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Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

These peanut butter spider cookies combine soft peanut butter blossom dough, frozen Mini Reese’s cups, chocolate legs, and candy eyes in one easy Halloween treat. The cookies require no planned chill in a normal kitchen, while the simple decorations create a party-ready spider design. Serve them with milk, cider, or hot chocolate, then freeze the extras for another spooky celebration.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 163
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup 113g unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
  • ½ cup 107g brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup 66g granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup 201g creamy peanut butter not natural
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups 180g all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Granulated sugar for rolling the cookies
  • Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • ½ cup 85g semi-sweet chocolate chips for melting
  • ½ tsp neutral oil for melting
  • Candy eye balls

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Cookie scoop
  • Baking sheet
  • Zip-top bag or squeeze bottle

Method
 

  1. Freeze the Candy
    Unwrap the 24 Mini Reese’s Cups and place them in a bowl or small container. Freeze them for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the cookie dough. Chilling the peanut butter cups helps them stay firm and hold their shape when they are pressed into the freshly baked cookies.
  2. Cream the Butter and Sugars
    Place the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat for about 1 minute, or until the mixture looks smooth, creamy, and slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed so the ingredients mix evenly.
  3. Add the Wet Ingredients
    Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat for less than 1 minute, just until everything is evenly combined and the mixture looks smooth. Avoid mixing longer than necessary.
  4. Add the Dry Ingredients
    Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated and no visible streaks of flour remain. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together to prevent overmixing, which can make the finished cookies less tender.
  5. Shape the Cookie Dough
    Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each portion between your hands to form smooth balls. Roll each dough ball in extra granulated sugar, coating the outside lightly and evenly.
    Arrange the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for the cookies to spread as they bake.
  6. Bake the Cookies
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 8–11 minutes, or until the edges begin to crack and the cookies look set around the outside while remaining soft in the center.
    Do not wait for the cookies to become completely firm in the oven. They will continue to set as they cool.
  7. Add the Spider Bodies
    Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one frozen Mini Reese’s Cup into the center of each warm cookie. Press gently but firmly enough for the candy to sit securely in the cookie without pushing it too far down.
    Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 15–20 minutes. The cookies will still be soft during this time, so avoid transferring them to a cooling rack too soon. Allowing them to cool on the baking sheet helps the centers firm up and keeps the Reese’s Cups from sinking through the cookies.
  8. Prepare the Chocolate for the Legs
    While the cookies cool, place the chocolate chips and neutral oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
    Be careful not to overheat the chocolate. Short heating intervals and stirring between each one help prevent it from becoming too hot or grainy.
  9. Pipe the Spider Legs
    Transfer the melted chocolate to a small squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag. If using a bag, snip off only a tiny corner so you can control the chocolate more easily.
    Pipe four legs on each side of every Reese’s Cup, creating eight legs per spider. The legs do not need to be perfectly straight or identical. Let the chocolate set for a few minutes if it becomes difficult to control.
  10. Add the Candy Eyes
    Place a very small dab of melted chocolate on the back of each candy eyeball. Carefully press two candy eyes onto each Reese’s Cup.
    Allow the chocolate to set completely before moving or stacking the cookies. Once the chocolate has hardened, your peanut butter spider cookies are ready to serve.