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Halloween Cookies Recipe

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These classic Halloween sugar cookies feature a buttery, vanilla base that holds its shape perfectly during baking. Decorated with colorful royal icing in spooky designs, they’re the ultimate festive treat for Halloween celebrations, parties, or trick-or-treat events.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookies:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk (if needed for dough consistency)

For the Royal Icing:

  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder (or 2 large egg whites)
  • 5-6 tablespoons water (adjust for desired consistency)
  • Gel food coloring in orange, black, purple, green, and white
  • Halloween sprinkles and decorations (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air and creating tender cookies.
  3. Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
  4. Combine wet and dry: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined – don’t overmix. If the dough seems too crumbly, add milk one teaspoon at a time. The dough should come together into a soft ball.
  5. Chill the dough: Divide dough in half and shape each portion into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling is essential for cookies that hold their shape.
  6. Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  7. Roll out dough: Working with one disc at a time (keep the other refrigerated), roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. For easier handling, you can roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
  8. Cut shapes: Using Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place them 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut additional cookies.
  9. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just barely golden. The centers should still look slightly underbaked – they’ll firm up as they cool. Don’t overbake or cookies will be hard.
  10. Cool completely: Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating. This is crucial – decorating warm cookies will cause icing to melt.
  11. Prepare royal icing: In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add water gradually, beating on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed and beat for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks form. The icing should be bright white and glossy.
  12. Divide and color: Divide icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food coloring to create your Halloween colors. Adjust consistency: for outlining, icing should hold a stiff peak; for flooding, thin with water until it flows smoothly but still holds its shape.
  13. Decorate: Transfer icing to piping bags fitted with small round tips. Outline cookies first with thicker icing, then fill centers with thinned icing. Use toothpicks to spread icing into corners and pop air bubbles. Allow each color to set before adding additional layers or details.
  14. Add details: Once base icing sets (15-30 minutes), add faces, details, and decorations. Let cookies dry completely for 4-6 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging.

Notes

  • Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months
  • Royal icing dries hard, making these cookies perfect for stacking, gifting, or transporting
  • For softer icing, substitute with basic buttercream frosting
  • Use corn syrup to “paint” cookies before adding sanding sugar for a sparkly effect
  • If icing becomes too thick while decorating, add water one drop at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar

Nutrition

Find it online: https://focialy.com/halloween-cookies-recipe/