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These Spider Cookies are a fun and easy Halloween treat made with soft cake mix cookies, crunchy toffee bits, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and candy eyes. They’re cute, delicious, and surprisingly simple to decorate.
“I love Halloween recipes that look like you spent a lot of time making them, but are actually really easy. The Reese’s cups make the perfect spider bodies, and starting with a box of cake mix makes these cookies quick enough for a Halloween party, classroom treat, or just a fun afternoon of baking.”
Becky
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These spider cookies are so easy to make because the cake mix keeps the dough quick and simple. There’s no chilling required, so you can mix, scoop, and bake them right away. They’re also fun for kids to help decorate, and the combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and crunchy toffee makes them so good!
If you’re looking for more fun Halloween treats, try my Halloween Monster Cake Mix Cookies, Mummy Oreos, Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats, Halloween Bark, and Dirt and Worms.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Will Need
- Butter Yellow cake mix: Makes the easy cookie dough base. Don’t prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box.
- vegetable oil: Adds moisture and helps make the cookies soft.
- eggs: Help bind the cookie dough together.
- Reese’s peanut butter cups: These make the spider bodies.
- chocolate candy melts: Used to attach the candy eyes. You can also use chocolate chips or frosting.
- candy eyes: You’ll need two eyes for each spider.
- Black cookie icing: Used to pipe the spider legs onto the cookies.
Optional: Heath English toffee bits: Add a little crunch and delicious buttery toffee flavor.
Variations
- Change Cookie Flavor: You can use a different flavor of cake mix if you don’t have butter yellow. Chocolate cake mix would be especially fun for Halloween and would give you a chocolate and peanut butter combination.
- Add Mix Ins: Instead of the Heath toffee bits, try Halloween sprinkles, chopped nuts, or mini chocolate chips.
- Save Time with Pre-Made Cookie Dough: You can also use homemade or store-bought cookie dough instead of cake mix cookie dough. Just keep in mind that the baking time may need to be adjusted.
How to Make Spider Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs until combined. If using, fold in the Heath English toffee bits until evenly mixed throughout the dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, placing the cookies about two inches apart.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While they’re still warm, gently press a Reese’s peanut butter cup, top side down, into the center of each cookie. Don’t push it all the way into the cookie. You want enough of the peanut butter cup sticking up to look like the spider’s body.
- Once the cookies have cooled a little, use the black cookie icing to pipe four spider legs on each side of the Reese’s cup.
- Melt the chocolate candy melts or chocolate chips in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Dab a small amount of melted chocolate onto the back of two candy eyes and attach them to the side of each Reese’s cup. Let the decorated cookies sit for about 30 minutes so the chocolate and icing can completely set. If you want to speed things up, place them in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tips
- Check your cake mix size: This recipe uses a 13.25-ounce box of cake mix with ⅓ cup vegetable oil. If you’re using a 15.25-ounce box, use ½ cup vegetable oil instead.
- Don’t press too hard: Gently press the Reese’s cups into the warm cookies, leaving them raised above the surface so they look like little spider bodies.
- Add Reese’s while warm: Place the Reese’s cups on the cookies while they’re still warm. The chocolate will soften slightly, helping them stick as the cookies cool.
- Chilling is optional: You don’t need to chill the dough, but you can refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes if you want thicker cookies with less spread.
FAQs
Yes. I used butter yellow cake mix, but you can use another flavor. Chocolate or devil’s food cake mix would be fun options for Halloween Spider Cookies.
Absolutely. You can leave them out or replace them with sprinkles, chopped nuts, or mini chocolate chips.
If you bake the peanut butter cups with the cookies, they can melt too much and lose their shape. Adding them while the cookies are still warm softens the chocolate just enough to help them stick while keeping the spider shape.
Storage
Store Spider Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers to protect the spider decorations. You can also keep them in the refrigerator so the Reese’s cups don’t get too soft. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
More Easy Halloween Treats
Halloween Recipes
Halloween Cake Mix Cookies
Halloween Recipes
Halloween Recipes
Desserts
Turkey Leg Rice Krispie Treats
Halloween Recipes
Oreo Mummy Cookies
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Spider Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 13.25 ounce Cake Mix
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 16 Reese’s peanut butter cups
- 1/4 cup chocolate candy melts
- 32 candy eyes
- Black cookie icing
Optional: One cup Toffee Bits Candy or other Mix Ins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs until combined. If using, fold in the Heath English toffee bits until evenly mixed throughout the dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, placing the cookies about two inches apart.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While they’re still warm, gently press a Reese’s peanut butter cup, top side down, into the center of each cookie. Don’t push it all the way into the cookie. You want enough of the peanut butter cup sticking up to look like the spider’s body.
- Once the cookies have cooled a little, use the black cookie icing to pipe four spider legs on each side of the Reese’s cup.
- Melt the chocolate candy melts or chocolate chips in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Dab a small amount of melted chocolate onto the back of two candy eyes and attach them to the side of each Reese’s cup.
- Let the decorated cookies sit for about 30 minutes so the chocolate and icing can completely set. If you want to speed things up, place them in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
- Check your cake mix size: This recipe uses a 13.25-ounce box of cake mix with ⅓ cup vegetable oil. If you’re using a 15.25-ounce box, use ½ cup vegetable oil instead.
- Don’t press too hard: Gently press the Reese’s cups into the warm cookies, leaving them raised above the surface so they look like little spider bodies.
- Add Reese’s while warm: Place the Reese’s cups on the cookies while they’re still warm. The chocolate will soften slightly, helping them stick as the cookies cool.
- Chilling is optional: You don’t need to chill the dough, but you can refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes if you want thicker cookies with less spread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are the cutest cookies, and SO easy to make! The kids love them!