Get ready to bake up some spooktacular fun with our Halloween-Inspired Lofthouse Sugar Cookie recipe! Transform your kitchen into a Halloween bakery as you whip up these soft and chewy sugar cookies that are as delicious as they are festive.

Halloween Lofthouse Cookies Recipe

We love a good copycat recipe around here and it’s been on my list for a long time to try to replicate that delicious flavorful and irresistible texture of a Classic Lofthouse Sugar Cookie.

These copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies are pillowy soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies slathered with a thick layer of sugary-sweet frosting.

The texture of the cookies is cake-like, which makes it a great option when you can’t decide between cupcakes or cookies (especially since they have a generous amount of cupcake-style frosting.)

My second favorite thing about these Halloween cookies is that they bake up in only 8 minutes! I’m always pressed for time in the week leading up to Halloween, so my favorite recipes are those that require very little time to execute perfectly while still delivering big on flavor.

You’ll know these cookies are done baking when they are just barely set with a slight browning on the bottom of the cookie.  Over baking will make for hard and crumbly cookies, rather than soft and slightly chewy – so don’t wander away from the kitchen without setting a timer!

How long do Frosted Lofthouse Sugar Cookies last? Frosted Lofthouse Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I prepare the sugar cookie in advance? Yes, if you’re planning on making the cookies with the kids or as part of a party activity, I highly recommend preparing the dough in advance.

The sugar cookie dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, if wrapped well. Alternatively, you can wrap well and store in a ziptop freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)

Can Lofthouse Sugar Cookies be frozen? Yes, you can freeze the baked *unfrosted* cookies for up to 3 months. Wrap well with parchment paper or cling wrap, and then store in a ziptop freezer bag or freezer containers.

Halloween Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

• Unsalted Butter, softened
• Powdered Confectioner’s Sugar
• Vegetable Oil
• Eggs
• Clear Vanilla 
• Cornstarch
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Cream of Tartar
• All-Purpose Flour

For the Frosting:

• Shortening
• Powdered Confectioner’s Sugar
• Clear Vanilla 
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Salt
• Orange food coloring, optional <– this set of food coloring has lasted me forever and I love that it creates highly saturated colors with just a drop
• Sprinkles, optional

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: we made our own combination of sprinkles using several packs of different Halloween-themed sprinkles, so feel free to get creative with making your own mixtures.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Cookie Sheets
• Silicone Baking Mats
• Mixing Bowl
• Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Circle Cookie Cutter
• Offset Spatula

How to Make Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and powdered sugar.  Cream until smooth.  

Add in the oil, eggs, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch and vanilla – mix until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and mix again. 

Add in the flour and change the attachment from the which to the paddle attachment. 

Combine until the dough comes together and balls up in the center, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. 

Chill the dough for at least an hour.  

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Using two sheets of parchment, sandwich the chilled dough and roll out until about ½ of an inch thick.  Do not use flour as it will dry out the dough too much.

Use a 3″ circle cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

The cookies should just be set with a slight browning on the bottom of the cookie.  Over baking will make for hard and crumbly cookies, rather than soft and slightly chewy.  Allow to cool before decorating. 

When ready to decorate, make the frosting.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, shortening, vanilla, whipping cream and salt.  Mix well on low speed for about 2-3 minutes.  Once combined, scrape down the sides and then mix again on high speed for about a minute to fluff up the frosting.  

Add in your desired food coloring and mix until the desired color is achieved.  Continue to scrape down the sides when needed and mix until the color is cohesive.  Cover until ready to use. 

When ready to assemble, use a butter knife or flat spatula to spread a layer of frosting over the cookie. Immediately top with the sprinkles before it crusts over – gently press in the sprinkles if needed to help stick in place.

Pin this Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookie recipe for a spooky baking session with the kids:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our Halloween Lofthouse Sugar Cookies recipe:

I hope your kids love these Halloween Lofthouse Cookies as much as mine did!

For more scrumptious cookies, check out our full cookie recipe collection here:

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