Spooktacularly Soft & Pillowy Halloween Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies: A Trick-or-Treat Dream!
These Halloween Lofthouse-style sugar cookies are soft, pillowy, and topped with colorful buttercream frosting and festive sprinkles. Perfect for parties, family baking nights, or a fun seasonal treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
2 tablespoons milk
Orange, purple, and green food coloring
Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract, mixing until smooth.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out Halloween shapes and place on baking sheets.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden but centers remain pale. Cool on sheets, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For frosting, beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternating with milk, until smooth and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Divide frosting into bowls and tint with orange, purple, and green food coloring.
- Frost cooled cookies and decorate with Halloween sprinkles.
Notes
Swap almond extract for lemon or orange zest for a different flavor.
Add edible glitter, candy eyeballs, or black gel icing for spooky designs.
Unfrosted cookies freeze best, but frosted ones can also be frozen if layered properly.
Use gel food coloring for more vibrant frosting shades.
Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft and pillowy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
