Cute decorated pumpkin cookie designs in about 1 hour active time
A crisp-tender sugar cookie that holds its shape, topped with shiny royal icing you can pipe into friendly or spooky jack-o’-lantern faces for parties, school treats, or a Halloween dessert tray.
Why you’ll love it
- Creative Halloween treats for school that pack and travel well.
- Cute Halloween cookie ideas with step-by-step icing notes.
- Pumpkin cookie designs that keep sharp edges and vibrant color.
- Royal icing method for smooth, glossy Halloween cookie icing.
- Works for holiday desserts recipes and make-ahead baking days.
- Perfect canvas for cookie Halloween decorating with kids.
Ingredients (notes only)
Sugar cookie dough
- Unsalted butter: softened for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar: classic sweet crunch.
- Large egg + vanilla: binds and flavors.
- All-purpose flour: structure; a bit of baking powder for gentle lift.
- Salt: balances sweetness.
- Optional pumpkin pie spice or orange zest: mild pumpkin vibe without affecting dough color.
Royal icing
- Confectioners’ sugar: for a smooth finish.
- Meringue powder: no-egg, fast-drying stability.
- Water: adjust to outline vs flood consistency.
- Gel food coloring: orange, black, and a touch of green for stems.
- Optional light corn syrup: a teaspoon adds soft sheen.
Tools
Pumpkin cookie cutter or skull/pumpkin mold, rolling pin, parchment, piping bags, small round tips or cut bags, toothpicks or scribe tool, cooling racks.
Step-by-step
- Make dough. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Combine dry. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture on low until a soft dough forms.
- Chill. Divide dough, press into two disks, wrap, and chill 45 minutes until firm.
- Preheat. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two sheets with parchment.
- Roll and cut. Roll dough to 1/4 inch on lightly floured surface. Cut 3-inch pumpkins. Re-roll scraps once.
- Bake. Arrange 1 inch apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set with just-barely golden bottoms.
- Cool. Rest 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- Mix icing. Beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons water to stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust with drops of water for outline (toothpaste) and flood (honey) consistencies. Tint bowls orange, black, and green.
- Outline. Pipe orange outlines on pumpkins; let set 5 minutes.
- Flood. Loosen orange icing. Flood inside the line; use a toothpick to pop bubbles and nudge icing into corners. Dry 20 to 30 minutes.
- Faces. Pipe black eyes, noses, and smiles; add green stems and vines.
- Dry. Air-dry until surface is firm and stackable, 2 to 4 hours.
Pro tips
- Roll between two sheets of parchment for even thickness.
- Chill cut shapes on the sheet 10 minutes for extra crisp edges.
- Keep a small spray bottle of water to thin icing drop by drop.
- Use gel, not liquid coloring, so icing stays thick and vibrant.
- For sharp lines, pipe details after the flood layer crusts but before it fully hardens.
- Pack in single layers with parchment between to protect faces.
Variations
- Spiced pumpkin vibe: add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to the dough.
- Chocolate jack-o’-lanterns: swap 1/4 cup flour for cocoa powder.
- Simple glaze instead of royal icing: whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk and a little vanilla; tint and drizzle.
- Air fryer small batch: 300°F for 5 to 6 minutes; cool before icing.
- School party mini cookies: cut 2-inch shapes for 36 to 40 cookies.
How to serve
Arrange on a black or slate tray with other Halloween baking cookies. Add bowls of candy eyes, sprinkles, and extra icing for a decorate-your-own station.
Make ahead & storage
- Dough: refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- Baked undecorated cookies: airtight at room temp 3 days or freeze 2 months.
- Decorated cookies: once dry, store airtight at room temp up to 1 week. Avoid humidity.
FAQs
Do these cookies spread?
The low-moisture dough, brief chill, and moderate bake keep edges sharp.
Can I use egg whites instead of meringue powder?
Yes. Replace the meringue powder and water with 2 pasteurized egg whites plus enough water to reach piping consistency.
How long should royal icing dry?
Surface dry in 30 minutes to 1 hour; fully dry for stacking in 2 to 4 hours, depending on room humidity.
Can I flavor the icing?
Use a few drops of clear vanilla, almond, or orange extract. Avoid dark extracts that tint the icing.
Simple Nutrition (estimate per 1 cookie, 24 cookies)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 2 g | 24 g | 6 g | 0 g | 14 g |
Halloween Pumpkin Cookies (Royal Icing)
Crisp, shape-holding sugar cookies decorated as bright pumpkin faces with smooth royal icing. Perfect for creative school treats, cookie decorating parties, and holiday dessert trays.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix into butter mixture on low until a dough forms.
- Divide, wrap, and chill 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll to 1/4 inch. Cut pumpkin shapes and place 1 inch apart.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set and pale. Cool completely on racks.
- For icing, beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons water to stiff peaks. Add corn syrup if using.
- Divide and tint orange, black, and green. Adjust with drops of water for outline and flood consistencies.
- Pipe orange outlines and let set 5 minutes. Flood with orange icing.
- When crusted, pipe black faces and green stems.
- Dry 2 to 4 hours until firm.
Nutrition
Notes
Substitutions: Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour for GF. For dairy-free, use plant butter.
Air Fryer: Bake at 300°F for 5–6 minutes for 2–3 inch cookies; cool before icing.
Icing Consistency: Outline should hold ridges; flood should settle in 10–15 seconds.
Dry Time: Allow at least 2–4 hours before stacking.
Total time excludes icing dry time.
Air Fryer: Bake at 300°F for 5–6 minutes for 2–3 inch cookies; cool before icing.
Icing Consistency: Outline should hold ridges; flood should settle in 10–15 seconds.
Dry Time: Allow at least 2–4 hours before stacking.
Total time excludes icing dry time.