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Home » Blog » Dessert » Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies w/ Zombie Blood (AKA Caramel)

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies w/ Zombie Blood (AKA Caramel)

October 1, 2020 by Jessica Halverstadt 22 Comments

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Pinterest graphic for double chocolate crinkle cookies w/ zombie blood.
Pinterest graphic for double chocolate crinkle cookies w/ zombie blood.
Pinterest graphic for double chocolate crinkle cookies w/ zombie blood.
Vegetarian

Get your Halloween on with these spooktacular zombified double chocolate crinkle cookies. They are soft and chewy, chocolatey, and OOZING with zombie blood (aka caramel).

Close up of single chocolate crinkle cookie w/ zombie blood.

Jessica Halverstadt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I’ve had Halloween on my mind for the past month and now that it’s officially October I figure I can go ahead and start sharing some recipes with you that are inspired by this most awesomest holiday.

As you know, this year is going to look a bit different for many of us as we try to navigate the implications of trick-or-treating during a global pandemic.

As for my family, we have opted to skip even the socially distanced trick-or-treating options in favor of a better than ever Halloween party at home (with just us).

If an effort to make the celebration extra special, I’ve been working on assembling a spooktacular menu full of snacks and treats.

In come these zombie inspired cookies. They begin with a double chocolate crinkle cookie. You heard me right; double chocolate!!!! Chocolatey cookie dough with chocolate chips. WHAM!!!

Next, comes the caramel filling which oozes out of the cracks atop the cookies. And with a few drops of food coloring it’s transformed into zombie blood. GRAAAGH!!!!!

Throw on some fun edible eyeballs and you’ve got the perfect zombified cookies for your Halloween bash. Your children will no doubt get a kick out of ’em.

Aside from the entertainment factor, these cookies are just so darn good. With caramel and chocolate, how could they not be??? I mean, the two just go together; like peas in a pod.

Top down shot of twelve finished cookies on wire cooling rack atop a "blood" stained cheesecloth.

So what do you need to make these cookies?

Top down shot of ingredients for cookies (see recipe card).
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cocoa powder: Unsweetened.
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda: The baking soda helps give the cookies the crinkles.
  • Kosher salt
  • Unsalted butter: The butter should be melted and slightly cooled. If the butter is too hot the dough will be too soft and it may even cook the eggs. 😬
  • Brown sugar: Because of the high molasses content in brown sugar it retains more moisture which equals a moister cookie. Yay!
  • Large eggs: One full egg and one egg yolk. The yolk also aids the moisture content as well.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Milk chocolate chips
  • Werther’s Original Soft Caramels: I tried several different types of caramels, but had the best result with these. The caramel stays softer than other varieties as the cookies cool the caramel sets. I have found that some grocery stores do not carry them, so I have included a link below if you wish to purchase them through Amazon.
  • Red and/or green food coloring: For the “zombie blood” caramel. I like to use both colors so that I have variety, but you could choose one or the other or even experiment with different color(s).
  • Wilton Edible Candy Eyeballs: I found these candy eyeballs at my local grocery store and picked some up on Amazon too. I have included a product link below.

How do you make double chocolate crinkle cookies w/ zombie blood? ( + tips)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. You will need either two large baking sheets or to reuse one, as it is not advised to bake more than one sheet of cookies at a time. Lightly grease your baking sheet(s) or cover with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Combined dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until smooth, then add the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.

Wet ingredients combined in a clear glass bowl.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Since you actually want crinkle cookies to spread as they cook, the dough does not require refrigeration. In fact, it should be room temperature prior to baking. That means you can nibble on them even sooner. WIN!!!

Cookie dough in a bowl.

Scoop out one tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been rolled into balls. You should aim to end up with 36 total which will produce 18 cookies.

Cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Melt the caramels in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the food coloring one drop at a time, stirring, until the depth of color you desire is produced and is uniform. If you are using more than one color, you may split the caramels between two saucepans or melt half the caramels and assemble half the cookies then melt the second half and assemble the remaining cookies.

Green caramel in a saucepan.

To assemble the cookies: flatten out a dough ball slightly with the palm of your hands, use your thumb or the backside of a teaspoon to create a small divot in the center, and add one teaspoon of caramel. Repeat, then sandwich the two pieces together, caramel sides facing inwards, pinch the edges shut, then form into a ball. Do your best to keep the caramel intact within the center, but if some seeps out that’s ok. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

*** I find that it’s easiest to work with the caramel when it is melted, but if it is simpler for you once it sets a bit feel free to remove it from the heat at any point. Be careful because it will be very hot and will burn if it comes in contact with your flesh.

Four steps of cookie: flat with divot, divot filled with green caramel, two sides sandwiches together, formed into ball.

Next, lightly roll the balls in granulated white sugar, place them on a cookie sheet, and gently press 3-4 edible eyeballs into the top of the cookies. Place up to 12 cookies on each baking sheet approximately and inch or two apart.

