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Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

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These easy Halloween sugar cookies with royal icing are tender, flavorful, and perfect for spooky celebrations. The cream cheese in the dough adds a subtle tang and soft texture, while the quick-setting royal icing allows for beautiful decorations without the stress.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 oz cream cheese, softened (full-fat, block-style)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder (e.g., Wilton)
  • 6–8 tablespoons warm water
  • Gel food coloring (orange, purple, green, black)
  • Edible glitter or sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add sugar and beat for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using); beat until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Dough should be soft but not sticky.
  2. Chill the dough: Divide dough into two equal portions, flatten into 1-inch thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 3 days).
  3. Roll and cut: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Let one dough disk sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into Halloween shapes using cookie cutters (press straight down, do not twist). Place cutouts 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut more shapes. For best results, chill cutouts on baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
  4. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time on middle rack for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just barely golden brown. Centers should look set but not browned. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  5. Make the royal icing: In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 6 tablespoons warm water and beat on low until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 4-5 minutes until thick and glossy with stiff peaks (outlining consistency). For flooding consistency, transfer half the icing to a separate bowl and add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches a 10-15 second consistency (flows smoothly but holds a line). Divide icing into bowls and add gel food colori…
  6. Decorate: Fit piping bags with #2 or #3 round tips and fill with outlining icing. Outline each cookie shape, let dry 5 minutes. Switch to flooding icing (use squeeze bottles or piping bags with snipped tip) and fill outlined areas. Use a toothpick to spread icing into corners and pop air bubbles. Let flooded cookies dry at least 2 hours before adding details. For Halloween designs: ghosts with white flooding and black dot eyes, pumpkins with orange flooding and green stems, bats with purple floo…

Notes

Don’t overwork the dough to keep cookies tender. Chill cutouts for 10 minutes before baking if kitchen is warm. Sift powdered sugar for royal icing to avoid lumps. Royal icing consistency is key: outlining should be thick with stiff peaks, flooding should flow smoothly but hold a line. Store undecorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week; decorated cookies keep for up to 2 weeks. Freeze unbaked dough or baked undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, easy Halloween dessert, cream cheese sugar cookies, cutout cookies, spooky cookies

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/easy-halloween-sugar-cookies-with-royal-icing/