Halloween Grocery Store-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies (a.k.a. the cookies your inner child would push the cart for)

Even though Ivy and her brother are technically grown-ups—like, they're in college now and buy shampoo unassisted—their inner children are still running the show. Halloween is still one of their all-time favorite holidays even though they now stand on the “giving out the candy” side of the door.

In fact, one of their new grown-up traditions is “Halloween Movie Night” every week in October. The rules are simple: costumes optional, feelings welcome, Tim Burton highly likely. And, as is written in the family constitution, I am in charge of snacks.

And friends… I do not take that responsibility lightly.

This week I went straight for the nostalgic jugular: grocery-store style frosted sugar cookies. You know the ones — so soft they almost dissolve in existential comfort, buried under violently-colored frosting and sprinkles. They are Halloween nostalgia in baked form. One bite and I was right back to when the kids were small and got a free cookie every time we dared to enter a grocery store with them in public.

A little orange frosting, a ridiculous shower of Halloween sprinkles, and boom — the perfect treat for Tim Burton Movie Night.

You’ve got to make them. Seriously. And if you do, report back. I want the play-by-play.

Grocery Store-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies (Halloween Edition)

Yields: ~24 thick, soft cookies
Time: About 1 hour + cooling

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temp

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp fine salt

• 2–3 tbsp milk (as needed for dough softness)

For the frosting

• ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temp

• 2 ½–3 cups (300–360g) powdered sugar

• 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• Orange gel food color

• Halloween sprinkles

Make the cookies

1. Cream it — In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.

2. Wet stuff in — Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Dry stuff in — In a separate bowl whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture; mix just until combined. If too stiff/crumbly, add milk 1 tbsp at a time until soft but not sticky.

4. Shape — Scoop ~2 tbsp dough, roll into balls, and place spaced on parchment-lined sheets. Slightly press tops flat with your palm.

5. Bake — 350°F / 177°C for 8–10 minutes. Edges should not brown — pale is correct. Cool completely.

Frost & finish

1. Beat butter until creamy; add powdered sugar gradually.

2. Add vanilla, salt, and cream until fluffy and spreadable. Tint orange.

3. Frost thickly. Add Halloween sprinkles like your rent depends on it.

Cut a few, box a few, eat at least two standing over the sink — I won’t tell.

Then cue up your Burton of choice, bite into pure childhood, and text me your review like I’m the Rotten Tomatoes of sugar cookies, because I live for that.

Happy spooky snacking. 🎃👻🍪