Witch Finger Cookies (Without Food Coloring!)
These witch finger cookies are crisp, buttery Halloween cookies shaped like creepy fingers, with almond fingernails and strawberry jam for the “blood.” There’s no red decorating gel needed, and I’ve included a separately tested gluten-free version below.
The knuckles, almond nails and jam around the nail beds make them plenty creepy, but they’re surprisingly easy to shape once the dough is chilled. You can also prepare them ahead of time, which makes them great for Halloween parties.
If you need a witches’ brew to serve alongside the cookies, try this non-alcoholic witches’ brew drink or this witches’ brew cocktail.
A lot of witch finger cookie recipes use red decorating gel around the nails. I prefer strawberry jam because you still get the gory blood effect, but it actually adds something delicious to the cookie.
A fairly smooth strawberry jam works best so it’s easy to dab under the almonds and around the knuckles. You can use store-bought jam or my strawberry jam. Raspberry jam also works.
Ingredients
- Butter – don’t substitute coconut oil or another oil. The cookies are designed to hold the finger shape, and changing the fat can cause them to spread and lose the details.
- Powdered sugar – I’ve only tested these with powdered sugar, so I don’t recommend replacing it with granulated sugar.
- Granulated sugar – this is optional, but I highly recommend it if you want a normally sweet cookie. Without it, the cookies are only lightly sweetened.
- Egg – use a large egg, about 50 grams out of the shell. I haven’t tested an egg substitute in the regular version, and I wouldn’t recommend experimenting here because the dough needs to hold its shape well.
- Vanilla and almond extracts – almond extract is especially good with the strawberry jam and adds a lot of flavor. If you need the regular version to be nut-free, use additional vanilla extract instead.
- Flour – all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour or a combination of the two work. Don’t simply replace the flour with a gluten-free baking blend. The tested gluten-free version uses a different formula, which you’ll find below and in the recipe card.
- Almonds – blanched almonds make the most realistic fingernails, but there are several alternatives listed below.
- Strawberry jam – this replaces red decorating gel. Choose a jam without very large pieces of fruit so it’s easy to use around the almond nails. Raspberry jam also works well.
Other fingernail ideas
I think blanched almonds look the most realistic, but you can also use:
- Sunflower seeds for a nut-free version. Also replace the almond extract with vanilla
- Raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), rather than roasted pepitas
- Peanut halves
- Blanched sliced almonds
How to make witch finger cookies
Start by beating together the butter and sugars, followed by the egg and extracts. Mix in the flour and salt just until you have a uniform dough.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 40 minutes. Chilling makes it much easier to shape and helps the cookies keep their finger shape in the oven.
Work with about one-fourth of the dough at a time, leaving the rest refrigerated. I strongly recommend shaping and baking one test finger before forming the whole batch. That way, you can see exactly how much your dough spreads and whether you want to make the remaining fingers thinner or change the knuckle details.
Roll the dough to about the thickness of your pinky finger, but make the fingers slightly thinner than you want the baked cookies to be because they spread a little. Vary the lengths slightly for more realistic-looking fingers.
Press an almond firmly into one end of each finger for the nail. If you’re not using almonds, one of the alternatives above can be used instead.
Pinch the dough around the middle to form a knuckle. Then use a small, sharp knife to make shallow lines across the knuckle. Vary the length of the lines rather than making them perfectly even so the fingers look more realistic.
Arrange the fingers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325 °F (165 °C) for 17-22 minutes, or until they’re just lightly golden. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet.
Once they’re cool, gently remove each almond. Spoon a little strawberry jam into the indentation, replace the almond and press just enough for some jam to ooze around the nail. Add more jam around the knuckles if you want them extra gory.
Karl said, “These were way easier than I thought they’d be! I’m bad at this kind of stuff, but they came out perfectly. Thank you! My kids are gonna freak out!”
What do witch finger cookies taste like?
These witch fingers are somewhere between shortbread and butter cookies. They’re crisp and buttery, with almond and vanilla flavor and strawberry jam.
Without the optional granulated sugar, they’re only lightly sweet. I prefer adding it for a more normally sweet cookie, especially if you’re making them for kids or a Halloween party.
Gluten-free option
The gluten-free witch fingers require their own formula. Simply replacing the all-purpose or white whole wheat flour with a gluten-free baking blend didn’t work well in my testing.
When I used a gluten-free blend by itself, the cookies were sandy, spread too much and developed little cracks. Adding more baking blend to make the dough firmer only made the texture worse.
