If trick-or-treating isn’t quite your style, or you’re looking for a fun Halloween activity with a twist…

Then try decorating your own Halloween cookies! This easy royal icing recipe, paired with flavour-infused sugar cookies, lets you get creative with spooky designs and tasty seasonal flavours.

Sugar Cookies

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15

Bake Time 10

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp Classic Vanilla Flavour Drops
1/4 tsp Flavour Drops of choice suggested: Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Apple Pie, Caramel, Ginger,
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add Egg & Flavour: Beat in the egg, and flavours.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Combine & Roll: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a dough forms. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness.
Cut & Bake: Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Cool completely before decorating.

Spooktacular Royal Icing

Prep Time 10

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar sifted
2 tbsp meringue powder can also use cornstarch or gelatin. See notes below for further instructioins.
4–5 tbsp warm water
5-10 drops Flavour of choice suggested: Apple Pie, Cheesecake, Caramel Maple Syrup, Cinnamon etc
Gel food colouring in Halloween colours black, orange, green, purple

Instructions

Mixing Icing

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder.
Start with 4 tablespoons of warm water and beat on low speed until smooth. Adjust with more water as needed for your preferred consistency.
Stir in 5-10 drops flavour of choice. Caramel adds a hint of candy sweetness, while Apple gives great fall vibes. But the choice is yours. Taste and add more if needed.
Divide the icing into separate bowls and add gel food colouring to create Halloween shades.
Keep it thicker for outlines and thinner for flooding. For drippy effects, keep it on the thicker side.

Decorating Tips

Ghostly Faces: Use white icing as a base, then black dots for ghostly eyes and mouths.
Drippy Slime: Pipe thick green icing around edges for an oozy look.
Candy Corn Style: Layer orange, yellow, and white icing for a classic candy corn effect.
Pumpkin Cookies: Use orange icing to create a smooth base. Add green icing for the stem and use a darker green to add vines and leaves for extra detail.
Bat Cookies: Start with a black icing base for the bat’s body. Use white icing to pipe on eyes, and add colourful accents like purple or blue for a fun pop. Consider adding little fangs with white icing for a cute, spooky touch!

Notes

If using cornstarch: Replace meringue powder with 2 tbsp cornstarch and add an additional 1–2 tbsp warm water to achieve the desired consistency.

If using gelatin:

Bloom the Gelatin: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to bloom.
Heat the Mixture: After blooming, gently heat the mixture until the gelatin is fully dissolved. You can do this in a microwave or on the stovetop.
Add to Icing: Once dissolved and slightly cooled, add it to your royal icing along with the other ingredients.

Using gelatin will create a royal icing that is a bit firmer and can hold shapes well, making it great for decorating.

Feel free to adjust the water amount to achieve your desired consistency! Enjoy your spooky decorating!