It’s that time of year to make these Spooky Spider Cookies! They’re perfect for a Halloween party and a great way to add a spider body to the top of your favorite cookies. In my house, these are at the top of our list of Halloween favorites to make and bake!
If you’re looking for a fun Halloween treat, these easy Halloween spider cookies are the best! Once the Halloween season rolls around, it’s time to make these fun treats! Combining this homemade cookie recipe with the icing spider’s body is so much fun!
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these Sugar Ice Cream Cone Witch Hat Cupcakes (Dipped in Chocolate)! You can never have too many Halloween desserts and snacks!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll love these Easy Halloween Cookies
- Everyone will love the taste of these chocolate chip spider cookies
- They’re so much fun to take and bake for Halloween class parties as well
- Everyone will love your creativity when it comes to making Halloween recipes
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter – Cubed so that it’s easier to mix.
- Sugar – White sugar adds a great sweetness to these cookies.
- Eggs – Eggs are great for adding moisture and holding all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is the best.
- Red food coloring – You can use regular food coloring or gel food coloring.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Gives the chocolate flavoring to these cookies.
- Baking soda – Adding baking soda makes these cookies soft and chewy.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch gives these cookies a cake-like texture.
- Kosher salt – Just a pinch!
- Cake flour – All-purpose flour works well, too.
- All-purpose flour – You can use this type of flour and omit cake flour completely if you’d like.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – All great recipes have chocolate chips!
- White cookie icing with small round tip
- Black cookie icing with small round tip
- Red cookie icing with small round tip
How To Make Spider Cookies
The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Step One: Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners. Set aside.
Step Two: Add butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Start creaming them together at low speed for 30 seconds. (Photo 1)
Increase speed to medium for an additional 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high for 30 more seconds. The butter/sugar mixture will appear light in color and fluffy.
Step Three: Add one egg at a time, beating directly after adding. After adding each egg, blend the vanilla into the mixture.
Step Four: Add in the red food coloring and cocoa powder, beating at low speed until mixed. Add both types of flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to mix. (Photo 2)
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while the mixer is on low speed. Continue beating the mixture until a soft dough is made. With the mixer on low, beat in the chocolate chips until mixed.
Step Five: Put in the refrigerator, uncovered until chilled for about 20 minutes. Weight out each ball of cookie dough until it weighs 6 oz. (Photo 3)
Using your hands, form the dough into a tall ball. Place 4 dough balls on the baking sheet, staggering each one. Press in additional chocolate chips. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until ready to be baked.
Step Six: Bake one baking sheet at a time. Bake at 410 degrees for 8-11 minutes. Check to make sure the cookies are gooey in the center. (Photo 4)
Take out of the oven. Set aside to cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes.
Step Seven: Using the white cookie icing, pipe a spider web coming off on the corner of the cookies.
Using the black cookie icing, pipe lines on the sides of the chocolate chips on top to create spider legs.
Using the red cookie icing, pipe an hourglass shape in the center of the chocolate chip to make it look like a black widow.
Allow the icing to harden before enjoying!
How to Store
The key to keeping chocolate chip cookies fresh is to store them in an airtight container. Don’t add hot cookies to the container – be sure to let them cool first before storing.
These cookies can be stored at room temperature and are best eaten within 2-3 days.
Substitutions
Change up the flavor of the cookies – You could easily turn these into delicious peanut butter cookies or sugar cookies.
Add candy googly eyes – Give these cookies some character and add fun candy or chocolate candy on top!
FAQs
Be sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie dough ball. This will help them not run together in case they spread while baking.
The spider cookies need to cool down before you add any frosting or toppings. If they’re too hot, the icing will not stick properly.
You bet! Just let them cool down all the way and then add them to a freezer-safe bag. To thaw them, move the bag to the fridge for about an hour or so.
More Halloween Recipes You’ll Love
- Large Halloween Marshmallow Pops with Candy Melts and Sprinkles
- Halloween-Themed Chocolate Dipped Pretzels: Pumpkin, Bats & Mummies
- See all our Halloween desserts!
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Halloween Spider Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter unsalted and cubed
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp red food coloring
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1¾ cup flour
- white, black, red cooking icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners. Set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Start creaming them together at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium for an additional 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high for 30 more seconds. The butter/sugar mixture will appear light in color and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time, beating directly after adding. After adding each egg, blend the vanilla into the mixture.
- Add in the red food coloring and cocoa powder, beating at low speed until mixed. Add both types of flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to mix. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while the mixer is on low speed. Continue beating the mixture until a soft dough is made. With the mixer on low, beat in the chocolate chips until mixed.
- Put in the refrigerator, uncovered until chilled for about 20 minutes. Weight out each ball of cookie dough until it weighs 6 oz. Using your hands, form the dough into a tall ball. Place 4 dough balls on the baking sheet, staggering each one. Press in additional chocolate chips. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until ready to be baked.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time. Bake at 410 degrees for 8-11 minutes. Check to make sure the cookies are gooey in the center. Take out of the oven. Set aside to cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes.
- Using the white cookie icing, pipe a spider web coming off on the corner of the cookies.Using the black cookie icing, pipe lines on the sides of the chocolate chips on top to create spider legs Using the red cookie icing, pipe an hourglass shape in the center of the chocolate chip to make it look like a black widow Allow the icing to harden before enjoying!
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