Chocolate skeleton cookies are the perfect spooky Halloween cookie for Trick-or-Treat night. A cinnamon chocolate cookie base is piped with sweet icing bones using my fail-proof royal icing make for a scary treat.
What says Halloween more than a skeleton! These chocolate skeleton cookies are so easy to make. I use a spiced chocolate cookie dough that is rolled and cut using a gingerbread man cookie cutter (who would've thought?).
The edible bones are piped on with my foolproof royal icing.
I know royal icing can be difficult to master and seem intimidating, but follow my tried and true recipe for success.
The secret ingredient for this expert royal icing is meringue powder. The meringue powder helps to stabilize the icing and keep the bone shape.
Both kids and adults love these chocolate skeletons. I love servings these with some of my other favorite Halloween recipes like Spooky Sliders and Ogre Halloween Pizza.
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Ingredients in skeleton cookies
These skeleton cookies use simple pantry ingredients. You probably have everything you need, plus that Gingerbread Man cookie cutter for the shape!
- All-purpose Flour - You can swap this for all-purpose gluten-free flour as well.
- Unsweetened Cocoa - Regular unsweetened cocoa is great here, don't use Dutch processed.
- Salt - Use standard baking salt, not kosher salt.
- Cinnamon - A little hint of cinnamon brings out the sweetness of the cookie and enhances the chocolate.
- Butter - I prefer using unsalted butter since I add my own salt to the cookies.
- Confectioners' Sugar - Powdered sugar makes these cookies like a soft shortbread. Tender and delicious.
- Eggs - Always use large eggs in baking as that is the standard.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds sweetness and flavor.
- Royal Icing - This go-to recipe makes crunchy, sweet bones on the cookies.
- White Sanding Sugar - The sparkly decorating sugar that adds a little sparkle to these treats.
How to make Halloween Skeleton Cookies
Crafting these delightful skeleton cookies is as easy as whipping up a batch of dough and conjuring up some icing.
- Prepare the dough - Follow the instructions in the recipe below, and make sure to chill the dough thoroughly before rolling and cutting. The dough is soft, so working with it while cold is best.
- Heat the oven - Give the oven at least half an hour to reach 350ºF. It should be fully heated before baking the cookies.
- Roll and cut - Work on a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to ¼-inch thick. Quickly cut into shapes using a 5-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter.
- Bake - Bake the cookie skeletons on unlined baking sheets until just set and baked, about 12 minutes.
- Cool - Cool the cookies on the baking sheet, then gently remove them to a wire rack.
- Decorate - Using a piping bag fitted with a #2 plain tip filled with royal icing, decorate the skeleton cookies with lines of bones following the example picture in this article. Immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar if you want the bones to sparkle.
- Let dry - The royal icing needs several hours to set and harden on your cookie skeleton. Then you can serve or pack the cookies for storage.
How to make royal icing for cookies
Simple 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 fail-proof.
This royal icing recipe for cookies is only three ingredients which makes it very easy. Using a stand mixer, mix together confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and water.
The key with royal icing with meringue powder is to whip it in the stand mixer for long enough, about 10 minutes, until its light and fluffy. The icing should look like soft whipped cream. This is the consistency needed to hold a piped line.
Test pipe some of the icing to make sure it holds it shape before piping my skeleton cookies.
The simple bones design makes these a go-to Halloween treat. I even added a little sanding sugar on top of the royal icing to add sparkle.
I've used this simple royal icing with meringue powder on several of my Halloween treats, like these Spiral Cookies and my Eerie Eyeball Cake.
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.
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 fluffy vanilla frosting instead. It will most certainly smear if it’s touched by curious-kid-hands. It will still be cute and quite tasty!
Storage
Make the skeleton cookies ahead and ice them anytime. They keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can serve the skeleton cookies at a Halloween party, packaged as favors in little cellophane bags, or just piled on a party platter. Watch the video under the recipe to see just how easy they are to make!!
FAQs
I use meringue powder to make sure my royal icing is fail-proof. The meringue powder helps the icing to set.
Be sure to also whip the icing for 10 minutes so it's the consistency of soft whipped cream. You should be able to drizzle the icing on top of itself and have it keep its shape for 10 seconds.
