If you are looking for a charmingly festive treat to impress your friends and family this season, these Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies are an absolute must-make. Bursting with the rich, nutty depth of brown butter and the warm spice of pumpkin, these cookies come to life when decorated like adorable little ghosts with silky white chocolate and mischievous black candy melt faces. Each step of making these cookies is such a delight, from the buttery aroma filling your kitchen to the fun creativity of ghostly decorating. These Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies taste as magical as they look, blending classic fall flavors with a whimsical twist that will leave everyone smiling.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients You’ll Need

To create these irresistibly spooky pumpkin treats, you only need a handful of simple yet essential ingredients that work in perfect harmony to deliver amazing flavor, texture, and color to your cookies. Every element plays its part in making these cookies wonderfully chewy and beautifully autumnal.

Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookie Dough: This rich, buttery dough with a hint of maple syrup forms the perfect base with cozy pumpkin spices and chewy texture.

White Chocolate: Use good-quality melting wafers for smooth, creamy coverage to shape your ghostly figures.
Black Candy Melts: These are essential for piping the expressive eyes and mouths of your ghosts, making them both spooky and adorable.

Piping Bag: A sturdy piping bag allows for precision when crafting your ghost faces, helping your decoration look clean and professional.
Medium Cookie Scoop: Helps portion dough evenly so each cookie bakes to the same size, ensuring consistent baking and appearance.

Light Colored Baking Pans: They ensure even baking and allow the cookies’ warm color to shine without burning on darker pans.

How to Make Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Step 1: Bake Your Pumpkin Cookies

Start by preparing the Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookie dough as your base. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough evenly onto light-colored baking pans, ensuring consistent size and shape for each cookie. Bake according to your dough recipe’s instructions until golden and perfectly chewy inside. Then, allow the cookies to cool completely, which is essential before decorating to prevent the chocolate from melting improperly.

Step 2: Prepare the White Chocolate Ghost Base

Gently melt your white chocolate using a double boiler or microwave, stirring frequently until silky smooth. Carefully spoon a small dollop of melted white chocolate onto the center of each cooled pumpkin cookie. Using the back of a small spoon, apply light, even pressure as you slowly drag the spoon down across the dollop. This dragging motion elongates the chocolate into a playful ghost shape. If you want to get comfortable with the technique, try it out on parchment paper first—practice makes perfect and it helps build your confidence before working on the actual cookies.

Step 3: Let the White Chocolate Set

Allow the white chocolate ghost shapes to harden completely at room temperature. This step is important so the ghosts hold their fun forms without smudging when you add the black details.

Step 4: Create Ghostly Features with Black Candy Melts

Melt the black candy melts gently, either in the microwave or over low heat, stirring until smooth and fluid. Pour the melted candy into a sturdy piping bag or a ziplock bag with a small snip in the corner. Now comes the fun part: pipe tiny dots for eyes and a mouth to create spooky or silly facial expressions on your ghostly cookies. Let the candy melts dry fully to add final charm to your Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies.

How to Serve Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Garnishes

Sprinkle a hint of cinnamon sugar or finely chopped toasted pecans around the serving plate to echo the warm flavors of the cookies. Add a few autumn leaves or mini pumpkins on the side to make your presentation feel festive and inviting. A dusting of edible glitter can also make the ghosts shimmer under light, adding an enchanting effect.

Side Dishes

The chewy texture of Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies pairs wonderfully with creamy hot drinks like pumpkin spice latte, chai tea, or a rich cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. Serving alongside a small bowl of spiced apple cider completes a cozy fall dessert spread that everyone will love after a hearty meal or during a festive gathering.

Creative Ways to Present

Arrange your ghost cookies on a rustic wooden board with some gauzy cheesecloth to mimic spooky spider webs. Place cookie sticks underneath each cookie for a fun “ghost pops” effect that kids adore. For a party, build a tiered server tower with cookies and mini gourds for a show-stopping centerpiece that’s as tasty as it is eye-catching.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Keep your Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain chewy and flavorful for up to 3 days. If you live in a warm climate, consider refrigeration to prevent the chocolate details from melting, but allow cookies to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.

Freezing

You can freeze these cookies unadorned or fully decorated. To freeze decorated cookies, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer gently to an airtight container with parchment layers in between to prevent sticking. Frozen cookies can be kept for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature, keeping them covered to avoid drying out.

