Monster Eye Cookies
These colorful Monster Eye Cookies are soft cake mix cookies made with cream cheese, gel food coloring, powdered sugar, and candy eyes. They are an easy and fun Halloween treat!
Servings: 30 cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowl (large)
- 2-4 small mixing bowls
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), room temperature
- 1 box white cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 2 to 4 gel food colorings (brighter colors work best)
- powdered sugar as needed for rolling
- candy eyes as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, vanilla extract, egg, and cream cheese until combined.½ cup butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 package cream cheese
- Add the white cake mix and mix until a soft dough forms.1 box white cake mix
- Divide the dough among the number of small bowls needed for the colors you want to use.
- Add a different gel food coloring to each bowl and mix until the color is evenly distributed.2 to 4 gel food colorings
- Cover each bowl and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls.
- Roll each ball in powdered sugar and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press each dough ball down to flatten it slightly.powdered sugar
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. While they are still warm, gently press the candy eyes into the cookies.candy eyes
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Notes
🥡 Storage
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them.
- Refrigerate the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Place parchment paper between layers to help protect the candy eyes.
♨️ Reheating
- These cookies do not need to be reheated.
- Let refrigerated cookies sit at room temperature briefly before serving if you prefer a softer texture.
❄️ Freezing
- Freeze baked and completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Place parchment paper between the layers to help protect the decorations.
- Unbaked cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before coating them in powdered sugar and baking.
💡 Tips for Best Results
- Use room-temperature butter, cream cheese, and egg for smoother mixing.
- Use gel food coloring for the brightest colors without thinning the dough.
- Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before scooping.
- Wipe your hands and utensils between colors to prevent them from mixing.
- Add the candy eyes as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
- Do not add the candy eyes before baking because they may melt.
🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods
- There are no recommended alternate cooking methods for this recipe. These cookies were designed to be baked in a conventional oven.
♻️ Leftovers
- Serve leftover cookies as part of a Halloween dessert board.
- Crumble undecorated cookie pieces over ice cream or pudding.
- Handle decorated cookies carefully so the candy eyes do not fall off.
📝 Notes
- Do not prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Use only the dry mix called for in this recipe.
- Brighter gel colors work best.
- Use one large candy eye, several small eyes, or a combination to give the cookies different expressions.
- The dough may be divided into two, three, or four colors.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.4mg
