Description
Celebrate Halloween with these delightful Best Witch Hat Halloween Cookies. These festive cookies feature a soft, peanut butter-infused base tinted with purple gel food coloring, coated in spooky sprinkles, and topped with classic chocolate kisses to resemble witch hats. Perfect for parties and trick-or-treaters, these cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat.
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 the Baking Equipment and Dry Ingredients: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Make the Wet Cookie Dough Base: In another large bowl, cream 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup white sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 large egg until fully incorporated. Add 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients and Add Coloring: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a uniform dough forms. Gradually add purple gel food coloring, mixing thoroughly by hand to ensure an even purple color without streaks.
- Portion, Chill, and Prepare for Baking: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough into mounds and place them close together (not touching) on the parchment-lined sheet tray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture to prevent spreading during baking.
- Coat, Bake, and Decorate the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line new sheet trays with parchment paper. Pour Halloween sprinkles or purple sanding sugar into a small bowl. Roll each chilled dough mound into a smooth ball, then roll it in the sprinkles or sanding sugar. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on prepared trays. Bake for 9–11 minutes until cookies puff up and begin to crack, slightly underbaking for a soft center.
- Add Chocolate Kisses and Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the tray for 5 minutes. While warm, gently press an unwrapped chocolate kiss or Hug candy into the center of each cookie so 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 finish cooling completely before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for cookies to bake thick and prevent spreading.
- Undercooking slightly ensures a soft interior as cookies continue to set while cooling.
- You can substitute peanut butter with another nut butter if needed, but this will alter the flavor and texture slightly.
- Use fresh purple gel food coloring for vibrant, even coloring.
- Freezing the cookies immediately after adding chocolates prevents melting and keeps the hat shape intact.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Halloween cookies, witch hat cookies, peanut butter cookies, festive Halloween treats, chocolate kiss cookies
