This Halloween, bake up a batch of these gruesome Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies for your party guests. Each large cookie is loaded with chocolate chips. Some even look like spiders with chocolate legs.
This recipe was originally published on September 26, 2013.
Spiders have infested my chocolate chip cookies. Gross, right?
Why would I do this to a perfectly innocent, thick, and chewy cookie?
Well, the other day I came across a picture of a cookie that had images of spiders superimposed on it. It really looked like the spiders were in the cookie. It was just a bit of Photoshop magic, but I knew baking up a batch of chocolate chip arachnids would be as easy as waving a wizard's wand.
I figured if I was going to infest any cookies with spiders, I would use my absolute favorite recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It makes the biggest, thickest, chewiest cookies bursting with caramel and chocolate flavors.
I'm sure you will love the flavor of these cookies and you'll have fun seeing how your friends and family react to them too!
So, let's make Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar. If you like a more pronounced molasses flavor, use the dark brown sugar.
- granulated sugar
- egg
- egg yolk - The extra egg yolk will allow the cookies to be nice and chewy on the inside.
- pure vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour - unbleached is best
- table salt
- baking soda
- semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (2 ounces for spiders, 10 ounces for in and on top of the cookies)
Supplies
electric mixer
baking sheets lined with parchment paper
optional: #16 ice cream scoop
squeeze-it mold painter bottles, or a disposable pastry bag or zip-top bag
Instructions
Make chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Melt butter in a mixing bowl.
- Allow it to cool slightly.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about a minute until well blended.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
- Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients.
- If using a hand-held mixer, it probably won't be strong enough to mix this completely, so switch over to a spoon or spatula.
- Fold about 9 ounces (1 ½ cups) of chips into the batter.
Scoop cookie dough onto a pan.
- Scoop out 18 cookies, about ¼ cup of dough for each.
- I used a #16 ice cream scoop.
- Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with plenty of room to spread.
- Place some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie just to be sure you have chips with which you can make your spiders.
- Remember to keep about 2 ounces (⅓ cup) of the chips for the spiders.
- Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 14-18 minutes.
- The cookies should begin to set around the edges, be light golden brown, yet still be soft in the center.
Add spider legs to chocolate chips.
- Allow your cookies to cool completely.
- Place the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then for 15 seconds, stir.
- Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then stir again.
- If you need to, heat it for 10 more seconds, then repeat until melted.
- Pour into a squeeze-it mold painter bottle fitted with a #2 round pastry tip, or a disposable pastry bag or zip-top bag with the tip snipped off.
- Pipe on spider heads and legs around some of the larger chocolate chips.
- Allow the chocolate spiders to dry.
Serve with a glass of milk.
Storage
Store your chocolate chip spider cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you wrap the cookies in wax paper and place them in a zip-top bag, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the bag for several hours before opening to avoid condensation forming on the chocolate chip spiders.
Variations
If you prefer oatmeal raisin cookies over chocolate chip cookies, check out my tutorial to add raisin spiders to crispy and chewy oatmeal cookies.
Related Recipes
If you enjoy making these spider chocolate chip cookies, you might also like making these other spider-themed recipes.
Be sure to check out my Bug-Themed Recipes and other Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.
Recipe
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ⅛ cup all purpose flour (unbleached is best)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (2 ounces for spiders, 10 ounces for in and on top of the cookies)
- electric mixer
- baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- optional: #16 ice cream scoop
- squeezeit mold painter bottles or a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag
-
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Melt butter in a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool slightly.
-
Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about a minute until well blended.
-
Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
-
Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients.
-
Fold about 9 ounces (1 ½ cups) of chips into the batter.
-
Scoop out 18 cookies, about ¼ cup of dough for each.
-
Place some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
-
Remember to keep about 2 ounces (⅓ cup) of the chips for the spiders.
-
Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 14-18 minutes.
-
Allow cookies to cool completely.
-
Place the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl.
-
Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then for 15 seconds, stir.
-
Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then stir again.
