Halloween Cookie Ideas With Decorating Tips

These Halloween sugar cookies are so much fun to make! Sugar cookie decorating is a delicious and creative way to express yourself artistically even when you don’t think you are much of an artist. Pick out your favorite Halloween cookie cutters and start making these perfect Halloween cookies! It is an enjoyable activity for kids and adults alike! Gorgeous, decorated Halloween sugar cookies are all the rage these days, and with the help of our easy step-by-step instructions, you’ll have the cutest treats to share with your favorite ghosts and goblins. These Halloween treats are so cute you will want to make them over and over again. Perfect for a Halloween Party!

Ingredients for the Best Halloween Sugar Cookies

These Halloween cookies start out with a simple sugar cookie recipe that is all from your pantry! It is not a super sweet stand-alone cookie, so you will definitely want to add icing to make it the perfect sweetness. Decorate these Halloween sugar cookies with our delicious and easy royal icing recipe that pairs perfectly with these cookies.

Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is the main ingredient in sugar cookies. Powdered sugar – Make sure to sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the bowl so it’s light and airy when baking. Butter – Softened the unsalted butter to room temperature. This will help the butter and sugar mix together more easily. Shortening – Adding shortening to the butter mixture helps the dough keep its shape when baking. Eggs – For best results, let your eggs come to room temperature before adding to the mixture. The eggs will be the binder of the dough and help keep it together. Vanilla extract – Just a splash for flavor! Almond extract – Adding almond extract along with vanilla extract gives these cookies a rich flavor that can’t be beaten! It is always a special tip when making sugar cookies. Flour – White, all-purpose flour works best for these cookies. You will want to keep a little on hand for rolling out the cookie dough and cutting your shapes out. Flour adds thickness and helps build and lift the dough as it is baking in the oven. Baking powder – Together flour, baking powder, and salt combine and create the shape of the cookies and help raise the dough. Salt – Just a pinch will help raise the sugar cookie dough while baking.

Homemade Royal Icing Ingredients

This homemade royal icing is going to create cute Halloween sugar cookies! Take your sugar cookies to the next level with this sweet icing that will create and decorate cookies like ghosts, pumpkins, and candy corn cookies. Use food coloring to make special icing colors that will decorate artistic shapes, colors, and faces on these Halloween sugar cookies!

Powdered sugar – About a pound of sifted powdered sugar. You can use more or less depending on the consistency of the icing. Meringue powder – You can find this at most grocery stores or craft stores. It will help thicken and give the royal icing that extra stiffness when decorating. Water – The water helps keep the consistency of the royal icing. It will make sure the icing is not too runny but not too thick either. Piping bag – You can use a ziplock bag and cut the tip-off, a disposable piping bag, or even lay plastic wrap on the counter and wrap the icing into the wrap tightly for icing Halloween sugar cookies.

How to Make Classic Sugar Cookies for Halloween

Make October extra fun this year with this delicious Halloween sugar cookie recipe! These are a tradition in our family and always a fun time to get out our fun side and make the best sugar cookies with cute Halloween cookie cutters!

Royal Icing Instructions

Simply mix the ingredients together easily and start decorating! Choose your color of food coloring and spoon it into the piping bags. Carefully create the best-looking Halloween sugar cookies yet!

Step by Step Instructions on How to Decorate Halloween Cookies

Once you have rolled out and baked your cookies, the fun part begins! Follow these step-by-step instructions for decorating the cutest cookies you have ever seen! Grab your piping bag and let’s get started on these piping tips. These cookies are delicious and cute all in one!

Ghost Halloween Sugar Cookies

Only two colors for these cute ghost Halloween sugar cookies. Outline the outside in white, add a nose, then two eyes. It is a simple Halloween sugar cookie!

Cauldron Halloween Sugar Cookies

Take your time on this cauldron Halloween sugar cookie! It does take a few extra steps but can be a lot of fun to make. Fill the outline in black, use green for the bubbles and potion, and then add sprinkles for a fun and delicious sugar cookie!

Spider Web Halloween Sugar Cookies

Take your circle sugar cookie to the next level with a simple spider web decoration! Simply draw your outline, fill it with white, make more circles with black, and spread the lines out. Make this spider web and impress all your friends and family!

Pumpkin Halloween Sugar Cookies

Isn’t this pumpkin Halloween sugar cookie so cute and fun? I love the stem! You can even do the stem in brown or black. Outline, fill, and decorate a stem. It is that easy!

Candy Corn Halloween Sugar Cookies

This is a fun one! Divide the candy corn sugar cookie into three sections and outline the three colors. Fill in the top and then the bottom leaving the middle open. Lastly, fill in the orange and enjoy a life-size candy corn!

Tips for Storing Homemade Halloween Sugar Cookies

Follow these helpful tips when making and storing your Halloween sugar cookies! It is simple to follow and will allow for your cookies to be the best decorated, stored, and gifted sugar cookies. Take your time and enjoy making these quick and easy Halloween sugar cookies!

Let completely dry – You must let the cookies completely dry for 24 hours on a cookie sheet or a counter or table. The cookie actually absorbs moisture from the icing allowing them to stay in the open and remain soft. Trust me on this one, it will ruin your beautiful designs if you don’t give them the proper time to dry. Cookie sheet – Be careful moving your cookies while they are drying. It’s best to decorate them on a cookie sheet where they can remain there to dry and transporting them is much easier. Lay parchment paper on the cookie sheet when adding the sprinkles. Single layer – Do NOT stack each decorated Halloween sugar cookie on top of each other as it may destroy the design. Bags – Once the cookies are dry, I like to individually bag them with cello bags or ziplock bags. They can also be stored in a large container. It takes time – Allow yourself time to make these cookies. They still taste good to eat a few hours after decorating, but they are very fragile to handle. Assembling – I usually bake and decorate on one day, allow one day to dry, and package them the following day. More Halloween ideas – Try monster cookies, mummy cookies, black cats, spider cookies, or a witch hat are always fun too!

Can I Make Halloween sugar cookies gluten-free?

Yes! Substitute the flour for the gluten-free flour if you need to for your friends and family. Make sure the GF flour is good for baking. Some GF flour needs more adjustments to the recipe if it is not.

How can I prevent my Halloween sugar cookies from spreading too much when baking?

This is a no chill sugar cookie recipe, but if you get spreading, you can chill the dough for thirty minutes before baking them. You can also add more flour to the dough if it is too sticky.

Storing Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies

Halloween sugar cookies are irresistible and so delicious day after day! We love a quick and easy sweet treat after school or for parties. These Halloween sugar cookies are easy to store with the icing and without. Learn the best ways to store Halloween sugar cookies!

Making ahead – If you need to make the cookie dough ahead of time you can chill the dough for 24 hours in advance. Storing – If stored properly, these cookies will stay fresh for up to a week. Place the cookies in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. Freezing cookies – Store Halloween sugar cookies in a freezer bag for up to three months in the freezer. Once the cookies freeze, take the cookies out and let them completely come to room temperature before you handle them, as the icing can get sticky when frozen.