These witch hat cookies are peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar. It is topped with chocolate ganache, buttercream colored in the Harry Potter house colors, and topped with a Hershey Kiss.
These witch hat cookies are as delicious as they are cute. They look like little witch hats straight out of Harry Potter. They are the perfect treat for Halloween parties. The peanut butter cookies make the perfect base of the hat because they go so well with the ganache and Hershey's kisses on top. The colorful homemade frosting will be a great touch for Harry Potter fans as they get to choose their house! I hope you love these fun Halloween cookies as much as I do!
For other peanut butter cookie recipes, try Reese's Cup Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, and Banana Peanut Butter Cookies.
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Why This Halloween Cookie Recipe Works
- Easy Recipe- These easy witch hat cookies are very simple to make and decorate. They make easy Halloween treats when you already have a busy day planned.
- Peanut butter cookies- These peanut butter cookies are delicious and pair perfectly with the melted chocolate and chocolate kisses on top.
- Cute treats- These adorable witch hat cookies are so much fun as festive treats for you next Halloween party.
Ingredient Notes for Witches Hat Cookies
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Melt this before you need it so it has time to cool down.
- Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar for this, but dark brown sugar will work as well.
- Eggs- Pull these out 2 hours before baking to get room temperature ingredients.
- Peanut butter- Use creamy peanut butter not crunchy peanut butter so it will mix in smoothly. I do not recommend natural peanut butter as the texture can vary.
- Chocolate chips- I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. I do not recommend milk chocolate chips as they will be too sweet.
- Halloween sprinkles- You can use any festive sprinkles you like, but I used these sprinkles.
- Food coloring- I recommend a high quality food coloring, especially a gel food coloring, as you can use less and avoid that food coloring taste.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dairy free- You can use your favorite dairy free options for this recipe!
- Gluten free- I haven't tested this gluten free. Let me know if you do.
Step By Step Instructions - Peanut Butter Cookies
Here is how to make witch hat cookies.
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. Mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
STEP 2: Beat butter and sugar. Use a mixer and a separate bowl to beat the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and peanut butter on high speed for 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Wet ingredients. Add the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk to the butter mixture. Mix it on medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
STEP 4: Combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
STEP 5: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Meanwhile, let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
STEP 6: Scoop. Pour the sugar into a small bowl. Then, use a small cookie scoop (1oz or 1TBSP) to scoop the dough. Roll each cookie dough ball in the sugar. Place 12 cookie balls per cookie sheet.
STEP 7: Bake cookies. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 9-10 minutes. They are done when the edges are lightly golden brown.
STEP 8: Cool. Let the cookies cool on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step By Step Instructions - Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache
Here is how to make the buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache for decorating the witch hat cookies.
STEP 1: Beat butter and add sugar. Use a mixer to beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Then, add the sifted powdered sugar and mix it on low until just combined.
STEP 2: Vanilla and salt. Add the vanilla and salt to the frosting and mix on high speed until it is creamy.
STEP 3: Color frosting. Separate the frosting into 4 bowls and mix food dye into each to make red, yellow, green, and blue. Place them into piping bags.
STEP 4: Heat cream. Pour the chocolate chips for the ganache into a bowl. Put the heavy cream in a saucepan and heat it on medium-low until it is steaming.
STEP 5: Melt ganache. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then, stir it until you have a smooth ganache. If there are chunks heat it for 15 seconds in the microwave and stir until they melt.
STEP 6: Ganache on cookies. Use a 1 teaspoon scoop to place a dollop of ganache on top of each cookie in the center. Spread it slightly, but not to the edges.
STEP 7: Set ganache. Freeze the cookies for 10 minutes to set the ganache.
STEP 8: Pipe and top. Use a piping bag to pipe a double layer circle of frosting on top of the cookie slightly larger than a Hershey kiss. Place the Hershey's kisses in the center of each cookie and put Halloween sprinkles on top.
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure your flour- Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled. If you stick the measuring cup directly into the flour, it will compact the flour giving you too much flour. Compacted flour can cause the cookies to not spread.
- If the cookies are spreading too much, make sure you are using parchment paper on the ungreased cookie sheets. If they are still spreading too much this could be the butter was too warm before adding the ingredients. If it still spreads too much, you chill the cookie dough balls for 10-15 minutes.
- If you live at high altitude, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour. This will help with the spread.
- The cookies should be slightly underdone at first, because they will continue to cook as they cool. This helps to make sure they have a chewy center.
FAQ
No, these cookies cannot be made larger bakery style cookies. If they are made larger they will spread too much and become too large for the Hershey kisses to be the top of the hat as designed.
Yes they can! Store the cookie dough balls after rolling in sugar in an airtight container or use plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for 30 days. Let the cookie dough balls thaw before baking.
Yes you can. However, I recommend making them into cookie dough balls first before chilling overnight. Wrap them in plastic wrap. Make sure they come to room temperature before baking.
Recipe Variations
- Classic witch- If you do not want the Harry Potter house theme you can do an white, black, or orange food coloring in the frosting.
- No frosting- To save time you can skip the frosting entirely and simply place the Hershey's kiss before the ganache sets.
Special Tools
- Parchment paper: I use premade sheets of parchment paper vs the roll of parchment paper. It makes baking a lot easier!
- Offset spatula: I use this to easily spread the frosting or fillings.
- Piping bags: I like these 18- inch piping bags since they hold more.
- Piping tip: I love this Wilton 1M to pipe frosting.
- Small cookie scoop: I love this Wilton cookie scoop.
Storing and Freezing
Store the witch hat cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container such as a zip lock bag up to 5 days.
Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container, such as a freezer bag, and freeze up to 30 days. Thaw for 1-2 hours before eating.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Try these fall recipes too!
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Witch Hat Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1 â…“ cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- ¼ cup White granulated sugar
- ½ cup Peanut butter creamy
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 Large egg room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk room temperature
- â…“ cup White granulated sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
Buttercream
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Red, yellow, green, and blue food dye
- Halloween sprinkles optional
- 18 Hershey's Kiss
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 ⅓ cups All-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Using a mixer in a separate bowl, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and peanut butter on high speed for 2 minutes.½ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Brown sugar, ¼ cup White granulated sugar, ½ cup Peanut butter
- Add in the the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Mix on medium until combined. Scrape the bowl using a rubber spatula.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 Large egg, 1 Egg yolk
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough sit for 10 minutes before scooping.
- Pour the sugar into a bowl. Use a small cookie scoop (1 oz or 1 Tablespoon) to scoop the dough. Roll each cookie dough in the sugar. Place 12 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet.â…“ cup White granulated sugar
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Bake until the edges are light golden.
- Let the cookies sit on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Buttercream
- Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Add in the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low until just combined.¾ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Powdered sugar
- Add in the vanilla and pinch of salt and mix on high speed until creamy.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
- Separate the buttercream into 4 bowls. Color each bowl, red, yellow, green, blue.Red, yellow, green, and blue food dye
- Place each colored buttercream into a piping bag.
Chocolate Ganache
- Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan/frying pan. Heat on medium-low until hot and steaming.½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup Heavy cream
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Then, stir until smooth. If any chocolate chunks remain, heat for 15 seconds in the microwave until melted.
- Use a 1 teaspoon to pour 1 dollop on top of the cookie. Spread the chocolate slightly. It shouldn't be near the edge. Do this to all the cookies.
- Freeze for 10 minutes. Pipe a circle around the center of the cookie using the buttercream. It should be a double circle layer and be a bit bigger than a Kiss. Top with a Hershey's Kiss and sprinkle the Halloween sprinkles on top.Halloween sprinkles, 18 Hershey's Kiss
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