Our Favorite Halloween Cookie Recipes

Halloween Peanut Butter Cookie Pops

A miniature candy bar is hidden inside this fun Halloween cookie recipe. Colored frosting and candy faces make these addicting cookie pops the perfect Halloween treat. —Martha Hoover, Coatesville, Pennsylvania

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Whip up a few of these sweet and spooky Halloween treats this season.

Halloween Peanut Spider Cookies

This cute spider Halloween cookie recipe is so easy. They’ll be the star at your next Halloween party! —Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Candy Corn Cookies

Get a head start on this buttery Halloween cookie recipe by shaping and chilling the homemade dough ahead of time. When you’re ready, just slice and bake the tricolor treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Snack on these Halloween foods between trick-or-treating stops.

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Halloween sugar cookies are a fun (and delicious!) way to get into the spooky spirit. From cats and bats to witches' hats, there are so many great Halloween cutouts to bake and decorate.

Caramel Apple Bites

Kids can help make these perfect fall cookies by dipping the baked cookies in caramel and nuts. It’s a fun food craft for all of us. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

Tombstone Treats

My brother loves Rice Krispies squares, and my mom loves sugar cookies. I came up with a cute treat they'd both like.

Kiss from a Vampire Cookies

Raspberry jam eerily oozes from this Halloween cookie recipe. One bite, and you’ll have a hard time stopping! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Mini Meringue Pumpkins

Cast a sweet spell over your Halloween party guests by making a pumpkin patch’s worth of treats. It’s easy to use this basic meringue recipe spiced with pumpkin flavor to scare up fun cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Magic Macaroons

Peanut butter, candy corn and macaroons are three of my favorite things, so I combine them all to make this Halloween cookie recipe. —Jeanette Nelson, Bridgeport, West Virginia

These Halloween treats will hold you over until it’s time to trick-or-treat!

Freaky Frankenstein Cookies

They're alive! Each year when the Halloween invites start coming my way, I create a little treat to bring. These cute cookies bring a lot of life to every party. —Philia Kelnhofer, West Allis, Wisconsin

Ghost Shortbread Cookies

Pac-Man was my favorite video game when I was growing up. For a party, I decided to get creative and shape my go-to sugar cookies into the ghosts from the game. —Jamie S, Regina, Saskatchewan

“Boo”-rrific Kisses

The Taste of Home Test Kitchen turned cute meringue cookies into these whimsical kisses, perfect for Halloween. With just 15 calories, each little treat can be enjoyed guilt-free! —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas

Pumpkin Spice Cutouts

Through all the years I’ve been baking, I’ve never come across a pumpkin Halloween cookie recipe that you can actually cut out with cookie cutters. (Most I’ve found are drop cookies.) Each bite tastes just like pumpkin pie—delicious! —Marion Kearley, Ladner, British Columbia

Autumn Leaf Cutouts

Turn classic cookies into a platter of autumn leaves. Make them in solid colors, or combine pieces of tinted dough for a multicolored effect. — Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

Eyeball Cookies

All eyes will definitely be on this adorable Halloween cookie recipe when it is set on a buffet table. I created them for my son’s kindergarten class for Halloween. —Sherry Lee, Columbus, Ohio

Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

Whenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it’s even better than in Quebec. This Halloween cookie recipe can be decorated with sprinkles but it’s just fine as is.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

Day of the Dead Cookies

I make these cookies for all occasions. In the spring, I cut them in flower shapes and insert a lollipop stick in each to make a bouquet. Using candies, food coloring and a wild imagination, try your hand at this Day of the Dead version. —Kristine Fossmeyer, Huntley, Illinois

Pumpkin Cookie Pops

These cookie pops are a great way to liven up a Halloween party. Kids love them! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Bones & Blood

Like a zombie, you’ll be desperate for more of these bone-shaped cookies and dip. Fight nicely over them—no biting! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Tassies

This pumpkin and chocolate cookie has a special feel that makes it perfect for a holiday dessert table. If you don’t have a pastry tip, use a freezer bag to pipe the buttercream into the cookie cup. It works well for me. —Laura Milanowski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Apple Peanut Butter Cookies

These apple peanut butter cookies are great for fall gatherings. They’re crisp on the outside and soft inside. —Marjorie Benson, New Castle, Pennsylvania

Halloween Chocolate Cookie Pops

Our children look forward to making these cute cookies each year. They've become experts at making silly faces with little candies.

Gingerbread Skeletons

Any small gingerbread boy cookie cutter can take on new “life” with these classic cookies. Give him some cat friends, too. The more the merrier! —Dore’ Merrick Grabski, Utica, New York

Owl Cookies

I came up with these cookies as a treat for my kids’ class parties. Not only do they look cute, but they are also delicious.—Starrlette Howard, Ogden, Utah

Meringue Bones

This unique treatment for meringue travels well, too! You will certainly get requests for the recipe, and folks will be surprised at how simple it is! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Embrace the flavors of fall with pumpkin whoopie pies. Our recipe combines spiced pumpkin cookies with a fluffy cream filling for a seasonal dessert appropriate for autumn gatherings and Halloween parties.

Quick Ghost Cookies

Spruce up store-bought cookies for the holiday. These are a real hit with "goblins" of all ages. —Denise Smith, Lusk, Wyoming

Frightening Fingers

These cookies have become somewhat famous at the school our children attend. One year, I made more than 150 of these "fingers" for their classroom Halloween parties.—Natalie Hyde, Cambridge, Ontario

Caramel-Apple Shortbread Cookies

There is nothing like seeing my friends almost melt to the floor when they bite into something I made. These cookies never fail to elicit oohs and aahs. —Amber Taylor, Lenoir City, Tennessee

Trick-or-Treat Pizza

Don’t let your leftover Halloween loot go to waste. Pile your favorite candies onto a monster-size cookie. — Kendra Bowen, Louisville, Illinois

Coconut Orange Slice Cookies

This is a family recipe that was handed down to me. The coconut and orange combination gives them a distinctive taste unlike any other cookie I’ve had. They’re perfect for Christmas! —Patricia Ann Stickler, Durand, Michigan