These Spider Web Cookies are soft, fudgy chocolate cookies loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips and draped in gooey marshmallow "spider webs." They're gluten-free, the webs take just one ingredient, and they're one of the easiest Halloween cookies you can make with your kids.
Every October I make my Spider Web Brownies, and this year I wanted a cookie version that was just as fun to decorate. The base is a rich double chocolate cookie made with semi-sweet mini chips and milk chocolate chips, and the webs are simply melted marshmallows stretched between your fingers. Add a few googly eyes and you have a spooky treat that looks right at home next to my Chicken Parmesan Mummy Garlic Bread and Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Cake on your Halloween party table.
Quick Look: Spider Web Cookies
- ⏱ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 1 hour (including cooling time)
- 🍪 Serving: 15-16 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 165 calories per cookie
- 🍫 Flavor Profile: Rich double chocolate with sweet, chewy marshmallow
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy, and the kids can help stretch the webs and add the eyes!
- ✨ Why This Recipe: It uses two kinds of chocolate chips, semi-sweet minis for melty pockets in every bite and milk chocolate for creamy sweetness, plus marshmallow webs that need no piping bag or royal icing. A 1:1 gluten-free flour keeps them soft and chewy, so no one can tell they're gluten-free.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Double the Chocolate: Cocoa powder in the dough plus semi-sweet mini and milk chocolate chips means chocolate in every single bite. Love a classic chip cookie? Try my Pecan and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- No Piping Required: The webs are just melted marshmallows stretched between your fingers. No royal icing, no piping bags, and no stress.
- Kids Can Help: Little hands love stretching the marshmallow webs and pressing on the googly eyes. It's a fun Halloween baking project for the whole family.
- Gluten-Free Without Anyone Noticing: A 1:1 gluten-free flour keeps these soft and chewy, so they taste just like regular chocolate cookies. Need more gluten-free cookie ideas? Check out my Gluten and Dairy-Free Cookies.
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Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Gluten-Free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour: Use a 1:1 blend that already contains xanthan gum so the cookies hold together and stay chewy.
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Dutch-processed cocoa gives these cookies their deep, dark color and smooth chocolate flavor, which makes the white marshmallow webs really stand out.
- Two Kinds of Chocolate Chips: This is the secret to these cookies. Semi-sweet mini chips spread all through the dough for little melty pockets in every bite, while milk chocolate chips add a creamier, sweeter flavor. Together, they give you a richer chocolate taste than one kind alone.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy with a hint of caramel flavor.
- Marshmallows: Regular marshmallows melt into stretchy, sticky strands that look just like spider webs. Most marshmallows are gluten-free, but always check the label to be sure.
- Googly Eyes: Candy googly eyes turn each cookie into a spooky little spider web. Check the label on these too, since some brands contain gluten.
Flavor Variations
- Swap the milk chocolate chips for white chocolate chips for a fun color contrast.
- Add a drop of orange, purple, or green food coloring to the melted marshmallow for colorful Halloween webs.
- Add a pinch of espresso powder to the dough to make the chocolate flavor even deeper.
- Make a spider! Press a gluten-free chocolate candy into the center of each web and add two googly eyes on top.
- Short on time? Use mini marshmallows. They melt faster and work just the same.
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HOW TO Make Spider Web Cookies
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, then set it aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on low until combined, then on medium-high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla.
Step 2. Beat on medium-high for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
Step 3. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Step 4. Mix on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain, being careful not to overmix. Then use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.
Step 5. Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Step 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed slightly and the edges are set. Let them cool briefly on the pan, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Step 7. Microwave the marshmallows in 10-second bursts, stirring as needed, until melted and stretchy. Let them cool until comfortable to handle but still warm. With lightly greased fingers, pinch a small piece, pull your fingers apart to stretch it into thin strands, and drape the webs over each cookie. Add googly eyes and let the webs set slightly before serving.
Nicole's EXPERT Tips
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the webs. Warm cookies will melt the marshmallow and your webs will droop.
- Microwave the marshmallows in short 10-second bursts. Overheated marshmallow gets too hot to handle and turns stiff as it cools.
- Lightly grease your fingertips with butter or a little oil so the marshmallow stretches instead of sticking to your skin.
- Work a few cookies at a time. Pinch a small piece, pull your fingers apart, and drape. If the marshmallow starts to stiffen, pop it back in the microwave for about 5 seconds.
- Use the edge of the cookie to help pull the strands off your fingers. It makes draping the webs so much easier.
- Don't overmix once the flour goes in. Mixing just until combined keeps the cookies soft instead of dense.
- Make it a full Halloween spread with my Spider Web Brownies and Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Cake.
More Halloween & Cookie Recipes
Spider Web Cookies FAQ
Yes! They're made with a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour. Just double-check that your marshmallows, chocolate chips, and candy googly eyes are labeled gluten-free, since brands vary.
Microwave the marshmallows in 10-second bursts until melted and stretchy, then let them cool until they're comfortable to touch. Lightly grease your fingertips, pinch a small piece of marshmallow, and pull your fingers apart to stretch it into thin strands. Drape the strands over the cooled cookies.
Yes. Use 1 cup of mini marshmallows in place of regular ones. They melt a little faster, so check them after every 10-second burst.
You can bake the cookies up to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container. For the best-looking webs, add the marshmallow and googly eyes on the day you plan to serve them.
Store decorated cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The marshmallow webs can get a little sticky over time, so avoid stacking them.
You can, but the cookies will be lighter in color and have a slightly sharper chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa gives them that deep, dark look that makes the white webs stand out.
More Halloween & Party Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Spider Web Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup marshmallows gluten-free
- candy googly eyes gluten-free, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl so everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed up slightly and the edges are beginning to set.
- Let the cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely, about 30 minutes, before decorating.
- Place the marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second increments, stirring as needed, until melted and stretchy. Let the marshmallow cool slightly, just until it is comfortable to handle but still warm and pliable.
- With clean, lightly greased fingers, pick up a small amount of melted marshmallow and gently stretch it between your fingers, spreading them apart to create thin, web-like strands.
- Drape the marshmallow strands over each cookie, using the edge of the cookie to help release the marshmallow from your fingers. Repeat until all the cookies are covered in marshmallow spider webs, then add the googly eyes.
- Let the marshmallow webs set slightly before serving.
Kim says
These are the absolute easiest Halloween cookies I have ever made. I was a little bit intimidated at first with the webs, but I wanted to make something super cute. They definitely did not disappoint and everybody was asking how I made them!