Description
Celebrate Halloween with these festive and delicious Halloween Sugar Cookies. Soft, buttery, and perfectly sweet, they’re coated in vibrant orange and black sanding sugar to add a fun and spooky crunch. These easy-to-make cookies are perfect for parties, trick-or-treaters, or just indulging in a festive treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups (297g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
Decorations
- Orange and black sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set this bowl aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Crack in the egg along with the vanilla and almond extracts. Beat again on medium speed until all the ingredients are fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on a low speed or fold by hand using a spatula, just until a smooth dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape and Coat Cookies: Portion the dough using a cookie scoop to form balls. Pour 1/4 cup of colored sanding sugar (use separate bowls for orange and black sugar) and roll each dough ball in the sanding sugar to coat thoroughly.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on a silicone-lined or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake in batches if necessary.
- Baking Time: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden but the centers remain soft.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your festive Halloween cookies!
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming with the sugar.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to prevent tough cookies.
- You can substitute almond extract with additional vanilla extract if desired.
- Roll cookies in sanding sugar for a festive look; you can use any color sugar depending on the occasion.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 30g)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Halloween cookies, sugar cookies, festive cookies, butter cookies, holiday baking, Halloween treats
