Erin’s Recipe Rundown
These cookies are just as fun to make as they are to eat! When I want to bake something festive but simple for Halloween, this recipe is always my go-to.
My kids love to help make them, and it’s quickly become a family tradition we all look forward to. They bake up so soft and chewy, no one ever guesses they’re gluten-free!
Why you’ll love it: These cookies are soft in the center, with slightly crisp edges and a perfect Nutella-chocolate combo. They’re fun to make with kids and great for Halloween parties!
Top tip: Freeze the Kiss candies before baking! Pressing them into warm cookies while still frozen helps them keep a perfect witch hat shape.
You might also like these other Halloween recipes: gluten-free Halloween cookies, healthy Halloween snacks, easy Halloween snack mix, and Halloween fruit salad.
xoxo erin
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free Nutella witch hat cookies. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: Use a high-quality measure-for-measure gluten-free blend like King Arthur give these cookies the perfect soft, chewy texture.
- Cocoa powder: You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder for a classic chocolate flavor, or Dutch-process cocoa for a deeper, richer taste.
- Butter: Room-temperature butter is essential for creaming smoothly with the Nutella and sugars. This creates the perfect soft, fudgy texture!
- Chocolate Kisses: Freeze the Kisses before baking so they hold their shape when pressed into the warm cookies.
How to Make Gluten-Free Nutella Witch Hat Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make gluten-free Nutella witch hat cookies. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until no clumps remain.
Cream the butter and Nutella: Beat the butter and Nutella together until the mixture looks light and fluffy—this helps create a soft and tender cookie crumb!
Add the sugars: Mix in both sugars until the dough looks creamy and slightly lighter in color.
Finish the dough: Add the egg and vanilla, then slowly mix in the dry ingredients until a thick dough forms. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl and feel soft but not sticky.
Shape and bake: Form dough balls no bigger than about a tablespoon. (Any bigger and the chocolate Kiss will look too small for the cookie!) If you’d like, coat them in sugar for a bit of crunch and a sparkly finish. Bake until the tops just start to crack and the centers are set but still slightly soft.
Top with Kisses: Press a frozen chocolate Kiss into each warm cookie right out of the oven. The chocolate should soften slightly but hold its shape, creating the cute witch hat look! Let them firm up for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Gluten-Free Nutella Witch Hat Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (225g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 3 tablespoons (15g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Other
- ½ cup (150g) Nutella
- ½ cup (113g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (106g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, for rolling, optional
- 36 chocolate Kiss candies unwrapped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and Nutella on medium-high speed for 1 minute until creamy.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until creamed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well-combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well-combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix again until fully incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 20.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Place the unwrapped chocolate Kiss candies in a bowl and set them in the freezer.
- Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, 1 tablespoon per ball, then roll in granulated sugar, if using. (Don’t make them too big or you won’t have the right cookie-to-chocolate ratio.)
- Place on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops begin to slightly crack.
- Remove from the oven and immediately press a frozen chocolate Kiss candy into each cookie.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Absolutely loved. Made this with my 7yr old daughter. Her first from scratch cookies. She helped with all steps, from measuring ingredients to rolling them in sugar etc. We got 32 cookies, so 4 less that the recipes suggests but we were close! We followed the directions as written. We put two trays in the oven at a time and switched positions half way through. I’m a nervous baker so we did the 12 minutes since this was the first time making them. They were a slightly crunchy chewy texture. I’d say if you want full chewy to go with the 10-11 minute mark. Definitely would make again. Thank you for sharing!!
Yay! Thank you for such amazing feedback, Tiffany! We’re so happy to hear that both you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe so much. Happy baking!