Finished cookies prior to baking on a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until spread out and puffy. Remove from the oven and rest on the baking sheet for five minutes. Serve warm for gooey caramel or transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

How to store

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Wire rack with stack of finished cookies along with single cookies atop "blood" stained cheese cloth.
Close-up of stack of chocolate crinkle cookies with colored caramel and edible eyes.
Close up of single stack of cookies atop wire rack and "blood" stained cheesecloth.

Product Recommendations

If you make these double chocolate crinkle cookies w/ zombie blood I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light and happy cooking ya’ll ♥

Continue to Content
Close-up of stack of chocolate crinkle cookies with colored caramel and edible eyes.

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies w/ Zombie Blood (AKA Caramel)

Yield: 18 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Get your Halloween on with these spooktacular zombified double chocolate crinkle cookies. They are soft and chewy, chocolatey, and OOZING with zombie blood (aka caramel).

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 36 Werther's Original soft caramels
  • Red and/or green food coloring 
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 .88 oz package Wilton Edible Candy Eyeballs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet or cover with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Set aside.
  5. Scoop out one tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been rolled into balls. You should aim to end up with 36 total which will produce 18 cookies.
  6. Melt the caramels in a small saucepan over low heat. Add food coloring one drop at a time, stirring, until the depth of color you desire is produced and is uniform. If you are using more than one color, you may split the caramels between two saucepans or melt half the caramels and assemble half the cookies then melt the second half and assemble the remaining cookies.
  7. To assemble the cookies: flatten out a dough ball slightly with the palm of your hands, use your thumb or the backside of a teaspoon to create a small divot in the center, and add one teaspoon of caramel.
  8. Repeat, then sandwich the two pieces together, caramel sides facing inwards, pinch the edges shut, then form into a ball. Do your best to keep the caramel intact within the center, but if some seeps out that's ok. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  9. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until spread out and puffy. Remove from the oven and rest on the baking sheet for five minutes. Serve warm for gooey caramel or transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 3g

The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Jessica Halverstadt
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Cookies, Dessert, Fall, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brianna

    October 6, 2020 at 8:01 PM

    What fun cookies, I especially love the googly eyes!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 6, 2020 at 10:18 PM

      Thanks so much! They are definitely the perfect finishing touch.

      Reply
  2. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food

    October 6, 2020 at 5:36 AM

    We are also skipping in-person Halloween in favor of an us-at-home party. We’re planning to do a whole shebang and serve punch from a bowl with dry ice at the bottom, spooky finger foods, and these cookies! So cute!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 6, 2020 at 10:17 PM

      That sounds like so much fun!! I personally can’t wait for our little Halloween bash. Let me know how the cookies come out. Hope you all have a spooktacular time!

      Reply
  3. Maricruz Avalos Flores

    October 6, 2020 at 1:28 AM

    What a fun and creative idea! Perfect to involve the kids 🙂

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 6, 2020 at 10:16 PM

      Absolutely!!

      Reply
  4. Biana

    October 5, 2020 at 8:28 PM

    These are so cute, and perfect for Halloween!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 5, 2020 at 11:34 PM

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Denise

    October 5, 2020 at 6:27 PM

    These sound so good! And creative! I’m slow to get into the Halloween spirit, these may help. I had no idea you could bye edible eyeballs!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 5, 2020 at 6:32 PM

      Thanks, they are great and should definitely help you get into the Halloween spirit.

      Reply
  6. sophie

    October 5, 2020 at 7:30 AM

    Adorable and just in time, will make this recipe with my kids

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 5, 2020 at 10:58 AM

      I have no doubt your kiddos will love them as much as mine did. Let me know if you have any questions and how they turned out.

      Reply
  7. Jeff Albom

    October 4, 2020 at 9:35 PM

    These are very creative. I love the candy eyeballs. What a great Halloween treat.

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 5, 2020 at 10:58 AM

      Thanks!! The candy eyeballs were indeed the perfect finishing touch.

      Reply
  8. Gourmet Vegetarians

    October 4, 2020 at 9:18 PM

    These are adorable! So creative 🙂 And no doubt taste delicious.

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 5, 2020 at 10:57 AM

      Thank you so much! I had a blast making them (and eating them too!).

      Reply
  9. Cindy

    October 2, 2020 at 5:09 PM

    These are so cool! I love Halloween food and think these are great!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 2, 2020 at 5:49 PM

      Thank you Cindy! They’re definitely a lot of fun.

      Reply
  10. Krista

    October 2, 2020 at 3:21 PM

    I love the eyes added on! These look so good!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 2, 2020 at 5:48 PM

      Thanks, the eyes definitely add a special little touch!

      Reply
  11. Lottie M Hancock

    October 2, 2020 at 2:04 PM

    OOOOOOHHHH yummy creepy! Love it! Just in time for Halloween!

    Reply
    • Jessica Halverstadt

      October 2, 2020 at 2:08 PM

      Exactly, I had so much fun making these spooky cookies!

      Reply

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