No Bake Fudge Stripe Pilgrim Hat Cookies
Looking for a fun, no bake Thanksgiving dessert that kids can help make? These Pilgrim Hat Cookies are the perfect holiday snack idea! Whether you’re making them for school parties or a Thanksgiving treat tray at home, these no bake cookies can’t be beat. Made with Fudge Stripes cookies, marshmallows, and chocolate, this simple recipe comes together quickly and looks absolutely adorable on your table. And the best part? These chocolate-covered treats double as a craft-style dessert kids love decorating!
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These no bake Pilgrim Hat Cookies are one of the best Thanksgiving dessert ideas for kids! That’s because they’re made with simple ingredients and super simple to decorate. Whether you’re prepping party snacks, assembling dessert boards, or creating something cute to bring to Thanksgiving dinner, these chocolate covered marshmallow-topped cookies are guaranteed to be the most popular treat at the celebration.
Pilgrim Hat Cookies
These simple chocolate-covered cookies are going to become a Thanksgiving staple at your house—they’re adorable, fast, and hard to resist. Since the recipe starts with ready-made Fudge Stripes cookies and store-bought marshmallows, you skip the baking and go straight to the fun part: decorating!
These simple cookies are the perfect Thanksgiving class party food, require no oven, and look amazing on a holiday dessert table. And the best part is that you can make them with a handful of ingredients! Before you start, here’s a quick look at the supplies you’ll need to make these cute hats come together:
- Fudge Stripes cookies – These Keebler cookies create the hat brim and the perfect base for decorating your Thanksgiving treats.
- Marshmallows – Full-sized marshmallows will form the top of the hat. Make sure to get traditional, round marshmallows for the right shape.
- Chocolate chips – Melted to coat the marshmallows and attach them to the cookies. You could also use black candy melts or chocolate almond bark for this part of the recipe.
- Yellow melting candy – Grab some yellow candy melts to pipe the decorative hat band on your Thanksgiving cookies.
- Yellow Reese’s Pieces or M&Ms – These candies will act as the buckle to finish the look on your Pilgrim hats.
How to Make Pilgrim Hat Cookies
These cute hats come together in no time with just a few steps—perfect for making with kids or prepping ahead for holiday parties.
The first step is to get your cookies ready for decorating. Flip each Fudge Stripe cookie upside down and lay them flat on a parchment-lined surface so the chocolate side is facing up.
After that, melt your chocolate chips. Warm the chocolate chips in the microwave in short 30-second bursts, stirring between each one, until fully melted and smooth.
Once the chocolate is melted, you can start decorating your marshmallows! Place the marshmallow in the bowl with the chocolate and use a spoon to fully coat all sides.
After that, use a fork to lift the marshmallow out of the chocolate. Lightly tap the handle of the fork to remove excess chocolate drips.
Then, immediately place each chocolate-covered marshmallow onto the center of a cookie to form the hat shape.
When all the chocolate covered marshmallows have been placed on top of the cookies, transfer the cookie hats to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until the chocolate coating is firm.
While the cookies are chilling, melt the yellow candy melts, transfer to a piping bag, and cut a tiny opening at the tip. Pipe a ring of yellow candy around the base of each marshmallow to form the hat band.
While the yellow candy is still soft, press a single yellow M&M or Reese’s Pieces onto the band to act as the buckle. Allow the candy to harden completely before serving or packaging.
Pilgrim Hat Cookie Recipe Ideas
These Pilgrim Hat Cookies are the perfect mix of easy, cute, and totally fun—ideal for kids’ parties, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or quick no bake snack ideas when you’re short on time. Whether you’re decorating with your kids or putting together a holiday treat box, this simple recipe delivers big festive charm with minimal effort. They’re sure to become a tradition in your home!
But what we love most about this Thanksgiving recipe is how easy they are to customize! Want to mix things up? Here are some fun ideas:
- Make them with different cookies: You can easily swap out the Fudge Stripe cookies with other types of cookies. Try using Oreos, Fudge Mint Delights, or gluten free cookies.
- Try a different button: Don’t have any M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces on hand? You can make a buckle with your melted yellow candy or use any other type of yellow candy, like Sixlets, sprinkles, or jelly beans.
Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hat Cookie FAQs
Are Pilgrim Hat Cookies gluten free?
Unfortunately, Fudge Stripes cookies are not gluten free. But there is a gluten free alternative! Swap the Keebler cookies for Goodie Girl gluten free fudge stripe cookies. All the other ingredients in the recipe should be gluten free, but make sure to check your labels before decorating!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! These no bake cookies are perfect for prepping a day early. Just store them in an airtight container once the chocolate has fully hardened. They can be stored at room temperature. But if you’ll be doing a lot of cooking, the heat from the oven may soften the chocolate. You can store them in the fridge if you’re worried about the chocolate melting.
How do I store them?
Keep your fully decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. They can also be refrigerated, but be careful when brining them to room temperature, as it may cause condensation on the chocolate.
Can I change the candy colors?
Absolutely. You can use orange or brown melting candy for the hat band or swap the buckle candy for any small round chocolate you have.
Pilgrim Hat Cookie Recipe
These no bake Pilgrim Hat Cookies are an easy and adorable Thanksgiving treat made with Fudge Stripes cookies, marshmallows, and melted chocolate.
Ingredients
- 30 Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies
- 30 full-sized marshmallows
- 12 ounces chocolate chips (one bag)
- 1 cup yellow melting candy
- 30 yellow Reese’s Pieces or M&Ms
Instructions
- Place the the chocolate chips in the microwave and heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each increment, until melted.
- Arrange the Fudge Stripe cookies on a flat surface upside down, with the chocolate side facing up.
- Dip each marshmallow in the melted chocolate, then immediately transfer it to the top of a cookie. Repeat until all the marshmallows are coated.
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator to cool for at least 15 minutes. Or allow them to cool at room temperature for at lease 1 hour.
- Melt the yellow candy according to the package instructions and transfer to a piping bag. Cut the tip off the piping bag, and pipe the yellow chocolate around the bottom of the marshmallow. Immediately press one yellow Reese’s Pieces into the chocolate to make the hat’s buckle while the yellow chocolate is still soft.
- Allow the yellow chocolate to cool and harden before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 332mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 13g
More Easy Recipe Ideas:
No Bake Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies for Thanksgiving
Cute Pumpkin Pie Cheese Crackers for Thanksgiving
Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
