Vampire Bite Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Buttery sugar cookies decorated with striking red icing and bite marks for a festive touch.

# What You Need:

→ Sugar Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Red Blood Icing

08 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
10 - 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
11 - Red gel food coloring

→ Decoration

12 - Black or dark red gel icing, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed until a soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions, roll into balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Flatten slightly with your palm.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are just golden. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Use a straw or the end of a chopstick to gently poke two bite marks near the edge of each cooled cookie.
09 - In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk (adding gradually), corn syrup, and red food coloring until a thick but pipeable consistency is achieved.
10 - Using a toothpick or small piping bag, fill the bite marks with red icing, allowing it to drip slightly for a realistic blood effect. Optionally, pipe a small trail of red icing from the bites.
11 - Add detail with black or dark red gel icing if desired. Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is ridiculously forgiving and comes together in minutes, so even if you're a beginner baker you'll feel like a pro.
  • Once you nail the vampire bite effect, everyone assumes you spent hours on these when really you just needed a straw and some red icing.
  • These actually taste incredible on their own—the decorating is just the fun part that makes them Instagram-worthy.
02 -
  • If your kitchen runs warm, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking—warm dough spreads too thin and your cookies become wafers instead of the tender little rounds you're after.
  • The corn syrup in the icing is what makes the blood look genuinely menacing and shiny instead of matte and dull, so don't skip it thinking it's optional.
03 -
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid—it's more concentrated so your icing stays the right consistency instead of getting watery and runny.
  • If your piping bag is being difficult, a small ziplock bag with one corner snipped off works perfectly and costs nothing.
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