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Perfect Black Cat Sugar Cookies: Easy Halloween Party Treat

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These black cat sugar cookies are a happy accident turned Halloween tradition. They are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and deliver a striking black color with a tender, delicious crumb that tastes like a classic sugar cookie with a hint of rich cocoa.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 3–4 tablespoons water
  • Orange gel food coloring
  • Black gel food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer or 1 to 2 minutes in a stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla: Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look slightly curdled; this is normal.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Mix the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Add about a third of the flour mixture at a time, mixing just until it disappears before adding the next batch. Stop mixing as soon as there are no more streaks of flour.
  5. Shape and chill the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half and shape each half into a flat disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  7. Roll and cut: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Dip your cat-shaped cookie cutter in flour before each cut. Press straight down and lift straight up—do not twist the cutter.
  8. Bake: Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges look set and the centers look slightly dry. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Make the royal icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 3 tablespoons of water and stir until smooth. The icing should be thick but flowy—think the consistency of honey. Divide the icing into two bowls. Leave one bowl white, and tint the other bowl with orange gel food coloring. Transfer each color to a piping bag or zip-top bag.
  10. Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe two small orange circles for the eyes. Use the white icing to pipe tiny dots in the center of the eyes for a highlight. Pipe whiskers with the orange icing—three on each side of the face. Let the icing set for at least 2 hours before stacking or serving.

Notes

For the blackest cookies, use Dutch-process cocoa powder. If you only have natural cocoa, the cookies will be dark brown. Chilling the dough is recommended for cleaner edges. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let cookies cool completely before decorating to prevent icing from melting.

Nutrition

Keywords: black cat sugar cookies, Halloween cookies, sugar cookies, easy Halloween treats, black cookies, cocoa cookies, royal icing cookies

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