Description
Cute, creepy, and ridiculously delish! These Spooky Peanut Butter Spider Cookies bake up soft and chewy, then get “spiderfied” with mini peanut butter cups, melted chocolate legs, and candy eyeballs—perfect for Halloween parties, classroom treats, and cozy fall movie nights.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour — spooned & leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda — helps cookies rise
1/2 teaspoon fine salt — balances sweetness
1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened — for tenderness
3/4 cup (190 g) creamy peanut butter — classic peanut flavor
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar — sweetness & spread
1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar — moisture & caramel notes
1 large egg, room temperature — binds the dough
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract — warm flavor
1 tablespoon milk (15 ml), optional — for a slightly softer dough
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, optional — for rolling
24 mini peanut butter cups — spider “bodies”
3/4 cup (130 g) semisweet chocolate chips — for legs & “glue”
1 teaspoon neutral oil, optional — thins chocolate for piping
48 small candy eyeballs — the spooky finish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, 2–3 minutes.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. If dough looks dry, mix in milk.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix on low just until the flour disappears—do not overmix.
6. Scoop 1 tablespoon (about 20 g) portions, roll into balls, and (if using) roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on sheets.
7. Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are set and tops look puffed but still soft.
8. Immediately press 1 mini peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Let cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes.
9. Melt chocolate chips with oil in a microwave-safe bowl (20–30 sec bursts, stirring) or over a double boiler. Pipe 8 thin “legs” from each cup and use tiny dots to attach 2 candy eyeballs.
10. Let chocolate set at room temp 20–30 minutes or chill 10 minutes. Serve and watch them disappear!
Notes
Make-ahead: Bake cookies up to 1 day ahead; store undecorated, then add bodies/legs/eyes the day of serving.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months (layers separated with parchment).
No candy eyeballs? Use mini white chocolate chips (flat-side out) and dot with melted chocolate.
Gluten-free swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend; bake time may vary by 1–2 minutes.
Party tip: For extra cute “Peanut Butter Cup Spider Cookies,” draw legs thin and slightly curved for a lifelike look.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
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