The solution was blanched almond flour. I originally made the gluten-free version with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour plus 2/3 cup (66 grams) almond flour. The almond flour firms up the dough without giving the cookies that sandy texture.
I later tested the recipe with 2 2/3 cups (333 grams) King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour and 1 egg white, and that batch came out looking even better. That’s now the primary gluten-free version in the recipe notes, but I’ve included the original Bob’s version there as well.
The gluten-free fingers don’t hold every little detail quite as perfectly as the wheat version, and you may see some small cracks, but they still look great.
The gluten-free cookies in the photo above were made with the Bob’s Red Mill version and broken pieces of cashews because that’s what I had on hand. Blanched almonds make much more convincing fingernails.
The gluten-free dough didn’t need chilling in my testing. The baked cookies are very fragile while they’re still warm, though, so let them cool completely and sit for about 2 hours before transporting them.
There’s no substitute for the almond flour in the gluten-free version, so you really do need it for this recipe. If you’re wondering what to do with the rest of the bag, I have lots of almond flour recipes.
Unfortunately not. Most regular sugar cookie and shortbread recipes spread too much to keep the finger shape. I know because I’ve tried. This recipe was tested specifically to hold the knuckles and almond nails.
For the regular version, you can use all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour or a combination of the two. Don’t make a 1:1 gluten-free flour swap; use the dedicated gluten-free recipe instead.
Measure the flour by weight if possible, give the regular dough the full 40-minute chill and work with about one-fourth of the dough at a time while leaving the rest refrigerated. Flour and butter can also behave differently outside the US. I strongly recommend baking one test finger before shaping the whole batch so you can see how your dough behaves in your oven.
Yes. The regular dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, and you can also freeze the dough to bake another day. The baked cookies can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container until closer to serving time, then decorated with the jam. Once you’ve added the jam, refrigerate them in an airtight container. The recipe keeps for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. They also freeze great! I didn’t have any issues with them once they thawed.
Yes. Add 1/8 teaspoon green food coloring to the wet ingredients, then add more if needed. Gel coloring will give you the brightest green. Natural green food coloring can also be used, but the finished color will generally be more muted.
The regular version can be made without nuts by replacing the almond extract with additional vanilla and using sunflower seeds or raw pepitas instead of almonds for the fingernails. The tested gluten-free version can’t be made nut-free because it requires almond flour.
More fun Halloween recipes
- Halloween mac and cheese – creamy mac and cheese colored with a natural ingredient for a spooky Halloween dinner.
- Halloween cookie cake – a giant chocolate chip cookie loaded with Halloween candy and decorated for the holiday.
- Spider cupcakes – chocolate cupcakes topped with ganache and decorated to look like spiders.
- Monster burgers – spooky burgers with cheesy teeth and olive eyes. These Halloween meatballs are another fun savory option.
- Halloween fruit salad – an easy way to add something fresh and colorful to a Halloween party spread.
Please share your feedback by leaving a ✍️review and ⭐ rating – it helps me and others! I would really appreciate it. 🩷
This recipe was originally published in 2011. The photos were updated in October 2021. I’m keeping the old photo below for longtime readers who are trying to figure out whether this is the witch finger recipe they made years ago. :)
Witch Finger Cookies (without food coloring!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar highly recommended if you'd like a regularly-sweetened cookie
- 1 large egg 50 grams, out of shell
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups (334 grams) all-purpose flour see notes for gluten-free version
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (105 grams) blanched almonds
- 1/2 – 1 cup (118 to 236 ml) strawberry jam
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar (and granulated sugar, if using) together until fluffy.1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract and mix.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- When well combined, add the flour and salt.2 2/3 cups (334 grams) all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt
- When thoroughly combined, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Take about a fourth of the dough out of the fridge and begin rolling out the fingers. I recommend baking one test finger to begin with. Then you can make sure all the fingers come out the way you want them to. That way you don’t spend all your time rolling out all the cookies only to find out that you should have made them thinner or done the wrinkles a different way.
- I rolled them out the thickness of my pinky finger, but a bit longer.
- Add an almond to the tip for the fingernail, and press down to make sure it’s secure.3/4 cup (105 grams) blanched almonds
- Form a knuckle by squeezing around the middle.
- Use a sharp knife for the wrinkles in the knuckles and vary the length. That’ll create a more realistic finger.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about an inch (2.5 cm) between them. Repeat with the rest of the dough until the cookie sheet is full.
