Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies Recipe
These Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for the spooky season. With a soft, peanut butter-infused cookie dough dyed purple and topped with Halloween sprinkles and candy chocolate kisses, they are sure to delight kids and adults alike. The recipe includes chilling the dough for thick, chewy cookies and a simple decorating technique that results in charming witch hat shapes perfect for Halloween parties and trick-or-treat celebrations.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 33 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough:
- 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
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Purple gel food coloring
For Decorating:
- Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar
- 33 chocolate kisses or Hugs candies, unwrapped
Instructions
- Prepare the Baking Equipment and Dry Ingredients: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until combined. Set aside for later use.
- Make the Wet Cookie Dough Base: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter and white sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the large egg until fully incorporated. Then, add the smooth peanut butter and vanilla extract, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients and Add Coloring: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until a uniform dough forms. Gradually add purple gel food coloring, mixing well to achieve an even purple color with no streaks.
- Portion, Chill, and Prepare for Baking: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into mounds and arrange on the prepared parchment-lined sheet tray, spacing them close but not touching. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture to prevent spreading during baking.
- Coat, Bake, and Decorate the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar in a small bowl. Roll each chilled dough mound into a smooth ball, then roll in sprinkles or sugar until fully coated. Arrange coated balls on new parchment-lined trays spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes until puffed and beginning to crack but slightly underbaked for a soft interior.
- Add Chocolate Kisses and Cool: Let cookies cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes. While still warm, gently press a chocolate kiss or Hugs candy into the center of each cookie until it sticks. Immediately transfer the tray to the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate without melting. After chilling, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely while baking remaining dough.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to achieve thick, chewy cookies.
- Underbaking slightly keeps the cookies soft inside as they firm up while cooling.
- Use purple gel food coloring gradually to reach the desired shade without altering dough consistency.
- Freezing the cookies after adding the chocolate kiss helps preserve the candy shape and prevents melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Keywords: Halloween cookies, witch hat cookies, peanut butter cookies, festive cookies, purple cookies, chocolate kiss cookies, holiday baking
