Description
Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and spooky treat perfect for Halloween or any themed party. These soft and chewy cookies feature a creamy peanut butter dough rolled in sugar, topped with mini Reese’s peanut butter cups to create the spider’s body, and decorated with melted chocolate for legs and candy eyeballs for a playful finish. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, these cookies bring festive flair and peanut buttery goodness together in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Extra granulated sugar (for rolling)
Decoration
- 24 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped and chilled
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Prep the Reese’s & Oven: Unwrap the mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and place them in the freezer to chill while you prepare the cookies. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add the creamy peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly until smooth and well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually incorporate the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix which can toughen the cookies.
- Form the Cookies: Roll the cookie dough into tablespoon-sized balls with your hands, then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat. Place these dough balls evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick surface.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8 to 11 minutes or until the edges just start to crack, but the centers remain soft. This ensures a chewy texture perfect for these treats.
- Add Reese’s: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press a chilled mini Reese’s peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes to set properly.
- Make Spider Legs: Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a zip-top plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped off for piping. Pipe four spider legs on each side of the Reese’s cup on every cookie to create the spooky spider effect.
- Attach the Eyes: Use a small dab of the melted chocolate as glue to stick candy eyeballs onto each Reese’s peanut butter cup, completing the spider look. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the Reese’s cups before placing them on the cookies helps them hold shape and prevents melting.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should be soft in the middle for best texture.
- You can substitute candy eyeballs with small edible pearls or draw eyes with white and black icing if preferred.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats on the baking sheet to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- If desired, semi-sweet chocolate chips can be replaced with dark or milk chocolate chips depending on taste preference.
