Description
These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion. Crispy on the edges and soft in the center, they combine creamy peanut butter with sweet Reese’s cups and candy eyes to create adorable spider-shaped cookies with chocolate legs. Easy to make and great for sharing, these cookies bring a playful twist to classic peanut butter cookies.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (218 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (128 g) no-stir creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Toppings
- 30 mini Reese’s cups, unwrapped
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- Candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375º F (190º C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Sugars and Fats: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, and creamy peanut butter. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides to ensure even mixing.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and pure vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat until fully incorporated, roughly 30 seconds.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour is fully combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each dough ball in additional granulated sugar for a sweet crunch. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes.
- Add Reese’s Cups: While cookies are still slightly warm, press one mini Reese’s cup into the center of each cookie. This will help them adhere as the cookies cool.
- Cool Completely: Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Melt Chocolate Chips: Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth and fully melted.
- Decorate Spider Legs: Transfer melted chocolate to a small plastic baggie. Snip a tiny corner and pipe spider legs onto the cookies around the Reese’s cup, creating a fun spider effect.
- Attach Candy Eyes: Place a small dab of melted chocolate on the back of each candy eye and press onto the Reese’s cups to give your spiders eyes.
- Set Chocolate: Let the decorated cookies sit until the chocolate sets and hardens before serving or storing.
Notes
- Use creamy no-stir peanut butter such as Skippy All Natural for the best texture and consistency.
- Candy eyes can be found at most grocery or craft stores; if unavailable, small chocolate chips or icing dots can substitute.
- In warm climates, chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- You can freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months; thaw before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 152 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 104 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
