Delicious frosted tea cakes decorated with fun colors and toppings to make spooky monster cookies!
The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.
We just started a new fun October tradition this past weekend– making these fun “monster” cookies! I saw these eyes when strolling through Target and knew my kids would have so much fun decorating cooking with faces and way too many sprinkles.
I used the same frosted tea cake recipe that I’ve made since childhood. The cookies are soft and oh-so-delicious. They’re also very easy to make in my stand mixer with my toddlers helping (such “easiness” is almost as crucial as their tastiness).
After baking the cookies with my youngest two, I gathered the rest of the kids around the buffet, turned on a special playlist (more on that in a moment), and watched as the kids had so much fun doing whatever they wanted to their cookies.
The process was actually pretty simple, and I was really happy about a few things I did differently this time that I will definitely be repeating in the future!
Fun Monster Cookies Activity
Tips for Decorating Monster Cookies with Kids:
- Use baking sheets or trays to put underneath the cookies when icing and sprinkling for easier cleanup
- Give each child their own ramekin/bowl of frosting to use. Even better, make each frosting a different color so the kids can easily distinguish between their cookies once they are done.
- If you have a limited amount of a certain decoration, portion it out between the children before you begin. (I gave each child a ramekin of eyeballs. Once they were gone, they were gone).
- Resist the urge to micromanage! Let the kids have fun and celebrate whatever they come up with!
- Have wipes or damp paper towels ready on hand for messy fingers and whatnot.
Kids Spooky Songs Playlist
I created a playlist of “spooky songs” to play during the month of October. We listened to the songs while we decorated the monster cookies, and then have been listening occasionally since then. The songs are some classic Halloween songs, like Monster Mash and Purple People Eater, as well as some other instrumental and classical pieces mixed in for variety.
I didn’t include anything graphic or overly creepy because that’s just not my thing. It’s just a little over an hour of fun, suspenseful songs.
Listen on Amazon Music
Listen on Spotify
The last thing to share before the recipe is a few of the kitchen supplies that helped to keep the process of decorating with the kids easy. While most of things are not completely necessary, each is a tool/resource that we use regularly for all kinds of eating/crafting/etc. I definitely consider each a worthwhile investment.
Recommended Resources:
- dye-free food coloring
- plastic trays (we use these for everything!)
- eyeball cookie decorating kit
- metal ramekins (these are so useful to have on hand!)
- porcelain 8oz ramekins (again, you will use these for so much more than frosting!)
- KitchenAid stand mixer (this is my stand mixer, in case you’re interested)
Monster Cookies
- Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies 1x
Description
Delicious frosted tea cakes decorated with fun colors and toppings to make spooky monster cookies!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 C unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 C powdered sugar
Instructions
1. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for two to three minutes until well-incorporated and light. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
2. Cover mixing bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Roll a rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Flatten slightly.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies begin to darken. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Repeat rolling, flattening, and baking the remaining dough.
5. Make the icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese on medium speed. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. (Taste the icing and adjust the amount of powdered sugar based on desired sweetness). Once the powdered sugar is added, return the speed to medium and blend until the icing is smooth and creamy. If you want colored icing, divide the icing into bowls and add food coloring.
6. Once the cookies are cooled, ice the cookies. If you want sprinkles, add the sprinkles right away while the icing is wet. The icing will harden after a few hours.
Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to pin and share. Thank you!
These are now on my activity list, I will try it with my nephews.
★★★★★