Ready to create the most ghoulishly gorgeous, spectacularly spooky, and unbelievably delicious centerpiece for your Halloween party—without even turning on your oven? This incredible, No-Bake Halloween Spiderweb Cake Roll is the ultimate festive creation! We’re talking a rich, fudgy, “cookies and cream” cake roll, filled with a sweet buttercream made from the Oreo creme filling, and enrobed in a creepy, crawly, and colorful marshmallow spiderweb.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite edible Halloween project. We’ll show you the simple but brilliant secrets to creating a stunning, from-scratch-tasting, no-bake dessert that looks impressive but is secretly simple to assemble. This is a show-stopping, crowd-pleasing treat that is as fun to decorate as it is to devour.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Spooky No-Bake Halloween Treat
What makes this Spiderweb Cake Roll so spectacularly fun is its brilliant, no-bake method and its incredible, spooky presentation. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive creativity. The “cake” itself is a rich and fudgy, pliable dough made from a genius combination of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos®) and cream cheese. This is filled with a luscious, from-scratch buttercream that cleverly uses the reserved Oreo creme filling. The entire log is then chilled until firm and decorated with the show-stopping finale: a sticky, stretchy, and spooky orange marshmallow “spiderweb,” complete with gummy spiders.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 5 hours (includes chilling) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 10-12 slices |
The Mad Scientist’s Laboratory: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic party treat uses a handful of smart shortcuts and simple ingredients to create its signature spooky look and delicious flavor.
- The No-Bake Oreo “Cake”:
- Double Creme Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: The secret to a fast and easy, no-bake “cake” is a package of your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies! Using a “double creme” variety is fantastic because it provides extra filling for our luscious buttercream.
- Cream Cheese: A block of softened, full-fat cream cheese is the magic ingredient that binds the cookie crumbs together and transforms them into a soft, pliable, and rollable “dough.”
- The Oreo Creme Filling: A brilliant, no-waste buttercream is made from the reserved creme filling from the cookies, which is beaten with softened butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.
- The Marshmallow Web:
- Marshmallows: This is the brilliant and easy hack that makes this cake so spectacular! A handful of classic marshmallows, melted in the microwave with a touch of food coloring, is the secret to the spooky decoration.
- Disposable Gloves & Cooking Spray: These are your non-negotiable best friends for this step! Coating your gloved hands in a neutral-flavored cooking spray is the key that will allow you to handle and stretch the sticky, melted marshmallow without it sticking to you.
Step-by-Step to the Best Halloween Spiderweb Cake Roll
This fun and festive project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Make the No-Bake Oreo “Cake” and Filling
Step 1: First, carefully scrape the creme filling from your 1 package of chocolate sandwich cookies into a small bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: Transfer the chocolate cookies to a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. Add the 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese and pulse until a soft, pliable dough forms.
Step 3: Transfer this dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. Cover it with another large sheet of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Set this aside.
Step 4: To make the filling, combine the 1 stick of room temperature butter with your reserved creme filling in the same food processor and process until smooth. Add your 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, a pinch of salt, and the 2 tablespoons of whole milk and process until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
Part 2: Roll, Chill, and Decorate Your Spooky Log
Step 1: Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from your rolled-out dough. Evenly spread the prepared buttercream all the way to the edges on three sides of the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the short side that is opposite you. Step 2: Starting with the short side that is facing you, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to help you tightly roll the dough away from you into a log. Place it seam-side down. Step 3 (The Most Important Step!): Tightly wrap the log with the excess plastic wrap and tie the two ends to tighten the roll. Refrigerate the log until it is very firm, which will take at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Step 4 (The Fun Part!): When you are ready to serve, unwrap your chilled roll and transfer it to a serving platter. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the 6 ounces of marshmallows with 12 drops of your orange gel food coloring. Microwave for about 1 minute, until the marshmallows lose their shape. Stir well until the color is even, and then let it cool slightly for about 1 minute. Step 5: Dip your gloved and greased fingers into the marshmallow mixture. Pull and stretch the mixture between your hands until it becomes thin and web-like. Stretch and wrap these marshmallow “webs” all over your chilled cake roll until it is entirely covered. Step 6: While the web is still sticky, decorate it with your gummy spiders. Let the roll stand for about 10 minutes until the web has firmed up, then slice and serve.
