Halloween peanut butter spider cookies

These Halloween peanut butter spider cookies are oaty, satisfying and just as delicious as they are spooky!

If you'd like to enjoy a peanut butter and oat cookie that's packed with chocolate chips and decorated to feature spiders and flies, then this recipe is for you! It's a creepy, crawly treat!

Peanut butter is such a wonderfully versatile baking ingredient, lending great flavour and texture to cookies, cakes and more.

The texture of these gorgeous, oaty, homemade peanut butter cookies is delightfully soft and satisfying, with smooth and creamy chocolate chips and a great peanut flavour.

For this recipe, I've used SKIPPY® Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter, which made from the finest American peanuts that have been finely ground, resulting in a nut-packed taste, creamy texture and melt in the mouth feel.

Millions of Americans enjoy this gorgeous peanut butter daily. There are 22.1g of protein in every 100g, and each jar is rich in high Oleic acids (good fats).

The super-chunky variety I opted for has oodles of peanut pieces submerged in the smooth, creamy peanut butter, which in turn adds a little crunch to the finished bake.

If you're desperate to take a bite, you'll be pleased to know that can whip these Halloween peanut butter spider cookies up in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

No special equipment is required, and you'll only need simple store cupboard ingredients, plus a couple of icing pens for decorating! Easy!

So, grab a bowl and let's get baking these gorgeous Halloween peanut butter spider cookies. It's such an easy recipe!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).

Put the sugar, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl.

Whisk until combined and fluffy.

Add the eggs, milk and vanilla. 

Beat until creamy. 

Add the flour and oats.

Mix until well combined. It’s easiest to use a silicone spatula for this so that you can scrape down the sides as you go.

Add 3/4 of the chocolate chips.

Mix through. 

Divide the mix into 24 equally sized dollops and roll into balls. Each ball should weigh about 58g / 2 ounces.

Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Press the balls with the palm of your hand to form cookies.

Bake for 12 minutes per batch until just golden. 

While still warm, top each cookie with four chocolate chips each, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Use a brown or black icing pen to add legs to your spiders, and a white icing pen to add wings to your flies. 

Enjoy these spooky cookies as a fantastic Halloween treat! 

Don't forget to share with your favourite mummies, zombies and vampires!

If you have any leftover (they don't last long in our house), allow them to set and then pop them in a sealed container. Store somewhere cool and dark to keep them at their best.

SKIPPY® Peanut Butter (RRP £2.40 per 340g jar) is now available in smooth and Extra Crunchy varieties, on sale in major supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Costco, International section of Tesco and Ocado.

To keep up with the latest news from SKIPPY®, follow @skippybrand on Instagram and @Skippy on Twitter.

Try using the chunky version of SKIPPY® Peanut Butter in my 4th July peanut butter brownie recipe.

More tips for the perfect peanut butter cookies

Are these peanut butter cookies healthy? Are these peanut butter cookies good for you?

The cookies contain quite a bit of sugar and other deliciousness that makes them pretty calorie-dense, so best left as an occasional treat.

Are these peanut butter cookies gluten-free?

These Halloween peanut butter spider cookies contain wheat flour, so they are not gluten-free.

I have not tested making a gluten-free version, but if you want to try converting them, you would need to use plain gluten-free flour and ensure all other ingredients do not list gluten as an allergen on the pack.

Are these peanut butter cookies dairy-free?

These cookies contain butter and milk chocolate, so they are not dairy-free.

However, you can make this recipe dairy-free by using plant-based margarine and dairy-free chocolate chips.

Don't forget to ensure all other ingredients do not list milk as an allergen on the pack.

Are these peanut butter cookies vegetarian?

These cookies do not contain any meat-products, so they are suitable for vegetarians.

Are these peanut butter cookies vegan?

These cookies contain butter, milk chocolate and eggs, so they are not suitable for vegans.

To make them suitable for vegans, you could use a plant-based margarine, vegan chocolate chips, and an egg replacer.

Do I need cookie cutters for this oatmeal cookie recipe?

No, you don't need a cookie cutter to make this Halloween cookie recipe as you simply roll the cookie dough in your hands and flatten out before baking.

Are these peanut butter cookies supposed to be soft? Crisp or crumbly?

These are meant to be chewy, which compliments the oats and peanut butter perfectly.

With the right technique and recipe you can make a cookie with a texture to your liking. For instance, if you like your cookies quite thick and almost puffed up then you can add more flour or a hint of baking powder. If you like them thinner and a little more crisp on the outside you could use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.

Using substitutions or quantities that are just a bit different to the original recipe can have a big impact on a bake.

When it comes to cookies it's really hard to make something that's isn't tasty, which means it's always so it's fun to experiment.

Why do these oatmeal cookies use brown sugar?

I recommend using soft brown sugar in this recipe as it gives a caramel flavour and gives a softer bake.

If you would like to experiment with achieving a more crisp version of this cookie, try switching to granulated sugar.

How can I make these peanut butter cookies without sugar?

