Chocolate Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies (Printable)
Spooky chocolate cinnamon treats shaped like skeletons and decorated with sweet icing, perfect for Halloween celebrations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Royal Icing
10 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1 large egg white
12 - 2-3 tablespoons water
# Directions:
01 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract; mix until fully incorporated.
03 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
04 - Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out skeleton or gingerbread man shapes with cookie cutter.
07 - Place cutouts on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
08 - Beat egg white with powdered sugar and water until smooth and pipeable. Adjust consistency with additional water if needed.
09 - Transfer icing to piping bag fitted with fine tip. Pipe skeleton designs onto cooled cookies. Allow icing to dry completely before storing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The chocolate-cinnamon combo tastes like a Mexican hot chocolate cookie, which somehow feels perfect for Halloween
- Kids and adults both get weirdly excited about decorating skeletons, and the icing dries hard enough that you can stack them without smudging
02 -
- The dough needs that chilling time or it'll stick to everything and your skeletons will lose their definition
- Royal icing consistency matters—too thick and it won't pipe, too thin and it spreads into a blob instead of staying in nice skeleton lines
03 -
- A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper in the dough creates this subtle heat that people can't quite place but keeps them coming back for more
- If your icing is too thick, add water literally one drop at a time—you can always add more but you can't take it back