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Is it really spooky season if you haven’t baked a batch of hauntingly good cookies? Around here, my mom and I say absolutely not! I mean, what’s Halloween without a few extra sweet treats?

We actually came up with these cookies last year but felt we were just a little too late in the season to share them. So, we wrote the idea down and promised ourselves we’d post them early this year so everyone could enjoy them!

Originally, we planned to share these cookies on Friday (because, hello… Friday the 13th!), but since there’s a special post coming that day, we decided to share them a little early instead.

And honestly? I’m so glad we did. These cookies are perfectly spooky, seriously delicious, and unbelievably easy to make!

All you need are a few bowls, a whisk, and a sheet pan. That’s it! No food dye, no fuss—just chocolate, marshmallow, and a whole lot fun.

Grab These Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour – This creates the perfect structure for this cookie.
• Black Cocoa Powder + Cocoa Powder – Adds a rich, chocolate flavor while a little black cocoa powder naturally dyes the cookies black!
• Baking Soda – The leavening helps the cookies puff up and spread just enough in the oven.
• Unsalted Butter – Butter adds flavor and structure. Make sure you have softened/room-temperature butter before beginning!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds some much needed sweetness to the dough (otherwise, it would be super bitter!). It also keeps the cookie moisture, contributes to the chewiness, and SO MUCH MORE!
• Large Eggs – Binds everything together! The cookies would fall apart without it.
• Milk – Just a splash helps keeps the dough from being too dry.
• Vanilla Extract & Salt – Use both salt and vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.
• Mini Marshmallows – Melted marshmallows create that distinctive “spider-web” look to the cookies.

Putting It All Together

Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy (between you and me, this is the base of any good cookie!). The trick here is room temperature butter. Too cold and it won’t mix properly; too soft and you’ll end up with greasy dough. You’re looking for that sweet spot where it’s slightly cool to the touch but still gives when pressed.

Once the butter and sugar are good and beaten, it’s time to add in the eggs. The mixture will start to look almost paler in color, but super light and fluffy. Then, mix in the dry ingredients — flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt — until everything’s fully combined. The dough should be quite thick, dark, and sticky. This is when we’re going to add our milk and vanilla. This will loosen the dough, while also giving it flavor!

From here, it’s all about shaping. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. They’ll spread a little as they bake, so give them space to breathe. And that’s it — you’re ready for the oven!

Time To Make The Webs!

Melt a small handful of marshmallows until they’re soft and stretchy (a few quick bursts does it). Give them a stir, then let the bowl sit for a few seconds so the heat evens out — you want stretchy, not soupy.

With clean, dry fingers, pinch up a little marshmallow — it should cling to you. Gently open and close your fingers to pull thin strands, then sweep those strands back and forth over the cookies, criss-crossing so it looks a little random and webby. Watch the video below for a quick tutorial!

Grab a small pinch of marshmallow as needed and rotate the cookie to place finer threads. If strands look thick, pause and pull a little slower; if they stop stretching, give the bowl another short burst and keep going. It’s sticky, it’s messy, and it sets fast — work in small batches and have fun with it!

Quick Tip: dry hands = better strands, line your surface for easy cleanup, and rewarm in very short bursts whenever the stretch starts to break/becomes too cool to work with.

When you’re done, your cookies should look like this:

Your Questions, Answered!

Why are there lumps of cocoa powder/flour in my batter and/or cookies?
This is either because the cookie dough was improperly mixed or the dry ingredients were lumpy. Cocoa powder is nearly always lumpy, so it’s best to sift it.

How can I tell when the cookies are baked?
Once the cookies are baked, they should be thin and look a little crinkly. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

Why did my cookies not spread?
If the cookies didn’t spread while baking, this is due to too much flour being added to the cookie dough. Be sure to measure carefully!

Why are my cookies dry?
Either the cookies were over-baked or the flour was over-measured. Both of these can cause your cookies can cause your cookies to be dry.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Of course! Once the cookie dough is mixed, you can portion the dough and place it on a lined sheet pan, then freeze until hardened. Once the cookie dough balls are frozen solid, you can place in a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When you make these Creepy Crawly Spider-Web Cookies, leave a comment down below and/or give this recipe a rating! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Happy baking!
x, Caylie

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