Get ready to spin a web of deliciousness with these adorable and frighteningly easy Peanut Butter Spider Cookies! Perfect for Halloween parties, kid-friendly baking adventures, or when you want to add a playful twist to your dessert table, these creepy-cute cookies combine the irresistible flavors of peanut butter and chocolate with a whimsical spider design that's sure to delight both children and adults. Imagine biting into a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie transformed into a cute little spider - it's a treat that's as fun to make as it is to eat!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 22 mins
Cuisine: American
Serves: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pretzel sticks
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine creamy peanut butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until a smooth, consistent dough forms.
- Using clean hands or a cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch round balls, placing them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently press down on each cookie ball with a fork to create a crisscross pattern, which helps flatten the cookies slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The cookies will be soft when first removed from the oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until smooth.
- Once cookies are cooled, use the melted chocolate to create spider legs by piping thin lines of chocolate extending from the sides of each cookie.
- Break pretzel sticks in half and carefully place two halves on each cookie to represent spider legs.
- Use remaining melted chocolate to create small spider eyes on each cookie.
- Dust the cookies lightly with powdered sugar for a finished, decorative look.
- Allow chocolate to set completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and better cookie texture.
- For uniform cookies, use a cookie scoop or weigh each dough ball to maintain consistent size.
- Don't overbake! The cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven, as they'll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet.
- Use a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off for precise chocolate spider leg decoration.
- If your melted chocolate is too thick for piping, add a tiny bit of vegetable oil to thin it out.
- Work quickly when adding pretzel legs and chocolate eyes, as the chocolate sets fast.
- Store cookies in a single layer to prevent smudging the decorations.
- For a nut-free version, you can substitute the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 140kcal
Carbohydrates: 12g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 10mg
