Easy Spider Cookies: Best Halloween Treat
These spider cookies are a fun and delicious Halloween treat made with a soft peanut butter cookie base, chocolate center, pretzel stick legs, and candy eyeballs. They’re quick to make, perfect for parties, and always a crowd-pleaser.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (Skippy or Jif recommended)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure vanilla preferred)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 24 milk chocolate candy melts or Hershey’s Kisses (unwrapped)
- 48 mini pretzel sticks (broken in half to make 8 legs per spider)
- 48 candy eyeballs
- 2 tablespoons melted chocolate or frosting (to glue the eyes on)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually add this to the peanut butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out rounded tablespoons of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should get 24 cookies total.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies should look puffy and slightly cracked on top, just set around the edges but still soft in the center.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for exactly 2 minutes. While still warm, gently press one milk chocolate candy melt or Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, flattening it slightly.
- While the cookie is still warm and the chocolate is soft, insert 4 pretzel stick halves into each side of the cookie, angling them slightly outward to look like spider legs. Push them in about halfway.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Once cool, melt 2 tablespoons of chocolate or frosting in a small microwave-safe bowl (15-second intervals, stirring in between). Use a toothpick to dab a tiny amount onto the back of each candy eyeball, then press them onto the chocolate spider body. Let the eyes set for 5 minutes before moving the cookies.
- Optional: Use a toothpick dipped in melted chocolate to draw a tiny smile or fangs under the eyes, or drizzle white chocolate to look like spider webs.
Notes
For best results, use conventional peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than natural peanut butter, which can make the cookies too greasy. The pretzel legs must be inserted while the cookie is still warm (about 2 minutes after baking) to ensure they stick. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate for 10 minutes before shaping. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; do not refrigerate as pretzels will soften. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and add an extra tablespoon of flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 135
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 19
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
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