Description
Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and spooky treat perfect for Halloween. These cookies feature a creamy peanut butter base topped with Whoppers to create a spider shape, with chocolate legs and candy eyes adding the finishing touch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 44 Whoppers (22 large, 22 small)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
- 1 small tube of white cake decorating gel
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
- Black nonpareil sprinkles (optional, for the spider eyes)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture, stirring until a thick dough forms.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, form balls of dough. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are golden and firm. Remove from the oven.
- Add the Spider Bodies: While the cookies are still warm, press one large Whopper (for the body) and one small Whopper (for the head) onto the top of each cookie.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool in the fridge for a few minutes until they are cool to the touch.
- Prepare the Spider Legs: Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before transferring it to a piping bag.
- Pipe the Legs: Pipe 8 legs onto each spider cookie using a “V” shape for each set of legs (4 legs on each side of the Whopper body).
- Add the Eyes: Use the white cake decorating gel to add two dots on the smaller Whopper (head) for the eyes. Optionally, place a small black nonpareil sprinkle in the center of each white dot to complete the eyes.
- Let Set: Allow the cookies to set completely before serving. For faster setting, pop them back in the fridge for a few minutes.
Notes
- Use creamy peanut butter for best results; natural peanut butter may alter the dough consistency.
- Ensure the cookies are completely cooled before adding the spider decorations to prevent melting.
- The black nonpareil sprinkles are optional but add a nice detail for the spider’s eyes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg