Print

Easy Black Cat Spider Sugar Cookies for Halloween

black cat spider sugar cookies - featured image
Print Recipe

These Quick Black Cat Spider Sugar Cookies are spooky, cute, and surprisingly simple to make. With a foolproof sugar cookie base and pretzel stick legs, they come together in under an hour and are perfect for Halloween parties, classroom treats, or spooky movie nights.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Black gel food coloring
  • 48 thin pretzel sticks (or black licorice strings cut into 2-inch pieces)
  • 48 candy eyes
  • Orange or yellow candy melts or frosting
  • Black decorating frosting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing.
  3. Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined—about 30 seconds.
  4. Add about 1 teaspoon of black gel food coloring and mix until the dough is evenly black. Add more if needed to achieve a dark charcoal color.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. If the dough is sticking, dust with a little more flour.
  8. Press a black cat cookie cutter firmly into the dough and lift straight up. Use a small offset spatula to transfer the cut cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again. You should get about 24 cookies.
  9. Press four pretzel sticks or licorice pieces into each side of each cat cookie to create spider legs. Push them in about ¼ inch so they stay put during baking. Angle them slightly outward.
  10. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center. For softer cookies, bake for 8 minutes; for crunchier, go for 10.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Once completely cool, pipe or spread a tiny dot of orange or yellow frosting where each eye should go. Press a candy eye into each dot. Let the frosting set for about 10 minutes before handling.
  13. Optional: Use black decorating frosting to pipe tiny spider webs or add little smiles to the cats.

Notes

Press decorations in before baking for a cleaner look. Don’t overwork the dough to keep cookies tender. For best results, use gel food coloring for deep black color. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, black cat cookies, spider cookies, sugar cookies, easy Halloween recipe, spooky cookies, pretzel spider legs

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/easy-black-cat-spider-sugar-cookies-for-halloween/