RED VELVET WHOOPIE PIE SPIDERS

Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders

EEEEECK!  We’ve been invaded by spiders!  These homemade Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders are soft and fluffy perfection that melt in your mouth!  Filled with a silky Marshmallow Cream Cheese filling, and sporting cherry licorice legs and buggy candy eyes, these are also commonly referred to as “Blood Sucking Red Spiders” by the little ones at my house – a Halloween favorite, and the only spiders I don’t mind having in the house!
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Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Filling

This week it's all about having fun with our little ones and making special treats for a very special Halloween party!  

These sweet little Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders are as much fun to make as they are to eat!  But you'll need to hurry - these disappear FAST!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders

RED VELVET WHOOPIE
​PIE SPIDERS

EEEEECK!  We’ve been invaded by spiders!  These homemade Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders are soft and fluffy perfection that melt in your mouth!  Filled with a silky Marshmallow Cream Cheese filling, and sporting cherry licorice legs and buggy candy eyes, these are also commonly referred to as “Blood Sucking Red Spiders” by the little ones at my house – a Halloween favorite, and the only spiders I don’t mind having in the house!
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Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Spiders

​INGREDIENTS:
Red Velvet Cakes:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (sifted, spooned & leveled)
3 Tablespoons (15g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
gel red food coloring
 
Marshmallow Cream Cheese Filling:
4 ounces block cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)  
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
For Decorating:
Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Cherry Licorice
Decorator Icing
Wilton Candy Eyeballs
 
HOW I MAKE THESE:

1.  PREPARE RED VELVET CAKES:  Remove butter, egg and buttermilk from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line two large baking sheets* with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside. 

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

4.  In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.  Add the brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and well blended. Add egg and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.  Slowly add vanilla, buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon of red gel food coloring and mix just until blended.  Mixture may look curdled – no worries! 

5.  Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined; add remaining flour mixture and continue beating until just combined.

6.  Using a small cookie scoop, scoop about 1-1/2 tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.

7.  Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until centers appear set. Mine usually take 11 minutes – it will depend on your oven, but you don’t want to overbake! 

8.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

9.  PREPARE MARSHMALLOW CREAM CHEESE FILLING:  Remove cream cheese and butter from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

10.  In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy.  Beat in the butter and marshmallow crème until combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy.

11.  Pair the cookies up based on their size.

12.  Pipe or spread cream cheese filling onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the other. Repeat with remaining.

13.  CREATE SPIDERS:  Cut each length of pull-n’peel cherry licorice into 3 pieces, then pull and peel each piece into 8 separate strands.  Insert 4 legs into each side of a prepared whoopie pie – a total of 8 legs in each spider!

14.  Add 2 dollops of decorator icing on top of the whoopie pie and attach 2 candy eyeballs to each spider.  You can add more eyes for “monster” or “alien” spiders!

15.  Store whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
 
YIELD:  12 spider whoopie pies

RECIPE NOTES*: 

Non-Stick Whoopie Pie Pans:  If you have these pans available, you are pretty much guaranteed that all of your whoopie pies will be the same size.  If you don’t have these available, scooping the batter onto parchment-paper lined baking sheets will work as well – just try to keep each of your scoops the same size so that they bake consistently and are easy to match up for filling!

Basic Batter:  The batter is super basic!  Brown sugar provides moisture, cocoa adds flavor!  Make sure you’re using natural unsweetened cocoa powder. That is KEY in this red velvet recipe.  Buttermilk is essential for flavor, and red while a little gel food coloring will give you a deep red hue. You can absolutely leave the food coloring out if you prefer.

A Note about Food Coloring:  I’ve tested this recipe with both gel and liquid food coloring, and absolutely prefer the gel food coloring.  It’s a brighter and more intense color than what you can achieve with liquid food coloring. You’d need quite a lot of liquid food coloring to obtain that signature red color in these whoopie pies– and that added liquid isn’t ideal for either taste or texture!

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