Whip up these Easy Thanksgiving Cookies in the shape of cute Pilgrim Hats!
Made with store-bought cookies, peanut butter cups, and candy pieces, these no-bake treats are a fun and festive dessert for kids and adults.
Check out all the other Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas to help you have a delicious celebration!
Thanksgiving is a time for feasting, family, and… festive cookies! But who has time to bake from scratch when there's a turkey to roast and mountains of mashed potatoes to whip up?
That's where these no-bake desserts come in handy! With just a few store-bought items, you can have an adorable, delicious cookies that kids of all ages will love!
Looking for more easy desserts for the holidays? Try my Thanksgiving Oreo Truffles or my collection of Thanksgiving Desserts for Kids.
Table of Contents
Helpful Hints for putting together Pilgrim Hats
Melting Chocolate: Be careful not to overheat the peanut butter and white chocolate. White chocolate especially will seize up if it gets too hot and will not combine well with the peanut butter. Start with 10 second intervals and stir between each one.
Piping Tips: Allow the peanut butter and chocolate mixture to cool slightly before adding it to the piping bag, but make sure it's still liquid enough to pipe.
Hatband Ring: Make sure you pipe the circle of peanut butter/chocolate mixture slightly larger than the base of the peanut butter cup. This will help create that cute "hatband" you see on most pilgrim hats.
Cool Down: For best results, chill these easy cookies before serving. This helps them firm up and prevents the peanut butter cups from shifting.
Bonus Tip: These turkey hats make adorable place cards for your Thanksgiving table! Just write names on small pieces of paper and tuck them under the hat brim.
Leftover Labels $2.99
Vintage Gratitude Cards $3.99Scripture Gratitude Cards $3.99
🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
Keebler Fudge Stripes Cookies - 1.9 oz Pack (12 Packs)
REESE'S Miniatures Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Christmas Candy Party Pack, 35.6 ozNestle Toll House Premier White Morsels 12-Oz. BagSKIPPY Creamy Peanut Butter, 28 ozM&M'S MINIS Milk Chocolate Candy, Bulk Candy, 3 lbs Bag
Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use other cookies for the bottom if desired such as thin mints.
- If you didn't want to use the peanut butter cups, you could use a marshmallow dipped in melted chocolate. Wait for the chocolate to harden before attaching it to the cookie base.
- You can also use Rolo candies to create the crown.
- Instead of the peanut butter mixture to create the band on the cookie, you can use yellow frosting or melted yellow candy melts.
- Feel free to get creative with the "buckles"! Try different colored M&Ms, sprinkles, or even tiny chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and white chocolate chips.
Step 2: Melt them on a low setting or defrost mode, stirring frequently until smooth and creamy.
Kitchen Tool Spotlight
- To make it easier to spread the peanut butter mixture on the cookies, use a disposable pastry bag.
- They're made from food-grade plastic and come in a variety of sizes. Simply fill with frosting, icing, or melted chocolate, snip off the tip, and you're ready to decorate!
- Thick Pastry Bags: Did your previous bags leaked? Are you afraid to squeeze them? Not now! Made of durable, anti-burst, non-slip and food grade plastic that is flexible, strong, reliable and thick enough to bear pressure of squeezing and frosting without any burst or leakage
Step 3: Transfer the melted mixture to a piping bag, twist the top securely, and let it cool for about 5 minutes (until the bag is cool to the touch). Then, snip a small hole in the tip.
Step 4: Place your fudge striped cookies, striped side down, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Step 5: Pipe a small circle of the white chocolate-peanut butter mixture onto the center of each cookie.
Step 6: Place a miniature peanut butter cup upside down on top of the piped filling. Gently press it down, allowing some of the filling to squeeze out and form a "band" around the base.
Step 7: Add an M&M to the band to create a cute buckle. Let the cookies set completely at room temperature until the filling hardens. If you're short on time, refrigerate them for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process.
Before You Begin!
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Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
Fudge striped cookies are the classic choice for pilgrim hat cookies, but other sturdy chocolate-based cookies like Oreos or chocolate wafers work well too. Choose a cookie that complements the peanut butter and chocolate flavors, and have fun decorating your hats!
To create vibrant "hatbands" in various colors, use gel food coloring and divide the frosting into separate bowls before mixing. For multiple colors, use a separate piping bag for each to keep your hues distinct and festive!
Storage Instructions
Pantry: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Refrigerate: If your kitchen tends to be on the warmer side, you may want to refrigerate the leftovers to ensure they stay fresh for longer.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing these cookies.
More Recipes You'll Love!
Check out my other recipe for Nutter Butter Turkeys. Or you might like this recipe for Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Bars.
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Easy Thanksgiving Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 24 Reese's dark chocolate mini peanut butter cups
- 24 Mini M&M's
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will prevent sticking.
- In a bowl, combine peanut butter and white chocolate chips. Microwave on low, stirring often, until melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted mixture into a piping bag and twist it closed. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then snip a small opening in the tip.
- Place the fudge striped cookies striped side down on the baking sheet. Pipe a small circle of the melted mixture onto the center of each cookie.
- Top each cookie with a miniature peanut butter cup, placing it upside down (larger side down) on the piped circle. Gently press it down.
- Add an M&M to the "hatband" to create a buckle.
- Let the pilgrim hats set completely before serving, or chill for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process.
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