Description
Celebrate Halloween with these delightful homemade Halloween Frosted Animal Cookies! Soft, buttery animal-shaped cookies are baked to perfection and decorated with festive orange, white, and chocolate candy melts topped with crunchy Halloween sprinkles. Perfect for parties, trick-or-treat treats, or a fun baking project with kids.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour (or 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting & Decoration
- 1 cup orange candy melts
- 1 cup white candy melts
- 1 cup chocolate candy melts or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until combined and lumps are removed. Set aside for later use.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating for an additional minute. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to parchment paper, knead gently for a few minutes, then divide it into two halves. Wrap each half in parchment and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Place one dough portion between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Using animal-shaped cookie cutters about 1.5 inches in size, cut out the cookies and remove excess dough, leaving the shapes on the parchment. Transfer the parchment with cookies onto a baking sheet with raised edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookie edges are slightly golden. Let cookies cool completely. Re-roll leftover scraps to cut out additional cookies until all dough is used.
- Melt Candy Coatings: In microwave-safe bowls, melt orange, white, and chocolate candy melts separately in 30-second intervals, stirring well until smooth. If the melts are too thick, add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to thin them.
- Dip and Decorate: Dip small batches of cooled cookies into the melted candy melts using a fork, gently tapping the fork on the bowl’s edge to remove excess coating. Place dipped cookies on a parchment-lined sheet. While the coating is still wet, sprinkle Halloween sprinkles on top. Chill the decorated cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to set. Repeat this process with the remaining cookies and different colors of candy melts.
- Store and Enjoy: Once the frosting has fully set, store the cookies covered at room temperature for up to one week. In warmer climates, keep them refrigerated. These cookies also freeze well for up to three months.
Notes
- Be sure to chill the dough to make rolling and cutting easier.
- If candy melts become too thick after melting, adding vegetable oil helps achieve a smooth coating.
- You can substitute chocolate candy melts with semi-sweet chocolate chips for a rich flavor.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh longer.
- Use a food scale for measuring flour for more accurate results if available.
