These Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are sure to win hearts for Halloween. They are as easy to make as they are delicious and such a perfectly spooky treat to serve! Bring them to a Halloween party or just share with your family.
Either way, you’re sure to create thrills and chills with these darling cookies.
1. Preheat Oven & Mix Dry Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (175°C). In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a larger bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix again. Then add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
3. Combine and Roll:
Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide dough into 18 portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
4. Bake:
Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Create Indentation:
Immediately after baking, press an indentation in the center of each cookie for the mini Reese’s cup. Let cool completely.
6. Prepare Chocolate for Decorating:
Once cooled, melt chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave, stirring between 10-second intervals. Transfer to a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or zip-lock bag (snip a tiny corner).
7. Decorate:
Unwrap the mini Reese’s cups. Place a small dab of melted chocolate on the bottom of each cup and press it into the cookie’s indentation (top side down). Pipe 8 “legs” from the cup to the edges of the cookie and use chocolate to stick two candy eyes on each spider. Let set until firm.
Problem: Cookies spread too much.
Cause: Butter too soft or dough too warm.
Solution: Use slightly cool butter or chill dough 15–20 minutes before baking.
Problem: Spider legs too thick or messy.
Cause: Hole in piping tool is too large.
Solution: Use a smaller opening for neat, thin legs.
These Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are fun, easy, and delicious! A soft peanut butter cookie topped with a mini Reese’s cup, chocolate legs, and candy eyes the perfect spooky-sweet Halloween treat.
For the best results, use frozen peanut butter cups. If they’re too warm, they’ll melt on the hot cookies and lose their shape, but they should still be soft enough to settle neatly into the indentation you’ve made in the center.
Parchment paper is ideal for baking these cookies, though a silicone baking mat (Silpat) works just as well.
If you don’t have a piping bag, place the melted chocolate for the spider legs in a small zip-top bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner to pipe the chocolate easily.
To make a larger batch, simply double or triple the ingredients using the adjustment options on the printable recipe card.
