• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tara Teaspoon logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast + Brunch
    • Main Dish
    • Pasta
    • Salads
  • Cookbook
  • Newsletter
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Statement
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast + Brunch
    • Main Dish
    • Pasta
    • Salads
  • Cookbook
  • Newsletter
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Statement
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    TaraTeaspoon » Halloween

    This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure.

    Published: · Modified: Aug 31, 2020 by

    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Lime green and orange Spooky Spiral Cookies Pinterest Pin
    Spooky Spiral Cookies Pinterest Pin

    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies are the ultimate psychedelic treat! Their swirly design and sweet flavor are sure to wow everyone who tries them.


    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies are the ultimate psychedelic treat!

    Every fall I have a contest with myself to see how much I can bake, and every year I seem to beat my record. Each fall I find myself coming back to make these Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies—they are a great break from the classic pumpkin and apple treats that come with the season. With delicious flavors and fun icing, you’ll be hooked too.

    These cookies have so many fun things about them. First, they are a sugar cookie and simple circles at that. Second, they use Royal Icing, which is easy to color, easy to pipe with and looks fantastic. I love using royal icing on sugar cookies, it gives them a clean and polished look. Royal icing may seem intimidating to those who have never used it, but don’t worry! Consistency is key, and the way to getting it just right is by making sure it smooths shortly after spreading.

    Royal icing both looks good and tastes great on Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies!

    How to Flood a Cookie with Royal Icing

    When mixing the royal icing for covering these Halloween cookies, I make it a flooding consistency. To flood a cookie just means the entire surface is coated with a smooth layer of frosting. As I make the icing I like to brush over a sample of my frosting with a butter knife and if it smooths out within 5 to 10 seconds, its perfect. If your frosting takes longer than that, it is too thick and you should slowly add water. Add water just a few drops at a time. If your frosting is smooth before the 5 to 10 seconds, it is too runny and you should continue mixing or add more confectioners' sugar.

    Spooky Spiral Cookies with a bite taken out of one, sitting on a green cloth


    For these Halloween cookies I like my royal icing to be the consistency of cold honey. Does that help?

    How to decorate Spooky Spiral Cookies:

    • Divide icing into three bowls and tint black, green and orange
    • Transfer to piping bags fitted with #3 plain tips and secure bag ends with rubber bands to prevent drying
    • Create a smooth layer of icing by outlining each cookie first, then pipe in the center area (icing will run together)
    • Let dry about 10 minutes, then add a spiral to each cookie
    • Allow icing to set about 3 hours or overnight

    Keeping the piping bags upright in a glass with a damp napkin in the bottom will prevent the icing from drying out.

    Break away from the normal Fall treats and make Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies!

    Sugar Cookie Tip:

    You can make Spooky Spiral cookies with store-bought sugar cookie dough, or you can make them from scratch. I’ve included how to make stellar sugar cookies in my Santa Face Sugar Cookies recipe. Check it out! Use round cookie cutters to cut the shapes.

    Otherwise you can buy sugar cookie dough, roll it into balls, flatten just a little on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake. I love making different sized circles for these cookies, so if you'd like you can roll different sized balls.

    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies are the ultimate psychedelic treat!

    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies

    Tara Teaspoon
    Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies are the ultimate psychedelic treat! Their swirly design and sweet flavor are sure to wow everyone who tries them.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 48 cookies
    Calories 44 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 dozen sugar cookies I baked 2-, 2 ½ and 3-inch rounds
    • 4 cups confectioners' sugar (l lb)
    • 5 tablespoon meringue powder or powdered egg whites
    • Gel paste food coloring

    Instructions
     

    • With an electric mixer, mix sugar, meringue powder and ½ cup water on low speed, scraping sides of bowl until icing thickens to a yogurt like consistency, about 4 min.
    • Divide icing among three bowls and tint black, green and orange. Transfer to piping bags fitted with #3 plain tips and secure bag ends with rubber bands to prevent drying.
    • Create a smooth layer of icing by outlining each cookie first; then pipe in the center area (icing will run together). Let dry about 10 min before adding spirals. Allow icing to set about 3 hr or overnight. Store covered for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

    Notes

    To make these psychedelic sweets, use ready-made dough or your favorite sugar cookie recipe.
    Keeping the piping bags in a glass with damp napkin in the bottom will prevent the icing from drying out.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 10gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 5mgSugar: 9gCalcium: 1mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    Spooky & Fun Halloween Recipes

    • Marshmallow Ghost Cookies
    • No-Bake Cookies for Halloween - Easy Graham Cracker Sandwiches with Sprinkles
    • 25 Halloween Cakes and Cupcakes
    • 35 Halloween Desserts and Treat Ideas
    • Homemade Halloween Treats
    • Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples
    • Pumpkin Marshmallows on Cupcakes
    • Halloween Monster Chicken Sliders
    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe by Tara Bench Originally published in LHJ 10/09 Photography Hallie Burton, Food Styling Joyce Sangirardi, Prop Styling Lynsey Freyers

    « Pumpkin Planters
    No-Carve Fall Pumpkin Crafts »

    Filed Under: Baking + Desserts, Cookies, Frosting + Icing, Halloween Tagged With: cookies, easy, halloween, icing, kids, royal icing, spiral cookies, sugar cookies, treat

    Primary Sidebar

    search this website

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, I’ve shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. Make that 24 million and one. Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    Live Life Deliciously - Order from Amazon!

    Live Life Deliciously cookbook with cutting boards on table

    follow on social

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    drinks and smoothies e-magazine

    Need something to cool you off?

    Sign up to get a FREE mini magazine full of refreshing drink and smoothie ideas!

    Live Life Deliciously Recipe Sharing Group!

    In this group, we share dinner, dessert, snack, and lunch recipes. Any and all recipes are welcome (with a few rules). Let's make cooking and baking at home fun!

    Join Our Group

    Media Kit

    • facebook
    • instagram
    • pinterest
    • youtube

    Footer

    Helpful Links

    • New Posts
      • Recipe Index
    • Cookbook
    • Shop
      • Cart
      • Checkout
    • About Me
      • Ask Tara
      • Videos
      • Contact Me
        • Privacy Policy
        • Tara Teaspoon Disclosure Statement

    Popular Recipes

    • Cookbook
    • Easy Dinners
    • Grilling
    • Chicken
    • Baking

    Recent Posts

    • Favorite Recipes from Tara Teaspoon
    • The Most Delicious, Just-Rhubarb Crisp
    • How To Freeze Rhubarb: Use For Cooking and Baking All Year
    • Orange Glazed Carrots
    • The New Wedge Salad

    Copyright © 2022 Tara Teaspoon on the Brunch Pro Theme