Halloween Sugar Cookies
The perfect Halloween Sugar Cookie recipe was just a bunch of hocus pocus until now! This spooktacularly easy dough is ideal for shaping and decorating, with zero spread and endless tasty possibilities!
These are THE BEST Halloween Sugar Cookies
Halloween sugar cookies are a childhood – scratch that – SEASONAL rite of passage! And my no-chill, no-spread sugar cookie dough is the very best base for making those memories together. Let me SPELL out why these are the best halloween sugar cookies on the internet:
- They’re so yummy, you’ll feel cursed because you won’t be able to stop eating them!
- They’re Boo-tiful. Seriously! These little cookie friends don’t spread, meaning your ghost cookies are actually going to end up looking like ghosts.
- You don’t have to wait until you-know-where freezes over; these sugar cookies don’t have to be chilled before shaping & baking!
- Frankenly, you can doctor these up however you’d like! Experiment with what you like by adding almond extract or subbing the buttercream for a slightly tangy cream cheese frosting in a myriad of colors.
And don’t worry – these sugar cookies aren’t only perfect for Halloween! Simply change the shape and you have the yummiest sugar cookies year round! But if all of the spooky puns are throwing you off, you can check out my regular post for the best ever sugar cookies!
Ingredients in Homemade Halloween Cookies
- Butter – I always use salted butter because that is what I have on hand! If you’re an unsalted household, add a pinch or two of salt to the cookie dough and you’ll be just fine.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar is all you need for this recipe.
- Egg
- Vanilla – I am obsessed with how the vanilla flavors this cookie, but almond extract or cake batter extract are also excellent here!
- All-purpose Flour – If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, King Arthur’s 1:1 GF Flour should work swimmingly!
- Baking powder – This gives your cookies the *slightest* rise and puff while baking while keeping them super soft. Huzzah!
- Sugar Cookie Frosting
How to Make the BEST Halloween Sugar Cookies
- In either the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for a full 2 minutes. You want this extremely light and fluffy!
- Next, scrape the sides and add in your egg and vanilla.
- Finally, add in your flour and baking powder. The dough will look dry, just keep mixing. Mix, mix, mix and it will come together! The dough should be the same consistency as play-doh. If it is too dry, add some water (1 tsp at a time). If it is too wet, add some flour (1 tsp at a time). This dough is SO forgiving.
- Roll and cut your dough into your desired shape and size. Remember, these do not spread, so roll to your desired finished thickness!
- Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat at 350° F until the cookies are no longer wet and glossy on top and have puffed up ever so slightly. The exact timing will depend on how large the cookies are, generally somewhere in the 7-11 minute range.
- Allow your cookies to cool and decorate with your favorite frosting. I recommend a crusting vanilla buttercream!
How long do Halloween Sugar Cookies Last?
These sugar cookies freeze incredibly well, meaning you can make them up to 3 months in advance and simply thaw them the day you need them! But if you’re hoping to skip the freezing step, I would recommend making these 3 days in advance at the most!
How should I Roll & Cut my Halloween Sugar Cookies?
I recommend rolling your cookie dough out with a rolling pin on a silicone baking mat, but a skiff of flour on your countertop works great, too!
Roll to your desired finished thickness – because these cookies do not spread (just puff up a tiny bit)! I typically roll small cookies to 1/4 of an inch and larger cookies to about a 1/2 inch thick. Then, using the cookie cutters of your choice, make your shapes and place them on your lined baking sheet!
What Frosting Should I Use on Halloween Sugar Cookies?
My absolute FAVORITE sugar cooking frosting is this crusting vanilla buttercream. It is so yummy, it’s fast, and it makes decorating SO easy. That being said, if you’re a Royal Icing fan, these cookies will also pair well with that.
How long before an event can you make sugar cookies?
These sugar cookies freeze incredibly well, meaning you can make them up to 3 months in advance and simply thaw them the day you need them! But if you’re hoping to skip the freezing step, I would recommend making these 3 days in advance at the most!
Other Spooky Treats
Halloween Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (222g) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (233g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 cups (456g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 batch Sugar Cookie Frosting
Instructions
- In either the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for a full 2 minutes. You want this extremely light and fluffy!1 cup (222g) salted butter, room temperature, 1 cup (233g) granulated sugar
- Next, scrape sides and add in your egg and vanilla.2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg
- Finally, add in your flour and baking powder. The dough will look dry, just keep mixing. Mix, mix, mix and it will come together! The dough should be the same consistency as play-doh. If it is too dry, add some water (1 tsp at a time). If it is too wet, add some flour (1 tsp at a time). This dough is SO forgiving.3 cups (456g) all-purpose flour , 2 tsp baking powder
- Roll and cut your dough into your desired shape and size. Remember, these do not spread, so roll to your desired thickness.
- Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° F (180°C) until the cookies are no longer wet and glossy on top and have puffed up ever so slightly. The exact timing will depend on how large the cookies are, generally somewhere in the 7-11 minute range.
- Allow your cookies to cool and decorate with your favorite frosting. I recommend a crusting vanilla buttercream!1 batch Sugar Cookie Frosting
These are the BEST sugar cookies ever!! The recipe was so easy to follow, no refrigerating time, no spread, AND they’re super soft!! Everything you could ask for in a recipe!!
this turned out better than expected so i decided to try coconut flavour n dusted w sanding sugar before baking…yikes….created an addiction. thanks
These actually turned out so good. Even in high altitude they were perfect