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Creepy Witch Finger Cookies

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Creepy Witch finger cookies are a perfect Halloween treat.  Because creepy is in on Halloween.
 
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies
 
How can something that tastes this good look so bad?  It’s because the cookie is buttery shortbread.  Butter has a lower than body melting temperature, therefore it melts in your mouth.
 

 
 
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies
If you don’t want to buy red gel, use raspberry jam  as a substitute.
 

Let’s make creepy Halloween treats:

This is an extremely easy recipe.  Not much to it at all.  Gather and measure  all the ingredients.
 
 
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter.  Add powdered sugar.
 
 
 
Add egg, vanilla and vanilla extract
 
Mix until smooth and creamy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.
 
 
Add the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Note:  If by chance you don’t have unsalted butter, lessen the amount of salt from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon.
 
 
Mix until a stiff dough forms.
 
 
 
Add a few drops of green food coloring until you get the green that you want. 
 
 
Place the cookie mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
 
 
Make sure your blanched almonds are ready to go.
 
 
Along with the decorating gel.  You will need this after the cookies have baked.
 
 
After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator.  I’m using an ice cream scoop that is about 1 rounded tablespoon.  Using a scoop will help keep the fingers uniform in size.
 
Scoop out a portion of dough.Roll the dough into the shape of a finger.
 
 
Place a blanched almond on the tip of the finger and press it in slightly.  Shape the tip of the finger around the almond.  Make an indentation where you think a knuckle would be on a witch.
 
 
Using a toothpick or tip of a knife, make lines in the finger to recreate the wrinkles in my finger.
 
 
Place the fingers on a cookie sheet.  I always line my cookie sheets with parchment.
 
 
Place in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until  beginning to lightly brown.

Let’s make the fingers creepy and bloody:

As you can see the cookies spread out a bit.  Let the cookies cool for about 3 minutes.
 
 
Carefully remove the almonds.
 
 
Squeeze a bit of the red gel into the indentation.
 
 
Press the almond back in place and the blood will ooze out around the fingernail.  Gross!  This is Halloween.  Gross is in.
 
 
 

Repeat on the remaining fingers.

 

Creepy Witch Finger Cookies standing in a black bowl

Chubby edible creep Witch finger cookies.  If you have tried this recipe and like it, please rate the recipe below in the comment section after the recipe.  I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Thanks for being patient as I update earlier posts with a few new photo’s and updated SEO.  xoxo
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies standing in bowl
4.35 from 20 votes
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Creepy Witch Finger Cookies

Tender crisp butter cookie shaped witch fingers. Creepy Witch finger cookies are a perfect Halloween treat. How can something that tastes this good look so bad?

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Creepy Witch Fingers
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 28 cookies
Calories 77 kcal
Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar confectionery
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon Almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon salt, if using salted butter
  • 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
  • green food coloring few drops
  • 1 tube red decorator gel

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract; beat in flour, baking powder and salt.  Add a few drops of green food coloring until it reaches your desired green.    Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  2.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for the nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using a paring knife or toothpick, make several places to form knuckle.

  3. Place on lightly greased baking sheets or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. 

  4. Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Let cool. Makes about 28 large cigar size cookies. If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.

Recipe Notes

  • If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.
  • raspberry jam may be used in place of red icing gel.
  • If using salted butter, decrease salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
Nutrition Facts
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies
Amount Per Serving (48 g)
Calories 77 Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value*
Fat 4.5g7%
Saturated Fat 2.5g13%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 79mg3%
Potassium 0mg0%
Carbohydrates 8.2g3%
Fiber 0.03g0%
Sugar 2.5g3%
Protein 1.1g2%
Vitamin A 0IU0%
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 0mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Check out more Halloween treat ideas:

Ghostly Cupcakes

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these fingers to take to my friend’s annual halloween block party. They were a hit. I used a bit less of the green food color which gave the cookies a creepy look. I used sliced almonds rather than whole.
    Best of all I used my mom’s crooked finger as my model.
    Planning on making them again this year.
    I am going to try dusting the joints with cocoa powder as suggested in another comment.

    Reply

  3. We made these and they were a HUGE hit with the Grandkids! They cant wait for me to make More haha
    Everything in the recip worked AMAZING!!! THANK YOU!!!!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is a fun and versatile recipe. I used slivered almonds, and painted some of them with red candy melts and pressed them into red sanding sugar, so they looked like fingers from glamorous witches. I served them with a chocolate/raspberry ganache dipping sauce. I saved half of the dough to make Christmas cookies this week. Thank you for a great recipe.

    Reply

  5. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made these at Halloween and they were a big hit and spooky enough that one of my nieces 4 yrs old said I’m not eating mo witches finger lol. I do have a question for you can You freeze these cookies after they are baked? I plan to make small cookies for THANKsgiving.

    Reply

    • So sorry to respond so late. I’m visiting my daughter in Singapore. Yes! The cookies freeze great. I froze a batch for 3 weeks and they were great! I have noticed how some kids won’t touch the cookies. So funny.

      Reply

  6. 3 stars
    Fingers came too wide. Really spread out. Didn’t look much like fingers. Dough was extremely hard to roll. TOO sift, Even AFTER PUTTING THEM In fridge. Dissapointed !

    Reply

    • So sorry to hear about your witch fingers. I have never had problems rolling the dough. It should be quite pliable. The cookies do spread a bit, but never more than the photo. I’m sorry you have a bad experience with this recipe.

