Chocolate skeleton cookies are nothing but good old bones! Sweet icing bones and dark chocolate cookies, that is.
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Nothing says Halloween like a Gingerbread Man. Oh…wait…using a gingerbread man cookie cutter—that’s where I was going with this. Change that little shape into a creepy skeleton and you’ve got something. Swap in chocolate cookie dough for the spiced standby and a ghoulish face for the smile, and you have some crazy fun Halloween treats.
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The simple design makes these a go-to Halloween treat. Skeleton cookies come together in no time. I even added a little sanding sugar sparkle to some.
My chocolate cookie is a dark, rich and buttery roll-and-cut recipe. You can make the cookies ahead and ice them anytime. They can keep in an airtight container for several days.
These Skeleton Cookies are easy to decorate. No need for perfection. No one is counting how many ribs they have or how big their eye sockets are!
The royal icing is the perfect smooth and sweet topper. I use meringue powder instead of raw egg whites, which makes the icing food-safe and easy. 
How perfectly do the bones make these little gingerbread men look like skeletons? I love it. My skull faces sort of take on a Scream painting look, and no two are the same. That’s the beauty of these little guys. Perfection is not the deal when piping these bones. No one is counting how many ribs they have or how big their eye sockets are!
Cooking tip: Royal icing looks great piped onto cookies (that’s why we food stylists use it!). It solidifies to make a lovely un-smearable decoration. It even tastes sugary and good. However, if you don’t have powdered egg whites around to make it, and/or you love a butter-based frosting, then by all means use that instead. It won’t be as smooth, and it will most certainly smear if it’s touched by curious-kid-hands. It will still be cute and quite tasty!
I’ve used royal icing on several of my Halloween treats, like these Spooky Spiral Cookies.
And I made my Eerie Eyeball Cake eyeballs with royal icing!
It looks good on chocolate cookies, sugar cookies and gingerbread! Keep that gingerbread man cutter handy until December.
These skeleton cookies are so cute packaged as favors in little cellophane bags, or just piled on a party platter. Watch my video to see just how easy they are to make!!
Get the recipe below!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1½ cups unsalted butter
- 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 recipe Royal Icing recipe below
- White sanding sugar
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp meringue powder or powdered egg whites
- ¼ cup water
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Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
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Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, about 2 min. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Working in two batches, add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Divide dough in half and wrap pieces in plastic wrap, flatten into disks and chill 1 hr or overnight.
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Heat oven to 350ºF. On a floured surface roll dough to ¼ inch thick. Cut with a 5-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter and transfer to unlined baking sheets. Reroll scraps once. Bake until cookies spring back when touched, about 12 min. Cool on wire racks.
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Prepare 1 recipe Royal Icing. With an electric mixer mix confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and water on low speed, scraping sides of bow,l until icing is the consistency of soft whipped cream, about 10 min. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a #2 plain tip. Decorate with lines for a skeleton. Pipe an outline of a skull and circles for eyes and mouth; flood face with icing. Sprinkle some with sanding sugar. Dry completely.
Chocolate skeleton cookies are nothing but good old bones! Sweet icing bones and dark chocolate cookies, that is.
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Recipe and Food Styling by Tara Bench. Originally published in LHJ Oct 2012. Photography William Brinson. Prop Styling Michele Faro
George Bench says
October 24, 2014 at 12:30 pmCute Tara! You are so darling! Love reading your comments. Hope somebody lets you know that Peggy Bench is following your blog 🙂
tarateaspoon says
October 25, 2014 at 1:01 amOh thank you! Im so happy Peggy is following! Love you guys!
robin rue says
October 23, 2017 at 10:42 amThose cookies are just too cute. My kids are going to love them. We all love Halloween around here 🙂
Jessica Joachim says
October 23, 2017 at 1:23 pmThese little guys turned out so cute, and I bet they taste delicious as well. I have always loved themed desserts and snacks for Holidays. I bet my daughter would have fun trying to make these one night.
Melissa Chapman says
October 23, 2017 at 2:48 pmThose are some great looking cookies and the icing looks good too. I never made my own icing but this recipe looks easy and fun to work with.
Beth Davidson says
October 23, 2017 at 5:23 pmYou are great at designing treats! I always get bored in the middle and make everything look like blobs. Lol. Is meringue powder in the baking aisle? I’ve never used it before.
Tara says
October 23, 2017 at 5:49 pmOh thanks!! Yes at many grocery stores it’s in the baking aisle. But sometimes they have it in the health food section. Sometimes it’s just called powdered egg whites. Michaels for sure has it in the cake decorating section! ALSO you can use the link above, in my post, to order it online.
