Elevate Your Favorite Pillsbury Halloween Shape Cookies With This Layering Trick

Love getting into the Halloween spirit? We've got a clever and dangerously sweet way to dress up those festive cookies. Try a hack that turns Pillsbury's Halloween Shape Sugar Cookies into a double-decker treat. It simply involves layering them on top of another cookie dough flavor before baking.

Start with any refrigerated ready-to-bake Pillsbury dough as your base. There's plenty to choose from, including chocolate chip, Reese's, birthday cake, or even pumpkin with cream cheese chips for extra autumn vibes. Refrigerated dough works better than frozen since the doughs meld more easily. Roll the base into rounds, and if you're feeling extra festive, coat them in Halloween-colored sprinkles for added crunch and color. Line a baking sheet with parchment, place cookies two or three inches apart, and follow the preheating instructions on the package.

Now it's time to add that holiday magic. Pillsbury's Halloween lineup includes pumpkins, ghosts, sugar skulls, and spooky cats. Pick your favorite design or go full monster mashup and use them all. Gently press one themed cookie into the center of each base cookie, just enough so the two layers stick. Bake for 15 to 19 minutes, then let cool for a few minutes before transferring. The result is a tray of cookies that look like they came straight from Instagram! 

If you want to experiment, there are plenty of ways to give your cookies even more Halloween flair. Add candy corn to chocolate chip cookie dough for a marshmallow-vanilla sweetness. Or, layer those Pillsbury Halloween Shape Cookies atop festive cupcakes instead. Alternatively, you could skip the Pillsbury cookies altogether and build your own themed treats, like spider cookies. Start with baked peanut butter thumbprint cookies, top them with an upside-down Reese's mini cup or Lindt chocolate truffle balls, add candy eyes, and pipe on chocolate legs.

Whichever cookies you end up making, you'll need something to wash them all down. Milk is the obvious choice, but since it's Halloween, why not elevate the experience even further? For an adult gathering, try pairing your cookies with some adult bevvies. Much like popular Halloween candies can be paired with drinks, cookies can too. Peanut butter cookies go well with sherry, chocolate chip cookies complement bourbon, and pumpkin cookies pair beautifully with spiced rum.

For a kid-friendly affair, serve your cookies in creative trick-or-treat style. Stack them in plastic cauldrons, wrap them in cellophane bags with ribbon, or arrange them in a jack-o'-lantern tin for easy grab-and-go snacking. Not only does this add a festive touch, but it also makes cleanup a breeze. And if you've made far too many cookies this season, don't let them go to waste! Use those leftover Halloween cookies as a cheesecake base.