Day of the Dead Sugar Cookies are the perfect sugar cookie to make. Made with no spread sugar cookie dough and easy to make royal icing everyone will love these easy decorated sugar cookies.
Day Of The Dead Sugar Cookies
My daughter is obsessed with princess Elena, if i would let her she would watch that show every day and every night. So when I was making my Halloween sugar cookies I thought it would be a great idea to make her some Day of the dead decorated sugar cookies. Day of the dead is close to Halloween so if you are celebrating both you can make Halloween cookies and day of the dead cookies at the same time.
These brightly fashioned sugar cookies are inspired by the sugar skulls that are crafted in Mexico to celebrate the Day of the Dead. While normally a sugar skull I wanted to get a bit creative and so we used a gingerbread cookie cutter and made full bodies.
These cookies are great if you are wanting to make a fun day of the dead cookie decorating day, you can make the cookies and frost them and then let the kids design them with the edible markers.
Halloween Cookie Recipes
- Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Oreo Pops
- Mummy Cookies
- Monster eyeball Cookies
- Vampire Cookies
- Jack Skellington Cookies
- Witch finger cookies
- Monster eyeball sugar cookies
What is Day of the Dead?
Day of the dead is a holiday that honors deceased loved ones on November 1 and 2.
Tips for Making this Recipe
The great thing about these day of the dead cookies is that uses a cookie cutter that most people have these days, a gingerbread man cutter. To decorate these cookies you are going to use royal icing and edible markers.
An important detail with using edible markers on royal icing is you need to let the royal icing dry for at least 24 hours. If you don’t let the royal icing dry your markers are going to keep breaking the outer shell of the royal icing.
In this recipe you’ll see I use the second method on the consistency you need for your royal icing. To learn about the second method check out my article on how to decorating sugar cookies.
For these cookies I always use my no spread sugar cookie recipe. It is very important to have a sugar cookie that doesn’t spread so they hold the shape versus looking like blobs.
It is very important that your sugar cookies are completely cooled before decorating them.
How long do sugar cookies last in the fridge?
Properly stored sugar cookies will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?
Yes! You can freeze baked sugar cookies without frosting for 3-6 months
How long in advance can you make sugar cookies with royal icing?
Once the cookies are decorated they will keep for up to 2 weeks as long as they are store properly in an airtight container.
How long do I bake Sugar Cookies?
These no spread sugar cookies need to bake at 325° F for 10 -15 minutes.
How to Cut the Best Sugar Cookies
The best way to cut these sugar cookies out is to use a good sturdy circle cookie cutter.
How Thick Do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
You want to roll the sugar cookie dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
How long should I refrigerate my sugar cookie dough?
Yes, you need to refrigerate your sugar cookie dough for at least 10 minutes before cutting the cookie dough into shapes.
Day of the Dead Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Royal icing
- Sugar cookie dough
- Edible markers
Supplies Needed
- gingerbread man cookie cutter
- pastry bag
- number 3 straight piping tip
Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cups butter 2 sticks
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Royal Icing Ingredients
- 1 pound confectioners sugar Powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water You will need more after making the frosting as you decorate
- 1 teaspoon clear flavor extract Optional, if you are choosing to flavor your icing
- pinch salt
How to Make Day of the Dead Sugar Cookies
In a large bowl or with your stand mixer cream the granulated sugar and butter until it is fluffy. If using the stand mixer it will take about 5 minutes.
Once the sugar and butter is creamed together, add in the egg and vanilla extract.
In a medium sized bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt. Use a whisk to mix everything together thoroughly.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract mixture. Mix everything until well incorporated.
Put half of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Put the rolled dough including the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer.
Your dough will be chilled and ready to cut and bake.
Cut your cookie dough out with cookie cutter, any scraps of cookie dough you can re-roll together to form a new ball then roll it out and placed back in the refrigerator until its cooled and then you can repeat the steps with that.
Bake the cookies at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to cooling rack and allow them to completely cool.
While the cookies are cooling prepare your royal icing. Thin the Icing to a 20-second consistency.
Transfer the royal icing to the pastry bag with the tip in it.
Pipe on the outline of the skull and pipe on the bones.
Pour the icing back into a bowl and thin the icing down to a 6-second icing. Transfer the icing back into the pastry bag.
Flood in the skull with the icing.
Allow the royal icing to dry for 24 hours.
Using your edible marks color your skeletons with fun patterns.
Sugar Cookie Recipes
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipes
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- Minion Cookies
- Rainbow Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Want delicious cookies that come out perfect every time? Check out some of our favorite tools to make super easy cookies with fun decorations!
Day of the Dead Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cups butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Royal Icing Ingredients
- 1 pound confectioners sugar
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- pinch salt
Instructions
- How to Make Day of the Dead Sugar Cookies
- In a large bowl or with your stand mixer cream the granulated sugar and butter until it is fluffy. If using the stand mixer it will take about 5 minutes.
- Once the sugar and butter is creamed together, add in the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a medium sized bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt. Use a whisk to mix everything together thoroughly.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract mixture. Mix everything until well incorporated.
- Put half of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Put the rolled dough including the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer.
- Your dough will be chilled and ready to cut and bake.
- Cut your cookie dough out with cookie cutter, any scraps of cookie dough you can re-roll together to form a new ball then roll it out and placed back in the refrigerator until its cooled and then you can repeat the steps with that.
- Bake the cookies at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to cooling rack and allow them to completely cool.
- While the cookies are cooling prepare your royal icing. Thin the Icing to a 20-second consistency.
- Transfer the royal icing to the pastry bag with the tip in it.
- Pipe on the outline of the skull and pipe on the bones.
- Pour the icing back into a bowl and thin the icing down to a 6-second icing. Transfer the icing back into the pastry bag.
- Flood in the skull with the icing.
- Allow the royal icing to dry for 24 hours.
- Using your edible marks color your skeletons with fun patterns.
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