Frankenstein Cookies

These Frankenstein shortbread cookies are tender, buttery, and decorated with dark chocolate!

They’re naturally colored with matcha powder, but if you aren’t a fan of matcha, you can always use a bit of green gel food coloring.

They’re an easy Halloween cookie to make without a cookie cutter or royal icing, and they’re perfect for Halloween parties, monster-themed desserts, or make-ahead cookie trays.

This Recipe at a Glance

• Flavor: Buttery shortbread with a subtle matcha flavor
• Texture: Tender, crisp edges, and slightly crumbly
• Difficulty: Easy decorating, no cookie cutter needed
• Yield: 16 cookies

How to Make These Frankenstein Shortbread Cookies

Let’s walk through each step of this recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible.

Step 1: Make the Matcha Shortbread Cookie Dough

Use an electric mixer to combine 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp matcha powder, and 1/2 tsp of fine salt.

The mixture might look a bit crumbly at first, but it will eventually form a soft dough once it’s fully mixed.

The color of the dough from the matcha powder will be a pretty muted green. If you want the dough to be a brighter green, mix in a squirt of green gel food coloring. I added food coloring to these.

If the mixture isn’t coming together, you may want to heat it in the microwave for a couple of seconds (literally 2-3 seconds, you don’t want to melt the butter!) to help soften the butter.

Scoop the dough into a large piece of plastic wrap and flatten it out into a rectangle that’s about 1/3 inch tall. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for an hour, or until it’s firm.

Step 2: Chill and Cut the Cookie Dough

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats while the cookie dough chills.

Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be cutting the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze. Use a sharp knife to cut out 16 rectangles that are roughly 1 1/2 by 2 inches. The cookies will spread as they bake, so place them at least 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.

Press two eyeball sprinkles into the bottom third of each cookie and press a heart-shaped sprinkle on each side of the cookie to look like neck bolts.

Step 3: Bake and Decorate the Frankenstein Cookies

Bake one tray at a time for 15-17 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly. Then place the pan on a wire rack and let the cookies cool fully on the pan.

Once the cookies have fully cooled, microwave the dark chocolate in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.

Pour the melted dark chocolate into a small piping bag and cut a very small opening at the base of the bag. Pipe a small mouth and a row of stitches onto each cookie. Then snip the opening in the bag slightly larger and pipe the hair onto each cookie. Let the chocolate set, then enjoy!

Frankenstein Cookie Ingredients and Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour – Gluten-free baking flour can be used in place of the AP flour in this recipe if needed.
• Matcha powder – This gives the cookies a natural green color and a subtle, earthy flavor. If you don’t like the flavor of matcha, replace it with 1 Tbsp of flour when making the dough, and use green food coloring to make the dough green.
• Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar keeps the shortbread cookies tender and gives them that classic melt-in-your-mouth texture. I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of sugar, as it will change the texture and spread of the cookies.
• Dark chocolate – Melted dark chocolate is used to add the hair, mouth, and stitches to these cookies. You can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate if you prefer or if that’s what you have on hand.
• Candy eyes and white heart sprinkles – If you don’t have these on hand, you can get creative and use whatever you have! Fondant would work too, or you could use white chocolate chips flipped upside down for the eyes.

Making These Shortbread Cookies in Advance

These cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container! When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen cookies, place them in the fridge overnight to let them thaw gradually and enjoy them the following day.

Doubling this Recipe

This recipe makes about 16 cookies. If you want to halve or double this recipe, go for it! Simply adjust the ingredients and follow the directions in the recipe card.

How To Make the Best Frankenstein Cookies

• Make sure the butter is softened. It helps them mix together better and will give the cookies a smoother texture.
• Properly measure the flour! I like to use a scale, but the fluff and level method works great too.
• Use a sharp knife to get clean slices of shortbread. Be sure to wipe the blade as needed after each cut.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this Frankenstein cookie recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets if you share on social media! I love seeing your delicious creations.

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