Peanut Butter Halloween Black Cat Cookies

These cookies are pure Halloween table craft, the kind that show up at school parties and harvest fests every October. The dough is a four-ingredient shortcut that combines a box of chocolate cake mix with peanut butter, eggs, and a little water. The peanut butter does double duty here: it adds richness, but more importantly its higher protein content gives the cookies a chewy, brownie-like texture instead of cakey.

The shaping is the part kids love. Pinch two little ears at the top of each flattened ball, press in M&Ms for eyes, a red hot or candy-corn tip for a nose, and drag a fork through the dough to make whiskers. Every cookie ends up with its own grumpy or surprised expression, and that’s half the charm.

Makes a big batch, so it’s perfect for a classroom party or to box up for trick-or-treaters.

Pro Tips

• Use crunchy peanut butter for visible texture or smooth for a more uniform cookie. Both work.
• The dough is sticky. Lightly oil hands or chill the dough 15 minutes before shaping if it’s tough to roll.
• Sugar-dipped glass bottoms keep the dough from sticking when flattening.
• Add the M&M and candy decorations before baking. They soften and stick into the dough.

Variations

• Use orange and yellow M&Ms for fall-leaf eyes, or candy corn for a more pumpkin-cat look.
• Substitute butterscotch chips for the M&M eyes for a different flavor twist.
• Make pumpkin shapes instead of cats by skipping the ears and adding a green chocolate stem.