Description
These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are soft, chewy, and perfect for Halloween. Topped with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, melted chocolate legs, and candy eyes, they make a fun and festive dessert that’s easy to whip up.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 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
- 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, for melting
- Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Prepare the Reese's cups: Unwrap about 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and place them in a bowl. Put the bowl in the freezer to firm them up so they maintain their shape when pressed into hot cookies.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla: Add the creamy peanut butter, the large egg, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat again for less than 1 minute until just combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Add the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed or fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape and coat cookies: Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out dough balls roughly a tablespoon each. Roll each ball between your hands for a smooth shape, then roll them in granulated sugar. Place the coated balls 2-3 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, until the edges begin to crack and turn golden but the centers still look soft.
- Add Reese's cups: Immediately after baking, remove the cookies from the oven and press one frozen mini Reese’s cup into the center of each cookie. This prevents them from sinking in while still warm.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until they firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate: Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute until melted and smooth.
- Decorate the cookies: Transfer melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle or a sandwich bag with a small corner cut off. Draw 4 legs on each side of the Reese’s cup to create spider legs.
- Add candy eyes: Use a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of each candy eyeball to attach them onto the Reese’s cup to create spider eyes. Allow the chocolate to set fully before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the Reese's cups before baking helps them maintain their shape during baking.
- Don’t overmix the dough to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Rolling dough in sugar before baking adds a slight crunch and sparkle on top.
- If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, use a small piping bag or even a toothpick to pipe chocolate legs.
- Let cookies cool well before moving to prevent the Reese’s cup from sinking or distorting shape.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
