These Ghost Cookies are soft, buttery sugar cookies cut into adorable ghost shapes and finished with smooth white icing and simple chocolate faces.
They’re a fun Halloween baking project with a classic sugar cookie texture and an easy decorating process.
The dough can be prepared ahead and chilled before shaping, while the icing creates a clean white finish that makes the little chocolate eyes and mouths stand out. They’re a festive choice for Halloween parties, cookie exchanges, and dessert platters.
Why You’ll Want to Make These Ghost Cookies
- Simple sugar cookie base: The buttery dough uses familiar baking ingredients and has a soft, tender texture.
- Fun ghost shape: A ghost shaped cookie cutter gives every cookie an instantly recognizable Halloween look.
- Easy decoration: Smooth white icing and chocolate faces create the finished design without complicated piping.
- Make-ahead friendly: The dough needs chilling, giving you flexibility when planning your baking.
- Great for decorating together: Kids and adults can help add the ghost faces once the icing is set.
- Perfect for Halloween gatherings: Twenty-four cookies give you plenty to arrange on a dessert platter or share at a cookie exchange.
Ingredient Insights and Smart Choices
- All-purpose flour: This forms the structure of the sugar cookies. Measure it accurately to keep the dough soft and easy to roll.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter creates the rich, tender base of the cookies. Let it soften naturally so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough while helping create the familiar texture of a classic sugar cookie.
- Egg and extracts: The egg binds the dough, while vanilla provides the main flavor. Almond extract adds a subtle extra note and can be omitted.
- Powdered sugar: Sifted powdered sugar creates a smoother icing with fewer lumps, making it easier to pipe and spread.
- Light corn syrup: A small amount helps give the icing a smooth, glossy finish that works well for decorating.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Melted chocolate creates the simple eyes and oval mouths that turn the iced cookies into ghosts.
Ghost Cookies
These Ghost Cookies are adorable Halloween sugar cookies made with a soft, buttery dough and decorated with smooth white icing and spooky little chocolate faces. They’re perfect for Halloween parties, cookie exchanges, and festive dessert platters, with a simple ghost shape that’s fun to decorate.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, if using. Mix until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to help the cookies hold their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut out ghost shapes using a cookie cutter and arrange them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Chill the cutouts in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk, a few drops at a time, if needed. Reserve some thicker icing to outline the cookies, then thin the remaining icing slightly to fill the centers. Pipe a white outline around each cooled cookie, fill the centers, and use a toothpick to smooth the icing. Let the surface set for about 15–20 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Transfer the chocolate to a small piping bag and create two eyes and an oval-shaped mouth on each ghost. Allow the icing and chocolate to set completely before serving or stacking.
Nutrition Information
| Nutrient | Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 175 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Sodium | 75 mg |
Watch Out for These Mistakes
- Skipping the dough chill: Warm dough can spread during baking and make the ghost shapes less defined.
- Overworking the dough: Mix only until the ingredients come together to help maintain a tender cookie texture.
- Rolling unevenly: Keep the dough close to ¼-inch thickness so the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Baking too long: Remove the cookies when they are set and the edges are only lightly golden to avoid a dry texture.
- Icing warm cookies: Let the cookies cool completely before decorating so the icing stays where you pipe it.
- Making the icing too thin: Add milk gradually so the icing remains thick enough to outline and fill the ghost shapes.
Fun Ghost Cookie Variations
- Friendly ghosts: Make larger rounded eyes and a small oval mouth for a cute expression.
- Spooky ghosts: Use smaller eyes and a larger open mouth for a more dramatic Halloween look.
- Chocolate ghosts: Add a light drizzle of melted chocolate over the white icing for extra detail.
- Almond-free cookies: Leave out the optional almond extract while keeping the vanilla flavor.
- Decorated borders: Add Halloween sprinkles around the edges before the icing sets.
- Different expressions: Give each ghost a slightly different mouth or eye arrangement for a playful cookie platter.
More Halloween Treats to Try
- Witch Finger Cookies
- Halloween Dirt Cups
- Halloween Spooky Layered Trifle
- Halloween Pretzel Treats
- Halloween Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
How to Store Ghost Cookies
- Let the decorations set: Allow both the icing and chocolate faces to become completely firm before stacking the cookies.
- Use an airtight container: Store the finished cookies in an airtight container to help maintain their soft texture.
- Separate the layers: Place parchment paper between layers to keep the ghost faces from rubbing against one another.
- Keep them in a cool place: Store the container away from direct sunlight and heat so the icing remains firm.
- Handle decorated cookies carefully: Once stacked, avoid placing heavy items on top of the container to protect the icing and chocolate details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do sugar cookies spread in the oven?
Dough that is too warm can spread more easily. Chilling the dough before rolling and freezing the cut shapes for 10 minutes helps the ghosts retain their shape. - Why does my icing have lumps?
Powdered sugar can contain small lumps, which is why the recipe calls for sifting it before mixing the icing. - How do I get a smooth icing surface?
Pipe the outline first, fill the center with slightly thinner icing, and use a toothpick to gently smooth the surface while the icing is still wet. - When should I add the chocolate faces?
Add the chocolate eyes and mouths after the icing surface has had about 15–20 minutes to set. This gives you a firmer surface for the facial details. - Why is my chocolate difficult to pipe?
Chocolate that is too hot or too thick can be difficult to control. Melt it gradually in short intervals and stir between each interval until smooth. - Can I use a zip-top bag instead of a piping bag?
Yes. A small zip-top bag can be used for piping the chocolate faces, especially if you snip a very small opening in one corner.
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