Description
Halloween Inspired Peanut Butter Blossom Spider Cookies are festive, soft peanut butter cookies topped with miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups decorated with candy eyes and chocolate spider legs, perfect for spooky celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Decorations
- 24 miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Candy eyes
- 1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- Cream ingredients: In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and mix for another 1-2 minutes. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Mix dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated into a smooth dough.
- Chill dough: Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Form cookies: Using a 1 oz. portion scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out dough and roll into smooth balls with your palms. Roll each ball in the 2 tbsp granulated sugar to coat.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Bake cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 minutes until golden brown but still soft. Let cookies sit on the pan for a few minutes after baking, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add toppings: After the cookies have cooled about 5 minutes, gently press one miniature Reese’s peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Immediately press two candy eyes onto each peanut butter cup; if they do not stick, use a small dot of melted chocolate as glue.
- Decorate spider legs: Put melted semi-sweet chocolate into a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe spider legs onto each cookie around the Reese’s cup. Alternatively, you can draw legs with a toothpick dipped in chocolate, use black Twizzlers, or gel icing.
- Set and store: Allow the chocolate to cool and harden completely. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Let the cookies cool about 5 minutes after baking before adding the Reese’s cups to prevent them from melting too much. Freezing the Reese’s cups for a few minutes before placing them can help reduce melting.
- The candy eyes usually stick onto the Reese’s cup due to the cup warming slightly from the cookie; otherwise, use a small dot of melted chocolate to adhere them securely.
- Spider legs can be piped with melted chocolate or drawn on with a toothpick dipped in chocolate. For a fun twist, use black Twizzlers or gel icing for the legs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
