Easy Halloween Treat: Spooky 15-Minute Date Spiders (Healthy & Delicious!)
Oct 10, 2025
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Looking for a no-bake Halloween snack that’s fast, fun, and doesn’t require a mountain of sugar? These Date Spiders are the answer! Using naturally sweet Medjool dates, creamy peanut butter, and crunchy pretzel “legs,” this recipe transforms simple ingredients into a spooky, healthy appetizer in just 15 minutes. It’s perfect for kids, parties, or just a quick, festive bite!
Why You’ll Love This Date Spider Recipe
- 15-Minute Prep: Ready faster than you can say “trick or treat.”
- No-Bake & Easy: Simple assembly makes it a great recipe for kids to help make.
- Naturally Sweet: Medjool dates provide natural sweetness and a chewy texture.
Tips for the Best Date Spiders
- Make it Allergy-Friendly: Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or almond butter to accommodate various dietary restrictions.
- Gluten-Free: Ensure you are using certified gluten-free pretzel sticks to make this a gluten-free treat.
- Storage: If the dates are refrigerated, let them sit out for 10-15 minutes before serving to soften the dates and peanut butter for a better texture.
- Presentation: Place your finished Date Spiders on a black platter or a bed of crumbled chocolate cookies (dirt) for extra spooky flair!
Ingredient Substitutions
Ingredient substitution for Date Spiders is simple and allows for flexibility to accommodate various needs. Since the Medjool dates form the foundational body, they are generally irreplaceable, though a large dried fig could potentially be used in a pinch. However, the creamy filling and the “legs” offer several options:
- Peanut Butter Substitute: Easily swap for any smooth nut butter (almond, cashew) or a non-allergic option like sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Pretzel Substitute: For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free pretzel sticks. Alternatively, use thin, crispy matchstick-cut carrots for a vegetable-based, crunchy “leg.”
- Eye Garnish Substitute: Instead of mini chocolate chips, use small pieces of dried cranberry, raisins, or colored sprinkles to keep the garnish non-chocolate.
Related: How To Eat Dates
Ingredients Needed To Make Spiders with Dates
- 8 Medjool Dates
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 64 mini pretzel twists
- 32 mini chocolate chips or edible eyes (your choice)
How to Make Date Spiders
Prep the Dates
Take your 8 Medjool dates and slice each one in half lengthwise. Remove the large pit and the small, hard cap piece at the top of the date. Lay the 16 date halves flat on a tray or plate, open-side up.
Create the Legs
Break the pretzels into pieces, this will create the legs. Each date half needs eight pretzel pieces—four poked into each side of the date. Gently poke the pretzel pieces into the fleshy sides of the date halves until they feel secure and resemble spider legs.
Fill and Finish
Carefully spoon or pipe the creamy peanut butter into the center well of each date half. The peanut butter should fill the space where the pit was.
Add the Eyes
Place two mini chocolate chips (or two edible candy eyes) onto the peanut butter filling of each date half. Position them near the top to give your date spider a spooky face!
Serve
These Halloween Date Spiders are ready to serve immediately. If you need to make them ahead, store them in a sealed container and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to show them off at your party!
More Halloween Favorites
- Strawberry Oreo Witch Hats
- Caramel Apple Witches
- Halloween Hazenlnut Butter Board
- Chocolate and Caramel Apple Bites
- Halloween Chartcuterie Board
- Chocolate-Coated Pear Skulls
- Halloween Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Date Spiders
Ingredients
- 8 Medjool Dates
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 64 mini pretzel twists
- 32 mini chocolate chips or edible eyes your choice
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep the Dates
- Take your 8 Medjool dates and slice each one in half lengthwise. Remove the large pit and the small, hard cap piece at the top of the date. Lay the 16 date halves flat on a tray or plate, open-side up.
- Step 2: Create the Legs
- Break all the mini pretzel sticks in half. Each date half needs eight pretzel pieces—four poked into each side of the date. Gently poke the pretzel pieces into the fleshy sides of the date halves until they feel secure and resemble spider legs.
- Step 3: Fill and Finish
- Carefully spoon or pipe the creamy peanut butter into the center well of each date half. The peanut butter should fill the space where the pit was.
- Step 4: Add the Eyes
- Place two mini chocolate chips (or two edible candy eyes) onto the peanut butter filling of each date half. Position them near the top to give your date spider a spooky face!
- Step 5: Serve
- These Halloween Date Spiders are ready to serve immediately. If you need to make them ahead, store them in a sealed container and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to show them off at your party.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