No-Bake Halloween Spiderweb Cake Roll (An Easy Recipe!)
A festive, no-bake ‘Halloween Oreo Roll,’ perfect for a spooky party. This dessert features a soft, pliable ‘dough’ made from finely ground chocolate sandwich cookies and cream cheese. This is rolled into a rectangle and spread with a sweet buttercream filling made from the reserved cookie creme, butter, and confectioners’ sugar. The log is then rolled up and chilled until firm. For a fun Halloween decoration, orange-tinted marshmallows are melted and stretched over the finished roll to create a spooky web effect, which is then adorned with gummy spiders.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) package double creme filled chocolate sandwich cookies (e.g., Oreo Double Stuf)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Kosher salt
- 6 ounces marshmallows (about 24)
- Orange gel food coloring
- Gummy spiders, for decorating
Instructions
- Separate the cookies, scraping the creme filling into a small bowl and placing the chocolate cookie wafers into a food processor.
- Pulse the cookie wafers until they are finely ground. Add the cream cheese and pulse until a dough forms. Add 1 tablespoon of milk if the mixture is too thick.
- Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with another sheet, and roll it out into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.
- Make the Filling: In the same food processor, combine the reserved creme filling and the room-temperature butter. Process until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt and process until smooth. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and process until light and fluffy.
- Assemble the Roll: Remove the top layer of plastic wrap from the dough. Spread the buttercream filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the far short side.
- Using the bottom layer of plastic wrap to help, roll the dough away from you into a tight log. Wrap it tightly in the plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight, until firm.
- Decorate: When ready to serve, unwrap the roll and place it on a platter.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the marshmallows and about 12 drops of orange food coloring. Microwave for about 1 minute, until the marshmallows lose their shape. Stir until evenly colored and let cool slightly.
- Wearing disposable gloves, dip your fingers into the marshmallow mixture and stretch it between your hands to create thin, web-like strands. Stretch and wrap the marshmallow web around the entire roll.
- While the web is still sticky, decorate it with gummy spiders. Let it stand for about 10 minutes until firm. Slice and serve.
Notes
- This is a no-bake dessert that requires a food processor and significant chilling time.
- Using the creme from the sandwich cookies as the base for the buttercream filling is a clever, no-waste technique.
- The marshmallow web decoration is a fun, hands-on activity, but it’s sticky—wearing disposable gloves is highly recommended for easy cleanup.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead party dessert!
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare and fully assemble the cake roll (before the marshmallow web decoration) up to 3 days in advance. Simply keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store the finished, decorated cake roll, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a no-bake cake roll that is not a sticky mess and slices cleanly?
The secret is a long chilling time. By letting the assembled log chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight), you are allowing the cream cheese and the butter to become very firm. This is the key that will solidify the entire roll, making it easy to handle for decorating and allowing you to get beautiful, clean, pinwheel slices that hold their shape.
Q2: Can I make this Halloween dessert ahead of time for a party?
Yes, absolutely! This is an ideal make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the entire cake roll and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is best to add the fresh marshmallow web decoration on the day you plan to serve it for the best, stickiest result.
Q3: How do I keep the marshmallow web from being a completely unmanageable mess?
The non-negotiable secret is to generously coat your (gloved!) hands with cooking spray. This creates a non-stick barrier between your skin and the sticky marshmallow, which is the key that will allow you to easily pull and stretch the marshmallow into those beautiful, thin, web-like strands.
Q4: Can I make this recipe with a different kind of cookie?
Of course! This fun technique would also be fantastic with a classic vanilla sandwich cookie for a “cookies and cream” flavor, some gingersnaps for a spicy fall version, or even some Biscoff® cookies.
Q5: Can I make the marshmallow web a different color?
Yes! A classic, spooky white web (with no food coloring), a ghoulish green, or a creepy purple would all be fantastic and festive color choices for your marshmallow web.