      Reply

  7. 4 stars
    I know cooking times on ovens vary, But I did 325 degrees for 17 minutes and the cookies came Out on the softer side of a crumbly butter cookie. Mmm. Also, I broke the last inch OFF and Dipped the jagged end in a raspberry jam with the seeds. Now The ENDS look like they were cut off from the witch and laid Somewhere for a while so they are not only Bloody STUMPS but with maggots!(the raspberry seeds look like maggots.)
    It is so wonderfully gross. My 8 year old son just loves the bloody maggot looking raspberry jam dipped witch fingers. I will mention a Small thing… i didn’t see where the Recipe said to add food coloring so I was Ready To PLACE in the Fridge when I Realized They Weren’t green. I added it In after The dough was Formed and it worked But wasn’t IDEAL – there Was ALOT of elbow grease used! 🙂 Next time I’ll Make Sure To add food coloring before the flour. What a great recipe!

    Reply

    • I’m so sorry I neglected to put the food color in the recipe instructions. I have corrected that error. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I just keep laughing over your raspberry jam/maggots. I love that idea. Try baking your cookies just a few minutes longer. It’s ok if they are starting to brown a bit. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Love THE look of this receipe (especially the Green food coloring). I have tried two others to make these witch fingers! Before I try this receipe, any advice on How to keep THEm from getting too hard and flat?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for rating this recipe. It means so much to me. I would try to shape the cookie fingers with a higher rise on top of the cookie…like thinner finger but higher up. Does that make sense? Not totally round. Kind of oval, but with the height on top. The cookie shouldn’t be soft. It should be more like a shortbread cookie or biscuit with a tender bite. I hope this helps.

      Reply

  9. 4 stars
    Just made these and they came out perfect but I had to adjust one thing: I needed waaaay more flour than what’s in the recipe.
    So to everyone who has problems with the dough: just add flour until you can form the dough with your hands without it sticking to your palms.
    Make sure you use some extract (I added vanilla, almonds and some oranges to the other batch) to give them flavour.
    Refrigerate them for an hour before baking and work in batches so they don’ t get warm.
    My cookies held their shape completely, they haven’t gotten flat and they changed size only minimally.

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I like to use a clean paint brush and brush cocoa powder into the knuckles and around the fingertip. This gives them depth and makes them look a little dirty adding to the overall creepiness. 🙂

    Reply

  13. Hello , I tried this recipe today for my office party , everything seems to work out well until they were baked . They spread and ended up becoming flat Bob fat fingers . I did chill the dough for about 30 mins . Don’t know what went wrong . Would like to try this again

    Reply

    • Hi Kareina, I’m so sorry your fingers didn’t turn out. It’s hard for me to know what the problem could have been, so lets trouble shoot a couple of areas. Soften the butter only until soft enough to push a finger dent into it. Does that make sense? Don’t let the butter come to room temperature. Just soft enough to mix. Try adding 2 tablespoons more flour to help the dough hold it’s shape. You could, also, try refrigerating as long as an hour. I hope these tips help. I’ll feel so bad if your fingers flatten out again. Keep in touch.

      Reply

  14. I have used this recipe three years in a row now! Everyone loves them so much they have become a Halloween tradition 🙂
    I used raspberry jam instead of red gel and then add a little jam/shredded coconut to simulate nerve endings & blood at the base of the finger.
    They look so gross but taste so good!

    Reply

  16. I have made this recipe a few times now over the years around Halloween and I love it. It's always a hit at the office.
    To make the fingers extra creepy looking I cut the finger with a knife at the other end to make it look like they were severed off the hand and then I brush on some of the red decorating gel on the end to make them look like bloody severed fingers. Happy Halloween!

    Reply

  17. Can these b made ahead like a day or 2 and put in tpperware container and should container b put in fridge or cupboard

    Reply

  25. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Rest assured it will be used for evil :). Still laughing about the second witch hand. Don't be so critical of your hands… I'm the same way ha ha ha

    Reply

  26. I just want to say this is a great recipe and thanks so much for sharing. But please don't say such bad things about yourself. Your hands may appear aged, as have mine, but your hands, and nails, look just lovely to me! Very well maintained, NOT another witch hand at all!!

    Reply

    • I really don't think so. The dough will spread out and you will have a flat blob with an almond stuck to it. Pre-made cookie dough is less than delicious. These cookies may look gross, but taste delicious. They're more along the lines of a shortbread. Sorry for the bad news 🙁

      Reply

    • Yes, you can use with pre-made cookie dough, just add one cup flour to the dough. If it gets too hard, add a couple of drops of water and work it in really well!

      Reply

  29. i;ve GOT to do this with my grandkids…. i didn't have this recipe when MY girls were little.
    thanks! like all your funny comments about your own hands! 😉

    Reply

  32. You are even more awesome than the finished product. Loved the commentary and wish you were my neighbor! Happy holidays

    Reply

  33. Just made these last night, and they were great. We joke that something that tastes so good has never felt so wrong! I couldn't find blanched whole almonds anywhere here (five stores!) and ended up using marcona almonds instead — actually worked pretty well due to the coloring/veining of the nuts, making them extra creepy and old-looking! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

  36. Thanks Cristina. You made me laugh out loud. I'll be more careful about bashing myself. I really think you can make these witch fingers with chocolate. I think you'd be fine adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. Let me know how they work out.

    Reply

  37. This is super impressive. A couple of questions please, can we make a chocolate form of this? should I add cocoa powder? if yes, what quantities? or should I just shower the dough with chocolate chips? Is the texture of this thing crispy wafer like or soft cookie like?
    Lastly, please do not badmouth your hands. We're your fans, we love what those hands can do. And the only reason you can conjure up such wonderful recipes to share is because those hands are willing to experiment instead of sitting pretty being pictured for some glossy magazine and struggling to not clutch at that next batch of fresh cookies.
    Cristina

    Reply

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