Sugar adds a lot to the taste, texture and structure of the cookie so leaving it out altogether isn't recommended.

Depending on what you're trying to achieve you can substitute the sugar for something more natural or use an artificial sweetener.

I have not experimented with artificial sweeteners in this recipe, but if you give this a go, do let me know.

Also be aware that if you are going to use an artificial sweetener you have to use the right one. Aspartame will break down under high heat so something like sucralose (Splenda) should be used as directed. It's quite common to replace some of the sugar with artificial sweetener rather than removing the sugar entirely.

If you're after something more natural then dates ran through a food processor would be a good choice - but will of course still contain sugars.

Can you make these peanut butter cookies without eggs?

I haven't tried it, but I would say replacing the eggs with 2 tablespoons of crushed chia seeds that have been left in the fridge with 4 tablespoons of water for 10 minutes and you should get good results.

Here's a list of egg alternatives (each = 1 egg so multiply as needed for the recipe).

• Store-bought egg replacement powder (use as directed on the packet).
• 1 tablespoon of crushed chia or flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
• 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
• Half of a medium-sized banana, mashed. It’s best to use fairly ripe bananas for this as they will match a lot better and bind your ingredients together more effectively 

I haven't tried each replacement with this recipe, so if you do try please do let me know how you get on.

What could I use instead of chocolate chips in these oatmeal cookies?

If you don't have any chocolate chips to hand you could simply draw the whole of the spider and the fly body with a black icing pen and the wings with white icing pen.

You could also cut a chocolate bar into small pieces (either cubed or at angles), but you might have to get more creative with what animals you can make out when to comes time to decorate!

What’s the best way to store peanut butter cookies? How can I keep peanut butter cookies soft?

Pop your Halloween peanut butter spider cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag, store somewhere cool and dry to minimise moisture loss and they should stay good for at least a week.

If you'd like to make your cookies last longer, you can freeze some right after baking, as soon as they're cool. Again, make sure they're well wrapped and sealed, then place in the freezer. They take very little time to defrost, stay very fresh tasting and it means I only defrost what we need.

The texture and softness of your cookies coming out of the oven can be for a number of reasons too - it's not just the ingredient quantities, technique and oven temperature you have to worry about. Even warm eggs and room temperature butter vs eggs that have been in the fridge will have an impact on how much your cookies spread and the softness so freezing really is super handy.

Can the peanut butter cookie dough be frozen?

Peanut butter cookie dough can be frozen and it's best to portion out the individual cookies now - it will be easier to defrost this way and the end bake will be better.

It can be difficult to stack the unbaked cookies between layers of baking proof paper without them squashing, so if you like you can put them on a tray lined with baking proof paper and pop that in the freezer for a few hours.

You can then transfer the now solid rounds into an airtight container that will more easily fit in your freezer.

You can bake them from frozen, it will just take a couple more minutes in the oven, so keep an eye on them.

Can these peanut butter cookies go bad?

I recommend you eat any cookies you didn't freeze within 3 days of making ideally.

Cookies are a pretty resilient foodstuff but, as with all foods, they can go bad (or be contaminated). Always trust your eyes, nose and taste buds - if something feels off, don't eat it.

Can you freeze these peanut butter cookies?

As is the case with most cookies these Halloween peanut butter spider freeze really well, especially if you get them in the freezer as soon as they have cooled down. Store in an airtight container with a sheet of baking paper between layers.

They don't take long to defrost at ambient temperatures so you could happily keep them in the freezer and pop one in a lunchbox or picnic when needed.

Don't forget that these cookies contain nuts, so will not be suitable to take to most schools, which are often totally nut-free environments.

Where are peanut butter cookies from?

It's hard to say exactly where peanut butter cookies were invented, but they really grew in popularity in America at the start of the 1900s. Famed peanut promoter George Washington Carver certainly will have helped with a peanut cookie recipe included in his 1925 book 'How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption' - the recipe called for chopped or crushed nuts. Peanut butter recipes became popular in the 1920s and 30s as the food itself gained popularity.

The classic peanut butter cookie is made with peanut butter as the principal ingredient, and sometimes contain as little as three ingredients: peanut butter, eggs and flour.

The peanut butter cookies in this recipe, however, are made with oatmeal and also contain butter, vanilla and chocolate chips. Think of them as a cross between the classic peanut butter cookie and a typical oatmeal cookie.

Can I make these Halloween cookies with fondant?

If you wish, you could use black/dark brown and white fondant (sugar paste) to create the spiders and flies on these Halloween cookies.

Wait until the cookies are cool, then form the insects from fondant and press onto the cookies. You may need to brush the cookies with a little diluted apricot jam to get the fondant to stick.

Can I make these Halloween cookies without icing pens?

If you don't want to use icing, you could decorate your cookies using chocolate in a piping bag with a very fine tip. I would recommend using milk or dark chocolate for the spiders' legs and white chocolate for the flies.

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This is a commissioned post for SKIPPY® Peanut Butter

Try these great Halloween recipes next!