Name: Halloween Ghost Sugar Cookies With White Royal Icing
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional); ¾ teaspoon salt; 2½ cups all-purpose flour (or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour); ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup cold unsalted butter (cut into 1 inch chunks); 1 tube black decorating gel; 4 cups icing sugar (about 1 pound); 3 Tablespoons meringue powder; ½ cup warm water

Jump to Recipe

These ghost cookies are made from sugar cookies frosted with royal icing. A spooky but cute treat for your Halloween party!

Ghosts are a staple of any Halloween celebration.

So making ghost cookies is a natural next step.

And now that I’ve figured out how to make cut out cookies that hold their shape, I decided to try my hand at making sugar cookies in the shape of ghosts.

Even better? The decorating is easy.

The white royal icing doesn’t need any food coloring.

And you can get away with using pre-made black icing that comes in tubes for the eyes and nose. No fancy designs required!

Ingredients

This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission if you buy the products from these links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. But we only recommend products we would use ourselves. For more information, click here to see our disclosures

Here is your shopping list:

1 egg
flavoring: vanilla extract, almond extract – the almond extract is optional but I think it makes the cookies taste better.
flour – you can use regular all-purpose flour or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour (this gluten-free brand* works the best)
baking supplies: baking powder, baking soda, salt, meringue powder
sugar: granulated sugar, 1 pound icing sugar
dairy: cold unsalted butter
black decorating icing – since these cookies don’t require a lot of black icing, you can use the black decorating icing that comes in a tube*. However, you can make a small batch of our black royal icing if you prefer.

Supplies

2 mixing bowls
food processor
stand mixer with mixing bowl
cookie sheet – rimless cookie sheets work best since they allow even air flow that results in evenly baked cookies
parchment paper
rolling pin
ghost cookie cutters – I used this one* and the ghost in this collection*
metal spatula
wire cooling rack
piping bag – I like to use these re-usable piping bags*
piping tip #4 – you can use a smaller (#3) or larger (#5) tip if you prefer
coupler (optional)

How To Make Ghost Sugar Cookies

Make The Dough

cookie dough being processed in food processor

Get all the details for making sugar cookies HERE.

In a small bowl, beat the egg.

Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract and ¾ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together 2½ cups of flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.

Cut up 2 sticks (1 cup) of cold (straight from the refrigerator) butter into chunks.

Add the butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar to the food processor and process until combined, about 30 seconds.

Mix in the egg mixture until combined, about 10 seconds.

Then add the flour mixture and process until all of the flour is combined, about 30 seconds.

Roll The Dough

Divide the dough in half to make it easier to roll.

Put one ball of dough in between 2 large sheets of parchment paper.

Push the ball flat with your hands (inside the parchment paper layers).

Then use the rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/8″ thick.

Put the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet or tray, still keeping the parchment paper on both sides.

Repeat with the other ball of dough.

Stack the second sheet of dough on top of the first sheet on the tray.

Refrigerate the rolled out dough for 1½ hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.

Cut Out The Ghosts

Take the first sheet of cookie dough out of the refrigerator (leaving the other one in).

Peel off the top layer of parchment paper.

Use the ghost cookie cutters to cut shapes in the cookie dough.

Put the cut out cookie dough back in the refrigerator (still on the bottom piece of parchment paper).

Repeat the process with the second sheet of cookie dough.

Refrigerate for another 30 minutes or until the dough is stiff. This will make the cookies much easier to move to the cookie sheet without wrecking their shape.

Bake The Cookies

spatula removing ghost cookie from parchment paper

Use a metal spatula to separate the cookies from the bottom layer of parchment paper.

Put a new piece of parchment paper down on a cookie sheet (rimless ones are better).

Then lay out the cookies about ½ inch apart.

Bake at 300℉ for 14 to 16 minutes, until the bottom of the cookies are slightly brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.

ghost cookie cut outs on wire cooling rack

Then move to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

Repeat with the other sheet of cut-out cookies.

Roll out the extra dough to create another batch of cookies.

How To Make White Royal Icing

You can find all of our tips and tricks for making royal icing HERE.

Mix 4 cups icing sugar, 3 Tablespoons meringue powder and ½ cup of WARM water in a stand mixer on low speed

Once they are combined, increase to medium speed.

Mix for 5 to 8 minutes until the icing forms soft peaks. (When you remove the whisk, the icing should create a hill with a tip that leans over.)

Test The Consistency Of Your Icing

Next test that the icing is the right consistency for outlining and flooding (or filling in) the cookies:

Run a knife through the middle of your icing and count how many seconds it takes for the cut to close.
If it takes longer than 15 seconds (or it doesn’t close at all), the icing is too stiff. Add in a few drops of water.
If it’s closing faster than 15 seconds, mix the icing for a little while longer until it gets stiffer.
Repeat the test until the cut in the icing closes in about 15 seconds.

How To Decorate Halloween Ghost Sugar Cookies

Assemble a piping bag with a #4 tip. Then fill it with white icing.

white icing being piped around the edge of the ghost cookie

Outline the edge of your ghosts with icing.

ghost sugar cookie being flooded with white royal icing

Then flood (fill in) the middle.

Use a knife or small spatula to spread the icing out and fill in any gaps.

Let the white icing dry completely (at least 6 hours or preferably over night).

This will prevent the black icing from bleeding onto the white.

Black royal icing face being piped on a ghost cookie

Use the black decorating icing (or black royal icing) to add 2 eyes and a round mouth. Keep them fairly close together for the best look.

Boo! being piped on a ghost cookie with black royal icing

Add the word “BOO!” to the body of the ghosts for a little extra spookiness.

Let the cookies sit for at least 6 hours to let the black icing dry before storing in an air tight container.

ghost cookie decorated with white royal icing and black eyes and mouth

How To Store Ghost Cookies

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container:

at room temperature for about 3 days.
in the refrigerator for about a week.
in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To keep your cookies looking their best, place a layer of parchment paper between each layer of cookies.

Other Halloween Desserts You Might Like