How to Host a Halloween Cookie Decorating Party

If you’ve ever hosted a party before, you know that a lot of work goes into it! When I’m hosting a girl’s night, I always plan in advance so I can be fully present during our time together. Here is everything you need to know if you’re hosting a Halloween cookie decorating party, including the recipe I used for the cookies and icing, and the supplies we used to ice the cookies.

I also included links for you to shop all of my cookie decorating finds and Halloween party decor.

How to Host a Halloween Cookie Decorating Party

How to Prepare for the Party:

1. Prepare Halloween treats for snacking.
2. Make Halloween cookies for decorating.
3. Set up Halloween party decorations.
4. Prepare different icing colors.
5. Set out cookie decorating supplies and treats.
6. Enjoy!

Scroll for more details and tips about each step!

This party does take extra time to prep as you’ll want the cookies and icing ready before your guests arrive. I recommend making the treats and snacks in advance so you’re not feeling overwhelmed the day of the party. I made my Halloween foods the day before!

Step One: Halloween Treats

These recipes were all so easy! I made spiderweb brownies, a pumpkin cheese ball, and these adorable peanut butter spider cookies!

Easy Halloween Treat Recipes on the Blog

If you don’t have time to make anything in advance, you could do something easier like sliced apples with caramel and peanut butter, or store bought fall treats. Trader Joe’s always has the cutest seasonal baked goods and appetizers!

Step two: Make Cookies for Decorating

I used store bought sugar cookie dough to save time. If you’re cutting shapes with the dough, you’ll want to add a few extra ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough or homemade refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 3 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper.
2. Mix cream cheese and flour into the dough.
3. Roll the dough on parchment paper sprinkled with flour, and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
4. Gently transfer shapes onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for around 11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
6. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes before gently transferring to a baking rack.
7. Let the cookies fully cool before frosting.

Equipment:

• Cookie cutters (linked mine below!)
• Parchment paper
• Cookie sheet
• Drying racks

Shop:

*Printable recipes at the bottom of the blog post

Step Three: Halloween Party Decorations

I found so many cute decorations from Mackenzie Childs, Amazon, Anthropologie and Target!

Shop decorations:

A lot of my decorations are from previous years, along with some new Anthropologie Halloween finds! Mackenzie Childs recently released their rosy check collection and I’m so excited to add some of their pieces to my courtly check collection. The pink and black combo with touches of gold and orange is perfect for a girly Halloween vibe.

Shop similar decorations:

Step Four: Prepare the Icing

I made fresh butter cream frosting right before the party started because fresh icing is the best to decorate with! Make sure you leave enough time to mix different color combinations!

For my Halloween girl’s night, I wanted a pastel Halloween color palette. I made white, pink, purple and orange icing! I bought a small tube of black icing as well!

In addition, I doubled my normal icing recipe for cookie decorating because you need enough to make multiple colors to fill the piping bags. This recipe will make around 10 cups of icing.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of unsalted butter room temperature
• 9 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 8 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons of heavy cream or whole milk
• Food dye of choice

Instructions:

1. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes – or until whipped and light in color. Scrape the bowl down throughout, as needed, with the mixer turned off.
2. Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar (optional, but best results).
3. Reduce mixer speed to medium low, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar.
4. Beat until fully mixed, scraping the bowl as needed.
5. Add salt, vanilla extract; beat until fully incorporated.
6. Slowly add heavy cream until you reach desired consistency.
7. Separate icing and mix in colors, if desired. Using the stand mixer to mix the colors is easiest, but can also mix by hand.

Equipment:

• Stand mixer
• Sifter
• Piping bags or frosting bulbs for icing

Shop:

*Printable recipes at the bottom of the blog post

Step Five: Set Out Cookie Decorating Supplies

I found so many cute Halloween cookie decorating finds on Amazon for our girl’s night. And I used these paint palettes for displaying the different sprinkle options!

I found these frosting bulbs on Amazon and they are amazing for precise icing. Piping bags can be difficult to fill and use, but these bulbs make icing so easy! I also used these Halloween butter knives for spreading the frosting! These placemats are my go to when I’m hosting a craft night because they’re so easy to clean!

Shop:

Printable Recipes

Sugar Cookies

How to Make the Perfect Sugar Cookies for Cookie Decorating with Store Bought Dough

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Total Time 26 minutes mins

Equipment

• Cookie cutters
• Parchment paper
• cookie sheet
• Drying racks

Ingredients

  

• 1 roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough or homemade refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 3 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper.
• Mix cream cheese and flour into the dough.
• Roll the dough on parchment paper sprinkled with flour, and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
• Gently transfer shapes onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
• Bake for around 11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
• Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes before gently transferring to a baking rack.
• Let the cookies fully cool before frosting.

Perfect Buttercream Frosting for Icing

This buttercream frosting is both delicious and works so well for decorating!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Equipment

• Stand mixer
• Sifter
• Piping bags or frosting bulbs for icing

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups of unsalted butter room temperature
• 9 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 8 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons of heavy cream or whole milk
• Food dye of choice

Instructions

 

• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes – or until whipped and light in color. Scrape the bowl down throughout, as needed, with the mixer turned off.
• Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar (optional, but best results).
• Reduce mixer speed to medium low, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar.
• Beat until fully mixed, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Add salt, vanilla extract; beat until fully incorporated.
• Slowly add heavy cream until you reach desired consistency.
• Separate icing and mix in colors, if desired. Using the stand mixer to mix the colors is easiest, but can also mix by hand.

Notes

Colors:

Pink – a few drops of red at a time, until desired pink shade.

Purple – a few drops of red with double the amount of blue at a time, until desired purple shade.

Orange – a few drops of red, a few drops of yellow at a time, until desired orange shade. I also ended up added a few drops of neon pink for a more vibrant shade of orange.

White – no color added.

I cannot wait to share more recipes, crafts and girl’s night ideas this upcoming holiday season! Follow along on social media and the blog to see what’s next!