- Bake for 17-22 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet, and then remove the almonds from the cookies. Add some jam in the cavities and then put the almonds back, making sure you used enough jam for them to ooze a little. Also, add some jam around the knuckles for extra nastiness. I used about 1/2 cup jam and used the rest as “dip.”1/2 – 1 cup (118 to 236 ml) strawberry jam
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
- Flour – you can use all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour or a mix of the two. For the gluten-free version, use the separate recipe below.
- 1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 2/3 cups (333 grams) King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour
- 2/3 cup (66 grams) blanched almond flour
I’m excited to make these witch-finger cookies again for our Halloween party! They’re sure to be a hit again. Delicious and spooky!
I’m happy that you want to make them again for your party! Thanks a ton for your feedback. :)
These were way easier than I thought they’d be! I’m bad at this kind of stuff, but they came out perfectly. Thank you! My kids are gonna freak out!
Yay! I love to hear that! I hope that your kids enjoyed the cookies, too. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Soooo creepy and fun! My grandkids couldn’t stop laughing! Thank you very much.
You’re welcome! I’m glad that they thought they were so fun. :) Thank you for your comment!
These witch finger cookies are creepily delicious! They came together even more easily than I thought and the strawberry jam is a genius touch.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them and liked the jam! Thanks for your feedback. :)
What a fun project to do with the kids! My daughter wanted a witch-themed birthday party and we made these cookies at the party. Everyone had lots of fun and the result was like the photos. Yay!
I’m so happy to hear that! I love it when recipes come out like the photos. :) Thanks a ton for your feedback! I hope your daughter had a great birthday.
My grandson wanted to start preparing recipes for his Halloween party so we made these together. They were very fun to make! And delicious. I love the almond extract in them. Thank you very much!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you both enjoyed them. :) Thanks so much for your feedback!
I made these way ahead of Halloween for a trial run to make sure they came out like yours, and they did. I love it when I find recipes that look hard but they really are easy to make, and your witch’s fingers taste great too!
Ooh, I love to hear that! And I’m so with you on recipes that look hard but are actually easy. Thanks so much for your feedback!
these are so fun! i made them with my 12 year old and we couldnt stop laughing at how realistic and cool the looked. also tasted great! will be making these for.my youngest sons halloween party this year.
Woohoo! That’s great to hear. I’m really glad that you and your kid enjoyed making them together. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Not only do these come out so realistic looking they’re almost too freaky to eat, they’re delicious tasting too! Love the hint of almond extract in the cookies. Had a blast making these with the kids and they’ve already requested another batch!
I’m so happy to hear that! They are kind of almost too freaky to eat. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback!
I made these for Halloween last year and they were a hit! Planning to make them again this year. I saved the recipe and so excited to make them again!
I’m so glad that you liked them enough to make again! Thanks for your comment. :)
Eeek! Gave these witch finger cookies a go—no food coloring fuss! Delicious almond taste too. Perfect for Halloween!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :) Thanks for your comment!
Well these were gory! Haha. We used too much jam but my niece and nephew flipped out over them. We’re already preparing for my sister’s Halloween party. We froze the baked cookies and will take them out the day of! Thank you!
What a great idea! I hope that they’ll be a hit at the party. And too much jam sounds like fun. :D Thanks for your comment!
These came out great and were a real hit! By the way, they were also super delicious! I intend to use this recipe for other cookie adventures! Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that! I hope that they’ll come out well in different shapes. :) Thanks so much for your feedback and sorry for my slow reply!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! We tried them out for our Halloween party next month and they were so fun and tasty. They made the cut and we’ll be making the for sure! ????
Woohoo! That’s great to hear! I love that you’re doing Halloween trials already. I’m doing the same. ;) Thanks for your comment!
These were so much fun to make and way easier than I thought too! What an awesome idea, fun and yummy!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks for the recipe. They came out just.. Perfect. And I used my home made strawberry jam :) Happy Halloween!!
Ok to leave the dough in the frighted overnight?
I meant *refrigerator
It is! Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
Have you tried making these gluten free? I’m wondering if I could substitute gluten free all purpose flour or almond flour. Any thoughts?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! I’m probably too late now but for anyone else wondering, almond flour won’t work but a GF 1-to-1 flour might. But I’m really not sure since I haven’t tried it. Sorry again!
Cool creative spooky cookies.
I’m going to bake some today. Can I put the jam on and then the almond nail before I bake them?
Thanks! It’s been a long time since I posted these but I think I tested out both versions (putting on the jam before and after baking) and they looked nicer when you add the jam afterwards. Hope you’ll enjoy the cookies!
Hi,can i use unsalted,salted or sweet butter?
I used unsalted but any kind will work fine!