Mummy Cookies: Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies Kids Can Decorate
If you have a preschooler, you already know the rule: the cuter the cookie, the faster it disappears. These mummy cookies are my go to Halloween bake because they look like you tried really hard, and you did not. Soft sugar cookies, a white chocolate drizzle and a pair of googly candy eyes. That is it. That is the whole trick.
I make a batch every October for the class party, the neighbor drop offs and, let us be honest, for me after bedtime. My boys are in charge of the eyes, which means some of our mummies look mildly surprised and some look like they have seen things. Every single one gets eaten.
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Why you will love these mummy cookies
- Kid friendly decorating. No fancy piping skills, just back and forth lines.
- Make ahead friendly. Bake the cookies days early and decorate the morning of.
- Shortcut approved. Store bought sugar cookie dough or plain shortbread works great when the week gets away from you.
- Party proof. The candy coating sets firm, so they stack and travel well.
What you need
The cookie dough is a simple cut out sugar cookie that holds its shape: flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, one egg, vanilla and a little almond extract if you like that bakery flavor. For the mummy part you need white candy melts (or white chocolate melting wafers) and candy eyes. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
My favorite tools for this bake
- Nordic Ware half sheet pans bake evenly and never warp. I have had mine for years.
- A rectangular cooling rack so the cookies are fully cool before the coating goes on (warm cookies melt the bandages).
- Disposable piping bags make the drizzle so much neater than a zip top bag, and kids can handle them.
- A Halloween cat platter because presentation is half the fun at a party.
How to make mummy cookies
1. Make and chill the dough
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, beat in the egg and extracts, then mix in the dry ingredients. Chill the dough for an hour so the cookies keep their shape. If you are short on time, 20 minutes in the freezer works in a pinch.
2. Cut and bake
Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch and cut rectangles with a knife, or use circles or gingerbread people for full body mummies. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges set. You want them pale, not golden.
3. Add eyes, then bandages
Once the cookies are completely cool, use a dot of melted candy to glue on the eyes first. Then drizzle back and forth across the cookie, leaving a little window around the eyes so your mummy can peek out. Messy is good here. Mummies are not known for their tidy wrapping.
Tips for the best mummy cookies
- Thin the candy melts with a teaspoon of coconut oil if they feel thick. Thin lines look more like bandages.
- Put the eyes on before the drizzle so they sit flat and do not slide.
- Let kids decorate on a sheet of parchment for easy cleanup.
- For a peanut free class party, check the labels on your candy eyes and melts. Most are fine, but brands change.
Make ahead and storage
Bake the cookies up to 3 days ahead and keep them in an airtight container, or freeze plain cookies for up to 2 months. Decorated cookies keep at room temperature for about 5 days.
Mummy Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until a soft dough forms. Divide in half, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two sheet pans with parchment. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured counter and cut into rectangles, circles or gingerbread people.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just set but not browned. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack to cool completely.
- Melt the candy melts in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in the coconut oil if it feels thick. Spoon into a piping bag or zip top bag and snip a tiny corner.
- Press two candy eyes onto each cookie with a dot of melted candy. Pipe back and forth lines across each cookie to make bandages, leaving a little gap around the eyes.
- Let the cookies set at room temperature for 20 minutes, or 5 minutes in the fridge, before stacking.
Notes
More Halloween treats
Need more spooky sweets? Try my Halloween treats that are cute, not complicated, my no fail Halloween sweets and these allergy friendly class party snacks. Everything spooky lives on my Halloween hub, and you can jump to Thanksgiving and Christmas from Browse by Holiday.
If you make these, tell me in the comments how your mummies turned out. Bonus points for the most surprised looking one.
So glad you are here.
xo, Pam
