Purple crinkle cookies with a secret healthy twist! These spooky Halloween treats have a super fudgy center, are loaded with chocolate chips and then dunked in powdered sugar! (Don’t forget the candy eyes & chocolate mouths too!)
First off, how cute are these little guys right?! I mean how could you NOT want to gobble them all up at a Halloween party?! But you know what’s even better? These Hallowen monster crinkle cookies are super fudgy, easy to make and loaded with mini chocolate chips. Oh and did I forget to mention…THEY’RE PURPLE INSIDE! How you wonder? Well that’s all thanks to a secret healthy ingedient that’s going to blow your mind!
Ingredients for your Halloween cookies
Ok before you go running for the hills…yes these are made with purple sweet potatoes.(Hello secret ingredient!) But wait, wait, wait, don’t click that back button just yet! You can’t even taste them AND it’s what gives these cookies their super fudgy texture that’s just to die for. So I’ll make a deal with you, make them first and then tell me what you think? Sound good?!😉 Awesome!
- Purple sweet potatoes: Make sure to use purple sweet potatoes or yams and not regular purple potatoes. (They have a much different taste and consistency and will alter your cookies altogether.)
- Flour: To keep my cookies gluten free, I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour. If you’re not concerned with gluten, then you can use the same amount of regular flour instead.
- Cashew butter: Make sure to use the drippy kind. (We’re using this in place of real butter to add creaminess and healthy fats.)
- Egg
- Maple syrup: Always use pure maple syrup for this recipe!
- Baking powder: DO NOT use baking soda as a replacement! If you do, your cookies will turn green after baking instead of staying purple.
- Vanilla
- Spices: Cinnamon & salt are all you need!
- Mini chocolate chips: Chocolate chips and cookies were just made for each other, am I right?! Using miniature chips ensures you get a little bit chocolate in every bite.
- Powdered sugar: An essential ingredient for any crinkle cookie! (Make sure to have quite a bit on hand because we’re dipping them A LOT.)
- Candy eyes: You can find these at any craft store or purchase them online. (I get mine from Amazon and they come in 2 different sizes. CLICK HERE)
- Purple food coloring: Completely optional but it helps to keep your cookies a rich dark purple color.
How to make Halloween crinkle cookies
- Puree your potatoes. Start by peeling your purple sweet potaotoes then cut them into bite sized pieces. Next bring a pot of water to a boil and add your potatoes once it starts boiling. Boil for 8-9 minutes or until they pierce easily with a knife. Transfer your potatoes to a food processor and blend until smooth. Let your puree cool completely before you prepare the rest of your ingredients. (It’s best to do this in advance to give your puree an ample amount of time to cool. You can either place it in the fridge to cool faster or make it the day before.)
- Preheat your oven. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix your dry ingredients. Then mix your flour, baking powder, cinnamon & salt together. Set it aside.
- Mix your wet ingredients. In a separate larger bowl, whisk your egg. Then add your cooled sweet potato puree, cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla and stir.
- Form your cookie dough. Add your dry ingredients and chocolate chips to your wet ingredients and stir again. (Add your food coloring now if you’re using it!)
- Roll, dunk & bake. Then take heaping tablespoons of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Flatten them slightly and roll them in your powdered sugar. (We want around 4-5 coats of powdered sugar.) Place your cookies on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.
- Decorate & serve! Once done, let your cookies cool slightly before adding your candy eyes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack and serve!
But how did you make the mouths?! Easy! Just heat some chocolate chips in the microwave until they’re completely melted and pour them in a ziploc bag. Cut one of the corner tips off the bag and pipe your chocolate mouths on your cookies.
FAQ’s for making purple sweet potato crinkle cookies
- I can’t find purple sweet potatoes! What can I use instead? Ube is the best substitute for purple sweet potatoes.
- Why did my cookies turn blue/green after baking? Most likely you used baking soda instead of baking powder. The chemical agents in baking soda are much different than baking powder and will cause your potaotes to turn green. (Baking powder contains acid that’s needed to keep your potatoes staying a pretty purple color.)
- Do I have to use purple food coloring? No, but it does help keep your cookies a deep purple color. Without it they’ll be more pale-ish purple.
- What if I can’t find purple food coloring? No worries! You can always use a mixture of red and blue food coloring to get the color you want. (This is the food coloring I used. CLICK HERE)
- Why did my cookies not crinkle? You might not have rolled them in enough powdered sugar so the sugar dissolved as the cookies were baking. Or they might have sat too long after being coated with powdered sugar before baking. These cookies need to be tossed in your sugar and directly put in the oven for the best results.
- How do I store my crinkle cookies? Do not place them in an airtight container! Instead lightly cover them with plastic wrap or place them in a ziploc bag but keep the bag open to let air in. Then store them in the fridge. (They should stay good for about 5 days.)
This would be such a fun project to make with kids too! You could easily bake the cookies and have them decorate them with candy eyes, m&m’s or any other candy they can press on top. (Plus it won’t matter if they don’t come out “perfectly” too because they’re monsters and are supposed to look a little unusal anyways!😉)
Why you’ll love this Halloween cookie recipe
- Soft, fudgy & decadent! Basically everything you could ever want in a cookie!
- Secretly healthy! These cookies taste so indulgent no one will ever guess they’re made with sweet potatoes!
- So fun & spooky! Make your monster faces as cute or as spooky as you want! When anyone takes a bite, they’ll be shocked to see these cookies are purple inside!
Need them gluten free? Great news, they already are! (As long as you use gluten free flour.)
Need them dairy free? Use your favorite dairy free mini chocolate chips instead!
More dessert recipes you might like:
- Easy Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
- S’mores Skillet Dip
- Double Chocolate Butternut Squash Brownies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies (gluten free)
- Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Halloween Monster Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup purple sweet potato puree (about 1-2 potatoes depending on their size)
- ½ cup flour (can use gluten free all purpose flour or regular flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup cashew butter (use the drippy kind)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar
- Candy eyes
- Purple food coloring, optional (I used 15-20 drops)
Instructions
- Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into bite size pieces and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add your potatoes and boil for 8-9 minutes. (They should be tender enough to pierce easily with a shrap knife.) Once done, drain your potatoes and transfer them to a food processor. Blend them until smooth then set them aside to cool completely. (You might want to place them in the fridge to cool faster.)
- Once your potatoes are cool, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Next mix your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Set it aside.
- Then whisk your egg in a separate bowl. Add your maple syrup, vanilla, cashew butter and 1 cup of sweet potato puree and stir them together with a large spoon. Add your flour mixture, chocolate chips and food coloring (if using) and mix again.
- Next use a heaping tablespoon and form the dough into balls. Flatten them slightly and roll each ball in your powdered sugar. (Make sure to have a thick coating of powdered sugar. I’ll usually roll them at least 4-5 times.) Then place the balls on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.
- Once done press, let them cool slightly before pressing a few candy eyes into each cookie. Transfer them to a cooling rack and serve.
