The Ultimate Vegan Halloween Cookies (Spooky & Naturally Colored!)

Imagine a platter of Halloween cookies so creative, so spooky, and so utterly delightful that they become the instant star of your party—ghoulish, tri-colored monster cookies, stitched together like Frankenstein’s creation and staring back at you with a multitude of googly eyes. That, my friends, is the monstrously fun magic of these Vegan Halloween Cookies. They are, without a doubt, the most imaginative and delicious cookies you will bake this spooky season.

Here’s the thing about creating show-stopping holiday treats: they often rely on artificial dyes and flavors. I am completely obsessed with this recipe because it achieves its stunning, spooky colors—a ghoulish green, a mysterious purple, and a deep, dark brown—naturally! Using matcha, ube powder, and cocoa, these cookies are as wholesome as they are whimsical. It’s a fun, creative project that results in a truly impressive, bakery-quality cookie.

I promise you, there is no greater joy than serving a treat that is both a visual masterpiece and a delicious, soft-baked cookie. The texture is perfect—chewy, tender, and rolled in sparkling sugar for a delightful crunch. The stitched icing and the wonky googly eyes bring these little monsters to life in the most charming way possible.

Get ready to create the most unique, delicious, and talked-about cookies at your Halloween bash!

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Why These Monster Cookies Are a Spooky Sensation!

You are going to have an absolute blast bringing these little monsters to life. This recipe is a Halloween essential for so many reasons. Here’s why:

• Stunning and Creative Design: The tri-colored, stitched-together look is incredibly unique and perfectly captures the fun, monstrous spirit of Halloween.
• Naturally Colored, No Food Dyes: Achieve vibrant green, purple, and brown hues using wholesome, natural ingredients like matcha, ube powder, and cocoa powder.
• Completely Vegan (and Delicious!): This recipe is a triumph of vegan baking, resulting in a cookie so soft, chewy, and buttery, no one will ever guess it’s plant-based.
• A Fun, Rewarding Baking Project: From coloring the dough to assembling the tri-color balls and decorating with stitches and eyes, this is a wonderfully creative and fun cookie to make.
• Perfect for Parties and Gifting: These cookies are a guaranteed show-stopper on any Halloween party platter and make for a truly special and memorable homemade gift.

Recipe Snapshot

Your Shopping List for These Monstrous Cookies

This recipe uses some unique, natural colorants to achieve its spooky look. Here’s what you’ll need:

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→ For the Cookie Dough

• 130g vegan butter → A block-style variety works best, at room temperature.
• 150g granulated sugar → Plus 3 tbsp for rolling.
• 50g soft silken tofu or unsweetened applesauce → Acts as a binder and adds moisture.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180g plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar & ½ tsp baking soda → For a soft, chewy texture.
• ½ tsp fine sea salt

→ For the Natural Colors

• 2 tsp ube powder or blueberry powder → For the vibrant purple color.
• 1 tsp ceremonial grade matcha → For the ghoulish green.
• 2 tsp Dutch process cocoa powder → For the deep, dark brown.

→ For Decorating

• Edible googly eye decorations → Make sure to find a vegan-certified brand!
• 100g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 tsp plant milk → Unsweetened and unflavored.

Let’s Get Baking! Your Step-by-Step Guide

This is a fun, multi-stage project. Take your time, enjoy the creative process, and get ready for some spooky results!

Part 1: The Tri-Color Cookie Dough

1. Cream Wet Ingredients: In a stand mixer, cream together the vegan butter, granulated sugar, silken tofu (or applesauce), and vanilla on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Make the Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined into a loose dough.
4. Divide and Color: Weigh the total dough, then divide it into three equal portions in three separate bowls. Add the ube powder to one bowl, the matcha to the second, and the cocoa powder to the third. Mix each portion by hand until the color is uniform.
5. Chill – Part One: Wrap each bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate all three doughs for at least 30 minutes. This is crucial for making the dough easy to handle.

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Part 2: Assemble, Bake, and Decorate

6. Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F, fan). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Assemble the Monsters: Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Place one scoop of each color right next to each other on the baking sheet to form a tri-color clump. Repeat to create 10 total clumps. Chill the sheets in the fridge for another 10 minutes.
8. Roll and Coat: Pour the extra 3 tbsp of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Take one chilled dough clump, gently roll it into a ball in your hands, and then roll it in the sugar to coat. Place it back on the baking sheet. Repeat for all cookies.
9. Bake: Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should be puffed but not browned.
10. Add the Eyes!: While the cookies are baking, get your edible eyes ready. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, work quickly while they are still hot and soft. Gently press 7-8 eye decorations into each cookie at wonky, random angles.
11. Cool and Stitch: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. While they cool, make the icing by whisking the icing sugar and plant milk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a very small tip.
12. Final Touches: Once the cookies are totally cool, pipe the white icing in small “stitch” marks across the seams where the colors meet. Let the icing set fully before serving.

