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Looking for a cute (and spooky!) treat to serve this Halloween? These Easy Halloween Spider Cookies are soft, chocolatey peanut butter cookies topped with Rolos or mini peanut butter cups and candy eyes — the perfect combination of sweet and spooky!
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Pin It NowEasy Cookies for Halloween – The Perfect Combo of Sweet and Spooky!
Halloween is the perfect time to make these Easy Halloween Spider Cookies. They’re a yummy Halloween dessert that the kids love to help make.
Not only that, they’re always a hit at Halloween parties and bake sales because they look impressive but they’re actually super simple to make. And bonus? You don’t need any special decorating skills – just a few pantry staples, some candy eyes and a. tube of black icing to bring your spiders to life!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Kid-friendly and fun to decorate!
- A great make-ahead Halloween party dessert!
- Chocolate and peanut butter – a classic combo!
This cookie recipe makes about 48 cookies. Make these spooky spider cookies once and they’ll become your go-to Halloween treat every year!
❤️ Ashley
how to make easy Halloween spider cookies
These easy Halloween spider cookies are guaranteed to get smiles at your next Halloween party. They’re festive, fun, and perfect for little helpers to decorate! Here’s a brief overview of how to make these cookies. The full written recipe including ingredient amounts is in the recipe card below.
- Make the peanut butter chocolate cookie dough
- Shape and roll the cookies
- Bake
- Add the spider bodies – I like to use Rolo’s or mini peanut butter cups (flipped upside down)
- Attach the eyes – you can get edible candy eyes at craft stores or on Amazon (here’s the link).
- Chill to set
- Add the spider eggs – I like to use a tube of black decorating icing (like this one!)
tips and tricks
- Make ahead: these cookies store beautifully. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Soft cookies: avoid overtaking. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set.
- Substitute tip: don’t have Rolos? Try miniature peanut butter cups for the spider bodies.
While my favorite part about Halloween is the decorations and seeing all of the cute kiddos in costumes, it’s also fun to have a cute Halloween treat that the kids just love.
Enjoy! Happy Halloween! :)
If you are looking for other fun Halloween recipes, try my Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes, Chocolate Dipped Reese’s Blondie’s or these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re all winners!
Easy Halloween Spider Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 48 Rolos or miniature peanut butter cups unwrapped
- 96 candy eyes
- 1 tube black decorating icing
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven – Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave them ungreased.
- Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup shortening and 1 cup creamy peanut butter until smooth. Add ½ cup packed light brown sugar and ⅓ cup granulated sugar (reserving ⅓ cup sugar for rolling the cookies), and beat until light and fluffy. Then mix in 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined.
- Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients – In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Step 4: Make the dough – Gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, mixing just until everything is combined and a soft dough forms.
- Step 5: Shape and roll the cookies – Roll dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll each ball in the reserved ⅓ cup granulated sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Step 6: Bake – Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned and set around the edges.
- Step 7: Add the spider bodies – Immediately press 1 Rolo or miniature peanut butter cup (upside down) into the center of each warm cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Step 8: Attach the eyes – While the chocolate candy is still soft, gently press 2 candy eyes onto each one.
- Step 9: Chill to set – Refrigerate the cookies for 10–15 minutes to allow the chocolate to firm up.
- Step 10: Add the spider legs – Use black decorating icing to pipe 8 spider legs (4 on each side) around the candy center.
- Refrigerate again for about 10 minutes to set the icing before serving.
