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Easy Chocolate Spider Cookies with Pretzel Legs

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These fudgy, crackly chocolate cookies are topped with salty pretzel legs and candy eyes for a fun Halloween treat that’s as delicious as it is cute. They come together in under 30 minutes with no chill time needed.

Ingredients

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  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
  • About 48 mini pretzel twists (for 12 cookies, 4 legs each, snapped in half)
  • 24 candy eyeballs (2 per cookie)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
  4. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat semi-sweet chocolate chips in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Let cool for about 2 minutes. Stir melted chocolate into the butter mixture until uniform.
  5. In a separate small bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet mixture in two additions, stirring gently after each. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
  6. Scoop dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Roll each into a smooth ball and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand to about 1/2-inch thickness.
  7. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should look set around the edges but still soft and slightly puffed in the center. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
  8. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
  9. While cookies cool, snap each mini pretzel twist in half along the natural break line. You’ll need 8 half-pretzels per cookie.
  10. Once cookies are completely cool, gently press 4 pretzel halves into each side of the cookie, angling them slightly outward to look like spider legs. The flat side of the pretzel should face down.
  11. Place a tiny dot of leftover melted chocolate or a dab of frosting on the back of each candy eyeball and press gently onto the top of the cookie near the front. Position them close together. Let chocolate set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

Notes

Don’t overbake—cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when pulled from the oven. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Snap pretzels in advance for easier assembly. Work in batches when assembling to prevent smudging. Store assembled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze unassembled cookies (without pretzels or eyes) for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, spider cookies, chocolate cookies, pretzel cookies, easy Halloween treats, fudgy chocolate cookies, kid-friendly baking

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