Spider Cookies are easy, creepy and cute for Halloween! They are perfect for school snacks and parties.
Spider Cookies Recipe
When it comes to Halloween I love making a few cute and spooky treats! Using store bought ingredients is a great way to cut down on prep time. This recipe uses store bought cookie dough and icing so it comes together really quickly and even the kids can make them!
For a Halloween party you can even create a decorating station for your guests. Place all the cookies on a serving platter, put the orange icing in a large bowl and prepare piping bags (or Ziploc bags) with chocolate icing for the legs. Have your guests decorate their own spider cookie!
What are Spider Cookies?
Spider cookies transform store bought (or homemade) chocolate chip cookie dough into a spooky Halloween treat. The cookies are baked and then topped with orange frosting.
To create the spiders a round chocolate candy (ex. Whoppers, Malteser, Rolo, or mini Reese’s) are used as the body. Chocolate frosting is used to stick candy eyes to the body and chocolate frosting is also used to create 8 creepy spider legs!
More Halloween Treats!
What is in Spider Cookies?
- Store Bought Cookie Dough – you can use any variety of store bought cookie dough (ex. chocolate chip, sugar cookie, oatmeal, etc.) and you can also use homemade cookie dough! I personally love chocolate chip cookies so that is my choice for this recipe.
- Chocolate Frosting – to create the spiders legs chocolate frosting is used. A small amount is also used to stick the candy eyes to the spiders body.
- Vanilla Frosting – for an extra spooky and festive cookie I like to add a layer of orange frosting on top of the cookie and then add the spider on top.
- Food Coloring – Red and Yellow or Orange – added to the vanilla frosting to create the orange frosting layer on the cookies.
- Round Chocolate – you can use any round chocolate you like, for example Whoppers, Maltesers, Rolo, Reese’s mini, etc.
- Candy Eyes – use the smallest candy eyes you can find.
How to Make Spider Cookies
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
1 Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the store bought cookies on the sheet pan and bake according to package directions.
2 Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.
3 In a small bowl mix together the vanilla icing, 1 drop of red food coloring and 8 drops of yellow food coloring (or follow your food coloring package directions to make orange). Mix until evenly combined.
4 Spread a thin layer of icing on top of each cooled cookie.
5 Place one Whopper in the center of each cookie and gently press down to stick to the icing.
6 Transfer the chocolate icing to a piping bag with a small plain round tip, or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off (make a very small cut).
7 Pipe two small dots of icing on the front of the Whopper and place two small candy eyes on.
8 Pipe 4 legs on each side of the spiders’ body.
9 Transfer the cookies to a serving platter and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Spider Cookies
- Cooling Time – be sure to allow the cookies to fully cool before decorating them. If the cookies are still warm the orange frosting will melt and the spiders will slide off the cookies. I like to bake the cookies in the morning or the night before and then decorate the day of.
- Frosting – you can use any variety of store bought icing that you prefer and you can also use homemade. If using homemade be sure to make a thick frosting for the best results.
- Cookie Dough – for the quickest recipe I like using store bought pre-cut cookie dough. They bake in even shapes which allows for uniformly decorated cookies. You can use store bought dough in a tube and slice them, if you prefer, and you can even use homemade dough as well.
FAQs Spider Cookies
Store the decorated cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. Do not stack the cookies when storing them.
Yes! These cookies are perfect for make ahead. You can make and decorate them up to 2-3 days in advance or you can bake the cookies the night before and decorate the next day.
You can freeze these cookies but it is not recommended. The icing will melt while the cookies defrost. You can prebake the cookies and freeze them. Then thaw overnight and decorate at a later date.
Enjoy!
– Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Spider Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pack cookie dough, store bought or homemade
- 24 Whopper candies, or Maltesers or Reese’s mini cups or round chocolate of choice
- 1/2 tub chocolate icing, store bought
- 1/2 tub vanilla icing
- 48 small candy eyes
- Red food coloring
- Yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the store bought cookies on the sheet pan and bake according to package directions.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.
- In a small bowl mix together the vanilla icing, 1 drop of red food coloring and 8 drops of yellow food coloring (or follow your food coloring package directions to make orange). Mix until evenly combined.
- Spread a thin layer of icing on top of each cooled cookie.
- Place one Whopper in the center of each cookie and gently press down to stick to the icing.
- Transfer the chocolate icing to a piping bag with a small plain round tip, or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off (make a very small cut).
- Pipe two small dots of icing on the front of the Whopper and place two small candy eyes on.
- Pipe 4 legs on each side of the spiders’ body.
- Transfer the cookies to a serving platter and enjoy!
NUTRITION
