One of the best Halloween desserts is these spooky Nutter Butter Ghosts. These spooky, scary, & silly cookies are fun to make and even more fun to eat. The classic crispy peanut-shaped cookies are drenched in vanilla-flavored candy coating for a sweet combination no one can resist. Kids of all ages will gobble up these festive ghoulish cookies.
They are creamy, crunchy, & nutty. This yummy cookie reminds me of the same flavors as an Abba-Zabba nougat candy bar. So if you love vanilla, peanuts, and chocolate, this Halloween treat is for you. So grab some Nutter Butters and a few other ingredients and get ready to make the easiest & spookiest Halloween cookie.
Ghost cookies are of course perfect for Halloween. So every fall you will want to make several batches of these. They are great for costume parties, birthdays, school, work, and church potlucks and functions. Anytime you want a phantom or spirited treat that is cute and frightening, this cookie recipe is a top choice.
This was inspired by my other Halloween Nutter Butter Cookie recipe. This chocolate-covered version is decorated to look like insects and spiders. So any bug lover in your family will adore these. Along with some no-bake Witch Hat Cookies, the holiday has never been more fun.
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Ingredients
This fun Halloween cookie recipe only needs 4 ingredients. This no-bake recipe uses a store-bought peanut butter classic cookie, Nutter Butters. In addition, the cookies become ghosts thanks to white candy melts. Lastly, to decorate and make ghost faces, chocolate chips are used.
- White Candy Melts
- Nutter Butter Cookies
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Mini Chocolate Chips
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Begin this recipe by gathering all the ingredients. Next, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. I like to hold the parchment down using binder clips as shown below.
Microwave the Melting Wafers
In a microwave-safe glass bowl add the white melting wafers. The candy melts take no time to heat up and become smooth which is why this recipe is so easy, it is done in just minutes and takes no "real cooking!"
Place the bowl of candy melts in the microwave. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring with a rubber spatula between each cook time. Each microwave will vary but it only took 3 intervals, 1 and ½ minutes, for mine to be melted and smooth after stirring.
Remember that as you stir the heat will distribute and continue to heat the wafers. So if the bowl is mostly melted with just a few tiny bits of solids, continue stirring and they will melt. You do not want to overheat melting wafers, they will seize up and harden.
Dip & Decorate the Cookies
Drop a Nutter Butter cookie into the melted candy coating. Flip and rotate it around so that all sides are covered.
Hint: WORK FAST - melted candy coating will begin to harden as it cools. You will want to dip, decorate, and get to the next cookie fast. I love making these with the kids or friends. The more hands the better. I typically do the dipping and place each on the parchment. The kids then make ghost faces.
Once you dip each Nutter Butter so it is covered in the melted white candy, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. While the candy is still warm and melted, the chocolate chips go on.
Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes. Then add a regular-sized chocolate chip to give each ghost a mouth.
Let the Cookies Cool & Set
The candy coating will cool and set very quickly. So you only need to let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Make sure they are in a cool dry place to sit. You also do not want them in a sunny or warm location, like near a window or oven.
They will then be ready to eat when a light touch does not yield any give or imprint. You can then plate them and enjoy.
The crispy peanut butter cookie inside is crunchy when you bite into them. Then you get a taste of the sweet vanilla coating that is creamy to balance the crumbly texture. I dare you to resist! Don't be scared of these delicious Halloween snacks.
Variations
With only 4 simple ingredients, there are not many changes you can make to this Halloween cookie recipe. My only other suggestion would be to have more fun with the ghostly faces of these treats. Funny candy eyes would be a great substitute.
- Eyes - use Wilton candy eyes instead of the mini chocolate chips
If you love these sweet & salty cookies, try another fun Halloween recipe. My candy-coated Pumpkin Pretzels use orange candy melts and those fun candy eyes to make Jack-o'Lantern treats.
Nut-Free Ghost Cookies
With many schools going nut-free and many out there with a nut allergy, I did some research. I got a great question about how to make these Halloween cookies so they still have the ghost shape but without peanut butter. Here is a great peanut-free way to make ghost cookies.
The shape may not be exact but Milano cookies by Pepperidge Farms would be a great nut-free choice. According to the company, all their cookies are manufactured in a nut-free facility. They have the same oblong shape as Nutter Butters so use Milk Chocolate Milano Cookies as a substitute.
Equipment
To make this recipe, the following ingredients and equipment will be needed. The candy eyeballs are a bonus if you want to make them even more silly & scary.
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Storage
Store these cookies in a cool dry place. The candy coating will warm and melt easily if kept in a sunny or warm location. I suggest storing them in a single layer in an air-tight container with a lid. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
If you need to stack them, place sheets of parchment paper between cookies. This will ensure they do not stick or melt together.
Top tip
These Halloween cookies are one of the best make-ahead recipes. They store well and are easy to transport. Make them up to 5 days in advance and store in a cool dry place.
Nutter Butter Ghosts
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 15 Nutter Butter Cookies
- 1 package White Candy Melts 12 oz
- 15 Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 30 Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Place the candy melts in a medium-sized microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring with a rubber spatula between each cook time. Each microwave will vary but it only took 3 intervals, 1 and ½ minutes,
- Drop a Nutter Butter cookie into the melted candy. Flip and evenly coat it on all sides. Once you dip each Nutter Butter so it is covered in the melted white candy, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- While the candy is still warm and melted, the chocolate chips go on. Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes. Then add a regular-sized chocolate chip to give each ghost a mouth.
- Let the decorated cookies set and cool on the parchment paper. They are ready once hard and no longer soft to the touch. This takes about 10 minutes.ENJOY!
- Store these cookies in a cool dry place. The candy coating will warm and melt easily if kept in a sunny or warm location. I suggest storing them in a single layer in an air-tight container with a lid. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 15 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 193 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 9.4g | 12% |
Saturated Fat 4g | 20% |
Cholesterol 5mg | 2% |
Sodium 130mg | 6% |
Total Carbohydrate 26.8g | 10% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
Total Sugars 15.6g | |
Protein 2g | |
Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
Calcium 25mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 4% |
Potassium 1mg | 0% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
FAQ
These cookies need to be white so the ghost decoration works. Candy melts are easy to work with. They melt, dip, & set easily.
However, you can also use white chocolate chips. I suggest melting them using a double-boiler. Also, work quickly as the chocolate will set and harden quickly becoming thick and difficult to work with.
Allie says
This was so easy to make and the kids loved them.
Angela says
I am so happy to hear that - Happy Halloween.
Reeanna says
I am making these for a class halloween party. I tried a few today and yum What other cookie can I use in case some kids have a peanut allergy?
Angela says
That's a great question. I may update the recipe to include this information since there are many schools that do not allow for nuts due to allergies. Since the shape would be different you can try Oreo cookies and have big round ghosts. The closest in shape I can think of is Milano cookies - per the Pepperidge Farms website they are manufactured in a nut-free facility. I hope this helps!
Leslie Betts says
I wish I can add a photo. We used white and purple candy melts. These were so fun and my daughter loved making purple ghosts. Thanks for the recipe.
Angela says
The purple sounds so cute.