If you're looking for a ghoulish way to start your Halloween, these Spider Donuts would be a great addition to a spooky breakfast. The donuts and icing are homemade and colored with activated charcoal to make the spiders as realistic as possible. Plus, the lovely apple cider flavor makes them lovely for fall.
I love a good homemade donut. These baked cider donuts are incredibly moist and springy, with a subtle brown crust on the outside. I promise that they are way better than fried! Combine that with the cute spider design and chocolate-dipped pretzel legs, and you have a winning treat that will scare the pants off party guests.
I recommend these mummy dogs, Ghost Cupcakes and monster cupcakes for more Halloween treats to make.
To bring the adults into the celebration, try serving some Halloween Jello Shots. They're always a hit in our home!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's fun to make: These spider donuts are so much fun to make and decorate. Especially adding the frosting and pretzel legs! I love these Oreo spiders, too!
- It has an impressive presentation: It's amazing how realistic these Halloween donuts look. The dark black adds a wow factor, making it feel like they are real spiders.
- It's customizable: There are several ways you can decorate these spider donuts to make them look real, spooky, or just adorable!
Ingredients
These are the essential ingredients needed to make a cute spider donut with legs. I included some helpful information for this Halloween donut recipe.
- Apple cider: This is what I like to call a magic ingredient because it adds great sweetness and acidity to the donuts. Plus, each bite just reminds you of fall! Pick some up from your local grocery store or at a local orchard or farm stand (depending on where you live).
- Lemon juice: The brightness of the lemon juice further enhances the apple cider flavor while also helping the inside of the donut remain soft and tender.
- Charcoal powder: I use food-grade activated charcoal powder in both the donut batter and the icing to make a perfectly black spider.
- Decorations: You'll need pretzel rods for the legs, chocolate chips to dip and hold them in place, chocolate sprinkles to make the legs look furry, and candy eyes. You can add two or many, depending on the creepy level you're looking to achieve.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make a simple glaze: Instead of icing, you can make a simple glaze with milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add the charcoal powder as well if you want it to be black.
- Caramel pretzel legs: Dip the pretzel legs in caramel sauce instead of melted chocolate for a caramel apple flavor profile.
- Pumpkin spice: Try this recipe with pumpkin puree and an extra splash of milk instead of apple cider to make a pumpkin spice donut.
- Spider web donut: Use white cotton candy or melt marshmallows to create some spider web donuts.
How to Make Spider Donuts
Here are the instructions on how to make this spider donut recipe. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your donut pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. I would also add the lemon juice to the milk and let it sit while you get started, as well as preparing the icing as the donuts cool.
Step 1: Prepare the apple cider reduction. Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Set it aside to cool.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix them until they're just combined.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients. Next, add the apple cider reduction along with the remaining wet ingredients and charcoal powder.
Step 4: Bake and cool the donuts. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan and pop it into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Dip the donuts. Once the frosting is ready, dip the top of each donut into it and set it aside.
Step 6: Decorate them. Add some candy eyes to each spider donut.
Step 7: Prepare the pretzel legs. Dip each pretzel rod about 80% into the melted chocolate and then into the chocolate sprinkles. Stick them into the fridge for a couple of minutes to harden.
Step 8: Attach and serve. Carefully stick the pretzel legs into the sides of the donut and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure the milk and eggs are left at room temperature for a bit before you work on the batter. This keeps it smooth and lump-free.
- Make mini spiders: Try a mini donut pan and make mini spiders with pretzel sticks for legs!
- Stir the batter gently: Don't overmix or overwork the batter. This can make the donuts very dense and tough.
These vampire donuts are another spooky yet delicious donut recipe you should try this Halloween.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store these donuts in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for 1-2 days with the legs or up to 5 days without them. Freeze the donuts for up to 2 months and prepare fresh frosting before serving.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare these donuts up to 24 hours in advance. I like to make the donuts and frosting, and keep them in the fridge. Then, before serving them to guests, get them decorated!
Serving Suggestions
- Create a complete Halloween breakfast, featuring Halloween bread toast, Halloween Pancakes and savory sausage egg bites!
- Enjoy a lovely hot fall drink like a pumpkin chai latte with your adorable spider donut.
- Prepare a few other spooky sweet treats like these monster cake pops and boozy dirt cake (for the adults, of course).
Recipe FAQs
Sure! As long as the donut pan fits in your air fryer basket. Cook them at 320°F for 7-9 minutes.
I don't recommend it as it starts to change the texture, which can affect the baking result. I use just enough to add color, but not so much that the spider donuts dry out.
Since this is a yeast-free batter, you cannot deep-fry them. The spider donuts will not stay together in the hot oil.
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More Delicious Donut Recipes
Do you like donut recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Halloween Spider Donuts
Equipment
- piping bag or gallon size resealable bag
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves, ground
- 1-2 Tablespoons food grade activated charcoal powder or 1-2 teaspoons black food coloring
ICING/DECORATIONS
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter
- 3 Tablespoons cream
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ - 1 tablespoon activated charcoal powder or 1 teaspoon black food coloring
- 36-42 pretzel sticks
- chocolate Jimmies or sprinkles
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- candy eyes
Instructions
Make the Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour one cup of apple juice or apple cider into a small saucepan, heat until boiling, then turn the heat down just a bit and simmer until the juice has been reduced by half. Let cool to room temp.
- Pour the lemon juice into the milk and let sit for a couple of minutes.
- Pour all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until combined.
- Add the milk and lemon mixture, the apple cider reduction, eggs, vanilla, and butter to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Spoon your batter into a piping bag or into a 1 gallon zip top bag and snip one bottom corner.
- Prepare a donut pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan.
- Bake the donuts in a preheated oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes until fully baked. The cake should be springy to the touch.
- Turn the donuts out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before decorating.
Decorating your Black Donuts
- To make the icing, combine the melted butter, cream, food coloring (or charcoal powder) and powdered sugar. Mix until all of the sugar has dissolved. (If the icing is too thick, add a bit more cream, if it is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.)
- Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip the top of the donut into the freshly made icing. Place dipped donut onto a plate or tray.
- Finish dipping the remainder of the donuts then place candy eyeballs onto each of the donuts, you can do as few as 2 or as many as 8 or more on each!
- Place the tray of donuts into the fridge for 15-30 minutes, or until the icing has hardened a bit.
- While the donuts are in the fridge, melt the chocolate chips in a small microwave safe container.
- Dip each one of the pretzel sticks about 80% the way into the chocolate, spin the sticks against the side of the container to remove excess chocolate, as you only need a thin layer. Then dip the chocolate covered pretzel into the chocolate sprinkles. Set the pretzel onto a parchment lined tray. Repeat this for all of the pretzel sticks.
- Once all of the pretzel legs have been made, place the tray into the fridge to let the chocolate harden.
- When the donuts and the legs have hardened, and you are ready to serve, remove the donuts from the fridge and gently stick 6-8 of the legs into each donut.
- Serve, and enjoy your spooky treat! Enjoy every bite!
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Notes
- If your donut pan fits in your air fryer basket, you may air fry the donuts instead of baking them.
- Since this is a batter and not a dough, you can not deep-fry these Halloween donuts.
- Gently mix the donut batter to keep the donuts from becoming tough and dense on the inside.
Nutrition
This post was originally published August 2021. It has been updated for content.
Anita says
I never made doughnuts before. I also have never used apple cider in baking either. So this was first for me. Thanks to your easy to follow recipe I didn't mess it up and they turned out great. The kids went wild for them too.
Karin and Ken says
I love the flavor from the apple cider too. Different and delicious. I’m so happy you enjoyed them. All the best. Karin