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These Halloween sugar cookies come together with bright orange and inky black dough for an eye-catching, spooky snack. They're simple to whip up, look super cool, and always disappear fast at costume parties. Let's check out what you need to pull these off.
INGREDIENTS
- Halloween sprinkles (optional): Toss these around the edges for pops of color.
- 1 tsp black gel food coloring (super black): Turns half of the dough dark for that fun look.
- 1 tsp orange gel food coloring (electric orange): Gives the other half a bold, festive orange touch.
- 2 tsp vanilla extract: Brings a hint of sweetness and warmth to your dough.
- 2 large eggs: Holds everything together and adds some moisture.
- 1½ cups granulated sugar: Makes the cookies sweet and helps them brown up.
- 1 cup butter (room temperature): Takes your cookies from dry to soft and chewy.
- ½ tsp salt: Wakes up all the other flavors.
- 1 tsp baking powder: Lifts the cookies a bit for a soft bite.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour: This is what brings the dough to life and gets it to hold its shape.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Step 10:
- Take the cookies out of the oven and pop them onto a rack to cool before you dig in.
- Step 9:
- Fire up your oven to 350°F. Cut your dough log into slices, aiming for about half an inch thick, and lay them out on a tray lined with baking paper. Give each one plenty of space.
- Step 8:
- If you want, roll your dough log in Halloween sprinkles for extra flair, then snugly wrap and chill it again for at least another hour.
- Step 7:
- Roll out both dough pieces to a quarter-inch thick. Lay the black one right on top of the orange, trim up the edges, then roll them together into a neat log.
- Step 6:
- Shape each colored dough into a ball, flatten them into rectangles, then wrap them up and stick in the fridge for one or two hours until they're nice and firm.
- Step 5:
- Split the dough in half and work in the orange coloring into one part and black into the other. Knead each until you love the color.
- Step 4:
- Add your dry mix slowly to your butter mixture. Keep beating until you’ve got a smooth dough with no dry spots.
- Step 3:
- Crack in the eggs and pour in the vanilla. Keep mixing until it’s all mixed together.
- Step 2:
- In a big bowl, beat your butter and sugar until it’s fluffy and pale. Hand mixers make it quick, but a spoon and some muscle do the trick too.
- Step 1:
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt so it’s all even.
Serving and Storage Tips
- Let the cookies cool all the way so you get the best bite and flavor.
- Perfect for sharing at parties or dropping in Halloween treat bags with your friends.
- Stash them in a sealed container and they'll stay tasty for about five days at room temp.
- Want to save some for later? Freeze the dough log and slice off cookies whenever you're ready to bake a batch.
Tips from Well-Known Chefs
- Alton Brown says popping your dough in the fridge lets the flavors mellow out and gives you nice, even cookies.
- Sally McKenney prefers gel colors for bright, bold cookies that keep the dough the right texture.
VARIATIONS
- Change up the color theme for any occasion—try red and white for Valentine's Day.
- Swap in a teaspoon of almond extract or sprinkle in some cinnamon to mix up the flavor.
- Once cooled, drizzle on some melted chocolate or white chocolate for next-level sweetness.