Easy & Tasty Halloween Cookies

It's nearing Halloween, and you're probably planning to host a Halloween party. These Halloween cookies never fail to level up my plan. They are cute and decorative as they are, so I'm not really thinking how I should present them.

So today, I'm going to share you my easy yet tasty Halloween cookies. These cookies are fun to make, even if you’re not a pro in the kitchen. With just a few ingredients and some spooky cookie cutters, you’ll have ghost, pumpkin, and bat-shaped cookies ready to decorate in no time. And don't worry, we’ll walk you through the whole process, step by step. So, let's get started with these spook-tacular treats!

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Glaze (Decorating Icing):

250g powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Food coloring

Ingredients to use for making Halloween Cookies.

How to Make Easy Halloween Cookies?

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy. You’ll want the butter to be soft but not melted so it blends smoothly with the sugar. This step creates a creamy base that gives your cookies a buttery flavor.

Step 2: Add Egg and Vanilla

Next, crack in the egg and pour in the vanilla extract. Mix everything together until it’s thoroughly combined. The egg helps bind the dough, while the vanilla adds that comforting, home-baked cookie flavor.

Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Whisk your flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing as you go. Be careful not to overmix—you just want everything to form a soft dough.

Step 4: Chill the Dough

Once the dough is ready, form it into a disk shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least an hour. This helps the dough firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut into shapes later. Chilling also prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

Step 5: Roll and Cut the Dough

Now, preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F), and lightly flour your work surface while it's heating. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thick—this is the perfect thickness for cookies sturdy enough to decorate but still soft in the middle. Use your Halloween-themed cookie cutters (ghosts, pumpkins, bats, and more!) to cut out as many cookies as possible. Re-roll the dough scraps to get even more cookies.

Step 6: Bake Your Cookies

Place your cookie cutouts on a silicone-lined baking sheet (or parchment paper) and bake them at 200°C (392°F) for 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake—these cookies should be soft and tender, not crunchy.

Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. This is important because decorating warm cookies can cause the glaze to melt and slide right off!

How to Make the Perfect Halloween Cookie Glaze

Step 1: Beat the Egg White and Powdered Sugar

Start by sifting your powdered sugar to remove any lumps. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until frothy, then slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time while whisking. You’ll want to keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Step 2: Add Lemon Juice

Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add the lemon juice and continue whisking. The lemon helps balance the sweetness and gives the glaze a shine. Keep whisking until the glaze is smooth and creamy. The glaze should fall in a slow ribbon when you lift your whisk.

Step 3: Color Your Glaze

Here’s where you can really let your creativity shine. Divide the glaze into separate bowls, and add a few drops of food coloring. Want orange pumpkins? Green witches? Black cats? The choice is yours. Stir in the color until it’s fullymixed, and you have a spooky palette of icing ready for decorating.

Decorating Your Halloween Cookies

A pbaker decorating some Halloween Cookies for a Halloween party.

Halloween Design	How to Make?
Ghost Cookies	Use your white glaze to create ghostly figures on your ghost-shaped cookies. Pipe the icing onto the cookie and use a toothpick to spread it evenly. Add some spooky eyes with black icing or mini chocolate chips.
Pumpkin Faces	Turn your round cookies into jack-o’-lanterns with orange icing. Add the classic triangle eyes, nose, and jagged smile with black icing or chocolate chips. You can even pipe a little green icing for the pumpkin stem!
Spiderweb Cookies	For a dramatic effect, coat your cookie with a base color (like black or purple), then pipe concentric circles in white icing. Use a toothpick to drag from the center outward, creating a spooky spiderweb design.
Monster Eyes	Pipe bright green icing onto your cookies, then stick on a giant candy eye for an easy but effective monster look. You can even add smaller candy eyes all around for a multi-eyed creature!
Bat Wings	Use black icing to decorate bat-shaped cookies, and pipe on some extra detail like wings or tiny fangs for a creepy finish.

Zulay's Final Thoughts

Halloween is all about creativity and fun, and these easy Halloween cookies serve both. They’re simple enough for beginners but customizable enough for seasoned bakers to have a blast with. So, if you're looking for a family-friendly activity or a spooky treat to wow your guests, this recipe has you covered.

Share Your Spooky Creations!

If you try these cookies, we’d love to see your creepy, creative designs! Snap a picture and share it on social media—don’t forget to tag @ZulayKitchen and use the hashtags #kitchenhappiness and #HalloweenCookies. Let’s make this Halloween the tastiest one yet!