Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Prep 15 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Made with just 4 ingredients, these Pilgrim Hat Cookies are quick and easy to assemble without any oven, plus super cute! Such a fun little Thanksgiving treat to add to your holiday celebration.

While you’re at the store, grab some Hershey’s kisses and Nilla wafers to make some chocolate acorns, too!

2 stacked cookie pilgrim hats

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.

Fun & Easy Thanksgiving Cookies

If youโ€™re looking for something fun and easy to make for Friendsgiving or a Thanksgiving menu, look no further than these pilgrim hat cookies! This no-bake treat is made with striped cookies (like Keeblerโ€™s) topped with a rolo candy and decorated with M&Ms in autumn colors.

This is a great little recipe to make with young kids, since they’re so simple to put together without any special skills needed, plus no oven. They can help lay out the cookies, dip the rolos, and put on the M&Ms.

overhead keebler striped cookie and rolo candy hats

Ingredients Needed

Here are the 4 ingredients youโ€™ll need for these no-bake Thanksgiving cookies.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

  • Striped cookies โ€“ I used Keebler Striped Cookies but you can use any brand youโ€™d like.
  • Candy melts โ€“ I made these with orange and yellow candy melts. You can switch up the colors to make your own unique pilgrimsโ€™s hat.
  • Rolo caramel candy โ€“ While the gold foil packaging would look festive, you definitely want these unwrapped!
  • M&Ms โ€“ You can also use decorative icing or another small candy if you prefer.

TIP! Candy Melts vs. White Chocolate Chips

Recipe Variations

Here are a few ways to customize your Thanksgiving pilgrim hat cookies.

  • Change up the cookie that you use as the base of the hat. While the striped cookies give the cleanest hat result, you can use any round, flat-based cookie with similar results. Try using fudge-covered Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, or even Ritz crackers, plain or covered in chocolate.
  • Use a variety of colors. You can make pilgrim hats with orange, yellow, or brown candy melts. Make a whole tray of hats with different band colors, either matched with M&Ms or varied.
  • Decorate the hats. You can decorate the hats with a variety of sprinkles, frosting, or Thanksgiving candies for more elaborate pilgrim hats. This is a great way to let the kids individualize them.
close up Pilgrim Hat Cookie

How to Make Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Hereโ€™s how to make this easy Thanksgiving treat. Absolutely no baking required!
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

  1. Melt the chocolate. Melt the candy melts in the microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth.
  2. Add the โ€œhatโ€ to the cookie. Dip the rolo’s bottom into the candy melts. Place on the center of a cookie.
  3. Add the M&Ms. Add the M&Ms on the candy melt band. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
  4. Let set. Allow the pilgrimsโ€™ hats to set for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
plate full of Thanksgiving Pilgrim hat cookies

Proper Storage

These Pilgrim Hat Cookies can be stored at room temperature for 2 weeks, as long as theyโ€™re in an airtight container or bag so that the cookies donโ€™t get soft or stale. They will keep longer if you choose to refrigerate or freeze them, but the chocolate and cookies harden and should be brought back to room temperature before serving.

More Easy Thanksgiving Desserts:

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe โ€“ be sure to give it a review below! Also donโ€™t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

5 from 1

Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Made with just 4 ingredients, these Pilgrim Hat Cookies are quick and easy to assemble without any oven, plus super cute! Such a fun little Thanksgiving treat to add to your holiday celebration.

Ingredients 

  • 1 package (11.5 ounce) striped cookies
  • 1/2 cup orange candy melts
  • 1/2 cup yellow candy melts
  • 24 Rolo caramel candies, , unwrapped
  • 24 orange and yellow M&Ms

Instructions 

  • Place the cookies upside down on a large, parchment lined baking sheet so that the solid chocolate bottom is facing up.
  • Pour each set of candy melts into a shallow, microwave safe bowl and melt according to package directions until melted and smooth.
  • Dip each rolo candy bottom into the candy melts to coat the bottom and just a bit up the side.
  • Allow any excess to drip off and then place the rolo on the center of a cookie, creating a pilgrimโ€™s hat.
  • Place one M&M, m side down, on the candy melt band and then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  • Allow the pilgrim hats time to set completely, about 15-30 minutes, before serving. (You can transfer to the fridge so they set quicker, but the cold chocolate is not as pleasant to eat.)

Notes

Melting Wafers or Candy Melts vs. White Chocolate chips. I prefer Wilton candy melts or Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers for candy making because of their smooth consistency and once dried and hardened, they donโ€™t soften at room temperature. If you want to use regular white chocolate and colored food dye, I recommend combining it with some coconut oil, which will help loosen it up and also harden faster. Youโ€™ll need about 1 tablespoon coconut oil per 1 cup of chocolate.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!

Share this post

About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If youโ€™re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, youโ€™ve come to the right place.

You May Also Like

Tried this recipe? Tell me how it turned out, or ask a question below!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Don't forget to click the โญ star rating below