If there’s ever a right time to eat bugs, Halloween is it. Because when else would you willingly add crickets into your chocolate chip cookie dough, ammm I right? 

Now, there’s 2 ways to go about this recipe: 1) TRICK, or 2) TREAT

I obviously went the Trick route by garnishing my cookies with actual crickets. They add a lovely nutritious crunch, and the pumpkin spice lends a touch of warmth to an otherwise revolting cookie. It’s perfect for grossing out your guests at a Halloween party…or giving your innocent little Trick or Treaters a scare. Mwaahahahaaaa!!! 

The Treat method skips the actual crickets and uses just cricket powder. No one will ever know they’re eating bugs (it’ll be our little secret)! They seriously taste like regular cookies. Even my mom, the pickiest of eaters, ate one and said it was good.

You can adapt this to any cookie flavor–peanut butter, snickerdoodle, whatever! As long as you add a 2 : 1 ratio of flour to ground cricket, you’ll have a trick disguised as a treat. It’s a no-fuss recipe that comes together in minutes. All you need is a bowl, a spoon…and crickets, of course.

Happy Halloween! 

T <3  

~*~ PUMPKIN SPICE CHOCOLATE CHIRP COOKIES ~*~

SERVES: ABOUT 12 COOKIES ⎪ DIFFICULTY: EASY  | FUNK: DANGEROUS

Mise en Place 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cricket powder 

1 teaspoon baking powder  

1 stick butter, melted 

1/2 cup white granulated sugar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 egg 

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice seasoning 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

6 bitter-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

2 ounces crickets, optional  

Playlist — Yellowjackets 

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1. MAKE THE DOUGH

Sift together the flour, cricket powder, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugars, and salt. Beat in the egg, pumpkin spice, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and fold until just combine. Mix in the chocolate chips and the crickets, reserving some for garnish.

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*MAKE AHEAD* At this point, you can pour out the dough onto parchment paper or plastic wrap and form it into a log. Wrap it tightly and chill in the fridge up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month (thaw before slicing). Use a serrated knife to slice the dough into rounds. 

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2. BAKE THE COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll 2 – 3 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Press reserved crickets on top of dough balls. Bake for 15 minutes; rotate the baking sheet halfway through. 

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3. SERVE & STORE

Remove cookies from the baking sheet and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Cool completely before storing into an air-tight container for up to 3 days. 

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~*~ VEGAN VARIATION ~*~

Replace egg with 1/4 cup apple sauce or pumpkin purée. Use preferred vegan butter in place of butter.

~*~ GLUTEN FREE VARIATION ~*~

Replace all-purpose flour with preferred gluten-free baking flour. 

~*~ BROWN BUTTER VARIATION ~*~

Melt the butter a little longer until browned and smells nutty before then add to wet ingredients in Step 1.

How would you use Cricket Flour? Let me know what you’ve made and leave a comment below.