Cute Ghost Sugar Cookies for Halloween Parties and Gifting
These cute ghost sugar cookies are a Halloween treat that instantly brightens any spooky table. Made with sugar cookie dough and decorated with playful faces, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat. Perfect for Halloween parties, classroom treats, or a cozy weekend baking project, these decorated sugar cookies are guaranteed to bring smiles.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
There’s something special about holiday baking traditions, and Halloween cookies are always at the top of the list. These ghost sugar cookies are simple enough for kids to help decorate, but polished enough to serve at a party or package as edible gifts.
You don’t need special decorating skills; just an icing pen for the faces and a little imagination. Plus, the recipe works with either refrigerated sugar cookie dough for convenience or homemade sugar cookie dough if you want to bake from scratch.
Pro Tip for Decorating:
For the best results, make sure your cookies are completely cool before icing. The glossy white icing sets quickly and creates a smooth surface, so let it dry fully before adding the ghostly faces. Using icing pens for the eyes, smile, and rosy cheeks gives you precision and control, making it much easier than piping melted candy melts.
Fun Ways to Serve and Customize
These decorated sugar cookies look adorable on a Halloween dessert table, especially when paired with other spooky cookies, such as mummies or pumpkins. You can package them in clear treat bags for school parties or tuck them into festive cookie boxes as gifts.
To switch things up, change the cheek color from pink to purple, or add tiny candy bows for a playful twist. For a bigger project, make a full tray of different Halloween cookies and let everyone decorate their own.
More Halloween Cookies
- These spooky spider cookies strike the perfect balance between creepy and cute, making them a must-have for Halloween. They’re fun, festive, and just the thing to add a playful twist to your holiday celebrations.
- These monster eye cookies are bright, colorful, and just the right mix of spooky and fun. Topped with candy eyeballs and baked in bold Halloween shades, they’re the kind of playful treat that will grab attention on any dessert table.
- These mummy Halloween cookies are spooky, silly, and so easy to pull off. With candy eyes peeking through sweet icing “bandages,” they’re the kind of Halloween cookies that vanish fast at parties. Perfect for adding a fun (and creepy!) touch to your dessert table.
- Light, airy, and just the right amount of spooky, these ghost meringue cookies melt in your mouth and bring a playful touch to any Halloween party. With their creepy-cute little faces, they’re as fun to decorate as they are to eat!
- These scary bloody finger cookies are the ultimate creepy-cute Halloween bake! With jam-filled nails and eerie knuckle marks, they look terrifying but taste buttery and sweet. Perfect for spooking guests at your Halloween party or adding a gory twist to your dessert table.
If you bake these cute ghost sugar cookies, I’d love to hear how they turned out for you! Please don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below; your feedback helps others and inspires more spooky fun in the kitchen.
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Rolling pin
- Ghost-shaped cookie cutter
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough 16–17 oz (such as Pillsbury)
- All-purpose flour for dusting
For the Icing & Decoration
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- Black icing pen or melted candy melts
- Pink or purple icing pen or melted candy melts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out ghost shapes with the cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool completely.
- To make icing, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and corn syrup until smooth and glossy. Add a few drops more milk if too thick.
- Spread icing evenly over cooled cookies. Let the icing set before adding details.
- Use black icing for eyes and smiles, then dot on pink or purple cheeks. Allow decorations to dry fully before serving or gifting.
Notes
- Always let cookies cool completely before decorating to prevent the icing from melting.
- For best results, allow the white icing to set fully before adding the ghost faces.
- Icing pens give smooth, precise details for the eyes, smiles, and cheeks. Candy melts can be used as an alternative, but will create a more opaque finish.
- Store decorated cookies in a single layer at room temperature for 2-3 days, or place parchment between layers if stacking.
