Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies

I was well into my thirties before I realized that Halloween cookies didn’t have to come from a plastic container at the grocery store. Growing up, my mom was always too busy with our costumes to bother with homemade treats.

But these witch hat cookies changed everything for me. They look fancy enough to impress the other parents, but they’re actually pretty simple to make. The best part? You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now.

What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?

For these witch hat cookies, you’ll want to stick with creamy peanut butter rather than crunchy since it blends better into the cookie dough and creates a smoother texture. Any major brand like Jif, Skippy, or store brands will work perfectly fine – just make sure it’s the regular kind and not the natural variety that separates. Natural peanut butter can make your cookies spread too much or have an uneven texture because of the oil separation. If you only have natural peanut butter on hand, give it a really good stir first to make sure the oils are fully incorporated before measuring it out.

Options for Substitutions

These spooky cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can change up:

• Creamy peanut butter: You can use crunchy peanut butter if that’s what you have, or swap it entirely for almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Just make sure it’s the same consistency – not the natural kind that separates.
• Purple gel food coloring: Regular liquid food coloring works too, but you’ll need more of it and it might make your dough a bit softer. You can also skip the coloring altogether for plain cookies, or use orange for a different Halloween vibe.
• Chocolate kisses: Hershey’s Hugs work great, or you can use any small chocolate candies like mini chocolate chips or even candy corn for extra Halloween fun.
• All-purpose flour: Don’t substitute this one – all-purpose flour is really important for getting the right cookie texture and shape for these witch hats.
• Halloween sprinkles: Any colored sprinkles or sanding sugar will work. Orange, black, or even regular rainbow sprinkles can make these cookies festive.
• Cornstarch: If you’re out of cornstarch, you can skip it, but your cookies might spread a bit more during baking.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making these witch hat cookies is not chilling the dough long enough, which leads to cookies that spread too much and lose their shape – aim for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before rolling into balls.

Another common error is adding too much gel food coloring at once, so start with just a tiny drop and gradually add more until you reach your desired purple shade, as gel coloring is much stronger than liquid.

Don’t press the chocolate kisses into the cookies right when they come out of the oven, as they’ll melt completely – instead, wait about 2-3 minutes for the cookies to set slightly, then gently press each kiss into the center.

For the best results, make sure your peanut butter is at room temperature and well-mixed before adding it to the dough, and unwrap all your chocolate kisses ahead of time so you can work quickly while the cookies are still warm.

What to Serve With Witch Hat Halloween Cookies?

These spooky cookies are perfect for Halloween parties alongside other themed treats like pumpkin cupcakes, candy corn, or chocolate spider brownies. I love setting up a whole Halloween dessert table where kids can grab these cookies along with some apple cider or hot chocolate to wash them down. They also make great additions to trick-or-treat bags or school Halloween parties since they’re easy to grab and go. For a fun twist, try serving them with vanilla ice cream for a sweet Halloween sundae that both kids and adults will enjoy.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Store your witch hat cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Layer them between sheets of parchment paper to prevent the chocolate kisses from getting damaged or the sprinkles from rubbing off onto other cookies.

Freeze: These cookies freeze really well for up to 3 months! Just make sure they’re completely cooled first, then place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. The chocolate kisses hold up great in the freezer too.

Make Ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, just let the dough come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling and shaping. Press the chocolate kisses on while the cookies are still warm from the oven for the best stick.

 

Preparation Time	15-30 minutes
Cooking Time	10-15 minutes
Total Time	135-180 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2650-2850
• Protein: 38-44 g
• Fat: 120-135 g
• Carbohydrates: 350-370 g

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temperature for easier creaming)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Purple gel food coloring (a few drops creates vibrant color)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (natural or conventional, both work well)

For decorating:

• 33 chocolate kisses or hugs candies, unwrapped (for the hat crown)
• Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar (for the hat brim)

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Line your baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

This dry mixture is your foundation, so make sure everything is evenly distributed.

I like to whisk these ingredients rather than just stirring them together because it aerates the flour slightly and ensures the leavening agents are distributed evenly throughout.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar, Then Build the Dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Purple gel food coloring
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy—this incorporates air and creates a better texture in the final cookies.

Add the room-temperature egg and mix well, then add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, stirring until everything is fully combined and smooth.

Pour in the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 and stir until a dough just begins to form, then add the purple gel food coloring and mix until you have an even purple color throughout the dough.

Step 3: Portion and Chill the Dough

• purple dough from Step 2

Scoop the dough from Step 2 into 1-tablespoon-sized mounds directly onto your lined baking trays, spacing them a few inches apart.

Cover the trays with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time.

Chilling the dough makes it easier to shape and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Step 4: Shape, Decorate, and Bake the Cookies

• chilled dough mounds from Step 3
• Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll each mound into a smooth ball, then roll each ball in the Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar to coat the outside—this creates the “brim” of the witch hat.

Place the coated balls 2 inches apart on fresh parchment-lined baking trays and bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight give when you touch them gently.

Step 5: Add the Chocolate Kiss Crown and Cool

• baked cookies from Step 4
• 33 chocolate kisses or hugs candies, unwrapped

Remove the baked cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking tray for about 5 minutes—they’ll continue to set slightly during this time.

While the cookies are still warm, press one unwrapped chocolate kiss firmly into the center of each cookie, which will soften slightly and adhere to the warm cookie, creating the “crown” of the witch hat.

I find that waiting just those 5 minutes is crucial because if the cookies are too hot, the chocolate melts too much, but if they’re too cool, the kiss won’t stick properly.

Step 6: Final Cooling

• cookies with chocolate kisses from Step 5

Place the entire baking tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate kisses and ensure the cookies hold their shape.

Transfer the cooled cookies to a wire cooling rack and let them come to room temperature before serving or storing.