Sometimes during Halloween, the trick is also the treat! Spooky Chocolate Spiders are an easy and scary snack, the perfect crunchy delight to make with your kids!
Trick or treat! Why does it have to be one or the other? Can’t we have tricky treats this season?
Yes, we can! With these Spooky Chocolate Spiders, kids can snack on crunchy, chocolatey deliciousness while still being slightly creeped out! These 3D spiders are super spooky yet taste amazing!
Simply make “legs” using pretzels and melted chocolate to hold them firm. Next, stick them into homemade chocolate crispy treats and watch the spiders come alive! This is the perfect treat to make with the kids before or after their trick or treating adventures.
Beware!!! Of Hidden Gluten
When developing this recipe, it was very important to find edible candy eyes that did not contain gluten. Surprisingly, many varieties of candy eyes *may* contain gluten as per their packaging. Nothing is more ooky or spooky than hidden gluten in our food!
Be sure to heavily research the type of candy eyes that are local to you. If you cannot find anything, a quick web search should yield some great results. Be sure you also use chocolate rice cereal and pretzel sticks that explicitly state that they are gluten-free.
Ingredients in Spooky Chocolate Spiders
- 1 cup chocolate chips, melted
- 2 cups gluten-free pretzel sticks
- ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- ½ bag mini marshmallows
- 3 cups gluten-free cocoa rice cereal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Candy eyes, for decorating (optional – check the ingredients to ensure these are gluten-free!)
How to Make Spooky Chocolate Spiders
Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave carefully in 20-second bursts, stirring in between until fully melted.
Take a pretzel stick and break it in half two-thirds of the way. In other words, one side should be slightly longer than the other. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels.
Dip each broken end into the chocolate and stick the two dipped ends of the pretzel together, creating a 90-degree angle. Place onto a piece of parchment paper to harden and repeat with the rest of the pretzels. Place into the fridge to firm.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and allow them to melt, stirring frequently. Once fully melted, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Next, add the cereal to the melted marshmallow mixture. Stir with a spatula until the cereal is fully coated.
Using a greased half-cup measuring spoon, measure even amounts of the cereal mixture. Roll it between your hands to create an oval shape. It helps if you also grease your hands when working with this sticky stuff!
Place the cereal ovals on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat until all of the cereal mixture has been rolled into shape.
Once the chocolatey pretzels are firm and the legs are stuck together, carefully stick 3 “legs” into each side of your cereal ovals. Stick the shorter end into the crispy treat facing upwards with the longer end touching the counter to create a 3D spider. Be extra careful, as the pretzels can break!
Top each spider with a layer of melted chocolate and two optional candy eyes for extra creepiness. The extra chocolate layer holds in the legs and eyes, so they do not fall off easily.
Place into the fridge to fully set for 1 hour minimum, and then serve.
Spooky Chocolate Spiders
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips, melted
- 2 cups gluten-free pretzel sticks
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 bag mini marshmallows
- 3 cups gluten-free cocoa rice cereal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Candy eyes, for decorating (optional – check the ingredients to ensure they are gluten-free)
Instructions
- Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave carefully in 20-second bursts, stirring in between until fully melted.
- Take a pretzel stick and break it in half two-thirds of the way. In other words, one side should be slightly longer than the other. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels.
- Dip each broken end into the chocolate and stick the two dipped ends of the pretzel together, creating a 90-degree angle. Place onto a piece of parchment paper to harden and repeat with the rest of the pretzels. Place into the fridge to firm.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and allow them to melt, stirring frequently. Once fully melted, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Next, add the cereal to the melted marshmallow mixture. Stir with a spatula until the cereal is fully coated.
- Using a greased half-cup measuring spoon, measure even amounts of the cereal mixture. Roll it between your hands to create an oval shape. It helps if you also grease your hands when working with this sticky stuff!
- Place the cereal ovals on a piece of parchment paper. Repeat until all of the cereal mixture has been rolled into shape.
- Once the chocolatey pretzels are firm and the legs are stuck together, carefully stick 3 “legs” into each side of your cereal ovals. Stick the shorter end into the crispy treat facing upwards with the longer end touching the counter to create a 3D spider. Be extra careful, as the pretzels can break!
- Top each spider with a layer of melted chocolate and two optional candy eyes for extra creepiness. The extra chocolate layer holds in the legs and eyes, so they do not fall off easily.
- Place into the fridge to fully set for 1 hour minimum, and then serve.
