These Spooky Witch Finger Cookies look so realistic! They are shortbread cookies decorated with sliced almonds for the fingernails, ground cinnamon, and food coloring or jam for the dirty/bloody effect. You will love how easy and fun these cookies are and they will be hit at your Halloween party.
Halloween baking is so much fun! We start celebrating at the end of September, and the kids love this holiday so much. My niece Sophie is the biggest fan and loves helping me bake cookies. We make everything from these spooky Halloween Witch Finger Cookies, to Hocus Pocus Cookies, Jack Skellington cookies, and we recently started making these fun Halloween Pinwheel Cookies!
These cookies may look not so appetizing, but they’re creepy and absolutely delicious! They might also look as if they’re difficult to make, but they’re actually quite easy. And kids can help you make them (recommended age 4+). The cookies have a shortbread texture, they’re flavored with almond extract, and a touch of ground cinnamon, and the almond halves also give these cookies a nice crunch and flavor.
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt: The basic dry ingredients in many cookie recipes are all here. These make up the bulk of the dough and give it a bit of flavor and rise.
- Butter and Powdered Sugar: You will cream these two together to get the cookie dough started. Use unsalted butter, and be sure that it’s softened to room temperature before you start.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for one large egg that’s kept at room temperature. If your store eggs in the fridge, take one out about 20-30 minutes before you start making the cookies. It will incorporate in the cookie dough much better when it’s brought to room temp.
- Vanilla and Almond Extracts: A good quality pure vanilla extract is a must for delicious cookies, and almond extracts give these cookies extra flavor. You can use one extract, but I like to use both for a distinct flavor.
- Almonds, Cinnamon, and Food Coloring: These are used to decorate the cookies and make them look “realistic”. You need blanched/peeled almonds, you can use raw or roasted. And some ground cinnamon that will rubbed after baking. For the red color effect, I used gel food coloring, but you can use jam if you prefer.
How To Make Witch Finger Cookies
- Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, using a hand or a stand mixer beat the butter with the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix again until smooth.
- Combine: Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat silicone mat.
- Shape: Remove the cookie dough from the fridge, and using a small 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough into balls. Then using your hands shape them into 3-inch cylinders and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Press the top of each cylinder with an almond half, then using a butter knife create small indents to make the finger look real.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie is slightly browned. Remove and allow to cool down on a wire rack.
- Decorate: Rub a little bit of ground cinnamon onto each finger cookie, and brush with food coloring if desired. Raspberry or strawberry can also be used.
Top Tips
Change it up! These cookies are loaded with peanut butter, oats, M&M’s, and chocolate chips. Want to add more good stuff? Why not! Add roasted peanuts, Reese’s pieces, raisins, butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or whatever your heart desires.
Size. I use a medium cookie scoop to make 20 cookies in total, if you use a small cookie scoop you will get 32 small cookies. Or use a large cookie scoop to make monster size cookies!
Don’t Overbake. These monster cookies are meant to be soft and chewy at the same time. If you overbake them, they can turn crispy and hard and that’s not what we’re looking for. So keep an eye on the cookies as they bake, they are ready when they are barely set in the center.
Recipe FAQs
Simply add a few drops of green food coloring to the cookie dough. I recommend using gel food coloring for a vibrant color.
Witch finger cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If you’re using jam, then I recommend either storing them in the fridge or you can store them at room temp for 3 days.
These spooky Witch Finger Cookies are going to be everyone’s favorite treat this year! Be sure to pin the recipe for later!
Witch Finger Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
For Decoration
- ½ cup almond halves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- Red food coloring optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, using a hand or a stand mixer beat the butter with the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix again until smooth.
- Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat silicone mat.
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge, and using a small 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough into balls. Then using your hands shape them into 3-inch cylinders and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Press the top of each cylinder with an almond half, then using a butter knife create small indents to make the finger look real.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie is slightly browned. Remove and allow to cool down on a wire rack.
- Rub a little bit of ground cinnamon onto each finger cookie, and brush with food coloring if desired. Raspberry or strawberry can also be used.
Notes
- Storing: Witch finger cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If you’re using jam, then I recommend either storing them in the fridge or you can store them at room temp for 3 days.
- Freezing: These cookies can be frozen baked for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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This recipe was first shared on our sister blog, littlesunnykitchen.com in October 2015.
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