These Monster Sandwich Cookies are adorable, easy, and a no-bake treat made with store-bought Chips Ahoy cookies, colorful buttercream frosting, and candy eyes. They’re more cute than creepy—perfect for little ones and just right for busy moms who want to bring a little spooky fun to the dessert table without breaking a sweat.
I knew I wanted something festive and fun, but I also knew that if I started drawing fangs or scary faces, I’d end up frustrated. These little guys are charming, colorful, and come tog
ation. If you’re looking for easy Halloween desserts that look impressive but take almost no effort, this one’s for you.
Let’s get into the details!
Jump to Recipe
Ingredients for Monster Sandwich Cookies
This recipe makes about 18–20 sandwich cookies when using the full frosting recipe written below. You can easily cut the frosting in half if you’re using a smaller pack of cookies or just want to make a smaller batch of monsters. I used a family-size pack of Chips Ahoy, which had plenty of cookies to work with.
- 36–40 Chips Ahoy cookies (for 18–20 sandwiches)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Food coloring in Halloween colors (purple, green, orange)
- Candy eyes (found at most grocery stores or craft stores during Halloween)
How to Make Monster Sandwich Cookies
Step 1: Make the buttercream
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar together, then mix in the vanilla and milk until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Color the frosting
Divide the frosting into separate bowls based on how many colors you want to use. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and mix until the color is vibrant. Feel free to get creative—bright pink, blue, or even neon yellow would be adorable too!
Step 3: Assemble the cookies
Match your Chips Ahoy cookies into pairs based on size and shape. Flip one cookie of each pair upside down. Pipe or spread a generous dollop of frosting onto the flat side, then gently press the second cookie on top to create a sandwich.
Step 4: Add the candy eyes
Now the fun part! While the frosting is still soft, press candy eyes into the sides of the frosting so they peek out like little monster eyes. You can do two eyes, three eyes, or even just one for a cyclops effect. There’s no wrong way to do this—it’s supposed to be silly!
Pro Tips for the Cutest Monster Cookies
- Use gel food coloring for the most vibrant frosting without thinning it out.
- Watch out for those eyes: I really wanted to store these in the freezer until I was ready for them, which I think worked great. However, it’s really hot and humid where I live, and after I pulled them out of the freezer into the swamp that is North Carolina, the condensation that formed on them after going from the really cold to the really hot caused the black in the eye candies to run. Now, I chose to make these in the middle of July to get ahead on my Halloween baking and it was really humid. I don’t think this would necessarily happen to you closer to Halloween, but I also wanted to give a little disclaimer, just in case!
- Vary the eyes—grab a mix of small, medium, and large candy eyes to give each monster its own personality.
- Let the kids help! This is a super fun project for little hands. Set up a decorating station and let them go wild with colors and eyeballs.
- Don’t stress perfection. These aren’t meant to be fancy or flawless. In fact, the more lopsided and silly the faces, the better!
- Optional: match up your eyes ahead of time if you’re aiming for symmetrical pairs. I’ve found that if I don’t do this, some of my monsters end up hilariously cross-eyed—which honestly just adds to their charm!
FAQs
How many cookies does this make?
This recipe makes about 18–20 sandwich cookies when using the full batch of frosting. If you use less frosting or smaller dollops, you might get a few more. If you’re working with a smaller pack of cookies, you can also cut the frosting recipe in half.
Can I make these in advance?
Yes! You these a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container. You can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you make them more than 2 days ahead of time. A disclaimer if you live in a really hot and humid place: If you store these in the fridge and then pull them out into a really hot and humid environment (I made these in NC in July), the black in the eye candies may run a bit and your monsters might look like members of Kiss after an hour or so.
What if I don’t have piping bags?
No problem! You can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, or just spread the frosting with a small spatula or butter knife. The monsters will still look adorable either way.
Where can I find candy eyes?
Most grocery stores carry them in the baking aisle around Halloween, and you can also find them at craft stores or online. I like using a mix of sizes so each monster has a little personality!
Can I use a different kind of cookie?
Absolutely. Chips Ahoy are great because they’re sturdy and easy to find, but you could use homemade cookies or mini cookies for bite-sized monsters. Just make sure the cookies you use are firm enough to hold up to the frosting.
These Monster Sandwich Cookies are one of my favorite easy fall party desserts because they’re festive, fast, and just so fun to make. Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party, need a treat for a classroom celebration, or want a silly little baking project with the kids, these cookies are always a hit. They’re the kind of Halloween-themed desserts that look cute on a platter but take barely any effort to pull together.
If you’re looking for Halloween party desserts that are more charming than creepy—and won’t have you piping fangs or intricate designs—these are perfect.
Happy Halloween baking!
Monster Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 36-40 Chips Ahoy Cookies makes 18-20 sandwiches
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Food coloring in Halloween colors
- Candy eyes You can mix up the number of eyes if you want to per sandwich cookie. Some monsters can have 3 eyes or just 1 eye. Whatever you want.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar together, then mix in the vanilla and milk until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Divide the frosting into separate bowls based on how many colors you want to use.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and mix until the color is vibrant
- Add colored frosting to piping bags with no tip or a plain, round tip (optional)
- Match your Chips Ahoy cookies into pairs based on size and shape. Flip one cookie of each pair upside down.
- Pipe or spread a generous dollop of frosting onto the flat side, then gently press the second cookie on top to create a sandwich.
- While the frosting is still soft, press candy eyes into the sides of the frosting so they peek out like little monster eyes. You can do two eyes, three eyes, or even just one for a cyclops effect.
- Allow frosting to set. If you're not eating them within a day or two, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Just note, if you live in a particularly humid area (like I do!) and you take these out of the fridge, the condensation from going from cold to warm may cause some of the black in your candy eyes to run.
