Holidays

41 Spooky & Cute Halloween Cookies Ideas for 2024

by: Louis Strappazzon

Last Updated on Dec 6th 2024

There's no better way to celebrate the spooky season than creating eye-popping and tasty Halloween cookies. Why is Halloween such a delightfully frightful time? According to the BBC, Halloween originates from a day called All Hallows’ Eve on the Christian calendar. This is the day before All Hallows' Day (or All Saints' Day) which honors the Saints who don't have a festival date of their own. This is where the current holiday gets all its spooky influences from — remembering the dead.

So how can we throw some festive cheer to an otherwise somber holiday? Halloween cookies, of course! First of all, Northern Healthcare suggests that baking can reduce stress, as it lowers cortisol, the hormone that causes anxiety. This means that baking Halloween cookies is not only fun, but also good for your mental health.

Once you've whipped up a batch of cute, sugary delights, you can move onto decorating the rest of your abode with these Halloween party ideas which you can use with these top Halloween painting ideas. Looking for Halloween date ideas? Halloween cookies make for a cute gift too, especially if you style them to your date's favorite characters. Ready to get into the spooky spirit? Let's see which spine-chilling treats you can cook up.

Best Halloween Cookies for Toddlers

1. Meringue Ghost and Pumpkins

This idea might not be a traditional cookie as such, but these spooky meringues are perfect to make for toddlers. The meringue melts in the mouth, making it easy to digest. Not only are they safer to eat, but you can include your toddler in the decoration process, in the design they love. Make their favorite character, or use the staples for Halloween cookies like ghosts and pumpkins.

2. Spider Cookies

These Halloween cookies take a different approach. Instead of baking them from scratch, grab some of your favorite cookies from your local supermarket and then crush them up with your toddler at home. Form them into a spider shape and add the legs and eyes to make a scary spider.

3. Skeleton Gingerbread Cookies

Turn a Christmas sweet treat into a Halloween delight by decorating delicious gingerbread men as skeletons. You could either buy premade gingerbread cookies or make them from scratch. Then, decorate them with various spine-chilling expressions. Use sweet vanilla icing to make a delicious taste with these soft yet spicy Halloween cookies.

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4. Sugar Cookie Eyeballs

These are super fun to make with toddlers because they're essentially just decorated ovals. Use premade cookie dough to bake these easy Halloween cookies. The eyeball decoration will make them creepy enough for Halloween, but not too scary for your little one. To cook these Halloween cookies, use a muffin pan.

5. Peanut Butter Cookies

These Halloween cookies are a great way to entertain toddlers because they need a lot of hands-on action to create. Help your toddler to press their thumb into the cookies to create space for a peanut butter filling. Then top it up with peanuty goodness. Of course, if you have a peanut allergy you'll need to find some peanut butter alternatives.

6. Soft Candy Corn Cookies

If your toddler prefers soft cookies rather than the crunchy type, you should consider making these delicious and colorful Halloween cookies! Replace the tooth-decaying candy corns with their cookie lookalikes.

7. Monster Mash Cookies

Create a selection of different shapes and sizes with these decorative Halloween cookies. Get creative with your toddler, letting their imagination soar, and bake up all types of monsters from the infamous Frankenstein's creation and vampires to less spooky nightly gouls like ghosts and even owls.

Best Halloween Cookies for Kids

8. Twix Cookies

These Halloween cookies will bring the deliciousness of a Twix bar onto a cookie form. To recreate your kid's favorite chocolatey treat, top-up shortbread with caramel and then finish it off with milk chocolate to make a Twix-like cookie. You can also add some spooky decorations like sugary cobwebs to give these cookies an extra Halloween flare.

9. Cake Mix Cookies

A really easy way to make Halloween cookies with kids, especially if you're in a rush, is to just use cookie mix. Pour the mix onto a sheet, spread it evenly, add colorful sprinkles or Halloween decorations and then put them in the oven. And voila, you have your sweets for Trick and Treat.

10. Magnifying Glass Cookies

For any future detectives, you can take their favorite instruments and turn them into delicious Halloween cookies. Turn this into a game by hiding all the ingredients around the house, then give them some cryptic and fun clues and let your little one use their skills to find them. After you've gathered all the items, solve the mystery by baking your cookies.

11. Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Because it's the harvest season in the North, many Halloween decoration ideas use pumpkins. Utilize this abundant fruit (yup, pumpkins are a fruit according to Agri Life Today) in your Halloween cookies with this recipe. Buy some pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree to make this Halloween special Snickerdoodle, and then add cinnamon to make it even more delicious.

