Why wait for Christmas to make gingerbread houses when you can get started this October with a Haunted Halloween Cookie House? These edible houses are made with chocolate sugar cookies (or gingerbread), frosting, and your favorite Halloween candy.
A Haunted Halloween Cookie House Party is a great way to kick off the holiday for kids and adults. This guide details everything you need to know to host your own.
Haunted Halloween Cookie House Party
One of my favorite events of the year is my Haunted Halloween Cookie House party.
It’s a fun Halloween activity for friends, kids, and couples.
The guide below lays out everything you need to know, including how to:
- Plan For A Haunted Halloween Cookie House Party
- Make A Haunted Halloween Cookie House
- Decorate A Haunted Halloween Cookie House
How To Plan For A Haunted Halloween Cookie House Party
Planning includes identifying the following:
- Base: What will you use as the foundation for your cookie houses?
- Cookie: Will you use homemade cookies or store-bought kits?
- Frosting: Store-bought? Homemade? Royal icing? Colors?
- Decorations: There are sooo many options to choose from! Pick your favorites, or stick to a particular color scheme.
- Station: A comfortable arrangement with easily accessible supplies is essential for cookie house success!
- Snacks: what’s a party without snacks, am I right?
Step 1: Pick Your Base
A small wooden or marble board is your best bet for a base.
Line it with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
We used to use cardboard for our cookie houses but quickly found that they just aren’t sturdy enough.
Step 2: Pick Your Cookie
Next, it’s time to decide if you want to make homemade cookies or use a haunted house kit from the store.
Homemade Cookies Versus Store-Bought Kits
Making your cookie house from scratch is a lot of work, but it’s also sooo satisfying.
With that said, you can’t go wrong with a cookie house kit from the store.
For the best price, head to your local Walmart, Target, or Trader Joe’s.
Alternatively, you could purchase them from Amazon here.
If you choose to make homemade cookies, you’ll either need to print a gingerbread house template (I printed at 75%) or purchase a cookie house cutter set.
I have used both the printable template and cookie cutter set and think both are good options for cutting out your house pieces.
Gingerbread Versus Chocolate Sugar Cookies
If you’re making your cookies from scratch, you’ll need to decide on a cookie recipe. One recipe makes one house.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipes:
This option is recommended if you want a darker, spookier, Halloween vibe.
Gingerbread Recipes:
This option is recommended if you are looking for an excuse to make gingerbread in October!
Step 3: Pick Your Frosting
Buttercream frosting (store-bought or homemade) is essential for assembling a cookie house.
Royal icing is optional and best suited for intricate details.
Helpful frosting supplies: small pastry bags (for royal icing), large pastry bags (for buttercream), pastry bag ties, and food coloring.
Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream frosting is essential for securing the cookies of your house in place.
Use store-bought or homemade buttercream frosting.
Halloween color ideas: White, black, orange, purple, and green.
Royal Icing
Royal icing (piping consistency) is a great option for intricate details and the ‘melted snow’ look.
Here’s a simple Royal Icing recipe from Food Network.
Note, royal icing isn’t great for securing decorations (candy corn, candy eyes, etc.) to your cookie house since it takes longer to harden than buttercream frosting.
Step 4: Pick Your Decorations
There are just so many to choose from! Below is a list to get you started.
- Halloween M&Ms
- Candy corn
- Chocolate Chex mix
- Mints
- Candy eyes
- Halloween jelly beans
- Reese’s {ieces
- Pretzel snaps
- Chocolate pumpkin
- Butterscotch chips
- Mini chocolate covered pretzels
- Gummy worms
- Coconut flakes tinted green (for grass)
- Peel-n-pull Twizzlers
- Marshmallow ghosts
Place your decorations in a muffin tin, to make each decoration easily accessible.
If a decoration (e.g. Twizzlers) doesn’t fit in a muffin cavity, simply place them in a bowl next to the muffin tin.
Step 5: Set Up Stations
Now that you’ve got your base, cookies, frosting, and decorations, it’s time to set up your stations!
First, set up individual workstations for each guest that includes a base, frosting, cookie house pieces, and butter knife.
If the party is for kids, you may want to assemble the cookie houses for them.
Next, arrange the decorations and royal icing in a central location so it’s easily accessible for everyone.
Step 6: Pick Your Snacks
Ok, it’s almosttt party time!
But, what’s a party without snacks, am I right?
Some of my favorite Halloween snacks to serve:
How To Make A Haunted Halloween Cookie House
- Bake your cookies and prepare your frosting (if going the homemade route).
- Gather your supplies: cookie house kit and frosting (if going the store bought route), base, decorations, piping bags, food coloring, parchment paper.
- Assemble your cookie house with frosting.
- Decorate your cookie house.
How To Assemble A Cookie House
Before you start assembling a cookie house, ensure your station is set up with
- Front house piece (1)
- Back house piece (1)
- Side pieces (2)
- Roof pieces (2)
Step #1 – #4
- First, apply frosting to both sides of the back of the front house piece.
- Then, attach the two sides pieces (one at a time) to the front house piece.
- Next, apply frosting to both sides of the back of the back house piece.
- Then, attach the back of the house to the side pieces.
Step #5 – #8
- Next, frost both short sides and one long side of one roof piece.
- Then, attach the roof piece to the house.
- Next, frost all sides of the second roof piece.
- Lastly, attach the second roof piece to the house and add frosting as necessary to secure the house pieces in place.
How To Decorate A Haunted Halloween Cookie House
Here are some ideas for what to include in your cookie house:
- Roof: windows, shingles, chimney, snow, lights
- Front of house: door, window, pathway
- Side of house: windows, fence, pumpkin patch
- Back of house: windows, graveyard
I Want To Hear From You!
Have you ever made a Halloween cookie house before?
Did you use a store-bought kit, or did you make your own cookies? What decorations did you use? Are you happy with how your house turned out? Would you make it again?
Share your feedback in the comments section below!
Also, if you made a haunted Halloween cookie house, I’d love to see it!
Tag me on Instagram at @lifestyledbysam_
Do You Also Like Easy Halloween Decor?
If so, take advantage of these free Halloween printables that make the cutest wall art!
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