Get ready to impress with these spiderweb cookies, the ultimate Halloween party treat! Not only are they eye-catching, but they’re also a breeze to make and perfect for a fun baking session with the kids.
The cookies feature a delectable vanilla custard dough piped onto baking paper and decorated with dark chocolate spiderwebs on a white icing base.
These Halloween cookies are perfect for a party and can be served wonderfully with a spider web no-bake cheesecake and, for the adults, a spooky red spider cocktail. Voila, you've got a Halloween hit! Happy Halloween baking!
🥘 Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- Butter, soft: Ensure your butter is soft to blend smoothly into the dough.
- Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness and structure to the cookies.
- Vanilla sugar: I love using my homemade vanilla sugar for an extra aromatic touch.
- Salt: Enhances all the other flavors in the dough.
- Eggs (M): Bind the ingredients together and add moisture.
- Vanilla pudding powder: Gives the dough a rich, custardy flavor.
- Cake flour: Creates a tender and soft cookie texture.
- Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps to create a smooth dough.
Glaze
- Powdered sugar: Forms the base of a smooth and sweet glaze.
- Lemon juice: Adds a tangy flavor and balances the sweetness; I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice. Check out my posts on "how much lemon juice is in one lemon" and detailed guide to "freshly squeezed lemon juice".
- Rice milk: Keeps the glaze dairy-free and adds a light consistency.
- Dark chocolate coating for the spider's web: Melted dark chocolate is perfect for drawing intricate spider web designs on the cookies.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 338°F (170°C) fan, and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: In a food processor (whisk attachment), beat softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt until creamy.
Step 3: Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by custard powder, flour, baking powder, and milk.
Step 4: Pour mixture into a piping bag without a tip and pipe 1.5-inch (4cm) cookies onto the trays.
Step 5: Bake for 15 minutes, then let them cool on a cooling rack. {Note: Don't worry about the shape of the cookies. They are rounded on one side, but the spider web decoration goes on the flat side.}
Step 6: Melt chocolate using the preferred method.
Step 7: Whisk powdered sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and rice milk until smooth for the icing.
Step 8: Dip the flat side of the Halloween cookies into the icing. Use melted chocolate to make a dot and draw 2-3 circles.
Step 9: Drag a toothpick from the center outward to create a spider web pattern.
Step 10: Let dry on a cooling rack for about an hour.
🍽 Equipment
- Kitchen machine with whisk attachment (I am using a KitchenAid stand mixer)
- Mixing bowls
- Two baking trays & parchment paper
- Piping bag (no tip required; cut off a small piece of the pointy end with scissors, and you are ready to pipe.)
- Cooling rack
- Toothpick
- Whisk & a fork (for the glaze)
- Cake decorating pen
💭 Top tips
I tried using a silicone decorating stick for melted chocolate for the first time, and it worked well for placing dots and circles on the cookies. I’d use it again, though cleaning was a bit tedious. While it's dishwasher safe, you need to hand wash the chocolate off first to avoid any residue getting stuck.
🍫Melting Chocolate
Water bath: If you use a water bath for melting, you need two pots of different sizes. Fill one pot 3-4 finger-widths with water and place the second, smaller pot in it. The second pot should not touch the water! Now put the chocolate to be melted into the upper, smaller pot and melt it over moderate heat while stirring over the rising steam.
Tempering unit: Add the chocolate to be melted to the tempering unit and set it to the appropriate melting temperature. White and milk chocolate: 40 °C // 104 °F, dark chocolate 50 °C // 122 °F.
🍪 Substitutions
Cookie Dough
- Butter, soft: Substitute with margarine or a dairy-free butter alternative.
- Granulated sugar: Use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or a sugar substitute like stevia.
- Vanilla sugar: Replace with regular granulated sugar plus a splash of vanilla extract.
- Salt: Sea salt or kosher salt can be used instead.
- Eggs (M): Use flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water per egg) or a commercial egg replacer.
- Vanilla pudding powder: Instant vanilla pudding mix or custard powder.
- Cake flour: Substitute with all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch per cup of flour.
- Baking powder: Use a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar (1:2 ratio).
- Milk: Any plant-based milk (almond, soy, oat, etc.) can replace cow’s milk.
Glaze
- Powdered sugar: Use a powdered sugar substitute like monk fruit sweetener.
- Lemon juice: Lime juice or apple cider vinegar in a pinch.
- Rice milk: Any other plant-based milk or regular milk.
Dark Chocolate Coating
- Substitute with dairy-free dark chocolate or use melted chocolate chips.
Other Halloween Recipes for You to Try
If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. This would be awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don't miss it.
📖 Recipe
Halloween Spiderweb Cookies
Equipment
- Kitchen machine with whisk attachment
- 2 Baking trays & parchment paper
- Toothpick
- Whisk & fork for the glaze
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 3.5 oz Butter soft
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 Eggs M
- ¼ cup Vanilla pudding powder 1.3 oz
- 2 cups Cake flour 8.82 oz
- 3 teaspoon Baking powder
- 3 tablespoon Milk
Glaze
- 1 cup Dark chocolate couverture for drawing the spiderweb
- 2 ¼ cups Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon Rice milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 338°F (170°C) fan. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Beat 3.5 oz Butter, ½ cup Granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon Vanilla sugar, and 1 pinch Salt until creamy with a food processor (whisk attachment).
- Mix in 2 Eggs one at a time, followed by ¼ cup Vanilla pudding powder, 2 cups Cake flour, 3 teaspoon Baking powder, and 3 tablespoon Milk.
- Pour the mixture into a piping bag without a tip and pipe 1.5-inch (4cm) cookies onto the trays.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then cool on a rack.
- Melt 1 cup Dark chocolate couverture using preferred method.
- Whisk 2 ¼ cups Powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon Lemon juice and 3 tablespoon Rice milk until smooth for the icing.
- Dip the flat side of cookies into icing. Use melted chocolate to make a dot and draw 2-3 circles.
- Drag a toothpick from the center outward to create a spider web pattern.
- Let dry on a cooling rack for about an hour.
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
⛑️ Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For further information, check Safe Food Handling - FDA.
Elizabeth says
My toddler is a huge Halloween lover and she loved these cookies! Such great flavor and easy recipe to follow.
Nora says
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
Alex says
My daughter and I had soo much fun creating this recipe, she could't wait and wanted to dress up already!! These cookies were so good, this did not last in my kitchen.
Nora says
Oh that is so wonderful to hear, Alex! Thank you!
Criss says
My family loved this!
Nora says
Thank you, Criss! I am so glad your family liked them!
Amy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Collecting my Halloween recipes early so I get a head start!
Nora says
Great idea, Amy! Glad you consider using my recipe!
Swathi says
Delicious and cute spiderwebcookies, I am going to make it for this Halloween party. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Nora says
Thank you, Swathi!