Halloween Shortbread Biscuits

Name: Halloween Shortbread Biscuits
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 200 g Butter, softened ((1+¾ sticks)); 100 g Caster sugar ((½ cup)); 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 280 g Plain flour ((2 cups + 2 tablespoons)); Gel Food colouring (purple, black and orange)

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If you're looking for a last minute spooky snack for school parties or bake sales, these Halloween shortbread biscuits are a must-try! Despite their fancy exterior, they are surprisingly easy to make and they're ready to eat from scratch in just over an hour!

overhead image of halloween shortbread biscuits

I've made a fair few Halloween desserts so far over the last few weeks, including cupcakes, pastries, and fudge, but one thing that my collection was lacking was biscuits! So I'm changing that today and sharing my Halloween shortbread with you!

These are simple vanilla shortbread biscuits, marbled with purple, orange and black dough, and cut into fun Halloween shapes. You can use any spooky colours you like, and add sprinkles or icing to customise them to your liking. They're super fun to make and great for kids to help with. The little ones in my family requested that we make these every year!

If you're ready to get started, read below for all of my top tips, equipment and ingredient notes, step-by-step photos and lots more. If you're confident in the kitchen and prefer the condensed version of the recipe, jump straight to the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Grab your tools

Here's what you'll need to make these biscuits...

Baking tray and baking paper: A large tray, or even two, to fit all of your Halloween shortbread on. I baked a half batch and kept the rest of the dough in the fridge for later. If your tray isn't a non-stick one, make sure to line it with baking paper.
Mixing bowl: A large one, for mixing all the ingredients together.
Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing and a teaspoon for measuring.
Food handling gloves: Technically these are optional but if you don't want the food colouring to stain your hands, I highly recommend using them! If you don't have any gloves, you can wash the colour off your hands a little easier by using dish soap instead of hand soap.
Kitchen scale: To measure out your ingredients. I have included imperial measurements in the recipe but metric measurements are far more accurate for baking. I recommend using a scale if you're a beginner baker.
Halloween cookie cutters: I used pumpkin and bat cookie cutters, which I got in a Halloween cookie cutter pack from Hobbycraft. Use whichever Halloween shapes you like best!

And your ingredients

Butter: Always use butter for shortbread, never margarine or baking spread! This is super important if you want to get that melt-in-your-mouth texture and buttery flavour.
Plain flour: Plain flour is best for crunchy biscuits. Avoid self-raising flour, which has baking powder added to it and can create a cakey texture.
Caster sugar: This is just a finer version of granulated white sugar, also known as superfine sugar in the USA.
Vanilla extract: The butter gives these biscuits plenty of flavour but a small splash of vanilla takes them to the next level!
Food colouring: I used a combination of black, orange and purple food colouring for my biscuits. Green is also great for creating a spooky vibe too! Use gel or paste food colouring if you can, as liquid ones can make the dough wet and sticky.

bat shaped halloween shortbread biscuits

How to make Halloween shortbread biscuits step by step

Step 1: Add 200g of softened butter to a bowl then add 100g of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth.

butter sugar and vanilla creamed together in a bowl

Step 2: Add 280g of plain flour to the bowl and mix everything together with your spoon. When the mixture starts to stick to itself, get your hands in there and press it into a rough ball of dough. If it's too sticky, add more flour, and if it's too dry, add a splash of milk to help it come together. It shouldn't be completely smooth like cookie dough but it shouldn't be so crumbly that it's falling apart either.

Step 3: Divide the dough into three equal-sized pieces.

Step 4: Now it's time to add the colours. To one piece, add a small amount of purple gel food colouring and gently knead it in with your hands until the colour is evenly distributed (I recommend using food handling gloves to prevent staining your hands). Repeat with the other two pieces of dough, colouring one orange and the other one black. If the dough becomes a bit sticky after adding the colours, you can add more flour as needed.

Step 5: Lay a large piece of baking paper on your worktop. Place small pieces of shortbread dough next to one another, alternating colours, trying to keep them in as much of a rectangular shape as possible.

balls of coloured biscuit dough on a sheet of baking paper

Step 6: Gently roll the pieces together to flatten them until you have a sheet of dough that is around 1cm thick.

cutting a pumpkin shape out of the shortbread dough

Step 7: Use Halloween cookie cutters to cut out your shapes and place them onto your lined baking tray. I used bats and pumpkins. Squish any scrap pieces of dough together and re-roll them until it's all used up.

Step 8: Pop the biscuits in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes. This will help them to hold their shape in the oven. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens).

Step 9: After the 30 minutes have passed, place your biscuits in the oven. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuits- I found the perfect time to be 15 minutes for small ones and 18-20 minutes for larger ones. You'll know they're done when they are firm around the edges with a slightly softer centre. They'll also look textured around the edges underneath.

underneath of bat biscuit — Check underneath the biscuits for doneness

underneath of pumpkin biscuit — Check underneath the biscuits for doneness

Step 10: Sprinkle the biscuits with some extra caster sugar. Let them cool completely on the tray then enjoy!

Shortbread tips

Use real butter for that classic shortbread flavour. Margarine just doesn't taste the same, nor does it give that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Refrigerating the dough is a must if you want your shortbread biscuits to hold shape. If the butter in the dough is not cold enough, it will melt more easily in the oven and cause misshapen biscuits.
Unlike other types of cookies, shortbread is not supposed to be golden brown when you bake it (it's also hard to tell when the dough is coloured). To check if they're done, gently press the biscuits. They should feel firm to the touch around the edges and slightly softer in the middle. If you overbake them, they will be too hard and crunchy once they've cooled.

FAQs

How long does Halloween shortbread last?

These biscuits will last for at least a week at room temperature. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container to preserve their crunchy texture for as long as possible.

Can I freeze these biscuits?

Yes, Halloween biscuits can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can either freeze them in airtight containers (with baking paper in between layers to prevent sticking) or you can freeze them solid on a baking tray and then pop them into a freezer bag. To defrost, let them sit out on a plate or wire rack for an hour or two. Do not refreeze.

Can I add icing on top?

Yes, you can use a simple water icing or royal icing to top your biscuits if you want them to be a little sweeter. You can also add sprinkles to jazz them up a little bit- get as creative as you like!

hand holding up a bat shaped halloween biscuit

More Halloween desserts:

I hope you like my Halloween shortbread biscuits! If you make them at home, please let me know how it goes by leaving a rating and/or comment below. Enjoy!