1-First, gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F to get started on these festive cut-out cookies shaped like bats, witches, and ghosts.

2-Begin by mixing the dry ingredients separately in a large bowl: combine 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt for that warm, spicy base. This step ensures the spices infuse evenly, creating the signature flavor of Halloween Gingerbread Cookies.

3-Next, in a separate bowl, cream 3/4 cup softened butter and 1 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy, then add 1 egg, 3/4 cup molasses, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, blending well for moisture and depth. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into this wet mixture to form a smooth dough, which must chill for at least 4 hours or overnight to firm up. For more tips on chilling dough, check out our easy holiday baking guide on the blog. After chilling, roll the dough to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness on a floured surface and cut into shapes using Halloween-themed cutters.

4-Freeze the cutouts briefly to help them hold their form, then place them on lined baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges brown. Let the cookies cool on racks before decorating, as this prevents the icing from melting. Royal icing is made by combining 4 cups confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons meringue powder, then adding 6 tablespoons warm water and 1 tablespoon corn syrup for a thick, pipeable consistency divide and color with brown and black gel food coloring, pipe onto cookies layer by layer, and add coarse sugar and brown chocolate sprinkles to the wet icing for texture and sparkle. The total preparation time is about 1 hour and 31 minutes, including active prep, chilling, baking, and decorating.