These easy Witch Hat Cookies are a cake mix cookie topped with fluffy frosting and Hershey’s Kisses to mimic the look of a witch’s hat.
This Halloween cookie recipe is great for Halloween parties, after-dinner desserts, treats for school parties, or make and take to a friend for the perfect treat.
I’m a sucker for easy desserts that offer a fun and playful vibe and these adorable Witch Hat Cookies recipe take no time to whip up.
I do have a lot of other fun Halloween cookies and more spooky treats! These spider cookies are made with yummy chocolate red velvet. Or serve up these candy corn cookies or vampire teeth cookies which are so much fun for the kids.
And don’t miss these bakery style Halloween chocolate cookies that are loaded with Halloween sprinkles!
Why You’ll Love These Witch Hat Cookies
- These witch cookies start with a boxed cake mix. It is a fun treat that only needs minimal ingredients.
- The witch hats are a Hershey Kiss and they are delicious paired with these colorful cookies.
- An easy recipe that little hands will love to help make and decorate.
- Great for your next Halloween party to add a pop of color to your dessert table.
- Even if you are not big into decorating these are easy to make and decorate! The perfect Halloween treat for beginners in the kitchen.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
- Large Bowl
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Baking Sheet
- Wire Rack
- Piping Bag and Tip or Ziploc Bag
- Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
CAKE MIX: I used a white cake mix as the base of these cookies. That way I could add food coloring to create that vibrant purple cookie.
OIL: Canola or vegetable oil are both great options for this recipe. It is going to help add moisture to the cookies.
EGGS: Eggs act as the binder. I do recommend using room-temperature eggs.
PURPLE FOOD COLORING: To color the cake mix cookie dough. Here’s a good vibrant purple gel dye on Amazon.
FROSTING: You’ll want to use a purple frosting to pipe on the cookies. You can either buy purple frosting or use a white frosting and add purple food coloring. Gel food coloring works best for brighter colors. Grab purple vanilla frosting here on Amazon.
HERSHEY KISSES: The kiss is the top of the witch’s hat, it is my favorite part. The frosting sticks to the bottom of the Hershey kiss to hold it in place.
HALLOWEEN SPRINKLES: Use any sprinkles that are Halloween-themed. I’m using these Halloween sprinkles called nonpareils from Amazon.
How to Make Witch Hat Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cake mix, oil, and eggs to a large bowl, and stir until a dough forms.
Add the food coloring, and stir until the color is a well-blended vibrant purple.
Use a cookie scoop to drop dough onto the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven).
HELPFUL TIP: When the cookies turn lightly golden on the edges. Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean (no wet cookie dough), they’re done.
Remove cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, until completely cooled.
Use a butter knife to add a small amount of frosting to the center of each cookie, then press a Hershey’s Kiss into the frosting.
Sprinkle the exposed frosting with nonpareils sprinkles.
Recipe Tips
- Careful not to over-mix the cookie dough as it can make it dense and heavy.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can put the frosting in a Ziploc plastic bag and cut the corner of the bag to pipe the frosting in the center of the cookies.
- Ensure the cookies are fully cooled before you frost and decorate.
- Any Halloween festive sprinkles work for adding to the cookies. Get little ghouls, bats, or round colorful sprinkles.
Variations / Substitutions
- Make witch hat cookies with different types of cookies: chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, or any other flavor of cookie you prefer.
- You can opt for store-bought cookies if you don’t want to make homemade cookies. Fudge stripe cookies and Oreo cookies work great. Just add frosting and chocolate kisses to create the witch hat.
- Use your favorite homemade frosting.
- Make different color cookies! Use orange food coloring or green food coloring instead of purple in your cookie dough.
- Any fun color works for decorating the top of the cookie. A bright orange frosting would be really cute with these purple witch hat cookies.
- Mix in chocolate chips to the cookie dough for added sweetness in the cookies.
Can I Use Any Flavor of Cake Mix for Cookies?
Yes, any flavor of cake mix that is light in color will work for these festive treats. A white or yellow cake mix are easiest to color.
You can even use a chocolate cake mix, just don’t add any food coloring for a brown witch hat cookie.
Can I Make Gluten Free Cookies?
Absolutely! Use a gluten-free cake mix or use any gluten-free cookie recipe for the base of this dessert. Bake cookies as directed on the box or recipe you are following.
Then once the cookies are fully cooled, you can decorate the rest of the cookies by following the above witch hat cookie decorating steps.
By the way, milk chocolate Hershey Kisses and nonpareils are gluten free!
How to Keep My Cookies From Turning Out Dry?
Over baking cookies is the number one reason cookies turn out dry.
You’ll need to watch and make sure the cookies do not overbake in the oven. Use this recipe cooking time as a guide and start checking your cookies at the 6-7 minute mark.
The other cause for dry cookies is over-mixing the dough. This can make the cookies feel dense and turn out dry.
How to Store Leftovers
Store these witch hat cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. This is one cookie you will not want to stack, as it will mess up the top of the cookies.
These cookies will store well for 3-4 days at room temperature in a cool place.
Now, you can also freeze the cookies. Place in a freezer container and freeze the cookies for 2-3 months. Then let thaw to room temperature on the counter. These witch hat cookies are a great recipe for freezing and snacking on later.
More Halloween Recipes to Love
Maple Cinnamon Halloween Mummy Cookies
Halloween Chocolate Covered Oreos
Monster Oreo Balls (great no-bake treat)
These Witch Hat Cookies are easy Halloween treats and one of my favorite cookies to serve for Halloween festivities.
Happy Halloween!