Description
Delight in these festive Frosted Halloween Sugar Cookies, featuring tender and buttery sugar cookies topped with rich black frosting and vibrant sprinkles perfect for the spooky season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) all purpose flour
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
Frosting
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (283g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp milk or heavy cream, if needed
- Black gel food coloring (Wilton brand recommended)
- Sprinkles: orange nonpareils, skeleton bones & candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to incorporate flavors and be ready for the dough.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a larger mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute until the mixture turns smooth and fluffy.
- Add egg and extracts: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract for 20 seconds until well combined and fragrant.
- Combine dry ingredients and form dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed for 1 minute. The dough will be crumbly; use a spatula to bring it together.
- Portion cookies: Using a cookie scoop, form dough balls approximately 2.5-3 tablespoons each for large cookies. Place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten each ball with your palm.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. For smaller cookies, reduce bake time to about 12 minutes. Bake until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
- Make frosting: In a clean mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Color frosting: Add black gel food coloring and mix thoroughly to achieve a deep black hue. For an even richer color, prepare the frosting 24 hours ahead and let it rest at room temperature.
- Frost and decorate: Spread the black frosting evenly over the cooled cookies and decorate with orange nonpareils, skeleton bone sprinkles, and candy eyeballs for a spooky Halloween touch.
Notes
- For best color, prepare the black frosting a day ahead; it darkens and intensifies as it sits.
- Adjust baking time based on cookie size: smaller cookies require less time, about 12 minutes.
- If the frosting is too thick, add milk or heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and aid in even baking.
- You can substitute almond extract with additional vanilla extract if preferred or if allergic to nuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
