Spider Cookies

These homemade Chocolate Spider Cookies are almost too cute to eat and way too sweet to be scary! Topped with decadent chocolate truffles and decorated to look like playful little spiders, these festive Halloween cookies are a fun and delicious treat for kids of all ages. They’re perfect for Halloween parties, classroom celebrations, or adding a little spooky sweetness to your holiday dessert table.

Easy Spider Cookies Recipe

This time of year, there are plenty of fun and festive treats to serve at your Halloween monster mash! While gory goodies might be a hit with some partygoers, our family prefers something a little sweeter and more on the cute side. These Chocolate Spider Cookies fit the bill perfectly! They’re completely edible, easy to pick up and enjoy, and almost too adorable to be spooky. Even better, decorating them doubles as a fun Halloween craft that kids can help with. Let the little ones lend a hand assembling their chocolate spiders, and you’ll have a batch of sweet treats that are just as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Key ingredients to make Chocolate Spider Cookies for Halloween: (Scroll down for full recipe and quantities.)

• Flour – Self rising flour to create the cookie dough.
• Cocoa – Unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolaty flavor.
• Butter – Salted butter for richness.
• Sugar – A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for sweetness.
• Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract add warm floral notes.
• Whole Egg – One large egg binds the cookie dough.
• Decorations – 8 stick pretzels broken in half for the spider legs, candy eyes, chocolate sprinkles or similar mini chocolate candies or mini chocolate chips, and 24 chocolate truffles (i.e. Lindt or similar) for the body.
• Chocolate – 3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips melted with solid vegetable shortening or coconut oil to attach the candy eyes to the cookies.

How to Make Spider Cookies Recipe

• Heat Oven Prepare Pans – Preheat oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together flour and cocoa powder.
• Creamed Ingredients – Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat until fully combined.
• Combine – Gradually add sifted flour mixture just until combined then cover and chill.
• Divide Cookie Dough – Use a small scoop to divide dough shaping into 1-inch balls. Roll in sprinkles.
• Create Pretzel Legs – Insert pretzels to form legs, inserting broken end into cookie dough. (8 legs for each cookie)
• Bake – Bake per the recipe at least 2 inches apart.
• Let Cool – Remove from oven let cool 5 minutes on pan.
• Chocolate Truffles – Remove cookies to a cooling rack then immediately press one truffle into center of each cookie. The truffle will melt slightly “sticking” to the cookie. Let cookies cool completely.
• Melt Chocolate – Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave on 50% power for 20 seconds, stir. Repeat until smooth, stir well. Pour into a plastic Ziploc bag and cut off the corner.
• Attach Eyes – Pipe chocolate onto truffle, to attach eyes to the spiders head. Press eyes into place while chocolate is still warm.
• After all are assembled, leave on cooling racks to cool completely.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Halloween Spider Cookies

• Electric mixer. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
• Baking sheet pans or cookie sheets.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Whisk.
• Large bowl, medium bowl, small bowl.
• Ziploc bag or piping bag with the the corner snipped.
• Wire rack.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Self-Rising Flour – To make your own self rising flour. Add 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/4 tsp salt to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.
• Thinning the Chocolate – A small amount of vegetable shortening (like Crisco) will help thin the chocolate so, that it will be easy to pipe onto the back of the eyes and provide edible glue to attach them to the truffles. It’s also room temperature stable.
• Truffles – You could opt to use malt balls or upside down peanut butter cups (mini Reese’s) for the bodies and the technique will remain the same. Should you choose to do so, consider the size of the eyes making sure there’s ample room to attach them.

Spider Cookie Assembly Tips

• Keep Pretzels Similar Size – When breaking the pretzels, try to make them as even in length as possible. Insert the broken end into the cookie dough so all of the legs have a finished end. Thin pretzel sticks work best.
• Use a Skewer – If the cookies have cooled, use the end of a skewer to make the holes in the side to insert the spider legs.
• Assembly Tip – You can use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off to apply the eyes. You may need a little more chocolate, if you use it to place the heads, but it doesn’t take much for the eyes.
• Additional Chocolate – You can’t attach the truffles while the cookies are piping hot or they’ll just melt. Should the cookies cool too much before you can get the heads in place, you can use additional melted chocolate to place the truffles (heads) onto the cookie using the same piping technique as the eyes.
• Check Craft Stores and Grocery Stores – Those little eyes can often be found on the baking aisle for most grocery stores or craft stores like Michaels. They can come in various sizes.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store spooky Spider Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Please Note: The pretzels can soften.
• Freezer – You can freeze the cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge adding the pretzel legs just before serving.

More Halloween Desserts to Make

Other fun treats to add to your goodies menu for Halloween:

• Halloween Popcorn Balls feature the winning combo of chocolate glazed caramel popcorn.
• Another edible craft that my boys enjoyed when they were little are these Monster Meatball Sliders.
• Cute as a button Halloween Scotcheroos are cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
• 25 Not-So-Scary Halloween Desserts features some of the very best options.
• Classic Easy Peanut Butter Cookies.
• Halloween Spider Web Dip from Noshing with the Nolands.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheets
• Measuring Set
• Mixer

Print

Spider Cookies

These easy Chocolate Spider Cookies are a fun Halloween treat made with chocolate cookies, chocolate truffles, and cute spider decorations. Perfect for Halloween parties, classroom treats, or a spooky-sweet dessert the kids will love!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chocolate-cookies, chocolate-spider-cookies, spider-cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Cooling time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies (may vary)

Calories 211kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (or vanilla)
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 48 stick pretzels broken in half
• 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
• 24 chocolate truffles (i.e. Lindt or similar)
• 48 candy eyes
• 3 Tbsp semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2-1 tsp solid vegetable shortening or coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour and cocoa powder.
• Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Cream for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat until fully combined.
• Gradually add sifted dry ingredients. Beat on medium just until combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Use a small scoop to divide dough shaping into 1-inch dough balls. Roll in chocolate sprinkles. Insert pretzels to form legs, inserting the broken end into cookie dough. (8 legs for each cookie)
• Place on sheet pan at least 2-inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven let cool 5 minutes on pan.
• Remove to a cooling rack then immediately press one truffle into center of each cookie. The truffle will melt slightly "sticking" to the cookie. Let cookies cool completely.
• To Apply Eyes: Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave on 50% power for 20 seconds, stir. Repeat until smooth, stir well. Pour into a plastic Ziploc bag and cut off the corner. Pipe chocolate onto truffle, to attach eyes to the spiders head. Press eyes into place while chocolate is still warm.
• After all are assembled, leave on cooling racks to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Self-Rising Flour – To make your own self rising flour. Add 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/4 tsp salt to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.
• Thinning the Chocolate – A small amount of vegetable shortening (like Crisco) will help thin the chocolate so, that it will be easy to pipe onto the back of the eyes and provide edible glue to attach them to the truffles. It’s also room temperature stable.
• Truffles – You could opt to use malt balls or upside down peanut butter cups (mini Reese’s) for the bodies and the technique will remain the same. Should you choose to do so, consider the size of the eyes making sure there’s ample room to attach them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

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