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Best Easy Spooky Cute Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Halloween sugar cookies with royal icing - featured image
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These spooky cute Halloween sugar cookies with royal icing are buttery, tender, and perfect for decorating. With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, they’re a fun Halloween baking project that yields delicious, adorable cookies.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (pure, not imitation)
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)
  • 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted (for royal icing)
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder (Wilton brand recommended)
  • 6–7 tablespoons warm water (for royal icing)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear vanilla keeps icing bright white)
  • Gel food coloring in orange, black, purple, and green (Americolor or Wilton)
  • Piping bags or zip-top bags with corners snipped
  • Piping tips #2 or #3 for detail work
  • Toothpicks for spreading icing and popping air bubbles
  • Edible glitter or sanding sugar (optional)
  • Black decorating gel (optional, for easy faces)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
  2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture might look slightly curdled—that’s okay.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop when you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing makes tough cookies.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is even better.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a ruler to check for even baking.
  8. Cut out your shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut more cookies.
  9. Chill the cut cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking. This step is crucial—it prevents spreading and keeps those cute shapes intact.
  10. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The edges should be just barely golden. The centers will look slightly underdone—that’s perfect.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t rush this. Warm cookies will ruin your royal icing.
  12. In a large bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk to break up any clumps.
  13. Add 6 tablespoons of warm water and the vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 4-5 minutes. The icing should be thick, glossy, and hold stiff peaks.
  14. To make the flooding consistency, remove about 1/3 of the icing to a separate bowl. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing flows like thick honey. It should settle into a smooth surface within 10 seconds when you drizzle a ribbon back into the bowl.
  15. Divide the remaining icing into small bowls and color with gel food coloring. Cover each bowl with a damp paper towel to prevent drying.
  16. Fit a piping bag with a #2 tip and fill with the stiff consistency icing. Outline each cookie shape.
  17. Let the outlines dry for about 10 minutes. This creates a little dam for the flooding icing.
  18. Switch to the flooding consistency icing in a bag with a #3 tip. Fill in the outlined areas, using a toothpick to guide the icing into corners and pop any air bubbles.
  19. While the flooding icing is still wet, add details like dots for eyes, stripes, or sprinkles. If you’re adding multiple colors, let the base layer dry for 30 minutes first.
  20. Allow the decorated cookies to dry completely, ideally overnight. The icing should be hard to the touch before you stack or store them.

Notes

Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading. For royal icing, use gel food coloring to avoid thinning. Work in small batches to keep icing from drying out. Embrace imperfection—wonky cookies have personality!

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween sugar cookies, royal icing, spooky cookies, cute Halloween cookies, sugar cookie recipe, decorated cookies, ghost cookies, pumpkin cookies

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