Reheating

These cookies are delicious enjoyed as is, but if you prefer a warm treat, pop them in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes. Avoid microwaving, as that can melt your charming ghost decorations. Bringing them back to just-warm enhances the buttery pumpkin aroma and softens the cookie slightly for ultimate comfort eating.

FAQs

Can I use regular chocolate instead of white chocolate for the ghosts?

Absolutely! While white chocolate gives a classic ghostly look, using milk or dark chocolate can create fun variations like “shadow ghosts” or even colorful treats if you add food coloring. Just be sure to choose good melting chocolate for smooth application.

Do I need a special pumpkin cookie recipe to make these?

The key is a brown butter and maple-based pumpkin cookie that stays chewy and holds shape well, but you can absolutely use your favorite pumpkin cookie recipe. Just make sure the cookies are fully cooled before decorating for the best results.

How long can I keep these cookies before decorating?

You can bake the pumpkin cookies up to 2 days ahead and store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Decorate them just a few hours before serving to keep the white chocolate fresh and glossy.

Are there any substitutions for black candy melts?

If you don’t have black candy melts, you can use black decorating gel or melted bittersweet chocolate with a little black food coloring added. Just pipe carefully for neat details.

What’s the best way to prevent white chocolate from seizing?

Be sure to melt your white chocolate slowly and gently, stirring often. Avoid any water contact and use a microwave set on low power or a double boiler to gently heat, stirring frequently until smooth. This prevents clumping and helps with smooth spreading.

Final Thoughts

There is just something heartwarming about making and sharing these Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies that fills your kitchen with joy and your taste buds with autumn magic. They are truly a showstopper at any fall gathering or a nostalgic treat to enjoy with loved ones. Don’t hesitate to whip up a batch and dive into the cozy, chewy, and delightfully spooky flavors that make these cookies so special. Your seasonal celebrations will be all the sweeter with these little ghosts by your side!

Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 26 reviews

Author: lina

Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

These Spooky Ghost Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies are perfectly chewy pumpkin-spiced treats topped with ghostly white chocolate decorations and black candy melt features. Perfect for Halloween, they combine the rich flavor of brown butter and maple with festive ghost designs that are simple yet impressive.

Ingredients

Scale

Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

1 batch Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies (see linked Butternut Bakery recipe)

For Decorating

White chocolate (such as Ghirardelli melting wafers) – about 1 cup for melting

Black candy melts – about 1/2 cup
Piping bag or small ziplock bag

Helpful Tools/Ingredients

Medium cookie scoop

Light colored baking pans
Small spoon (for shaping chocolate ghosts)
Parchment paper (for practice)

Instructions

Bake the Cookies: Prepare and bake one batch of the Brown Butter and Maple Chewy Pumpkin Cookies according to the original recipe. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating to ensure the chocolate adheres properly.
Melt the White Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate wafers in short 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each until smooth and fully melted. Careful not to overheat to avoid burning.
Create Ghost Shapes: Place a small dollop of melted white chocolate onto the center of each cooled cookie. Using the back of a small spoon, gently drag the chocolate downwards to form the shape of a ghost. Practice on parchment paper beforehand to perfect your technique.

Let White Chocolate Harden: Allow the white chocolate ghost shapes to fully set and harden at room temperature, which typically takes about 15-20 minutes.
Melt Black Candy Melts: Melt the black candy melts in a microwave-safe container in short bursts, stirring frequently until smooth. Then, transfer the melted candy melts into a piping bag or a corner-cut ziplock bag for easy application.
Add Facial Features: Pipe small dots of black candy melts onto each white chocolate ghost to create eyes and a mouth, giving your cookies their spooky ghostly expressions.

Allow to Dry: Let the decorated cookies sit at room temperature until the black candy features are completely dry and set, about 20-30 minutes. Once dry, your spooky ghost pumpkin cookies are ready to enjoy!

Notes

Make sure cookies are fully cooled before decorating to prevent melting or smearing.
Practice ghost shapes on parchment paper before applying to cookies for best results.

If white chocolate thickens as it cools, gently reheat in short bursts to remelt.
Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For a dairy-free option, use vegan white chocolate and candy melts.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dessert

Method: Baking and Decorating
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Calories: 180
Sugar: 12g
Sodium: 110mg

Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g

Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 1g

Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 15mg

Keywords: Pumpkin cookies, Halloween treats, ghost cookies, brown butter pumpkin, maple pumpkin cookies, spooky Halloween dessert, white chocolate ghost, candy melt decorations