flour on your fingers helps.
Step 4: Bake to Perfection
Slide your trays into the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes. Watch closely—the edges should just begin to turn a soft golden color. Take care not to overbake; you want the cookies to be tender, so the chocolate filling stays lovely and gooey. Allow them to cool for five minutes on the pan before moving them to a wire rack. Your kitchen will smell absolutely heavenly!
Step 5: Decorate Your Jack-O’-Lanterns
Once your Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are completely cool, amp up the spooky-cute factor with black decorating gel or a drizzle of melted chocolate, outlining or enhancing the carved faces. Little hands (and grown-up ones too) will love helping out at this stage—let everyone add their own personality to each cookie!
How to Serve Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Garnishes
Give your cookies a playful edge by adding a few creative garnishes before serving. A sprinkle of festive Halloween sprinkles or a tiny “stem” made from a green candy at the top of each pumpkin can make them even more enchanting. A dusting of powdered sugar just before serving is another simple way to make your Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies sparkle and stand out on a dessert platter.
Side Dishes
Since these cookies already deliver such delightful sweetness, serve them alongside simple sides—think a glass of cold milk, creamy hot chocolate, or fresh apple cider. For gatherings, offer a spooky fruit platter or bowls of popcorn to balance the sugar rush. The cookies also shine next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra-indulgent treat.
Creative Ways to Present
Going for a wow-factor? Stack your Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies pyramid-style on a cake stand, or tuck them into cellophane bags tied with orange and black ribbons for party favors. Arrange them in a rustic basket lined with festive napkins, or use them as edible place cards for your Halloween party—just add a name tag to each stem. These cookies always steal the show!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
To keep your Jack-O’-Lantern masterpieces fresh, store any extra cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and delicious for up to three days, and the milk chocolate center remains irresistibly creamy. Try to keep them in a single layer, or separate stacks with parchment to avoid smudging the spooky faces.
Freezing
The Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies freeze beautifully! Once completely cooled, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container between sheets of parchment. They’ll keep for up to two months—just thaw at room temperature when you’re ready for a sweet treat.
Reheating
If you crave that just-baked, gooey chocolate effect, pop a cookie in the microwave for five to ten seconds until the center warms and softens. Be careful—chocolate heats quickly! Enjoy your Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies as though they were fresh from the oven.
FAQs
Can I use regular food coloring instead of gel?
Yes, you can substitute regular food coloring if you don’t have gel, but you may need to add a bit more flour if the dough gets too sticky, since liquid food coloring can affect the texture slightly.
What if I don’t have a pumpkin-shaped cutter?
No problem! Use a round cutter or even the rim of a glass, then create a pumpkin look by gently pinching the sides or adding “ribs” with a knife. Your cookies will still look festive and adorable!
Can I use a different type Dessert
Absolutely! Dark chocolate or white chocolate both work well as a filling for these cookies, so feel free to switch things up depending on your preference or what you have on hand.
How do I keep the cookies from sticking when rolling and cutting?
Lightly flour your rolling surface, rolling pin, and cookie cutters. If the dough softens too much while you work, pop it into the fridge for ten minutes—it will be much easier to handle.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare the dough a day ahead, wrap it tightly in plastic, and keep it in the fridge. This also helps the flavors develop, and chilled dough is even easier to roll out and cut.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to add a little extra fun (and a lot of flavor) to your Halloween baking, you can’t go wrong with Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies. They’re whimsical, delicious, and pure joy to make and share. I hope these become a new seasonal favorite for you and yours—happy baking!
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Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 12 sandwich cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are perfect for Halloween with a surprise chocolate center. A fun and delicious treat for the whole family!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange gel food coloring
- Additional flour for rolling
Decoration:
- Black decorating gel or melted chocolate for faces
- 4 ounces milk chocolate, cut into small squares or chocolate squares
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. Add orange food coloring.
- Roll and Cut: Roll out dough, cut into pumpkin shapes. Cut faces on half. Place chocolate on whole cookies and cover with face-cutout cookies, pressing to seal.
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden. Cool on pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Decorate: Enhance faces with black gel or chocolate.
Notes
- You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it wrapped in plastic.
- If you don’t have gel food coloring, use regular food coloring and reduce liquid elsewhere slightly.
- Swap milk chocolate with dark or white chocolate for variety.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed cookie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
