Description
Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat featuring a soft peanut butter cookie base topped with mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, decorated to look like spiders with melted chocolate legs and candy eyeballs. These cookies combine creamy peanut butter flavor with sweet chocolate and playful presentation, perfect for Halloween or any playful occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (1 stick, room temperature)
- ½ cup (107g) brown sugar
- â…“ 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)
Decorations
- About 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (for melting)
- ½ tsp neutral oil (for melting chocolate)
- Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Prep the Reese’s and Oven: Unwrap approximately 24 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and place them in a bowl. Freeze them to help maintain their shape when added to the warm cookies. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- Mix the Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture for about 1 minute until it becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Add Peanut Butter, Egg, and Vanilla: Incorporate the creamy peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Beat again for less than 1 minute until combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed or fold in with a spatula just until all ingredients are combined, taking care not to over mix.
- Form and Bake Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough. Roll each into a uniform ball, then roll them in granulated sugar. Arrange the cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until the cookie edges start to crack and turn golden.
- Add Reese’s Cups and Cool: When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately press a frozen mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup into the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to solidify and prevent the Reese’s pieces from sinking.
- Melt Chocolate for Legs: Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips and neutral oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring every minute until fully melted and smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a plastic sandwich bag with a small corner cut off.
- Decorate with Legs and Eyes: Using the melted chocolate, draw 4 spider legs on each side of the Reese’s cup to create a spider effect. Dip a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of each candy eyeball and attach them to the Reese’s cup. Allow the chocolate to set completely before moving the cookies to a serving platter.
Notes
- Freezing the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups before adding them to the cookies helps keep their shape and prevents melting.
- Do not over mix the dough after adding the flour to avoid tough cookies.
- Allow cookies to cool before moving to avoid the Reese’s sinking or breaking shape.
- Use a squeeze bottle or a plastic bag with a small cut for precise chocolate leg piping.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