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WiseRecipes’ Top Tips for Perfect Monster Cookies

These are the secrets to achieving that perfect look and texture for your spooky creations.

1. Use Block Vegan Butter. For the best cookie texture, use a firm, block-style vegan butter (like Miyoko’s or Melt), not a soft, tub-style margarine. It will cream better and result in cookies that hold their shape.
2. Don’t Skip the Chilling! Both chilling steps are mandatory for this recipe. The first chill makes the doughs manageable to portion, and the second chill before rolling helps the tri-color clumps meld together and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
3. Apply Eyes While Hot. The edible eyes will only stick properly if you press them into the cookies the moment they come out of the oven, while they are still hot, soft, and puffy. Work quickly!
4. Roll in Sugar for Sparkle. Rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking is what gives these cookies their beautiful, sparkly, slightly crunchy exterior. It’s a simple step with a big impact.
5. Let Them Cool Completely Before Icing. Be patient! If you try to pipe the stitch marks onto warm cookies, the icing will melt and run. They must be at full room temperature before you add the final decoration.

Keep Them Fresh! Storing Your Monsters

These cookies are at their best when fresh, but can be stored for a few days.

• Room Temperature: Once the icing is fully set, store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: For a fantastic make-ahead option, you can freeze the unbaked, rolled dough balls (before baking). Place them on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. You can bake them directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.

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Vegan Halloween Cookies (Stitched Monsters)

These Vegan Halloween Cookies are monstrously fun! They’re naturally colored with matcha, ube, and cocoa—no food dyes or artificial flavors. A soft, chewy, and spooky treat perfect for Halloween parties!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Calories: 257

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Dough:

• 130 g vegan butter, room temperature block variety works best
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 50 g soft silken tofu or unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 180 g plain white flour (all-purpose)
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

For the Natural Colors:

• 2 tsp. ube powder or substitute for blueberry powder
• 1 tsp. ceremonial grade matcha
• 2 tsp. Dutch process cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, for rolling

For Decorating:

• as needed edible googly eye decorations ensure they are vegan
• 100 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 tsp. plant milk, unflavored

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Sieve
• Three medium bowls
• Two large baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Cookie scoop
• Wire cooling rack
• Piping Bag

Method

 

1. In a stand mixer, cream together the vegan butter, granulated sugar, soft silken tofu, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
3. Divide the dough into three equal portions in separate bowls. Mix the ube powder into one portion, the matcha into the second, and the cocoa powder into the third, until evenly colored.
4. Cover each bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 170°C (340°F, fan) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Use a cookie scoop to create 10 clumps of dough, using one scoop of each color for every clump. Place 5 clumps on each baking sheet. Return the sheets to the fridge for 10 minutes to chill again.
6. Gently roll each clump into a ball, then roll the ball in granulated sugar to coat. Return to the baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should be puffed but not browned.
8. Working quickly, remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press 7-8 edible eye decorations into each hot cookie at random angles.
9. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
10. While the cookies cool, make the icing by whisking together the icing sugar and plant milk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a very small tip.
11. Once cooled, pipe ‘stitch’ marks across the seams of the different colors on each cookie. Let the icing set fully before serving.

Notes

Chill Time is Key: Do not skip the chilling steps. They are essential for making the dough manageable and preventing the cookies from over-spreading.

Natural Colors: Ube powder (purple yam), matcha (green tea), and cocoa powder create the beautiful, spooky colors without artificial dyes.

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Unbaked dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months.

FAQs: Your Vegan Halloween Cookie Questions, Answered!

What is ube powder and can I substitute it?

Ube is a purple yam popular in Filipino desserts, and its powder has a beautiful, vibrant purple color and a subtle vanilla-like flavor. If you can’t find it, the recipe suggests using blueberry powder, or you could also use a small amount of beet powder for a more reddish-purple hue.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Yes! As the recipe notes, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a good quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.

My dough seems too soft, even after chilling. What should I do?

This can happen if your vegan butter was too soft or if your kitchen is particularly warm. If the dough is still too sticky to roll after the initial chill, don’t be afraid to add an extra 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator, or even 10 minutes in the freezer, to help it firm up.

Can I make these with regular butter and eggs?

While this recipe is optimized for vegan ingredients (using silken tofu/applesauce for moisture), you could likely adapt it. You would use regular butter and one large egg instead of the tofu. The final texture may vary slightly.

Final Thoughts: A Monstrously Good Time

There is nothing more fun than a Halloween bake that is both a creative project and a delicious treat. These Vegan Halloween Cookies are a celebration of spooky fun and the magic of natural ingredients. I hope you have a blast mixing the colors, rolling the dough, and bringing your own little army of delicious monsters to life. Happy Halloween!