Terri Steffes says
October 23, 2017 at 6:25 pmThose are super cute and would be fun to give to the neighborhood boys. ALL my neighbors have sons, which will be great in about 5 years when they can shovel my snow and mow my grass! Until then, I need to load them up on cute treats like these!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:47 pmOh good idea! Nice thinking ahead!!
Cassie says
October 23, 2017 at 6:29 pmThese are so clever and I know that if I tried to recreate I could definitely not make them look as good as you – that’s awesome talent to get the piping that good!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:47 pmOh you are sweet! But the piping is so forgiving. Just bones!
Katrina says
October 23, 2017 at 6:52 pmThese are so cute and so well decorated! A quick and easy Halloween treat! Thanks for sharing!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:48 pmAh thanks! For sure!
Karen Morse says
October 23, 2017 at 7:34 pmThere are so many fun and yummy recipes this Fall that I would love to try! Being a teacher, I’m sure this recipe will be appreciate by my students! It’s adorable and it looks so good.
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:48 pmThese are for sure fun teacher to student gifts! How fun!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
October 23, 2017 at 11:03 pmEvery single October I say that I’m gonna break out my gingerbread man shapes and make skeletons. Every year I fail at that…because I always forget. These are just so cute!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:48 pmGreat minds!! Haha. Thanks!
AnnMarie John says
October 23, 2017 at 11:30 pmThose skeleton cookies will be a hit with the kids especially my youngest. I’m sure she’ll really enjoy those too, since they’re chocolate! Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:49 pmI love chocolate too!
Kim Six says
October 24, 2017 at 5:15 amThese are so funny..and the perfect mix of creepy and adorable. I love the idea of little cookie bones!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:49 pmThanks! And tasty too!
Lindsey Mozgai says
October 24, 2017 at 10:09 amThese skeleton cookies are so cute and a great alternative to candy treats for Halloween.
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:49 pmI love cookies at this holiday! Something different
Carolyn says
October 24, 2017 at 10:48 amWhat a cool idea to use the gingerbread man cookie cutter. My boys would go crazy for these cookies thanks for all the tips on how to make and decorate them.
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:50 pmFor sure! I hope the video helps!
Nicole Kamai says
October 24, 2017 at 12:36 pmOh these look so cute and so easy to do! I’m going to have to save this if I need something to bring for a party!!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:50 pmOh good! How fun
reesa says
October 24, 2017 at 3:21 pmOh look how cute these are! I am the worst when it comes to frosting cookies!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:50 pmThese are forgiving! Have a good Halloween!
Krystel | Disney on a Budget says
October 24, 2017 at 7:02 pmThese look so great and easy enough for someone like me to make. Which is important
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:51 pmThey are super easy! (Hint: even use store bought dough and add cocoa!!)
Alison | So Chic Life says
October 24, 2017 at 10:30 pmThese are so adorable! Never thought to use a gingerbread man cookie cutter and decorate a different way. And not too complicated which is always nice when it comes to baking.
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:51 pmAh thanks so much!
Jeanine says
October 25, 2017 at 11:27 amThese are very cute for Halloween! I’d love to make these with my kids to enjoy after a night of trick or treating!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:52 pmGood idea! Thanks!
Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com says
October 25, 2017 at 4:13 pmThese are so adorable! I think my kids will absolutely LOVE making them for Halloween!!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:52 pmOh good good! Thanks!
Blythe Alpern says
October 25, 2017 at 5:31 pmThis is a genius way to turn a gingerbread man into a ghoulish skeleton. What a fun treat to make with your kids or to create for a Halloween party.
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:54 pmAh thanks. They are great for a party
Heather says
October 25, 2017 at 5:38 pmThese are adorable and look like so much fun to make! My oldest daughter would really enjoy making a batch with me for a Halloween party this weekend!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:56 pmThey are so fun! Enjoy
Kaity | With Kids and Coffee says
October 26, 2017 at 6:20 pmStop it with this cuteness! I just watched all of the Scream movies in preparation for Halloween 😉 and the little face on these reminds me of that mask. Love!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:56 pmOh totally that mask! haha
Shannon Gurnee says
October 27, 2017 at 12:49 amYour Skeleton Cookies turned out super cute! I would love to try making these sometime!
Tara says
January 4, 2018 at 5:57 pmThank you! Have fun when you do!
CHelsea says
October 27, 2017 at 1:11 amThese are so cute and would be really fun at any Halloween party!
Mary Bench says
July 17, 2018 at 9:56 pmI love these! Your ideas are delightful!
Brittany Smart says
July 19, 2018 at 4:30 pmThanks for the video! SO amazing
Mary Bench says
May 5, 2019 at 11:08 pmAmazing!