Description
These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a spooky and delicious Halloween treat featuring a peanut butter cookie base, topped with mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and decorated with melted chocolate legs and candy eyeballs to resemble spiders. Perfect for festive parties or a fun family baking activity.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 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
Toppings and Decoration
- About 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, for melting
- Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Freeze Reese’s Cups: Unwrap about 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, place them in a bowl, and put in the freezer to help maintain their shape during baking. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat again for less than 1 minute until fully combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix to keep cookies tender.
- Form Cookie Balls: Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to form tablespoon-sized balls from the dough. Roll each ball between your hands to form a smooth, uniform shape, then roll in granulated sugar for a slight crunch.
- Bake Cookies: Place the sugared dough balls 2-3 inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 8-11 minutes or until edges begin to crack and turn golden.
- Add Reese’s Cups: Remove cookies from the oven and immediately press one frozen mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup into the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool for 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet to prevent the candy from sinking.
- Melt Chocolate: Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute until fully melted. Transfer melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle or sandwich bag with a small corner cut off.
- Decorate Legs: Using the melted chocolate, draw 4 legs on each side of the cookie to create spider legs.
- Attach Candy Eyes: Dab a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of candy eyeballs and stick them onto the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on each cookie. Allow chocolate to set before moving the cookies.
Notes
- Freezing the mini Reese’s Cups before baking helps them hold their shape and prevents melting into the cookie.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar adds a nice slight crunch to the outside of the cookies.
- Letting cookies cool on the baking sheet after adding the Reese’s cup helps prevent candy from sinking.
- Melt chocolate gently at 50% power to avoid burning.
- Use a squeeze bottle or plastic bag for precise chocolate leg decorations.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
