Spider Donuts
These Spider Donuts are the CUTEST Halloween treat and they’re a total Dunkin’ Donuts copycat that kids can help make at home. Store-bought glazed donuts topped with chocolate donut hole spider heads, chocolate almond bark legs, and edible candy eyeballs, all in about 20 minutes.
These Easy Spider Donuts Are the Cutest Kids Halloween Treat
These Spider Donuts are the CUTEST Halloween treat I make with my kids every October, and they’re a total Dunkin’ Donuts copycat that we can whip up in about 20 minutes. I use store-bought glazed donuts topped with chocolate donut hole spider heads, chocolate almond bark legs, and adorable candy eyeballs.
Spider Donuts are one of my favorite Halloween traditions to make with my kids every fall. I love that they turn ordinary store-bought glazed donuts into the CUTEST little spiders you’ve ever seen, and they’re a copycat of the famous Dunkin’ Donuts Spider Donut that shows up every Halloween season. My kids get so excited when I pull out the donuts and candy eyes for this activity.
I started making these a few Halloweens back when I wanted a fun no-bake treat for a Halloween classroom party. Turns out, store-bought donuts + a few Halloween touches = an adorable treat that took me about 20 minutes and made me look like the coolest parent. I handle the melting of the almond bark and the piping bag, and my kids take over for the fun parts: pressing the donut holes onto the donuts, adding the candy eyes, and choosing where to put the spider legs.
I love this activity for so many Halloween moments. Classroom parties, Halloween morning breakfast, Halloween movie nights, trick-or-treat get-togethers, and just any afternoon in October when I want to do something festive with my kids. Every single spider ends up looking a little different, which is part of the charm. And they’re way cuter and cheaper than the drive-thru version.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Assembling spider donuts helps kids to practice fine motor skills while pressing, placing and squeezing the piping bag.
- These fun donuts encourage creativity and build confidence within kids. They can decorate the spiders spooky or silly while making something with minimal help.
- Low-mess cleanup. No baking sheets to scrub, no oven to clean. Cover the working space with craft paper or a disposable table cloth and you’ll all set for super quick clean-up!
Are These The Same As Dunkin’ Donuts?
These are the best copycat version of the seasonal Dunkin’ Spider Donut! The best part about making them at home is that you can actually make them any time of year, not just during the spooky season!
Key Ingredients
- Glazed yeast donuts – Pick up a fresh box from your favorite local bakery or donut shop. Glazed yeast donuts work best because they are soft, light, and leave plenty of room for the creepy spider details.
- Chocolate almond bark – Almond bark melts smoothly and hardens firmly, which is perfect for holding everything in place. Chocolate candy melts work as a substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
- Donut holes – Pick up chocolate donut holes to get the perfect spider color!
- Candy eyes – The baking section of craft stores typically have these on hand or look in your local super center. If you can’t find them, you can always use white baking chips and add a little chocolate dot for the pupil.
Find the full ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Use different donut colors. Instead of glazed, use pink-frosted or white-frosted donuts for a fun pop of color.
- Ghosty spider. Use chocolate donuts and white chocolate almond bark.
- Rainbow spider legs. An assortment of colored chocolate melts like orange, purple, or green make for a super fun spider!
- Extra eyes. Real spiders have 8 eyes, add 4 or 6 tiny extra eyes for a truly spider-accurate look.
- Tiny fang. Pipe a small white line for each spider fang below the eyes.
- Sprinkles. Add extra flair around the spider legs.
- Spider web design. If you’re feeling extra creative, melt some white chocolate almond bark and create a spider web pattern before adding the spider.
How To Make Spider Donuts
- Adults prepare chocolate. Melt 4-6 ounces of chocolate almond bark according to the package directions, stirring until smooth. Spoon the melted almond bark into a disposable piping bag and snip a small opening at the tip.
- Kids create spider head. Pipe a small amount of melted almond bark onto the bottom of 1 chocolate donut hole. Place it on top of 1 glazed donut to make the spider’s head. Repeat with the remaining donut holes and donuts.
- Add legs. Use the piping bag to pipe 4 legs on each side of the donut hole, making 8 legs total for each spider. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
- Add eyes. Add a tiny dot of melted almond bark to the back of each edible eye and press 2 eyes onto the front of each chocolate donut hole.
- Leave to harden. Let the Spider Donuts sit for about 10 minutes, or until the almond bark has hardened.
For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Storage
Spider donuts are best the day they are made because let’s face it, fresh donuts are always best fresh!
If there are leftovers, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. Legs and eyes can get damaged when stacked or squished, so store in a single layer.
Fridge: Do not refrigerate. The fridge dries out donuts fast.
Freezer: Do not freeze. Donuts get soggy when thawed and the almond bark can turn white.
Serving Suggestions
Create the ultimate spooky platter and serve spider donuts alongside other Halloween treats. Anytime I am setting out a spooky dessert spread, I love to include sweet and salty Halloween Bark, irresistible Snack Mix and Halloween Monster Cookies. Depending on the number of guests and the age range of the kids, I like to set up a Halloween Sugar Cookie decorating station too. Everyone gets a Halloween treat bag to fill up and bring home at the end of the party, too!
Pro Tips
- Give the kids a chance to really use their own individual creativity with the application of the eyes and legs!
- Lining up the donuts on a parchment lined baking sheet will make for easy clean up. Just scrunch up the parchment and throw it away!
- Keep the opening of the piping bag very small so it’s easier to pipe out tidy legs on the spiders.
- Once you are done piping chocolate, let the spider donuts rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden completely.
- If the melted chocolate starts to harden before all of the donuts are done, put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften it.
- If kids want a little more responsibility and less supervision but you’re worried about the warm chocolate, use pretzel sticks or black shoestring licorice as legs with frosting to stick them and the candy eyes on!
- Use a small zip top bag if you don’t have a piping bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spider donuts are best for ages 5 and up but kids ages 3 to 4 can help with simpler steps like pressing donut holes onto donuts and placing candy eyes.
Adult help is essential for melting the chocolate almond bark and handling the hot piping bag but older kids (ages 8+) can usually handle most of the recipe with adult supervision.
Buy the donuts the day of, but pre-melt the almond bark and portion into piping bags earlier for faster assembly. Re-soften the chocolate by placing it into a cup of warm water or placing it in the microwave in 10-15 second increments.
If there are a few too many donuts and the almond bark in the piping bag seems to be hardening, seal the piping bag and place it in a mug of warm water to soften. It should also be okay to put the piping bag in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
If you are able to find gluten-free donuts and donut holes, just double check the labels on the almond bark and candy eyes.
Yes, you can. I don’t have a specific recipe for glazed yeast donuts from scratch myself but if you do, go for it!
Monster Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 glazed yeast donuts
- 4-6 ounces chocolate almond bark
- 12 chocolate donut holes
- 24 edible candy eyes
Instructions
- Place the 12 glazed yeast donuts on a flat work surface. Melt 4-6 ounces of chocolate almond bark according to the package directions, stirring until smooth. Spoon the melted almond bark into a disposable piping bag and snip a small opening at the tip.
- Pipe a small amount of melted almond bark onto the bottom of 1 chocolate donut hole. Place it on top of 1 glazed donut to make the spider’s head. Repeat with the remaining donut holes and donuts.
- Use the piping bag to pipe 4 legs on each side of the donut hole, making 8 legs total for each spider. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
- Add a tiny dot of melted almond bark to the back of each edible eye and press 2 eyes onto the front of each chocolate donut hole. Repeat until all of the spider heads have eyes. Let the Spider Donuts sit for about 10 minutes, or until the almond bark has hardened.
