Halloween is my favorite holiday, and these Malted Milk Ball Spider Cookies are perfect for festive snacking. A tender chocolate-chip-style cookie dough is studded with chopped malted milk balls and topped with adorable googly-eyed spiders made from whole malted milk balls and piped chocolate legs. Both kids and adults will love their playful look and delicious flavor!
This recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek. I received samples from sponsors but all opinions are my own. If you’d like another fun recipe, try my easy decorated Halloween shortbread cookies.
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Delicious Spider Cookies
These spider cookies are as cute as they are tasty. The dough is based on a reliable chocolate-chip cookie recipe with one small adjustment: I reduced the sugar slightly to balance the added sweetness of chopped malted milk balls.
I fold about 6 ounces (roughly 1 1/2 cups chopped) of malted milk balls into the dough for texture and caramelized crunch. For the spider toppers, I attach small candy eyes to whole malted milk balls using a bit of royal icing. While the cookies are hot from the oven I press a prepared malted milk ball into the center so it sticks as the chocolate softens. After the cookies cool, I pipe legs from melted chocolate (with a little coconut oil for smoothness) to finish the spiders.
How To Decorate Spider Cookies for Halloween
These cookies are straightforward to assemble, and you can even use store-bought dough if you prefer. The decorating steps are quick and fun — here’s a clear outline:
- Glue two small candy eyes onto each whole malted milk ball using a dab of royal icing. Let them dry fully before using.
- As soon as cookies come out of the oven, press a prepared malted milk ball into the center of each warm cookie so it adheres as it cools.
- Let cookies cool completely on a rack.
- Melt chocolate (or chocolate candy melts) with a small amount of coconut oil until smooth.
- Transfer melted chocolate to a piping or zip-top bag and snip a tiny corner.
- Pipe four legs on each side (eight legs total) to form the spider legs.
- Let the chocolate set, then enjoy!
How To Make All Your Cookies the Same Size
The easiest way to get uniform cookies is to use a cookie scoop. They’re inexpensive and come in several sizes so you can choose the final cookie diameter you want. Using the scoop I mention will give you cookies around 3 inches across — a great size for adding a malted milk ball topper.
More Halloween Recipes
If you’d like other seasonal ideas: try my Devilish Halloween Deviled Eggs for a savory bite, soft lemony black-and-white cookies for another cookie option, or pumpkin spice donuts for a fall-flavored treat. For grown-up gatherings, a chocolate Halloween cake makes an elegant centerpiece.
More Halloween Treats Week Posts
- Pumpkin Patch Graveyard Eclair
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Malted Milk Ball Spider Cookies (this post)
- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
- Purple Velvet Halloween Layer Cake
- Eyeball Jello Shots
- Monster Fudge
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Vampire Ice Cream Floats
- Graveyard Pie
- Easy Skeleton Cake Pops
- Swiss Meringue Spooky Skull
- Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse
- Melting Witch Candy Popcorn Halloween Party Mix
- Dragon’s Eggs
- Graveyard Dip
- Eyeball Cake Balls
- White Chocolate Ghost Cupcakes
- Halloween Chocolate Blossom Sprinkle Cookies
- Rice Krispie Haunted House
- Halloween Snack Mix
- Monster Rice Krispies
Easy Halloween Spider Cookies (made with Malted Milk Balls)
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Malted Milk Ball Spider Cookies
Jennifer Field
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Equipment
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Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
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Baking sheets and parchment paper
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Cookie scoop
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Piping bag or zip-top bag for chocolate
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 ½ cups malted milk balls, chopped
- 12 oz all-purpose flour
- 8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 7 oz light brown sugar (scant 1 cup, packed)
- 6 oz white sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 large egg
For the Decorations
- 36 whole malted milk balls (for spider bodies)
- 72 small candy eyes (or pipe eyes with icing)
- 1 Tablespoon royal icing (to glue eyes)
- ½ cup chocolate chips*
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil*
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Line three cookie sheets with parchment.
- In a bowl, combine the flour and chopped malted milk balls so the candy is evenly coated.
- In the mixer bowl, cream the butter, both sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla on low until smooth, then beat on medium for about 5 minutes until light.
- Beat in the egg until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour and candy mixture and mix on low until evenly combined.
- Portion dough with a cookie scoop into 36 balls (12 per tray).
- Bake one tray at a time until edges are golden and centers remain slightly pale, about 14–15 minutes.
- As each tray comes out, press a malted milk ball with eyes attached into the center of each cookie while still warm. Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, pipe eight chocolate legs on each cookie.
To Make the Decorations
- Use royal icing to attach two candy eyes to each whole malted milk ball. Let them dry completely.
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium power for 1 minute, stir, then continue in 15-second bursts, stirring between, until smooth and warm but not hot.
- Transfer melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped. Pipe legs onto each cookie and allow them to set.
Notes
The cookie base is slightly adapted from Stella Parks’s chopped chocolate chip cookie recipe. You can halve the recipe to make 18 cookies; if so, beat the egg and remove half for the smaller batch. You may substitute chocolate candy melts for the chips and coconut oil if preferred.
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: This recipe is part of #HalloweenTreatsWeek. All opinions are my own.