Be sure when not using royal icing in the piping bag to cover the tip with plastic wrap. You want to prevent the icing from drying inside of the piping tip and getting clogged.
No. Once the cookies have dried and set you can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Skeleton Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ cups unsalted butter
- 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 recipe Royal Icing (recipe below)
- White sanding sugar
Royal Icing
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons meringue powder (or powdered egg whites)
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and cinnamon; set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 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.1½ cups unsalted butter, 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 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.
- Prepare 1 recipe Royal Icing: With an electric mixer mix confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and water on low speed, scraping sides of bowl until icing is the consistency of soft whipped cream, about 10 min.2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 ½ tablespoons meringue powder, ¼ cup water
- 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.1 recipe Royal Icing, White sanding sugar
Video
Notes
- Be sure to whip the royal icing long enough, about 10 minutes! It should be the consistency of soft whipped cream.
- Wrap the piping tip of the royal icing with plastic wrap when not using and store in the refrigerator. You want to prevent the royal icing from drying and clogging the piping tip.
- Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Fantastic Halloween Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe and Food Styling by Tara Bench. Originally published in LHJ Oct 2012. Updated September 2023. Photography William Brinson. Prop Styling Michele Faro.
George Bench says
Cute Tara! You are so darling! Love reading your comments. Hope somebody lets you know that Peggy Bench is following your blog 🙂
tarateaspoon says
Oh thank you! Im so happy Peggy is following! Love you guys!
robin rue says
Those cookies are just too cute. My kids are going to love them. We all love Halloween around here 🙂
Jessica Joachim says
These 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
Those 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
You 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
Oh 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
Those 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
Oh good idea! Nice thinking ahead!!
Cassie says
These 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
Oh you are sweet! But the piping is so forgiving. Just bones!
Katrina says
These are so cute and so well decorated! A quick and easy Halloween treat! Thanks for sharing!
Tara says
Ah thanks! For sure!
Karen Morse says
There 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
These are for sure fun teacher to student gifts! How fun!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
Every 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
Great minds!! Haha. Thanks!
AnnMarie John says
Those 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
I love chocolate too!
Kim Six says
These are so funny..and the perfect mix of creepy and adorable. I love the idea of little cookie bones!
Tara says
Thanks! And tasty too!
Lindsey Mozgai says
These skeleton cookies are so cute and a great alternative to candy treats for Halloween.
Tara says
I love cookies at this holiday! Something different
Carolyn says
What 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
For sure! I hope the video helps!
Nicole Kamai says
Oh 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
Oh good! How fun
reesa says
Oh look how cute these are! I am the worst when it comes to frosting cookies!
Tara says
These are forgiving! Have a good Halloween!
Krystel | Disney on a Budget says
These look so great and easy enough for someone like me to make. Which is important
Tara says
They are super easy! (Hint: even use store bought dough and add cocoa!!)
Alison | So Chic Life says
These 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
Ah thanks so much!
Jeanine says
These 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
Good idea! Thanks!
Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com says
These are so adorable! I think my kids will absolutely LOVE making them for Halloween!!
Tara says
Oh good good! Thanks!
Blythe Alpern says
This 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
Ah thanks. They are great for a party
Heather says
These 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
They are so fun! Enjoy
Kaity | With Kids and Coffee says
Stop 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
Oh totally that mask! haha
Shannon Gurnee says
Your Skeleton Cookies turned out super cute! I would love to try making these sometime!
Tara says
Thank you! Have fun when you do!
CHelsea says
These are so cute and would be really fun at any Halloween party!
Mary Bench says
I love these! Your ideas are delightful!
Brittany Smart says
Thanks for the video! SO amazing
Mary Bench says
Amazing!
Marie says
These are the cutest skeleton cookies I've ever seen-they taste really good too! I'm tempted to string them and hang them as decoration form my mantel for halloween! Also, I loved your instructional video. It helped out a ton!
Sylvia says
Hi , in your recipe you state confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). Is this right? I’ve never creamed butter and powdered sugar before so I wanted to clarify.
Tara says
Confectioners' sugar is the same as powdered sugar!
Eljay Miller says
I'm trying to make them now but for some reason it's way to soft to cut out. Any idea what I can do to fix that?
Tara Teaspoon says
It's all about chilling the dough and then working quickly to roll and cut once the dough is very cold. I often chill the dough overnight!