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Tarantula Cookies might just be the perfect Halloween cookie. These spooky treats have hairy arms and legs, but these are spiders you’ll want to bite!
These cookies are so much fun, and would be a great craft to make with the kids, or serve them for a Halloween party, the office potluck, or a kid’s birthday party! Just be forewarned, these are messy to make and to eat! They’ll make a spooky scene with some Meringue Ghosts as well.
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Cookie notes
The cookies, or the body of the spider, are sturdy but light and not too sweet. You could even call them plain. But this allows the spider to be dipped in chocolate and coated with sprinkles and not be too overwhelmingly sweet. I think it’s the perfect balance.
I also like that you can pick the spiders up and handle them without worrying about breaking them. Nice and sturdy.
It does, indeed, take some time to make these cookies, but, it’s definitely worth it. The end result is so cute and everyone will be impressed.
Have the kids help make these, and you’ll get a project as well as a dessert treat. And for more spooky fun, check out my Nutter Butter Ghosts too!
I found this recipe in a book, but apparently it originally comes from Epicurious.
How to make
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
make the dough
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside. And, though you’re combining the dry ingredients, the cocoa powder isn’t added at this point because mixing an acid (cocoa powder) and a base (baking soda) creates a chemical reaction, and you aren’t ready to create that reaction in the cookies yet.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.
shape the cookies
Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop dough into a tablespoon-sized ball, and roll into a tight sphere with your hands. Place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Break the pretzel sticks in half if they are long. I found the half pretzels to be easier to work with, and cuter. Of course, feel free to keep them long if you want a daddy long legs.
Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.
I also found that the cookies baked up nicer when the pretzels were pressed in under the body, as opposed to the sides of the body.
1. Long pretzels placed in the middle of the body. You can see after baking that it leaves an apparent indent in the side.
2. I like the shorter legs better. That’s a pretzel stick broken in half. I think it looks cuter and it was easier to work with.
3. We tried sticking the legs up at an angle so that the baked spider would stand tall. But, after baking the legs had flattened down.
4. Long legs placed under the body and pressed in at the bottom left a cleaner look to the side.
bake the cookies
Bake until the cookies start to brown around the edges, about 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes.
Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place directly on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely.
decorate the cookies
Place the racks on sheets of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or waxed paper to catch any chocolate overflow.
Melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil in a microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time. Or melt in a double boiler.
Turn a spider upside down, and dip into the melted chocolate. Shake a little to remove excess chocolate. Place on the wire rack and continue dipping cookies. Spread any missed spots of chocolate with the tip of your finger.
You can also use a fork, chocolate dipping fork, or chopsticks to help dip the spiders. Or try brushing the melted chocolate on. Melted chocolate can also be poured over each cookie. But I found that flipping and dipping was the easiest and least wasted chocolate.
Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles to coat. You’ll need at least 2 small bottles (1.75 ounces each) of chocolate sprinkles (jimmies). Possibly 3 bottles if you’re heavy handed. Or get a big container full of sprinkles.
Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head.
Place spiders on trays in the fridge until the chocolate sets.
Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, these cookies freeze well in an airtight container for up to a couple months. You can place some of these guys on top of a serving of Black Rice Pudding for a spooky dessert!
Makes approximately 20-30 cookies.
Changes to the recipe
The tarantula cookies are nice and large – as a tarantula should be! But you can totally make smaller spiders. Just keep an eye on them as they bake so they don’t burn.
Make colorful spiders with rainbow sprinkles!
Change out the eyes. I love the flavor of the cinnamon red hots or Imperial candies with the chocolate spider. But you could use mini M&Ms or pipe on icing or melted candy melts for the eyes.
Change the legs. Use those crunchy chow mein noodles for the legs. If you use chocolate dipped pocky, you don’t even have to dip the legs! Try black licorice rope laces for a wiggly leg.
You’ll also have lots of fun making these Acorn Donut Holes.
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Recipe
Tarantula Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 bag thin, short pretzel sticks 8 ounce bag, more or less for legs
- 11.5 ounces chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- chocolate sprinkles
- small red candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine grain salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.10 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Break the pretzel sticks in half if they are long.1 bag thin, short pretzel sticks
- Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.
- Bake until the cookies start to brown around the edges, about 7-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.
- Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place directly on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or waxed paper.
- In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil.11.5 ounces chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Turn a spider upside down, and dip into the melted chocolate. Shake a little to remove excess chocolate. Place on the wire rack and continue dipping cookies. Spread any missed spots with the tip of your finger.
- Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles to coat.chocolate sprinkles
- Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head.small red candies
- Place spiders on trays in the fridge until the chocolate sets.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
These cookies are so much fun. Lightly sweet cookies that can be dunked in chocolate so they aren’t too much. They take a bit of time to make and decorate, but have the kids help and you have a fun project! I hope you love them as much as we do! Debi, author, Life Currents