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I love sugar cookies these Ghost Cookies are perfect for Halloween and a great way to enjoy one of my all time favorite cookies recipes!
Who is ready for Halloween? Today I wanted to show you how to make these Ghost Shape Sugar Cookies. These are perfect for a Halloween party or just because.
They are great for a kid friendly Halloween treat. If you haven’t yet, make sure you read my post on how to make the cutest pumpkin sugar cookies or these Easy Spider Cupcakes. These treats are the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
My kids and I love making these Easy Ghost Cookies. This recipe starts with a basic sugar cookie dough recipe then topped with homemade icing. If you prefer, you can easily make with Pillsbury Dough for an even easier recipe.
These cookies are perfect for your next Halloween Party or Halloween Activity.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Variations Ideas
- Icing – Use your favorite type of icing for this cookie recipe. I love the royal icing as it’s dries evenly and looks beautiful on these cookies, but buttercream frosting would look great too. Also, these cookies would be delicious just topped with melted white chocolate!
- Decorations – Get the kids involved to decorate these cookies. They can use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and sprinkles to add their finishing touches to this recipe.
- Shapes – Make your favorite Halloween design. I love getting a pack of cookie cutters so we have a couple of different options to make!
How to Make Ghost Cookies
Step 1 – First beat butter and sugar with a stand mixer or hand held mixer until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.
Step 2 – Then add in all 4 large egg at one time. Continue to mix. Next add in the vanilla. Continue mixing.
Step 3 – After that sift the four, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed.
Step 4 – Make the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
Step 5 – Lightly flour a wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter. Roll the dough out on the cutting board and using then ghost shaped cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.
Step 6 – Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the parchment lined cookie sheet.
Step 7 – Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
Step 8 – Take the ghost cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
Step 9 – First mix together the royal icing ingredients, separate into bowls and dye each small bowl a color of your choice to make these beautiful ghost cookies. I used white, black, orange, green and purple but any colors would look great!
Step 10 – Outline the cookies with white icing the fill it in with more icing. Then add in eyes and nose with black icing or black food coloring.
Expert Tips
- Cookie Dough – We recommend preparing the cookie dough ahead of time as it needs time to chill in the fridge. Make sure it is covered plastic wrap before placing in the fridge.
- Cool Cookies – Before adding the frosting, make sure to cool cookies completely. I usually bake the cookies the night before decorating so they are completely cooled.
- Serving Cookies – Allow time for the frosting to cool before serving the cookies. We usually allow about 2 hours to rest the cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily freehand the ghost shape by cutting out a template and using a sharp knife to make the cutout. Here is the Ghost Cookie Cutter that we used and it worked perfectly.
Bake cookies for about 8 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and how thick your cookies are. Make sure to not overcook as they are best served soft and chewy.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4-5 days. We like to place in with wax paper in between the layers so the decorations do not get messed up.
Yes, you can freeze the sugar cookies baked or just the cookie dough. Find out all the tips on How to Freeze Cookies for Baking.
More Easy Halloween Treats
Easy Halloween
Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
Easy Dessert
Jack-O-Lantern Oranges
Easy Cupcake
Ghost Cupcakes
We love to hear from you. If you make Ghost Cookies Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Ghost Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients:
- 5 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups soft unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
Royal Icing Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup powder sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Black purple, green, & yellow gold gel food coloring
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.
- Add all 4 eggs at one time. Continue to mix.
- Add the vanilla. Continue mixing.
- Sift the four, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
- Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
- Put in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight. Check to see if the dough is firm.
- Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.
- Put flour out on the wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter. (if needed)
- Roll the dough out on the cutting board and using then ghost cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
- Take the ghost cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
For the Icing:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring). If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powder sugar.
- Spoon 4 TBSP of icing into the first bowl, add several drops of green gel food coloring. Mix well.
- Spoon 4 TBSP of icing into the second bowl, add several drops of black gel food coloring.Mix well.
- Spoon 4 TBSP of icing into the third bowl, add several drops of golden yellow gel food coloring. Mixing well.
- Spoon 4 TBSP of icing into a fourth bowl, add several drops of purple gel food coloring. Mixing well.
- Spoon the remaining icing into a fifth bowl, keep that icing white.
- Spoon each of the icings into separate frosting bags with #5 tips.
How to Decorate the Cookies:
- Outline each of the ghost cookies in white icing then fill in the cookies in with the white* thinner icing. Allow the outlining to dry for about 30 seconds before filling in the cookie.
- Squeeze the majority of the icing into a bowl then add 1 tsp of water to this and mix it in. -Leave a small amount of the icing in the frosting bag for later use on the cookies. Allow the cookies to dry for a few hours.
- With the completion of outlining and filling in each ghost cookie in white begin adding the extra touches to the ghost.
- Add five green dots to the head of the ghost. Allow 30 seconds for the green to dry before adding more icing.
- Next add the eyes and nose in black icing by making small dots. Allow 30 seconds for the eyes and nose to dry.
- On to the hands add two golden yellow dots on each hand. Allow 30 seconds for the golden yellow dots on the hands to dry.
- The last addition is to add eight purple dots going from larger to smaller dots from the edge of the bottom of the ghost up the side of the ghost.
- Allow the completion cookie between 2-3 hours to dry.
