Description
These quick and easy black cat sugar cookies are soft, rich, and perfect for Halloween parties. With no chilling required and simple pantry ingredients, they come together in just 30 minutes and always steal the show.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
- 2–3 tablespoons milk (for icing)
- Black gel food coloring (optional, for icing)
- Candy eyes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball to ½ inch thickness.
- Using a round cookie cutter or glass rim, gently press into the center of each dough circle to define the head (do not cut through). Pinch two small triangles at the top for ears. Roll a small piece of dough into a thin log for the tail and attach next to the body, curving slightly.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when edges are set and tops are slightly cracked. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For icing: whisk together powdered sugar and milk until thick but pipeable. Add more milk if needed. Transfer to a piping bag or ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Pipe two small dots for eyes, a tiny triangle for the nose, and curved lines for whiskers. If using candy eyes, press into wet icing. Let icing set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Do not overbake; cookies will look underdone in the center when done. For consistent sizes, use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. If dough is too sticky, dust hands with cocoa powder instead of flour. Cookies can be frozen undecorated for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Halloween cookies, black cat cookies, sugar cookies, easy Halloween dessert, chocolate sugar cookies, no chill cookies