Spooky Spider Donuts Recipe for Halloween
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What’s Up, Hungry People
Who’s ready to get spooky? These sweet creepy crawlies are the best way to kick off the haunting Halloween season. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I get to take all of the ‘normal’ recipes I normally make and put a creepy twist on them.
These donuts have chocolate donut holes fixed in the center with spindly chocolate legs and candy eyeballs.
For the spider bodies, I used a cake-pop maker with my donut batter. Use about three-fourths of the donut batter in the actual donut tin, then stir in dark chocolate (and a touch of black food coloring for a more convincing black color). The cake-pop maker does the rest!
You can make the icing for the donuts in any color that you want. I opted for green, orange, and purple – and attempted a black icing (which turned more grey-ish purple, so I made it into a creepy purple people eater).
The legs are made from tempered chocolate piped into “L” shapes and then dried. To affix the legs onto the donuts, use a touch of melted chocolate on the tips and hold in place until the chocolate sticks. No matter which way you decorate your spooky spiders, they are the perfect way to start a crisp Halloween morning.
Here’s What You Need
- Flour: Gives the donuts structure and fluffiness.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with browning.
- Baking Powder: Ensures the donuts rise properly.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Salted Butter: Adds moisture and a rich flavor.
- Whole Milk: Adds moisture and helps bind the ingredients.
- Egg: Provides structure and richness to the batter.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Used for spider bodies and legs.
- Candy Eyes: Adds a fun, spooky touch to the donuts.
- Powdered Sugar: Forms the base of the mirror glaze icing.
- Meringue Powder: Optional; helps the icing set and adds stability.
- Food Coloring: Customizes the icing to your desired Halloween colors.
Let’s Cook
First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F. Grab a large bowl and whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Once that’s well combined, stir in the milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything’s smooth and ready to go.
Fill the Donut Tin
Grease up your donut tin to make sure nothing sticks. Transfer about three-fourths of your batter into a large baggie and snip off a corner. Now, pipe that batter into the donut tin. Pop them in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes until they’re golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides. Let them cool completely before moving on.
Make the Spider Bodies
With the remaining batter, stir in the chocolate chips. If the batter gets too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get it back to the right consistency. Preheat your cake-pop or donut-hole maker. Spoon the batter into another baggie, snip the corner, and pipe the batter into each cavity, filling them about halfway. Bake for 3-4 minutes until the donut holes are puffed up and cooked through. Set them aside to cool completely.
Temper the Chocolate
While your donuts cool, it’s time to temper the chocolate. Melt about half of the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Then, add the remaining chocolate chips and stir until they’re melted and the chocolate is glossy.
Transfer the melted chocolate into a small baggie. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Snip the corner of the chocolate baggie and pipe “L” shapes onto the lined baking sheet – enough to give each spider 8 legs. Chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 15-30 minutes.
Make the Icing
Now, let’s get that icing ready. Mix the powdered sugar, meringue powder (if you’re using it), and milk until a thick white icing forms. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
Separate the icing into smaller bowls and color them as you like. Keep a couple of tablespoons of white icing aside for attaching the eyes to the donut holes.
Assemble the Spiders
Time to bring everything together! Dip the tops of each donut into your chosen icing color. While the icing is still wet, place a single donut hole in the center of each donut.
Melt 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips. Dip the tip of each chocolate leg into the melted chocolate and attach it next to the donut hole like a spider leg. Chill the donuts until the chocolate has set and the icing is dry.
Tips for Perfect Spooky Spider Donuts
- Consistency of Batter: If your batter seems too thick after adding the chocolate chips, add a little more milk until it’s smooth.
- Tempering Chocolate: Be patient while tempering chocolate to ensure it sets properly and has a nice shine.
- Attaching Legs: If the legs don’t stick immediately, hold them in place for a few seconds or add a bit more melted chocolate.
- Icing Colors: Experiment with different food coloring combinations to achieve the perfect Halloween hues.
- Storage: Keep the donuts in an airtight container to maintain freshness if you’re not serving them right away.
These spider donuts are sure to become a Halloween favorite. They combine fun and creativity, making them a fantastic activity to do with kids or friends. Each donut has a spooky spider design, with chocolate legs and candy eyes that are as fun to make as they are to eat. Enjoy the process of decorating them with your favorite Halloween colors. These treats are perfect for a Halloween breakfast or party, bringing a festive and delicious touch to your spooky celebrations. Get ready to impress everyone with these tasty (and adorable) spider donuts!
Spider Leg Donuts
Equipment
- cake pops / donut hole maker
Ingredients
FOR SPIDER BODIES & LEGS:
- 1 cup flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ⅓ cup whole milk + more as needed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup chocolate chips
- 64 candy eyes
FOR MIRROR GLAZE ICING:
- 3 cups powdered sugar + more as needed
- 2 cups whole milk + more as needed
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder optional
- food coloring of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Grease a donut tin. Transfer three-fourths of the batter into a large baggie and snip the corner. Use the filled baggie to pipe the batter into the donut tin. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the donuts are golden brown and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the tin. Let the donuts cool completely.
- Meanwhile, with the remaining batter, add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to get the batter back to the right consistency. It should be thick but smooth.
- Preheat a cake-pop/donut-hole maker. Spoon the batter into another baggie and snip the corner. Pipe the batter into each of the cavities, about halfway full. Bake for 3-4 minutes, until the donut holes are puffed up and cooked through. Set aside and cool completely.
- While the donuts cool, temper the chocolate. Melt about half of the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Stir until smooth, then add in the remaining chocolate chips. Continue to stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the chocolate is glossy.
- Transfer the melted chocolate into a smaller baggie. Arrange parchment paper or a silicone mat on a baking sheet. Snip the corner of the chocolate baggie and pipe “L” shapes on the lined baking sheet – enough so that each spider can have 8 legs. Chill until the chocolate is set – about 15-30 minutes.
- When the donuts are cooled, make the icing. Mix the powdered sugar, meringue powder (if using), and milk until a very thick white icing forms. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. It should be thick and stick to your spoon while holding its shape. If it’s too thick and there are still dry bits of powder, add milk one teaspoon at a time and stir until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Separate the icing into smaller bowls. Color as desired, leaving a couple of tablespoons of white icing for attaching the eyes to the donut holes.
- Assemble the donuts by dipping the tops of each donut in your desired color. While the icing is still wet, place a single donut hole in the center.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips. Dip the tip of each “L” chocolate leg and then attach it next to the donut hole like a leg. Chill the donuts until the chocolate has set and the icing is dried. Serve at your next Halloween-themed breakfast. Enjoy!
