Description
These Spooky Vegan Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or any spooky celebration. Made with a dairy-free and egg-free base using SunButter, these soft and chewy cookies are topped with mini Sun Cups, candy eyes, and piped vegan chocolate legs to create adorable spider designs. They are easy to make, vegan, and visually impressive for parties or cozy gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup SunButter (or nut-free butter of choice)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (Florida Crystals recommended)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (Florida Crystals Organic Cane recommended)
- 1 egg replacer equivalent (e.g., 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free blend)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Rolling and Decorating
- 1/8 cup sanding sugar (for rolling only; do not add to dough)
- 24 mini free2b Sun Cups
- Candy eyes (24 pieces)
- 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Refrigerate the Sun Cups ahead of time to keep them firm for pressing into the cookies later. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make Vegan Egg: In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer with 2 tablespoons water and set aside to activate.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, SunButter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the prepared vegan egg replacer until fully incorporated, then add dairy-free milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until a uniform dough forms.
- Shape and Roll: Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Pour sanding sugar into a shallow bowl and roll each dough ball in the sanding sugar to coat. Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until they turn a light brown color and feel soft to the touch. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add Sun Cups: Remove the Sun Cups from the refrigerator and unwrap them. Press each upside-down Sun Cup firmly into the center of each cooled cookie. Return the cookies to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to prevent the Sun Cups from melting during decoration.
- Melt Chocolate: Place vegan chocolate chips in a corner of a zippered sandwich bag. Microwave for 20 seconds, knead the chocolate, and microwave again in 20-second increments until fully melted and smooth. Cut a small corner off the bag to create a piping tip.
- Decorate Spiders: Pipe a tiny dot of melted chocolate on the back of each candy eye and press it onto the Sun Cup on each cookie. Using the melted chocolate, pipe eight legs around each Sun Cup to resemble spider legs.
- Set Decoration: Place the decorated cookies back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate legs to set firmly before serving.
Notes
- Ensure Sun Cups are well chilled before pressing onto cookies to minimize melting.
- You can substitute the SunButter with any nut-free butter alternative if desired.
- Gluten-free flour can be used in a 1:1 ratio for a gluten-free option.
- The vegan egg replacer mix is important for binding the dough since this recipe is egg-free.
- Handle the melted chocolate carefully; warming in short increments prevents burning.
- For best results, decorate cookies after they are fully cooled to avoid melting chocolate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
