Description

These Spiderweb Brownies are a spooky and delicious treat perfect for Halloween or any themed party. Featuring rich, fudgy brownies swirled with a creamy almond-flavored cheese mixture and decorated to resemble creepy spiders, this recipe combines ease with festive fun. The brownies are baked in round pans for perfect spider body shapes, then finished with Oreo Cakesters, licorice legs, and candy eyeballs to bring your edible arachnids to life.

Ingredients

Scale

Brownie Batter

1 box brownie mix (Family Size for 9×13 pan)

Cream Cheese Filling

4 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp almond extract

Spider Decorations

2 Oreo Cakesters
Black licorice (cut into 16 pieces, 8 for each spider)
4 candy eyeballs
Frosting or melted chocolate (for attaching eyeballs)

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Lightly spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray to ensure the brownies don’t stick.
Mix the Brownie Batter: Prepare the brownie mix following the package directions carefully. Once mixed, pour the batter evenly into the prepared round pans.
Make Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and almond extract, and mix again until fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and snip a small hole at the tip.
Create Spiderweb Pattern: Pipe a small pool of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the brownie batter in each pan. Draw concentric circles outward about 1 inch apart. Then, using a table knife dipped in water, drag it back and forth through the circles to create arcs connecting them, forming a spiderweb effect.
Draw Web Spokes: Using the remaining cream cheese filling in the piping bag, trace along the lines where the knife passed to form the radial spokes of the web for added definition.
Bake the Brownies: Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The brownies are done when they barely pull away from the edges of the pan. The center will puff up during baking but will settle as it cools. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Assemble the Spiders: Cut the black licorice into 8 pieces per spider. Arrange the licorice pieces around each Oreo Cakester, placing 4 on each side to mimic spider legs. Use frosting or melted chocolate as edible glue to attach candy eyeballs to the Cakester to complete the spider look.

Notes

Use room temperature cream cheese for easier mixing and smooth cream cheese filling.
Wet the knife tip before dragging through the cream cheese circles to prevent sticking and achieve sharp lines.
Allow brownies to cool fully before cutting to maintain the spiderweb design cleanly.
You can substitute Oreo Cakesters with any similarly sized round chocolate sandwich cookie.
For vegan or dairy-free versions, consider using vegan cream cheese and egg substitutes.