These vegan skeleton cookies are my newest favorite Halloween desserts! They’re addictive, chocolatey, and the perfect color for the spooky season. Switch up your shortbread cookie game with these delicious black cocoa cookies!
Who says shortbread cookies are only for Christmas? I say let’s make them spooky for Halloween! And these vegan skeleton cookies are sure to be a hit at your next Halloween party. Not only are they cute, but they taste amazing.
Also, if you haven’t tried black cocoa yet, this is your chance. They’re the best way to naturally make baked goods black without staining your teeth. Nothing says Halloween like spooky black cocoa treats!
If you want more Halloween treats, try my vegan dirt cups or spooky cookies.
✨Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This easy shortbread recipe with black cocoa only has seven ingredients and is simple to make.
- It tastes like an Oreo but better! The black cocoa gives it an intense chocolate flavor, giving it its unique flavor.
- These shortbread cookies are not too sweet, so the chocolate flavor stands out even when topped with icing.
✏️Ingredient Notes
- Black cocoa powder - Black cocoa is one of my favorite ingredients to use in most of my Halloween recipes. Simply put, black cocoa is heavily alkalized Dutch-processed cocoa. Because of this, it packs an intense chocolate flavor without bringing any bitterness but also gives its rich black color. It has a unique flavor, and it is what is in Oreo cookies! My favorite brand to use is The Cocoa Trader.
- Powdered sugar - I use powdered sugar in both the cookies and the icing recipe. It gives the cookies a slight sweetness and creates a stable royal icing without having to use meringue powder.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📝Substitutions & Variations
- You can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you can’t find black cocoa powder. However, the taste will differ, and you won’t have the same fun experience.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
🍴How to Make Vegan Skeleton Cookies
Top Tip: Use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. That way, you'll only need one or two bowls, and you won't have to wash a bunch of measuring cups!
Step 1: Sift the all-purpose flour, salt, and black cocoa into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy and well combined.
Step 3: Then add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until the ingredients combine into a dough-like consistency.
Step 4: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until smooth and cohesive. Shape the cookie dough into a 1-inch-thick disc. Cover it tightly in food wrap and place it in an airtight container or a reusable zipped bag. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Step 5: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface, then cut out your cookies.
Step 6: Transfer the cookies 1-2 inches apart on your baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking the dough to firm up. If you don’t chill the cookies, they will spread. While you wait, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. The mixture should flow slightly but still hold its shape.
Step 8: Transfer the icing to a piping bag with a small round tip and draw on some spooky bones! Allow the icing to harden to set before serving.
⭐Expert Baking Tips
- Measure your flour correctly. I test my recipes 100% in grams. Incorrectly measured flour is a common reason baked goods fail. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. It greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Chill the dough. You’ll have to do this twice during the process: once after making the dough and once right before baking when the cookies are cut out.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack. This will ensure that all your cookies bake evenly and the bottoms won’t burn. It will also help with multi-tasking: As you chill one sheet of cookies, you can bake another at the same time.
💭Common Questions
I haven't tried it, so I can't say how it will turn out. But you can try using 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
I like using gingerbread cookie cutters to make these vegan skeleton cookies, but you can also use animal cutters, like a cat!
When you first mix the dough, it should feel a bit dry, but as you knead it together, the warmth of your hands will make it come together.
If your dough is dry and crumbly after you chill it, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, knead it with your hands for it to come together again, then begin rolling it out.
If you've tried all this and still find it very dry and crumbly, you could've added too much flour. Add a tablespoon of softened butter at a time to get the right dough consistency. Be sure you measure your flour correctly from the start. I always use a food scale for precise measurements.
🥣Storage & Reheating
- Room temperature
Store these skeleton cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. - Freezing Instructions
Place fully cooled cookies, undecorated, in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Defrost the cookies at room temperature before serving. Decorate when they’re defrosted.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and comment below! Tag @flouredframe on Instagram & Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Skeleton Cookies
Equipment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Food wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Gingerbread man cookie cutters
- Thin spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Piping bags
- Piping tips
- Toothpick
Ingredients
Cookies
- 224 grams Vegan butter (softened at room temperature)
- 120 grams Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 280 grams All-purpose flour (spooned, leveled, and sifted, see notes)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 50 grams Black cocoa powder
Icing
- 180 grams Powdered sugar (sifted)
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Non-dairy milk
Instructions
Prep Cookie Dough
- Before starting, remove butter from the fridge and allow it to soften at room temperature. About 20-30 minutes.
- While you wait, prepare the dry ingredients. Sift the all-purpose flour, salt, and black cocoa powder into a bowl.
- Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy and well combined. Then add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until the ingredients combine into a dough-like consistency.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until smooth and cohesive. Shape the cookie dough into a 1-inch-thick disc. Cover it tightly in food wrap and place it in an airtight container or a reusable zipped bag. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Cookie Cut Outs & Bake
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Let it soften slightly at room temperature for 10-12 minutes.
- Roll the dough ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface, then cut out your cookies.
- Transfer the cookies 1-2 inches apart on your baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking the dough to firm up. If you don’t chill the cookies, they will spread. While you wait, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on the baking pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will be soft right when you remove them from the oven, but they will harden as they cool. Let the cookies cool before decorating.
Royal Icing
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. It should flow slightly, but still hold its shape. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and draw on some spooky bones! Allow the icing to harden to set before serving.
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly. I test my recipes 100% in grams. Incorrectly measured flour is a common reason baked goods fail. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. It greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Chill the dough. You’ll have to do this twice during the process: once after making the dough and once right before baking when the cookies are cut out.
- You can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you can’t find black cocoa powder. However, the taste will differ, and you won’t have the same fun experience.
-
Can I make this gluten-free?
I haven't tried it, so I can't say how it will turn out. But you can try using 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Jacqui says
I didn't have black cocoa, so I used regular. They turned out a little lighter in color but were so tasty and spooky looking. Highly recommend!
Floured Frame says
Thank you for making my skeleton cookies, Jacqui! I'm so glad that these worked out for you even if you didn't have black cocoa.