Chocolate Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies (Printable Version)

Spooky chocolate cinnamon cookies shaped like skeletons with sweet icing decoration—ideal 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

# Preparation Steps:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
02 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated.
03 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
04 - Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out skeleton or gingerbread man shapes using cookie cutter.
07 - Place cookies on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Cool completely on wire rack.
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 serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chocolate cinnamon combo tastes like Halloween wrapped in a cookie
  • Theyre oddly satisfying to decorate, even if your skeletons look like theyre having a great time
  • The dough firms up beautifully in the fridge, making it actually manageable to roll out
02 -
  • The dough needs to be cold or your skeletons will look like they melted in the heat
  • Royal icing consistency is everything; too thick and it won't pipe, too thin and it'll run off the cookies
  • Let the cookies cool completely before decorating or the icing will slide right off
03 -
  • A pinch of cayenne in the dough creates this amazing chocolate cinnamon spice situation people can't quite identify but absolutely love
  • White chocolate chips pressed into the dough before baking create skeleton eyes that taste way better than plain icing

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