Get ready to whip up a batch of irresistible monster eyeball cookies that'll satisfy your sweet cravings. These gluten-free Reese's Pieces Halloween Cookies are the perfect blend of chewy goodness and crispy edges, with a spooky twist from colorful candy and googly eyes.
Surprise the kiddos with monster eyeball cookies this Halloween! These gluten-free Reese's Pieces Halloween Cookies are decorated with edible candy eyes and they're full of chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces peanut butter candies.
Whether it's Halloween or a cozy night in, this monster cookie recipe is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- If you've made these Gluten-Free Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies, you'll love this variation with Reese's Pieces. They're just as chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside as the original, but they're all decked out in fall colours!
- With cute little candy googly eyes, these monster eyeball cookies make a fun Halloween cookie to serve along with these other Halloween treats.
- This Halloween monster cookies recipe makes a big batch (about 48 cookies), making it the perfect recipe to bake half today and freeze the other half for another time.
🛒 Ingredients and substitutions
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the ingredients.
- gluten-free flour blend: I recommend using Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour Blend. My second choice is Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1 - 1 Flour Blend.
- baking soda
- sea salt or Kosher salt
- sugar: Using a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar (or coconut sugar) makes the best chewy cookies.
- butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it will cream properly with the sugar.
- eggs: Eggs also need to be at room temperature for best results.
- pure vanilla extract
- dark chocolate chips: Your choice: semi-sweet, dairy-free or stevia-sweetened.
- Reese's pieces: chocolate-coated peanut butter milk chocolate candies
- edible candy eyes
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions to make these wickedly cute monster eyeball cookies with colorful candy. You'll find complete instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream the softened butter until fluffy, then add the sugar and cream them together for 2 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour with the baking soda and sea salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed wet ingredients and beat until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and beat, just until evenly distributed.
- Stir in the Reese's Pieces with a spoon or spatula.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Press a few extra Reese's Pieces on the top of each cookie. Don't flatten the cookie dough.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and slam it on the countertop until the cookies flatten slightly.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue to bake the cookies for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and press two candy eyes into the top of the baked cookies while they are still soft.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
🔁 Possible Variations
Feel free to substitute other peanut butter milk chocolate candies (like Peanut Butter M&M candies or mini milk chocolate candies) for the Reese's Pieces.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips: use the pan-banging method
I use the pan-banging method to make cookies with crispy edges and gooey interiors.
After 10 minutes when the cookies have risen into puffy domes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and give it 3 strong smacks on the countertop. The cookies will collapse a little.
Return them to the oven to continue baking for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
This pan-banging method helps to make cookies that are soft and chewy on the inside with crispy edges, with the best chewy texture!
❓Reader's Questions
Using a combination of both brown and white sugar makes the best chocolate chip cookies. Baking soda needs an acid like brown sugar or coconut sugar to react.
Using more granulated sugar produces cookies that are chewier and crisper. Brown sugar, on the other hand, makes a softer, thicker cookie with a definite butterscotch flavour.
I like to use a combination to get the best of both worlds!
This cookie dough freezes well. Shape the dough into balls, arrange them on a baking sheet and transfer the sheet to the freezer. Once they're frozen, store the balls in a covered container. When you're ready to bake, allow them to come to room temperature and bake as outlined in the instructions OR bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
🍽 More gluten-free treats for Halloween
If you're planning a Halloween party, here are a few more savory and sweet treats you might like.
⏰ Storage Instructions
To store: Store these monster eyeball cookies in a covered container for 4 - 5 days at room temperature.
To freeze: Pack the baked cookies in layers separated by parchment paper or plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
🗒 More Halloween recipes
- Trail Mix Chocolate Nut Clusters
- Dairy-Free Dirt and Worms Pudding Cups
- Halloween Pretzel Cheese Witches' Broomsticks
- Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins -Gluten-Free
🌟Did you make these Halloween monster cookies?
When you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Halloween Reese's PIeces Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar, or coconut sugar, or 1 cup of each
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup is highly recommended
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter milk chocolate candies, like Reese's Pieces
- 96 edible candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, cream the softened butter until fluffy, then add the sugar and cream them together for 2 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour with the baking soda and sea salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and beat, just until evenly distributed. Stir in the Reese's Pieces with a spoon or spatula.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Press a few extra Reese's Pieces on the top of each cookie. Don't flatten the cookie dough.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and slam it on the countertop 3 times until the cookies flatten slightly. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue to bake the cookies for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and press two candy eyes into each cookie while they are still soft. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Brit
These were so fun to have at my daughter's Halloween party! Thanks.
Elaine
Happy to hear you liked these cookies, too!