Halloween Neapolitan Cookies
These Halloween Neapolitan Cookies combine vanilla, chocolate, and naturally purple sweet potato cookie dough into one soft, chewy cookie. Topped with festive Halloween candies, they're a fun treat for parties, cookie exchanges, or baking with family.
Servings: 26 cookies, approximately
Calories: 151kcal
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1/3 oz Cookie or Ice Cream Scooper
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2 ½ tbsp Purple Sweet Potato Powder (see note for alternative) Suncore brand is what I use
- 2 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder or black cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp instant espresso powder optional
- 1 cup Halloween M&M's or other colorful candies as desired
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and dry ingredients:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
- Make the cookie dough:In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.1 cup butter, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg,, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Color and flavor the doughs:Divide the dough evenly into three portions.Leave one portion plain (vanilla).Return one portion to the mixer and mix in the lemon zest and purple sweet potato powder until evenly colored.Return the final portion to the mixer and mix in the cocoa powder and optional espresso powder until fully incorporated.½ tsp lemon zest, 2 ½ tbsp Purple Sweet Potato Powder, 2 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder, ¼ tsp instant espresso powder
- Portion the dough:Pinch or scoop each dough into small ½-ounce (about ½ tablespoon) portions. Having all three doughs portioned first makes assembly quick and easy.
- Assemble the cookies:For distinct layers, gently press one piece of each dough together side by side and place them into a large 2-tablespoon cookie scoop. Press just enough for the doughs to hold together, then release onto the prepared baking sheet. For a more marbled appearance, loosely combine the doughs before placing them into the scoop. If preferred, you can also roll the three doughs together by hand into one large ball.
- Decorate and bake:Press several Halloween M&M's or other colorful candies into the top of each cookie. Place 6 to 7 cookies per baking sheet, spacing them about 2½ inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft. For crispier cookies, bake an additional minute or until the edges begin to lightly brown.1 cup Halloween M&M's or other colorful candies
- Cool:Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Purple sweet potato powder: If you can't find it, substitute purple gel food coloring. Wilton Violet gel works well. Start with about ½ teaspoon and add more until you reach your desired shade, keeping in mind the color softens slightly during baking.
- Black cocoa powder: Black cocoa creates the dramatic Halloween look and adds a rich chocolate flavor. Dutch-process cocoa powder also works but produces a lighter brown cookie.
- Cookie assembly: Keeping the doughs side by side creates the most defined Neapolitan look, while loosely combining them produces a more marbled effect.
Tips
- Room temperature butter, eggs, and egg yolk create the smoothest dough.
- Use a large 2-tablespoon cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies.
- Press the candies firmly into the dough before baking so they stay in place.
- Don't overbake. The cookies should still look slightly soft in the center when you remove them from the oven—they'll finish setting as they cool.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg