Witch Finger Cookies

 🧙‍♀️Halloween Finger Cookies

Get ready to add a fun seasonal twist to your baking with this easy witch finger cookie recipe!

There are many ways to make these cookies, but my Witch Finger Cookies are almond sugar cookies, made with almond extract, almond flour, and–of course–whole almonds for the fingernails. They have a soft and tender melt-in-your-mouth texture, with a bit of a crunch from the almond fingernail. They’re delicious on their own, but even better when dipped in a mug of Red Velvet Hot Chocolate!

These creepy-looking treats are perfect for Halloween parties, or as a unique addition to your fall baking lineup. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert baker – this recipe is straightforward and simple to follow, even if you’re new to making shaped cookies.

In this post, we’ll walk you through each step of making witch finger cookies. You’ll learn what ingredients you need, how to shape the dough to look like fingers, and some simple decorating suggestions to make them extra creepy. Whether you’re baking for a Halloween event or just want to try something new in the kitchen, these witch finger cookies are sure to be a hit.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

The witch fingers might be scary, but the list of ingredients is definitely not. Chances are you have almost everything you need already! Here’s what you need to know to make these cookies a success. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Butter: You’ll want unsalted butter. Leave it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before making the recipe, so it’s soft and mixes well with the sugar.
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla and almond extract: The combination of vanilla and almond makes these cookies irresistible.
• Almond flour: Almond flour is very finely ground almonds. You can use “almond meal” if that is what is available, but the texture is coarser and the cookies might be crumblier.
• All-purpose flour
• Blanched almonds: Using blanched almonds (almonds with the skins removed) is ideal if you want to paint them with food coloring. You can buy them blanched, or you can follow my easy instructions for blanching almonds here.
• Red gel food coloring: Coloring the almonds is optional, so if you want to skip it, feel free! If you do want blood-red almonds, gel food coloring gives a better bang for your buck as opposed to liquid. I use Americolor Super Red coloring.

📸 Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Witch Finger Cookies

Ready to start baking? Here’s a full picture tutorial showing how to make Witch Finger Cookies! You can find printable instructions in the recipe card.

Step 1: Blanch the Almonds

Blanched almonds are almonds with the brown papery skin removed. They’re ideal for this recipe, since they show the red color exceptionally well.

You can buy blanched almonds at the store, or you can easily make them yourself from whole almonds. You’ll want to do this step first, before you make the cookie dough. Here’s how:

• Place the almonds in a heat-safe bowl and boil water in a kettle or pot. Pour the boiling water over the almonds, and let them sit for 2-3 minutes.
• Strain the almonds, run them under cold water until they’re cool enough to handle, then squeeze them between your fingers to quickly remove the almond skins. Pat them dry before coloring them red for this recipe.

Step 2: Prepare the Almonds and Dry Ingredients

• Use a small food-safe paintbrush and red gel coloring, and paint the top of each almond until it is bright red. Let the nuts air-dry, then, if desired, flip them over and paint the bottom. (You could also just paint the tops – or skip the painting step altogether!)
• Whisk together 10 oz (2 1/3 cups) flour and 3.75 oz (1 cup) almond flour in a medium bowl, and set aside for a moment.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar

• Combine 8 oz butter and 3.5 oz (1/2 cup) granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is light and creamy.
• Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix in 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp almond extract, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Step 4: Finish the Cookie Dough

• With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture to the dough, and mix just until the flour streaks disappear. Stop the mixer and finish mixing with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl very well.
• When you touch the cookie dough, it should feel soft and smooth, but not sticky. 

Step 5: Shape the Cookies and Bake

• Take a walnut-sized ball of dough, (if you have a scale, use about .50 oz per cookie) and roll the dough between your palms until it is a long thin snake, about 4 inches long.
• Place the dough on a baking sheet and press your finger into the dough in two places to widen it for the knuckles. Use a toothpick to press horizontal lines into the cookie across the knuckles.

• Press a red almond into one end for the fingernail.
• Freeze the trays of shaped cookies for 10 minutes, then bake the cookies for about 9 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.

💡 Tips and FAQs  

💭 Decorating & Flavoring Ideas

• If you don’t want to bother with blanching and painting almonds, skip the food coloring and just use regular whole almonds instead.
• Add a dollop of red jam under the almond nail to make the nails look bloody.
• Add food coloring to the dough for extra Halloween vibes. You can make green, purple or orange witchy fingers!
• Swap the whole almond for a slivered almond, or use another nut entirely, like peanuts or cashews.
• Change the flavoring extract and use lemon, orange, or coconut extract instead.
• Dip the ends of the cookies in jam right before serving to make them look bloody.