12. Cookie Lovers Oreos

Take this beloved snack and equally beloved Muppet and combine them! Get some standard Oreos and cover them with blue sanding sugar. Add some candy eyes on the top and then stick a mini chocolate chip in the mouth. Now you've turned your Oreos into the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Your kid can pretend they're a giant and munch down on the Cookie Monster! These would be great for Halloween party themes that involve Sesame Street characters.

13. Glowing Black Widow Oreos

We can never have too many Oreos. Take your chocolatey cookies and coat them in some more chocolate. Then, use your pastry tip and add some spider webs on the dark chocolate area. These Halloween cookies are simply delightful and super easy to make with your kids.

14. Halloween Candy Cookies

The Picasso of cookies, you'll take your base of cookie dough and then add all the best Halloween candy into the mix like M&Ms and chopped-up chocolate pieces. These Halloween cookies use up all those leftover candies as you mash them up into chewy and buttery treats.

Best Halloween Sugar Cookies

15. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Grab some pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and of course, pumpkin icing to create an orange bomb of pumpkin flavor. These Halloween cookies are soft, chewy and filled with Autumnal tastes.

16. Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

These colorful Halloween cookies mix the bright colors of candy corn with the soft yet crunchy texture of sugar cookies. Because they're instantly attractive, don't be surprised if they're gone in a second.

17. Mummy Sugar Cookies

These cookies might look difficult to make at first glance, but it's actually super simple to create. Just purchase some pre-packaged sugar cookies and coat them in white candy. Then, add mini M&Ms for eyes and presto, they become mummies.

18. Nutella Sugar Cookies

These Halloween cookies use exactly the same recipe as normal sugar cookies, the only difference is that you add one cup of glorious Nutella to the mix. Chewy, delicious and extremely moreish.

19. Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies

These Halloween cookies will always be in high demand as the sweetness of the sugar blends perfectly with the saltiness of the caramel. Make Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies with browned butter and thick caramel. Then, drizzle the caramel and a few salted flakes onto the cookies to create a nutty and sweet Halloween favorite.

Top Healthy Halloween Cookies

20. Almond Joy Cookies

Our first healthy alternative is to substitute a few ingredients for healthier alternatives. Use almond flour, maple syrup, and coconut oil to guide your recipe for these Halloween cookies. Place a few whole almonds in the mix, along with a few chocolate chips for extra texture and flavor.

21. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Because it's pumpkin season, we'll keep riding the train. You can make these Halloween cookies as gluten-free, rich in protein and they are even keto-friendly meals. The biggest difference you'll have to remember is to use baking soda, not baking powder, to get that cakey texture. Use brown sugar to retain the moisture, add cream cheese and then put in some whey right at the end if you're looking to pack in some protein for a postworkout Halloween snack.

22. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Another great healthy Halloween cookie idea is to use oatmeal in your pumpkin dough. These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies have plenty of kick to them, especially if you add a maple glaze and some pumpkin spice.

23. Potato Chip Cookies

For a healthier version of chocolate chip Halloween cookies, swap the chocolate for potato chips. This adds a sweet and salty taste with a wonderfully crunchy texture.

24. Apple Crisp Cookie Cups

For these Halloween cookies, start with an oatmeal base, shape it into a small hollowed cup and then add a spicy baked apple filling with a caramel drizzle. Because of the deliciously healthy fruit at the center, these fall treats are better for your gut.

25. Mummy Maple Cookies

Just like our previous mummy Halloween cookies, these are super tasty and easy to create. Bake your cookies as per usual, then add a layer of thick white frosting made from powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk. This will act as the mummy's bandages. Finish off your treats with edible googly eyes.

Best Halloween Cookies for a Party

26. Buckeye Cookies

Another amazing Halloween cookie idea is to make buckeye cookies, which are covered in chocolate but filled with gooey peanut butter that explodes with flavor once you take a bite.

27. Jack Skellington Oreo Pops

What is the best type of cookie in the world? Many would say Oreos are the best. So why not mix the best cookie with one of Halloween's most ubiquitous faces — Jack Skellington from A Nightmare Before Christmas?

