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Perfect Halloween Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing

Halloween sugar cookies - featured image
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These buttery vanilla-almond sugar cookies hold their shape perfectly and are topped with a glossy royal icing that dries to a flawless finish. A foolproof recipe that turns simple cookies into spooky works of art, perfect for Halloween parties and gifting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5–6 tablespoons warm water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
  • Gel food coloring (black, orange, purple, green)
  • Halloween cookie cutters (ghosts, pumpkins, bats, cats, moons)
  • Piping bags or squeeze bottles
  • Edible glitter or sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale. Scrape down sides halfway through.
  2. Add wet ingredients: Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined. Mixture may look slightly curdled.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Combine wet and dry: With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix just until dough comes together; a few streaks of flour should remain.
  5. Divide and chill: Turn dough onto floured surface, divide in half, flatten each into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll out dough: Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll one disk to ¼-inch thickness. Cut shapes with floured cookie cutters, pressing straight down without twisting.
  8. Chill cut cookies: Place cut cookies on baking sheets and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before baking.
  9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cookies should look set around edges but still pale on top.
  10. Cool completely: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Make royal icing: In stand mixer bowl, combine meringue powder and sifted powdered sugar. Add 5 tablespoons warm water and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat on low until combined, then medium-high for 5-7 minutes until thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
  12. Check consistency: Lift beater; icing should form a peak that holds its shape (stiff consistency for outlines).
  13. Divide and color: Portion icing into bowls, add gel food coloring a tiny bit at a time.
  14. Thin for flooding: Add water 1 teaspoon at a time to portion of icing until it reaches ’15-second’ consistency (ribbon smooths in 15 seconds).
  15. Fill bags: Transfer stiff icing to piping bags with small round tips. Transfer flooding icing to squeeze bottles or piping bags with larger tips.
  16. Outline first: Pipe outline around edge of each cookie with stiff icing.
  17. Flood center: Fill outlined area with thinner flooding icing. Use toothpick to guide into corners and pop bubbles.
  18. Add details while wet: Add multiple colors or details while flood icing is still wet for seamless blending.
  19. Let dry completely: Royal icing needs 6-8 hours to dry completely; overnight is ideal.

Notes

For sharp edges, don’t skip the second chill before baking. On humid days, add 1 extra tablespoon flour to dough and use slightly less water in icing. Cookies can be baked up to a week ahead; decorate up to 3 days before serving. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freeze decorated cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, decorated cookies, holiday baking, spooky cookies, cut-out cookies

Find it online: https://evabake.com/perfect-halloween-sugar-cookies-easy-royal-icing-recipe/