Spider Web Cookies

Name: Spider Web Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed; 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 eggs; 2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips; 10 oz bag mini marshmallows

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These spooky spider web cookies are the perfect fun treat for Halloween. Bakery sized double chocolate chip cookies form the base for a gooey marshmallow spider web. The cookie dough does not require any chiling so these cookies come together quickly and melted mini marshmallows are easily made into cute spider webs.

chocolate cookies with marshmallow spider webs sitting on top of a black circular cooling rack

How to make the cookies

To start these spider web cookies, you will make the cookie dough. This is a pretty typical cookie recipe that requires creaming the butter and sugars together first and adding the dry ingredients next.

Start by creaming butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until creamy and then adding in eggs and vanilla. I like to use my stand mixer to do this but feel free to use a hand electric mixer instead.

Next, you'll combine all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add these to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until the flour is just incorporated.

Last, you'll stir in the chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can also use milk chocolate if that's what you have on hand.

Now the cookies are ready to bake. Due to their large size, only place 6 cookies on the cookie sheet at a time.

Tips for perfect cookies

Measure the flour correctly- This is an important step of any baking recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale, make sure you measure your flour correctly. Use a spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop the flour or pack the flour down. This leads to too much flour and a dry, unappetizing cookie. You can alternately use a kitchen scale to measure accurately.
Use a cookie scoop: For evenly sized and baked cookies, utilize a cookie scoop to get the perfect cookie dough balls. These spider web cookies are large! I use a large cookie scoop that holds about 2 ounces. If you don't have a large cookie scoop, you can use a ¼ cup measuring cup.
Don't overbake: The key to crisp edges and chewy centers is not to overbake them. Check the first batch of cookies about 10 minutes into the baking time to check for doneness since every oven is different. You want the edges to just start turning golden brown and the middles to look slightly underdone before removing them. They will continue to bake just slightly from the heat of the cookie sheet once removed from the oven so this will give you the best soft texture.

stack of spider web cookies sitting on a cooling rack with a white vase with a fake black spider in the background

How to make marshmallow spider webs

The spider webs are formed from melted marshmallows. To melt the marshmallows, place them into a heatproof microwave safe bowl and microwave them for 45 seconds. Stir them and then continue to microwave them in 15 seconds intervals, stirring each time until they are fully melted.

Let the melted marshmallows cool for a couple of minutes until they are cool enough to touch. Using both hands, pinch a small amount of marshmallows between both fingers.

Pull your fingers apart to create strands of marshmallows that look like a spider web and then place the strands over the top of each cookie. Pull the strands over the edge of the cookie to seperate them from your fingers and stick to the edge.

If the marshmallow becomes too hard, microwave it again until melted. Make sure you test the temperature so that it's not too hot.

pulling melted marshmallow strands over a double chocolate cookie

How to store the cookies

Thankfully, the spider web cookies keep really well for a few days. Keep them in a zip-top bag or another airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days.

Because the marshmallow is a bit sticky, store them in a single layer. If you double the layers, seperate each by a layer of wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Can you freeze the cookie dough?

You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls and have fresh baked cookies on hand whenever you'd like. Just place the formed cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet that will fit into your freezer and freeze for about 2 -3 hours.
Then place the frozen cookie dough balls in a zip-top bag in one layer and place in the freezer. They will keep for about 3 months.

Can you bake frozen cookie dough?

If baking from frozen, you will need to add an additional couple of minutes onto the baking time. Start with 1-2 minutes extra and check them for doneness.
It's always better to underbake the cookie than overbake! You can also thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and bake as normal the next day.

close up of a spider web cookie with a bit out of it

For more cookie recipes, check out:

Tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog if you make this and leave a star rating and comment below! Thank you and enjoy!