Categorized:

  • Cookies
  • Desserts
  • Halloween

Tagged:

  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • cinnamon
  • cloves
  • egg yolks
  • flour
  • ginger
  • meringue powder
  • molasses
  • nutmeg
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
Gingerbread cookies with skeleton bodies piped over with white icing. - 1

Skeleton Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (425g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp ground ginger*
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
  • 10 Tbsp (141g) unsalted butter, softened about halfway
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (172g) unsulphured molasses (not backstrap)
  • 1 Tbsp milk

Icing

  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp (7g) meringue powder
  • 2 Tbsp water, then a little more as needed
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 black food writer edible marker

Instructions

  • For the cookies: In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together brown sugar and butter until combined. Scrape down bowl.
  • Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Scrape down bowl, then mix in molasses and milk.
  • Add flour mixture and mix until combined.
  • Divide dough into two equal portions and shape into a smooth round.
  • Roll each portion out between two sheets of parchment paper (so you’ll need 4 total sheets) into an oblong shape that’s 1/4-inch thick.
  • Transfer dough to freezer (on a cookie sheet or cutting board so it stays flat), and freeze until firm about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Working with one rolled dough at a time, cut dough into gingerbread men shapes using a gingerbread cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2-inches apart. and bake in preheated oven 8 minutes or until puffed and nearly set.
  • Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough, while bringing together and re-rolling and freezing scraps.
  • For the icing: Add powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl. Blend with a hand mixer until well blended and slightly glossy, while adding an additional 1/2 Tbsp water to thin as needed.
  • Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a #3 or #4 round tip . Pipe over cooled cookies to create skeleton design.
  • Let icing set until completely hardened, about 2 hours then gently draw skeleton faces on cookies.

Notes

  • *These cookies have a strong ginger flavor. If you are making them for kids I’d recommend cutting the ginger down to 1.5 tsp.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days, refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.

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