Keep in mind that you must get the double-stuffed Oreas to make this treat. For Jack's snow-white skin, you can either use white candy melts, melted white chocolate chips or even almond bark. Make his eyes and mouth from dark royal icing. Place everything on a black and white straw and finish it off by adding an edible candy bat for his signature tie.

28. German Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

These enormous Halloween cookies are filled with pecans, coconut and delectable German chocolate. They are like towers in the cookie world, but are totally addictive, especially for chocolate lovers. They'll moist, chewy and sweet — the perfect cookie sandwich combination.

29. Leaf Cookies

Step away from the spooky and create some chewy treats that celebrate the season with these Autumnal leaf cookies. These colorful cookies bring out the Fall season colors which also make fantastic Thanksgiving desserts.

30. Cameo Cookies

Take your favorite Halloween cookies and add an extra ghoulish touch using a cameo mold. Add a layer of royal icing over your cookies and then place your edible cameo on top of the cookie. Brush the cameo cavities with some cornflour and then press ivory fondant into the cavity. This will take some time and practice, but the result is beautiful, elegant and, of course, spooky.

31. Halloween Chocolate Cookies

These are very similar to the Halloween candy cookies, but this time they're filled with glorious chocolate. Place all your leftover Halloween candy inside the dough, and maybe a few eyeballs too for that extra spooky factor.

32. Chocolate-Dipped Spiderweb Cookies

Sticking with the chocolate theme, because, who doesn't love chocolate! These cookies are similar to the coated spider web chocolate Oreos mentioned earlier. The major difference is you can use shortbread as your base.

33. Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Turn a traditional crunchy biscotti into an instant Halloween favorite. Waht's the quickest way to turn normal biscotti cookies into Halloween cookies? Add pumpkin of course! So, place a pumpkin puree to add some spice and moisture to the twice-baked biscuit to create something devilishly magical.

Easy Halloween Cookies Recipes

34. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Spice Filling

One of the Halloween cookies that is easy and also fun to make is the pumpkin whoopie pie. The name's already super fun to say, but the end result is even more joyful. These whoopie pies are infused with pumpkin and maple spices, where the chewy shell melts into the sweet white maple filling. Looking to make some Halloween gifts for the bake sale, cookie exchange or Halloween party? These are perfect treats to bring.

35. Black Cat Cookies

The most iconic images of Halloween are most-likely witches and black cats. Channel one of the most popular Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus, and recreate the star character as a cookie, Thackery Binx! Use black cocoa powder as your base to create these moist, chewy and chocolatey cookies.

36. Shortbread Owls

You can make gorgeous and cute shortbread owls quite easily with icing, almonds and zesty lemon. These adorable owls are a small move away from the often-scary Halloween characters, but still keep within the spooky theme.

37. Churro Cookies

If your Halloween is looking a bit chaotic, but you still need to create impressive cookies, you'll need the quickest Halloween cookie recipes available. Churro cookies are your answer. You can either place the chocolate ganache dipping sauce on the side (like they do in Spain). Or, if you have more time, use the chocolate lava cake technique and put the chocolate inside the cookies. Better yet, serve the churro cookies with ice cream in the center!

38. Paprika Pecan Shortbread

This is a super simple Halloween cookie recipe that adds an Autumnal theme to your batch of goodies. Create the usual shortbread cookies, but add some paprika and pecans for a nutty and spicy Fall finish.

39. Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Soft yet tasty, these Halloween cookies take the plain chewy dough and add delicious butterscotch chips and chocolate chunks to make a delightful treat. If you want a bit of an extra kick, add some sea salt to your dough.

40. Mummy Milanos

We’ve covered a few mummy Halloween cookies here, but these might be the easiest to make. For a Halloween take on simple yet moreish Milanos, add a layer of melted white chocolate and edible googly eyes or black pearl sprinkles for an easy, yet fun activity.

41. Peanut Butter Blossoms

These Halloween cookies are very easy to make and are great for putting into trick-or-treat bags. They also make for a fantastic Christmas party food. They use a peanut butter dough, but at the center, there is a gooey chocolate drop.

What is the most popular cookie to eat? At Halloween, all spooky cookies are popular; the more tasty and unique the cookie is, the more popular it is! Whether you're in a rush and need easy Halloween cookies or you want to pass some time with a fun activity with your kids, you'll now have plenty ideas to start you off.

But this ghoulish day doesn't start and end with cookies, there are also many more Halloween food ideas, as well as multiple Halloween craft ideas and Halloween activities to keep you and your family entertained. Have a spectacularly spooky Halloween!

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