-
If you need to, heat it for 10 more seconds, then repeat until melted.
-
Pour into a squeeze-it mold painter bottle fitted with a #2 round pastry tip, or a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag with the tip snipped off.
-
Pipe on spider heads and legs around some of the larger chocolate chips.
-
Allow to dry.
-
Serve and enjoy watching your family and friend's reactions!
Store your chocolate chip spider cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you wrap the cookies in wax paper and place them in a zip-top bag, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the bag for several hours before opening to avoid condensation forming on the chocolate chip spiders.
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kimberlyy kahari says
I made them for my classmates they loved them, may I say best cookies I've ever tasted!
JDaniel4's Mom says
These are super cute! I bet they were delicious!
Alissa N (Girl Makes Food) says
You are an evil genius!! I am obsessed with this idea, it is so awesome!!
River says
Thanks, Beth!
River says
Thank you so much for sharing this BRILLIANT idea, Beth! So simple, yet so awesome! I made some and blogged them here: http://www.wingitvegan.com/2013/10/spider-infested-chocolate-chip-cookies_30.html
beth says
I'm so glad you like them and made some for Halloween. Thanks for linking back to my site. I'll share your cookies in my Reader's Gallery!
Merry Meri says
These are adorable and so "do-able", even for those of us who are less talented in the baking department! I shared with my readers here: http://seektobemerry.blogspot.com/2013/10/this-is-beginning.html Thanks for the inspiration!!!
beth says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Anonymous says
They are very delicious
Beth Gorden says
These are ADORABLE!! LOVE LOVE LOVE them!
I features this at TGIF today (http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2013/10/tgif-linky-party-99.html) Thanks for linking up and sharing your creativity with the rest of us! I hope to see you linked up again later today!
Have a GREAT weekend,
Beth =)
Anonymous says
What do you mean by the largr egg?:0
beth says
In our grocery stores, we can buy small, medium, large, extra large, and jumbo eggs. They sort them by size. So, most baking recipes will call for large eggs.
Tiffany Hudson says
This is a great idea! How unique!
Carla at Preschool Powol Packets says
This looks so fun..and yummy! I might even go make them right now! I'm pinning on my (CarlaINHouston) Halloween board--thanks for sharing!!
beth says
Thanks, Carla. Be sure to snap some pictures to share with me if you do make them. I'd love to see you cookies. Thanks for the pin!
Rachel {BubblyNatureCreations.com} says
Such a cute idea! Pinning!
Natalie Rompella says
I wonder if you can make the legs by using a toothpick and reshaping the chips while still hot? Will have to try...:)
beth says
Hi Natalie, I did actually try that and it worked alright, but the legs weren't as defined as I wanted them to be. I thought piping on the chocolate took much less time and looked better. If you make them and use the toothpick, let me know what you think. I'd love to share a picture of your cookies too. Thanks:)
Natalie Rompella says
I wonder if you can make the legs by using a toothpick and reshaping the chips while still hot? Will have to try...:)
sweet and lovely crafts says
It's so easy to just pin these great ideas and be on your way, but these cookies are so awesome, so I wanted to leave you a quick note to say just how much I love them! I'll be making these this year for sure!
beth says
Thanks, Aida. I've been challenging myself to come up with some simple projects that are equally festive. I'm so glad you like the cookies!
Aida@thecraftingfoodie says
These are so simple, but so festive! You have so many amazing ideas for Halloween. Love 'em!
Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com says
This is such a great idea Beth...I love this!
beth says
Thanks, Jill:)
Dawn Madsen says
These are awesome, but I don't know if I could bring myself to make them, I hate spiders and they look a little too real! Fun idea 🙂
Stopping by from the Home Work Party, Dawn from I Think We Could Be Friends.com
beth says
It's funny, as I am soooooooooo afraid of spiders myself, but it didn't stop me from chowing down on several of these cookies. I know you can do it too:)
Bubbles says
Thanks so much for this wonderful yet creepy idea!!
beth says
You are welcome:) I'm glad you like them.