Introduction

These Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies bring festive fun to your holiday baking. Soft, peanut buttery purple cookies topped with a chocolate kiss and sprinkles create the perfect spooky treat for any Halloween celebration.

The image shows a close-up of a purple cookie with a cracked texture, topped with a pile of small round sprinkles in orange, green, and purple colors. In the center of the cookie, there is a striped cone-shaped chocolate piece with alternating dark brown and white swirls. The cookie is placed on a white marbled surface with other similar cookies blurred in the background, all sharing the same decoration style. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

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
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
Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar (for decorating)
33 chocolate kisses or Hugs candies, unwrapped

Instructions

Step 1: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Step 2: In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Then add peanut butter and vanilla extract, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Gradually add the dry ingredients from Step 1 to the wet mixture and stir until a uniform dough forms. Blend in purple gel food coloring a little at a time, mixing thoroughly by hand to ensure even color.
Step 4: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough into mounds and place them close but not touching on the prepared tray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line new sheet trays with parchment paper. Place sprinkles or sanding sugar in a small bowl.
Step 6: Roll each chilled dough mound into a smooth ball, then roll in sprinkles or sanding sugar to coat completely. Arrange on prepared trays, spacing 2 inches apart.
Step 7: Bake for 9–11 minutes until cookies are puffed and starting to crack. They should be slightly underbaked for a soft center as they will firm up while cooling.
Step 8: Let cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes. While warm, gently press a chocolate kiss or Hug candy into the center of each cookie until it sticks.
Step 9: Immediately transfer the tray to the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent chocolate from melting. After chilling, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat baking with remaining dough.

Tips & Variations

For a nut-free version, substitute creamy sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter with the same quantity.
Adjust the intensity of the purple gel food coloring gradually to get your preferred shade without overpowering the dough.
Use Halloween-themed sprinkles or colored sugar to customize the cookie decoration to your taste.
Chilling the dough overnight improves texture and flavor, so plan ahead if possible.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep the chocolate kisses from melting or sticking, separate layers with parchment paper. For longer storage, freeze cookies in a sealed container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

How to Serve

A close-up image of a purple cookie held by a woman's hand, with a bite taken out to show its soft and crumbly texture inside. The cookie is coated with purple sugar crystals and topped with a small chocolate piece shaped like a witch's hat, decorated with white stripes. Around the base of the hat, there is a ring of tiny colorful sprinkles in green, orange, black, and purple. In the blurry background, more similar cookies are stacked on a baking tray on a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use a different type of nut butter?

Yes, smooth almond or cashew butter can be used as substitutes, but texture and flavor will vary slightly. For a nut-free option, try sunflower seed butter.

Why do I need to chill the dough before baking?

Chilling firms the dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It also helps develop better flavor and texture, resulting in thicker, softer cookies.

Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 100 reviews

These Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies combine classic peanut butter cookies with festive purple coloring and a chocolate kiss on top, making them a perfect treat for Halloween celebrations. The chewy, soft cookies are decorated with Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar for a spooky and colorful touch.

Author: zara
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: Approximately 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, as needed

For decorating:

Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar
33 chocolate kisses or Hugs candies, unwrapped

Instructions

Prepare dry ingredients: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly combined.
Cream butter and sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream softened unsalted butter and white sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the large egg until fully incorporated, then add smooth peanut butter and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Combine dough and color: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until a uniform dough forms. Incorporate purple gel food coloring gradually until the dough reaches the desired shade, finishing by hand to remove streaks.
Chill the dough: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough into mounds and arrange on the prepared sheet tray, close but not touching. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight to ensure thick, well-shaped cookies.
Preheat oven and prep trays: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line new sheet trays with parchment paper. Place Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar in a small bowl.
Shape and coat dough balls: Roll chilled dough mounds into smooth balls, then roll each in sprinkles or sugar to coat. Arrange balls on prepared trays, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies: Bake for 9–11 minutes until cookies are puffed and beginning to crack. Slight underbaking is recommended for a soft interior as cookies continue setting on cooling.
Add chocolate hats: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While warm, press a chocolate kiss or Hug into the center of each cookie until it sticks.
Cool in freezer: Immediately transfer the tray to the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent chocolate from melting due to residual heat. After chilling, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling while baking remaining dough.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to prevent cookies from spreading and to ensure a thick, chewy texture.
Slightly underbaking helps keep the cookie interior soft as they continue to set while cooling.
The purple gel food coloring can be adjusted to reach your preferred intensity without affecting the dough texture.
Freezing the cookies immediately after adding chocolate prevents the candy from melting and maintains the distinct witch hat shape.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: Halloween cookies, peanut butter cookies, witch hat cookies, chocolate kiss cookies, festive cookies, holiday baking