Spiderweb Brownies are a fun treat to celebrate Halloween. They are rich and chocolaty with a hint of tang from the cream cheese spiderweb on top, and these Spiderweb Brownies are just the right amount of spooky to bring out the smiles.

When Madison was little, I would make fun treats like these Spiderweb Brownies  all the time. I loved to host Halloween parties for her friends. It was always so much fun coming up with new ideas that were spooky enough for the holiday, but not so much to induce nightmares. Spiders were always a good choice because they aren't too scary. These Spiderweb Brownies are easy to make, chocolaty, and fun for kids of all ages!

How to Make Spiderweb Brownies

This Spiderweb Brownie recipe starts with my Easy One Bowl Brownies, as they have the taste and consistency I crave in a brownie. Rich and chocolaty, but not too sweet, and the crusty, crackly top contrasts nicely with the chewy, not too fudge-y middle. The perfect combo of texture and flavor!

To make this easy one bowl brownie recipe, preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8" round cake pan that is at least 2" deep and sprinkle with sugar to coat the bottom of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to mix well.

In a large microwave safe measuring cup, melt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter. Allow to cool just a bit and then whisk in 3 eggs until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir, by hand, just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Gently fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

How to Make the Cream Cheese Spiderweb

Prepare the cream cheese mixture by combining 3 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons buttermilk (regular milk works fine too) in a mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and soft. 

Cut a small hole into the bottom corner of a quart sized plastic baggie and scoop the cream cheese mixture into the bag. I used a small, angled piping tip, but the hole in the corner of the bag works well too. Pipe thin circles from the middle to the outside of the brownie batter like this...

Next, pipe thin lines from the middle of the brownie out to the edge, gently dragging the tip of the bag through the cream cheese circles as you go. Make these lines all the way around the brownie as shown in my picture below. Don't worry about making them perfect. It's a spiderweb and is supposed to be a little spooky. Clearly mine are a little rough, but the end result still turned out great!

How to Bake Spiderweb Brownies

Bake at 325°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with dry crumbs on it. Remove the Spiderweb Brownies from the oven and let cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Before removing from the pan, run a butter knife around the outside edge of the brownie, gently lifting as you go to loosen from the bottom of the pan as well. Gently turn out onto a parchment lined surface and invert onto a cooling rack so the spiderweb is facing up. Allow to cool completely. Transfer to a serving platter and decorate the spiderweb brownie with plastic spiders. Enjoy!

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Spiderweb Brownies

By Life Tastes Good
Published 10/18/2015

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Pure Cane Sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Pure Cane Sugar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk (regular milk works fine too)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8" round cake pan that is at least 2" deep and sprinkle with a little sugar to coat the bottom of the pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Sugar, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to mix well.
3. In a large microwave safe measuring cup, melt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter. Allow to cool just a bit and then whisk in 3 eggs until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir, by hand, just until combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
5. Prepare the cream cheese mixture by combining 3 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Sugar and 2 tablespoons buttermilk (regular milk works fine too) in a mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and soft.
6. Cut a small hole into the bottom corner of a quart sized plastic baggie and scoop the cream cheese mixture into the bag. I used a small, angled piping tip, but the hole in the corner of the bag works well too. Pipe thin circles from the middle to the outside of the brownie batter. (See photo tutorial above for picture example)
7. Next, pipe thin lines from the middle of the pan out to the edge and across the circles, gently dragging the tip of the bag through the cream cheese circles as you go. Make these lines all the way around the pan as shown in my photo tutorial above. Don't worry about making them perfect. Clearly mine are a little rough, but the end result still turned out great!
8. Bake at 325°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with dry crumbs on it. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Before removing from the pan, run a butter knife around the edge, gently lifting as you go to loosen from the bottom of the pan as well. Gently turn out onto a parchment lined surface and invert onto a cooling rack so the spiderweb is facing up. Allow to cool completely. Transfer to a serving platter and decorate with plastic spiders. Enjoy!

Yield: 16 Servings
Prep Time: 10 mins.

Cook time: 50 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.

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