Ready to bake up a batch of the most delightfully creepy-crawly, spooky, and delicious cookies for your next Halloween party? These incredible, classic Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are the ultimate festive treat! We’re talking a soft, chewy, and classic peanut butter cookie, topped with a spooky, three-dimensional chocolate spider that is as fun to make as it is to eat. They are a true Halloween showstopper that will have all your guests screaming with delight!
This isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a spooky, edible craft project that will be the talk of your haunted gathering. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to the perfect, soft peanut butter cookie and the easy, foolproof technique for creating these adorable and spooky spiders. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply comforting cookie that is perfect for getting the whole family into the Halloween spirit.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Spooky & Fun Halloween Cookie
What makes these Peanut Butter Spider Cookies so spectacularly fun is their incredible, creepy 3D appearance and their classic, irresistible peanut butter and chocolate flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive creativity. The base is a classic, from-scratch, soft and chewy peanut butter cookie. The real magic, however, is in the decoration. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, two different-sized chocolate candy balls are gently pressed into the center to create the spider’s head and body. Once cooled, a little bit of melted chocolate is used to pipe on eight spindly legs, and a touch of decorating gel brings the spooky spider to life with two googly eyes.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | About 2 dozen cookies |
The Spider’s Lair: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic party treat uses a handful of high-quality pantry staples to create its signature spooky look and delicious flavor.
- The Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: It is crucial that both your butter and your egg are at room temperature. This is the secret that allows them to emulsify properly with the sugar to create a smooth, uniform dough.
- Smooth Peanut Butter: For the most classic and consistent cookie texture, a high-quality, commercial smooth peanut butter (like Jif® or Skippy®) is the perfect choice.
- The 3D Chocolate Spider:
- The Body & Head: The secret to the fun, 3D effect is to use two different-sized, ball-shaped chocolates. A classic choice is malted milk balls (like Whoppers®), but you can also use chocolate-covered caramels (like Milk Duds®) or other round chocolate candies.
- The Legs & Eyes: A little bit of melted semisweet chocolate is perfect for piping on the legs, and a simple, store-bought white cake decorating gel makes for the easiest and cutest eyes.
The Dark Arts of Cookie Decorating: The Secret to the Perfect Spider
This is the most fun part of the recipe, and it’s surprisingly easy if you follow these simple, crucial rules:
- Press While Hot: The number one secret to this cookie is to press your chocolate candy “body” and “head” into the cookies the moment they come out of the oven. The heat from the freshly baked cookie will slightly melt the bottom of the chocolate candies, which is the key that “glues” them firmly in place as the cookie cools and sets.
- Cool Before Piping: You must let your cookies cool completely before you try to pipe on the delicate chocolate legs. If the cookie or the chocolate body is still warm, your piped legs will melt into a messy puddle.
Step-by-Step to the Best Peanut Butter Spider Cookies
This fun and festive project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Make the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Bake
Step 1: First, position your oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and the pinch of fine salt.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and the 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and the 1 large, room temperature egg and mix until they are thoroughly combined.
Step 4: Add the 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter and mix until the mixture is creamy.
Step 5: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until it is just incorporated.
Step 6: Roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on your prepared baking sheets.
Step 7: Bake for about 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are a light golden brown.
Part 2: Bring Your Spiders to Life!
Step 1: While the cookies are baking, melt your 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Let it cool slightly so that it has thickened a bit but is still pipe-able. Step 2 (The Most Important Step!): As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately and gently push two of your chocolate candies directly into each hot cookie. Place a smaller chocolate ball toward the edge of the cookie for the “head,” and a larger chocolate ball directly behind it in the center for the “body.” Step 3: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Step 4: Transfer your slightly thickened, melted chocolate to a plastic bag and snip a very small hole in the corner to create a piping bag. Step 5 (The Fun Part!): Pipe eight spooky “legs” on each cookie, starting from the point where the two chocolate candies meet. Step 6: To make the eyes, pipe two small, 1/4-inch circles on the “head” of each spider with your white cake decorating gel. Pipe a final, tiny dot of your reserved melted chocolate in the center of each white circle to create the pupils.
Peanut Butter Spider Cookies (A Fun Halloween Recipe!)
A festive and fun recipe for ‘Scary Peanut Butter Spider Cookies,’ perfect for a Halloween treat. This recipe features a classic, soft peanut butter cookie base. Immediately after baking, while the cookies are still warm, two ball-shaped chocolates (like malted milk balls) of different sizes are pressed into the center of each cookie to create the spider’s head and body. The spooky arachnids are brought to life with the addition of eight legs piped on with melted chocolate, and eyes made from white decorating gel.
Ingredients
- One 5-ounce box small ball-shaped chocolates (e.g., malted milk balls)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 small tube white cake decorating gel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Separate the chocolate candy balls into larger and smaller sizes for the spider bodies and heads.
- Make the Cookies: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined. Add the peanut butter and mix until creamy.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until incorporated after each.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for about 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown and have spread.
- Decorate the Spiders: While the cookies bake, melt the semisweet chocolate over a double boiler. Let it cool briefly so it thickens but is still pipeable.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, immediately press two chocolate candies into each hot cookie: a smaller one for the head near the edge and a larger one for the body in the center. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a small plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe 8 legs onto each cookie, starting from where the two chocolate ‘body parts’ meet.
- Use the white decorating gel to pipe two small circles for eyes on each ‘head.’ Pipe a tiny dot of the reserved melted chocolate in the center of each white circle to make the pupils.
Notes
- This is a creative and kid-friendly baking project, perfect for Halloween parties.
- Pressing the chocolate candies into the cookies while they are still hot and soft from the oven is a crucial step that allows them to set into the cookie.
- A simple plastic sandwich bag with a tiny corner snipped off works perfectly as a makeshift piping bag for the delicate chocolate legs.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a perfect make-ahead party treat!
- Make-Ahead: The unbaked cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator. The unbaked, rolled dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Storage: Store the finished, decorated cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie that doesn’t crumble?
The secret is to not overbake them! Peanut butter cookies can go from perfectly soft to dry and crumbly in just a minute or two. It is best to pull them from the oven when the edges are set and a light golden brown, but the very centers still look a tiny bit soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the hot baking sheet.
Q2: Can I make these Halloween cookies ahead of time for a party?
Yes, these are a perfect make-ahead cookie! The best method is to freeze the unbaked balls of cookie dough. You can then bake them fresh on the day of your party. The baked and decorated cookies also store very well for several days.
Q3: Can I make these with a different kind of cookie base?
Yes, absolutely! This fun decorating technique would also be fantastic on top of a classic chocolate cookie, a simple sugar cookie, or even a brownie bite.
Q4: Can I make a simpler version of the spider body?
Of course! For an even easier and super-classic version, you can simply press one, upside-down miniature peanut butter cup into the center of each hot cookie to create the spider’s body.
Q5: What is the best way to melt chocolate so that it is perfect for piping?
The most foolproof method is to use a double boiler, or a simple heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. This ensures that the chocolate melts with a gentle, indirect heat, which is the key that prevents it from scorching. Be sure to let it cool and thicken slightly before you try to pipe with it, as very hot, runny chocolate will not hold its shape.