Halloween Sugar Cookies
On a blustery October night, the scent of butter and sugar drifts through the kitchen, carrying with it a kind of magic older than the holiday itself. Children lean over the counter, eyes wide as bats and pumpkins take shape beneath their eager hands. The cookies emerge golden and fragrant, waiting to be dressed in shades of midnight black and pumpkin orange. In that moment—before the trick-or-treaters arrive, before the lanterns flicker out on the porch—Halloween feels less like fright and more like a celebration of hearth and home. The cookies, with their delicate snap and sweet icing, become small, edible charms against the lengthening dark.
Halloween Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out Style)
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or ½ vanilla + ½ almond extract for a classic bakery flavor)
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
For the royal icing (decorating):
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons meringue powder (or 2 large egg whites if not available)
6–8 tablespoons warm water
Food coloring gels (orange, black, purple, green—Halloween magic!)
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the dough
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
Step 2: Cut & bake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.
Use Halloween cookie cutters (pumpkins, bats, cats, ghosts).
Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are set but not browned.
Let cool completely before decorating.
Step 3: Decorate
In a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons water. Beat on medium speed for 4–5 minutes until glossy peaks form (add more water, a teaspoon at a time, for thinner flood icing).
Divide icing into bowls, tint with Halloween colors, and pipe outlines before flooding.
Let decorated cookies dry uncovered for several hours (or overnight) until icing sets.
Tips for Perfect Spooky Cookies:
Roll dough between two sheets of parchment to avoid sticking.
For sharper edges, chill cut-out shapes on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
Add edible glitter or candy eyes for extra Halloween fun.
Chewy Version
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