Spook-tacular Cookie Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Try these easy patterns for at-home fun with the whole family 

Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s time to get creative in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a spooky soiree or simply looking for a fun activity to do with the family, decorating cookies is a sweet and festive way to celebrate the season. From classic chocolate chip and sugar to unique flavors like cinnamon butter, we’ll show you how to turn our Ready to Bake Cookie flavors into ghoulishly delightful Halloween treats.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the best tips and tricks for decorating cookies with buttercream frosting. Plus, we'll show you how to create five unique Halloween cookie designs: a jack-o’-lantern, a spider web, a pumpkin, a witch’s hat, and Dracula! Get ready to bake up some Halloween magic!

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Tips for Perfect Halloween Cookie Decorating

Now that you have some spook-tacular ideas for your Halloween cookies, here are a few tips to ensure your decorating process goes smoothly:

1. Use the Right Icing: While some prefer royal icing, others opt for classic buttercream. Both have their benefits, so feel free to use what works best for you. For this how-to, we’re using buttercream, as it tends to be more forgiving for inexperienced cookie decorators.

Baker’s Tip #1: Instead of making homemade buttercream frosting, save some time and buy a tub from the store. It works just as well and you won’t have to hassle with a mixer. Just remember to buy a pack of colored food gel to tint your frosting. 

Baker’s Tip #2: Instead of buying piping bags, try filling sturdy zippered storage bags with your tinted frosting. Pushing the frosting into one corner of the bag, take a pair of scissors and snip off just the tip of the corner. This will allow frosting to flow through the opening similar to a piping bag.

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Step-by-Step Decorating Instructions 

Decorating Halloween cookies with buttercream frosting is a fun way to get the whole family into the spooky spirit! The beauty of using buttercream is it’s incredibly forgiving and user-friendly, allowing little ones to participate. We’ve crafted five basic Halloween designs easy enough for anyone to follow. Just remember, if your cookies don’t come out as you imagined, it’s all okay—having fun with your family is ultimately the most important part.

Jack-o’-Lantern Cookies

Materials

Orange buttercream
Yellow buttercream
Brown buttercream
Green buttercream

Steps

1. Base Layer: Using orange-colored buttercream, pipe a smooth, even layer onto the face of the cookie.
2. Create the Face: Switching to yellow buttercream, pipe two triangles for the eyes and a smaller triangle for the nose. For the mouth, pipe a wide, curved smile with jagged edges.

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Dracula Cookies

Materials

Purple buttercream
Black buttercream
White buttercream 

Steps

1. Face Base: Start by covering the cookie with a thin layer of purple buttercream to create Dracula’s face.
2. Hair: Using black buttercream, pipe Dracula's widow's peak at the top of the cookie, filling in the rest of the hair.
3. Eyes & Mouth: Pipe two small white dots for the eyes. Add tiny black dots in the center for pupils. For the mouth, pipe a black line for lips and add two small white dots beneath it to create Dracula's fangs.

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Spider Web Cookie

Materials

Purple buttercream 
Black buttercream 
Spider-shaped gummy candy (optional)

Steps

1. Base Layer: Cover the cookie with a layer of purple buttercream, smoothing it out evenly.
2. Draw the Web: Using black buttercream, pipe four evenly-spaced  lines across the full width of the cookie—these lines should intersect in the middle of the cookie, creating a star
3. Create the Web Effect: Using the same black buttercream, connect the straight lines of frosting with smaller wavy lines to create a spiderweb pattern. 
4. Optional Spider: As a final touch, add a small gummy spider to the center of the cookie. 

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Pumpkin Cookie

Materials

Orange buttercream 
Brown buttercream
Green buttercream

Steps

1. Base Layer: Pipe a smooth layer of orange buttercream over the entire cookie.
2. Add Details: Next, pipe a line down the center of the pumpkin and two to three more on either side to create a realistic ridged effect.
3. Stem & Leaf: Pipe a brown stem at the top and add a green curly vine or leaf next to it for extra decoration.

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Witch’s Hat Cookie

Materials

Green buttercream 
Chocolate cookies
Purple buttercream
Hershey’s Kisses™
OREO™ or Keebler Fudge Stripe™

Steps

1. Base Layer: Cover the round cookie with a smooth layer of green buttercream.
2. Create the hat’s brim: Place atop the green frosting a chocolate cookie—we recommend either one side of an OREO ™ or an upside-down Keebler Fudge Stripe ™. 
3. Secure the Hershey’s Kiss™: In the center of the cookie, place a nickel-sized bead of purple buttercream. Place an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss™ on the bead of frosting, pressing down firmly and allowing the frosting to squish out around the edges of the chocolate candy. 

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Have A Hauntingly Delicious Halloween

Halloween is a time for tricks, treats, and a lot of fun in the kitchen. By decorating cookies in spooky and creative ways, you can bring the spirit of the season to life. Whether you’re making chocolate chip spider webs, sugar cookie witch hats, or cinnamon jack-o-lanterns, these cookies are sure to be a hit at any Halloween celebration.

With these ideas and tips, you’re all set to bake and decorate your way to hauntingly delicious Halloween. So grab a bundle of your favorite Ready to Bake Cookie flavors, fire up the oven, and prepare to create some terrifyingly tasty treats.

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