13 Ghost & Goblin Cookie Recipes

Halloween cookies are the cutest kind of spooky. These 13 ghost and goblin cookie recipes include meringue ghosts, monster eye cookies, witch hat treats, and candy corn creations — fun to bake with kids and guaranteed to disappear at the party.

Below you’ll find 13 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Ghost Meringue Cookies

Crisp, airy meringue ghosts with chocolate chip eyes.

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 48 mini chocolate chips
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Whip egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to soft peaks.
2. Gradually add sugar; whip to stiff glossy peaks.
3. Fold in vanilla.
4. Pipe tall ghost shapes onto lined baking sheets.
5. Press in chocolate chip eyes.
6. Bake at 200°F for 90 minutes; cool in the oven.

2. Monster Eye Sugar Cookies

Soft sugar cookies with candy eyeballs staring back.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• candy eyeballs
• black gel icing

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg.
2. Add flour and baking powder.
3. Chill dough 30 minutes.
4. Roll and cut into rounds; bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
5. Dip tops in melted white chocolate.
6. Add candy eyeballs before the chocolate sets.

3. Witch Hat Cookies

Three-ingredient witch hats — fudge cookies, Kisses, and frosting.

Ingredients

• 1 package fudge-striped cookies
• 24 Hershey's Kisses
• 1 cup orange frosting
• black decorating gel

Instructions

1. Pipe a dab of orange frosting on each cookie.
2. Press a Kiss into the frosting.
3. Let set 15 minutes.
4. Pipe a buckle with black gel.
5. Arrange on a platter.
6. Serve within 2 days.

4. Candy Corn Cookies

Chewy cookies studded with candy corn and white chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup candy corn
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Beat in egg; add flour and baking soda.
3. Fold in candy corn and white chocolate chips.
4. Scoop onto lined baking sheets.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
6. Cool 5 minutes on the pan.

5. Spooky Crinkle Cookies

Crackled black cookies with candy eyes peeking out.

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp black food coloring
• 24 candy eyes

Instructions

1. Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and food coloring.
2. Chill dough 30 minutes.
3. Roll into balls; coat in powdered sugar.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
5. Press candy eyes into warm cookies.
6. Cool completely.

6. Frankenstein Sugar Cookies

Green frosted sugar cookies with candy eyes and chocolate hair.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup royal icing
• green food coloring
• candy eyes

Instructions

1. Make sugar cookie dough; cut into rectangles.
2. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes; cool.
3. Frost with green royal icing.
4. Add candy eyes.
5. Pipe black hair with gel icing.
6. Let icing set 1 hour.

7. Goblin Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut butter thumbprints topped with mini candy cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 24 mini peanut butter cups
• orange sprinkles

Instructions

1. Mix peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
2. Roll into balls; coat in orange sprinkles.
3. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
4. Press a mini peanut butter cup into each.
5. Cool 10 minutes.
6. Transfer to a rack.

8. Purple Monster Snickerdoodles

Purple-tinted snickerdoodles rolled in black sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2.75 cups flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• purple food coloring
• black sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs.
2. Add flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
3. Tint dough purple.
4. Roll balls in black sanding sugar.
5. Bake at 375°F for 9–11 minutes.
6. Cool on the pan 5 minutes.

9. Mummy Oreo Pops

Oreo mummies wrapped in white chocolate bandages.

Ingredients

• 1 package Oreo cookies
• 1 cup white candy melts
• 24 candy eyes
• orange and green sprinkles

Instructions

1. Insert sticks into Oreos if making pops.
2. Dip in melted white candy melts.
3. Drizzle zigzag bandages with more melts.
4. Add candy eyes.
5. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles.
6. Set on parchment 20 minutes.

10. Gingerbread Goblins

Spiced gingerbread cut into goblin shapes and decorated.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• candy eyes and icing

Instructions

1. Cream butter and brown sugar; beat in molasses and egg.
2. Add flour, ginger, and cinnamon.
3. Chill dough 1 hour.
4. Roll and cut goblin shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes.
6. Decorate with icing and candy eyes.

11. Graveyard Crunch Cookies

Salty-sweet cookies with M&Ms and pretzel tombstones.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup orange and black M&M's
• 1/2 cup chopped pretzels

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg.
2. Add flour and baking soda.
3. Fold in M&Ms and pretzels.
4. Scoop onto lined sheets.
5. Bake at 350°F for 11–13 minutes.
6. Cool 5 minutes.

12. Black Cat Cocoa Cookies

Dark cocoa cookies decorated as black cats with candy corn ears.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 24 candy corn pieces
• white icing

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Add flour and cocoa.
3. Chill 30 minutes; roll and cut rounds.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
5. Pipe cat faces with white icing.
6. Add candy corn ears.

13. Slime Pit Sugar Cookies

Frosted sugar cookies oozing with green slime and gummy worms.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup green-tinted frosting
• gummy worms

Instructions

1. Cream butter and powdered sugar; beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Add flour; chill 30 minutes.
3. Cut into rounds; bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
4. Frost with green frosting.
5. Drape gummy worms over the top.
6. Let set 20 minutes.