If you’re looking to add a little spooktacular fun to your baking this season, I can’t wait to share my absolute favorite Witch Hat Cookies Recipe with you! These charming little treats bring together a luscious peanut butter cookie base tinted in vibrant purple and topped with a perfectly placed Hershey’s Hug or Kiss, secured with festive sprinkles that make every bite an enchanting experience. They’re just the right balance of soft, sweet, and delightfully crunchy around the edges, perfect for Halloween parties or anytime you want to conjure up a magical dessert that’ll impress your friends and family.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Getting started with this Witch Hat Cookies Recipe is a breeze because the ingredients are straightforward yet incredibly important. Each one plays a special role, from lending tenderness and flavor to creating that signature vibrant color and playful texture.
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy foundation for our cookies, giving them just the right chew and structure.
- Cornstarch: Helps keep the cookies tender and silky soft inside.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These little leaveners provide the gentle rise that makes the cookies light and fluffy without being cakey.
- Fine sea salt: Just a pinch to enhance all the flavors and balance the sweetness perfectly.
- Unsalted butter: Softened to creamy perfection, it brings richness and moisture for that melt-in-your-mouth quality.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetness that also helps with the cookie’s chewy texture and light browning during baking.
- Large egg: Binds everything together while contributing to the cookie’s softness.
- Creamy peanut butter: The star flavor that gives these cookies their cozy, nutty warmth and depth.
- Vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla rounds out the flavors with its sweet aromatic notes.
- Purple gel food coloring: Adds that spooky pop of color—feel free to swap in your favorite color to match your theme!
- Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar: For that festive shimmer and crunch that dresses up the cookies.
- Hershey’s Hugs or Kisses, unwrapped: The magical “hat tip” that completes the cookie’s signature look.
How to Make Witch Hat Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Begin by creaming together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about two minutes using an electric mixer. This step is essential because it incorporates air into the mixture, making your cookies light and fluffy. Once smooth and pale, add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, blending everything until you get a creamy, uniform batter – the aroma at this point is simply heavenly!
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Adding the dry ingredients gradually to the wet mixture ensures your dough won’t get lumpy and maintains a perfect consistency for rolling into balls later on. Mix just until combined to keep your cookies tender.
Step 3: Add Color to the Dough
Now comes the fun part – add your purple gel food coloring to the dough and mix thoroughly so the vibrant color is consistent throughout. This step transforms your dough into the eye-catching base for those iconic witch hat shapes. Don’t be shy with the coloring if you want a bold tone!
Step 4: Chill the Dough
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least two hours or overnight. Chilling firms up the dough, making it easier to handle and helping the cookies maintain their shape during baking. Plus, this rest improves the flavor—patience definitely pays off here!
Step 5: Roll in Sprinkles
Once chilled, roll each dough ball in Halloween-themed sprinkles or sanding sugar. This colorful coating adds a delightful crunch and festive flair that truly makes these cookies stand out on any dessert table.
Step 6: Bake the Cookies
Arrange the cookies two inches apart on a lined baking sheet to give them room to puff and crack just right. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until they’re puffed, set, and beginning to crack on top. The smell wafting from your oven now is pure magic!
Step 7: Add the Chocolate “Witch Hats”
Quickly place the warm cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes before attaching an unwrapped Hershey’s Hug or Kiss to each one. This chilling step prevents the chocolate from melting too quickly and allows you to press the chocolate gently into the cookie’s center, creating that signature witch hat shape everyone loves.
How to Serve Witch Hat Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
To elevate your Witch Hat Cookies Recipe, consider adding extra sprinkles around the serving plate or dusting a bit of powdered sugar for an eerie “fog” effect. You can even pipe a little piped icing “band” around the chocolate hats for a finishing touch that looks just like a real witch’s accessory.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with a chilly glass of milk, a rich hot chocolate, or even a spicy chai latte if you want to play up fall flavors. Serving them alongside seasonal fruits or a creamy pumpkin dip can also add delightful contrasts to your Halloween spread.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, arrange the Witch Hat Cookies Recipe on a tiered cake stand surrounded by miniature pumpkins and autumn leaves. You can also thread a hole through the side of the cookie before baking to create edible Halloween garlands or package them in decorative bags with a personalized note to share a little magic.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Witch Hat Cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep them away from direct sunlight or heat to prevent the chocolate hats from melting or the sprinkles from losing their crunch.
Freezing
If you want to prepare these cookies in advance, you can freeze the dough balls after rolling them in sprinkles but before baking. Place them on a tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to your baking time.
Reheating
Reheat your baked Witch Hat Cookies briefly in a low-temperature oven for a few minutes to bring back that fresh-baked warmth and crisp edges. Avoid microwaving, as it can melt the chocolate and soften the sprinkle coating too much.
FAQs
Can I substitute peanut butter for another nut butter?
Absolutely! Feel free to try almond or cashew butter for a different twist, but note it will slightly change the flavor and texture since peanut butter is uniquely creamy and rich.
What if I don’t have gel food coloring?
You can use liquid food coloring, but gel provides more vibrant color without altering dough consistency. If you have only liquid, add it sparingly to avoid making the dough too wet.
How do I make the chocolate stick to the cookies?
The key is to chill the baked cookies in the freezer right after baking, so the chocolate won’t melt immediately. Press the unwrapped chocolate gently onto the center while the cookie is still slightly warm but firm enough to hold it.
Can I make these cookies vegan?
With some ingredient swaps like using vegan butter, a flax egg substitute, and dairy-free chocolate, you can adapt the Witch Hat Cookies Recipe to be vegan-friendly while maintaining great flavor.
What’s the best way to keep the sprinkles on?
Rolling the chilled dough balls in sprinkles before baking is the secret. The sprinkles stick to the dough better when it’s cold, and baking helps “set” them in place for that perfect crunch.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, baking this Witch Hat Cookies Recipe is like inviting a little magic into your kitchen—each step is fun, and the results are absolutely charming. Whether you’re baking for a Halloween bash or just craving a festive treat, these cookies are sure to bring smiles and maybe even a few playful spells to your gathering. I promise, once you try them, they’ll become a beloved favorite you’ll want to make year after year!
Print
Witch Hat Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 33 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Witch Hat Cookies are a fun and festive Halloween treat, featuring a soft peanut butter base dyed purple and topped with Halloween sprinkles and a Hershey’s Hug or Kiss to resemble a witch’s hat. Crispy on the outside and tender inside, they’re perfect for parties or seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional
- Purple gel food coloring (or any color of choice)
- Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar
- 33 Hershey’s Hugs or Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to cream them together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, creamy peanut butter, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt to the wet mixture. Stir carefully until all ingredients are just combined and form a dough.
- Add Color: Add the purple gel food coloring to the dough. Mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the color throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or overnight for easier handling and better texture.
- Decorate Dough Balls: Once chilled, roll the dough into balls. Then roll each ball in Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar to coat the surface.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and just starting to crack on top.
- Freeze to Set: Immediately after baking, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes. This step helps prevent the chocolate kisses or hugs from melting when placed on the warm cookies.
- Finish and Serve: After chilling, press one Hershey’s Hug or Kiss onto each cookie center to create the witch hat look. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- For best results, chill dough overnight to improve texture and prevent spreading during baking.
- You can substitute peanut butter with any nut or seed butter if allergies are a concern, but this will alter flavor and texture.
- Freezing the cookies immediately after baking helps the chocolate candy keep its shape and prevents melting.
- Decorate the dough balls with any Halloween themed sprinkles or colors to customize the look.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
