Spider Brownies
These cute and chocolatey Halloween treats combine fudgy brownies, pretzel legs, and candy eyes for a sweet-and-salty bite everyone will love.
Servings: 20 pieces
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon or spatula
- 9-inch (23 cm) Baking Pan or an 8-inch (20cm) baking pan
- Small Cookie Scoop optional
- Palette knife or spoon, for spreading frosting
- Small Round Cookie Cutter if making kid-friendly version
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix (any brand)
- water use amount listed on brownie mix box
- egg use amount listed on brownie mix box
- oil use amount listed on brownie mix box
- ½ cup chocolate frosting
- 60 pretzel sticks each one broken in half
- 3 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles
- 40 candy eyeball sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the brownies according to the instructions on your box, using the water, oil, and egg amounts listed there. Bake as directed (usually 350°F for about 30 minutes).
- Allow the baked brownies to cool until they're just warm before handling.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out balls of brownie from the center (avoid the dry edges). Roll gently in your hands to form smooth balls.
- Insert three pretzel stick halves into each side of the brownie ball for six legs total.
- Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting on top of each brownie ball using a spoon or palette knife.
- Press on two candy eyeballs and sprinkle chocolate sprinkles over the frosting for a “hairy” look.
- Allow to set at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.
Video
Notes
IMPORTANT: Be sure to check your brownie mix box for the exact amounts of water, oil, and eggs required for that particular product! Some boxes may call for 2 eggs, etc.
Kid-Friendly Version (No Rolling Required):
I chose to roll the warm baked brownie mixture into balls because it creates a nice round spider, but that's not something I would recommend doing with children.
If you are making this recipe with kids, use this method instead:
- Line the baking pan with parchment (this makes it easier to remove the brownies later).
- Prepare and cook the brownies according to package instructions.
- Remove the brownies from the pan and allow them to cool completely.
- Cut out round shapes with a small round cookie cutter, avoiding the corners and edges. I'd use a cookie cutter with a 1 or 1 ½ inch diameter.
- Decorate the round flat pieces of brownie with the pretzels, frosting and sprinkles.
- Brownie mixes vary: I used a brownie mix that came with chocolate frosting. If your mix does not come with frosting, buy a small tub of chocolate frosting from the baking section of your grocery store.
- Be careful: Hot brownies can burn your hands, so please make sure to cool the brownies before scooping them.
- Be gentle: Press the pretzel legs in slowly so the brownies don't split in half.
- Don't skip the frosting: It acts like glue for the sprinkles and eyes.
- Make it a group activity: Making these spider brownies is way more fun as a group.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container for 2–3 days at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
