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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Published: Sep 2, 2022 · Modified: Oct 28, 2022 by Kelly Bloom · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Hocus Pocus Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Three color hocus pocus cookies on a cooling rack.

    Surprise your family with these adorable Hocus Pocus Cookies. They are a simple sugar cookie recipe that color with food colors. You roll them in Halloween sprinkles and add candy eyes for extra spooky fun. Your kids will love showing these off in their school lunches!

    For more amazing Halloween Party treats see our Halloween Orange Sherbet Punch, Monster Cookie Truffles, Halloween Snack Mix, Sweet and Sour Bat Wings, Halloween Sugar Sprinkle Cookies, Reese's Peanut Butter Fudge, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies. Your party guest will have a spooky time at your Halloween table!

    Three color hocus pocus cookies on a cooling rack.

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    These simple cookies look awesome and have great party appeal. You can make the cookie dough up ahead of time and even double or triple the recipe easily! There is no chilling of cookie, just mix, shape, decorate, and bake!

    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Hocus Pocus Cookies
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Tips for Success
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Food Safety
    • Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
    • Connect with Smells Like Delish!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    You can find the neon gel colorants at Walmart and Kroger in the cake mix and baking ingredients aisle. The neon colorants are more vibrant that regular green, orange, and purple.

    ingredients for making hocus pocus cookies.
    • All Purpose flour
    • Sugar
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Butter
    • Vanilla extract, or Almond extract
    • Egg
    • Halloween candy sprinkles
    • Candy eyes
    • Neon Gel Food Colors (purple, lime green, and orange)

    Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    How to Make Hocus Pocus Cookies

    Use this section for process shots, alternating between the step and image showing the step. Users don't like seeing process shots cluttering up the recipe card, so include your process shots here.

    Step 1. Make and Color the Dough

    Mix up the cookie dough following the ingredients and instructions in our recipe card below. After the main batch of dough is made, divide it into three portions.

    three balls of sugar cookie dough.

    Take each portion of the freshly made cookie dough and put it in a separate small bowl.

    gel colorant added to bowl of cookie dough.

    Add one of the gel food colors to each small bowl of cookie dough. Mix in each bowl using a spoon.

    Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Step 2. Divide and Shape the Cookies

    Once you have three balls of cookie dough, each colored a different color, you will be dividing them into twelve pieces. Then gently roll each three color pile into one cookie ball.

    three balls of colored cookie dough.

    Pinch off twelve equal size portions from each colored ball of dough.

    piles of three color cookie dough.

    Lay them in small piles on the baking sheet.

    Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Step 3. Decorate and Bake the Cookies

    decorated halloween cookies ready to bake.

    Take each three color cookie ball and roll it in the dish of Halloween blend sprinkles. Lay on the cookie sheet and press down to a disc shape

    cooked cookies on a baking sheet.

    Make sure the cookie are at least 2" apart on the parchment covered baking sheet. Press in the candy eyes and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.

    Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Serving Suggestions

    Make these frosted Hocus Pocus cookies for your children, or take them to your next Halloween party.

    For more sweet Trick or Treats we have Mummy Brownies, Mummy Pigs in a Blanket, Halloween Snack Mix, Monster Cookie Truffles, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies. Your party guest will have a spooky time at your Halloween table!

    Three color hocus pocus cookies on a cooling rack.

    For amazing Halloween Party treats see our Sweet and Sour 'Bat' Wings, Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Halloween 7 Layer Dip for a savory Halloween Party menu or buffet spread.

    Variations

    You can use this cookie idea for many different Holidays. Use pastels colorants for Easter. Red, Christmas Tree Green, and Grinch (neon) Green for Christmas. Use Red, Pink, and White for Valentines, and Red, White, and Royal Blue for Fourth of July. Just change the sprinkle blend you roll the cookies in!

    Equipment

    Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

    • Baking Sheet with Rack

    Storage

    Store any leftover cookies in an ziplock bag. The can be frozen, but the black candy eye centers may bleed or weep a little when coming back to room temperature, due to condensation.

    You can make the cookie dough up ahead of time and freeze it until needed.

    Tips for Success

    • A great tip is to make the three colored cookie balls up ahead of time and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, place them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer. Take them out an hour before baking and roll them in the sprinkle.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use liquid food colors?

    Yes, you absolutely can. Liquid colors will not change the texture of the cookies.

    Food Safety

    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love

    • pumpkin butter in a jar.
      Pumpkin Butter
    • bowl of whipped dessert with mandarin orange slice on top.
      Orange Fluff Salad
    • Orange punch in bowl with eyeballs.
      Halloween Orange Sherbet Punch
    • lime green brain mold jello with gummy eyeballs.
      Brain Jello

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    📖 Recipe

    Three color hocus pocus cookies on a cooling rack.
    Print Recipe SaveSaved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Hocus Pocus Cookies

    Surprise your family with these adorable Hocus Pocus Cookies. They are a simple sugar cookie recipe that you roll in Halloween sprinkle and add candy eyes too! Your kids will love showing these off in their school lunches!
    For more amazing Halloween Party treats see our Mummy Brownies, Mummy Pigs in a Blanket, Halloween Snack Mix, Sweet and Sour Bat Wings, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies. Your party guest will have a spooky time at your Halloween table!
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time13 mins
    Total Time43 mins
    Course: Desserts
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12 cookies
    Calories: 213kcal
    Author: Kelly Bloom

    Equipment

    • Large Rimmed Cookie sheet with cooling racks
    • Halloween Candy Sprinkle blend
    • Candy Eyeballs
    • Orange Gel Colorant
    • Lime Green Gel Colorant
    • Purple Gel Colorant

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups flour
    • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
    • ½ cup Halloween sprinkles blend
    • candy eyes
    • orange gel colorant
    • lime green gel colorant
    • purple gel colorant
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a large cookie sheet with either non stick spray, a silpat mat, or parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Blend the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and then set aside.
      1½ cups flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
    • In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla mixing well.
      ½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well until combined. Scrape sides and pull together into a ball. Divide the ball of cookie dough into three equal amounts.
    • Place each ball of dough into separate bowls. Add purple gel colorant to one, lime green to another, and orange gel colorant to the third. Mix each bowl well until the colorant is combined well with the cookie dough.
      orange gel colorant, lime green gel colorant, purple gel colorant
    • Take each ball of cookie dough and divide it into 12 smaller balls, all about equal size. Place balls on the cookie sheet in piles of three, one of each color.
    • After diving all the dough colors, take each pile of three small colored balls and gently roll it to press the three small balls together. Roll in a bowl of Halloween sprinkles. Lay on the cookie sheet about 2" apart.
      ½ cup Halloween sprinkles blend, candy eyes
    • Press candy eyes on each cookie. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.
    • After baking remove from oven. Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

    Notes

    • If you are worried about getting gel color stained hands, wear a pair or disposable nitrile gloves while working with the colored cookie dough.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keyword : halloween cookies, Halloween sugar cookies, hocus pocus cookie dough, Hocus Pocus cookies, hocus pocus halloween cookies, hocus pocus sugar cookies

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    Author photo for Kelly Bloom

    Hi, I'm Kelly! and I have a love affair with herbs & spices! Here at Smells Like Delish, I'm all about creating food that has three aspects: flavor, aroma, and texture - to create satisfying fare!

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