Chocolate Rice Krispie spiders are easy to make, no-bake treats, a fun twist on an Irish favorite, and perfect for having some fun this Halloween.
If you’re planning a get together to celebrate Halloween, why not make an edible chocolate spider – the perfect centerpiece for any festive Halloween table.
You can make a simple chocolate spider or get creative and decorate your spider’s back.
What a dramatic centerpiece to have on the table at Halloween! And so much fun to make.
These are simple cakes made with melted chocolate and rice cereal.
Old fashioned Rice Krispie cakes, a staple of Irish children's parties.
I started thinking about how easy these Irish birthday party treats are to make and thought why not use this simple recipe to create something special for Halloween?
M&M’s make great eyes.
These M&M eyes are actually pretty scary looking.
I got carried away and gave this spider three eyes. Why not have a little fun?
You can have great fun decorating the spiders with googly eyes.
Or specialty edible, candy eyes are perfect for spiders that seem to be watching you from the plate.
How cool is this! Imagine the fun you'll have making these.
I use Cadburys Chocolate Fingers to create hinged spider legs.
Chocolate finger biscuits can be purchased in the United States in Walmart, or Meijers grocery stores. They’re also available from World Market or can be purchased online from Amazon or Food Ireland.
Chocolate fingers were first created way back in 1897 and are still a favorite in Ireland and England to this very day. They’re wonderful for cake decorating.
If you can’t find chocolate fingers then you could use Kit Kat sticks as an alternative.
And so, let’s get started with a little tutorial on how to make Chocolate Rice Krispie Spiders.
Ingredients for chocolate Rice Krispie spiders:
You can have great fun decorating the Halloween Rice Krispie spider.
- 4 cups of rice cereal
- 8 ounces of chocolate chips to make the spider bodies
- 4 ounces of chocolate chips for decorating
- 4 candy eyes or M&M’s for eyes
- 18 chocolate fingers
- M&M’s or Irish Smarties for decorating (optional)
What you'll need to mold the spider.
I used a small dessert bowl to create the spider’s body and an ice cream scoop for the head. These are lined with saran wrap so that the chocolate covered cereal won’t stick to the sides as it sets.
The amount of cereal and chocolate required depends on the size of the bowls and scoops that you use.
You can figure out the amount of cereal you need for one spider by filling the bowl you are going to use for the body with rice cereal, plus one ice cream scoop of cereal for the head. Then measure the total cereal using cup measurements.
Work out how much chocolate you will need by using this ratio:
1 cup of rice cereal to 2 ounces of chocolate chips.
If you’re going to make two spiders, then measure the amount of rice cereal required to fill two of your bowls, plus two ice cream scoops. If you are unsure about your maths, err on the side of too much chocolate, rather than too little chocolate.
Once you know the amount of chocolate and rice cereal you need, then you’re ready to start creating your spiders.
Melting chocolate chips in a bain marie.
Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiled water, or bain marie.
Rice Krispies coated in warm chocolate! Bags licking the spoon.
Pour the melted chocolate over the rice cereal in a large bowl.
Protect your fingers with oven gloves as you handle the hot bowl of melted chocolate.
Use a spatula to mix the melted chocolate and rice cereal together.
Mix the warm chocolate and Rice Krispies carefully together.
Be gentle as you combine the ingredients. If you stir too violently the rice cereal will crumble and your spiders will not have cereal air pockets.
Making a mold of the torso and head of the Halloween spider.
You need to blend the chocolate and cereal thoroughly to ensure all of the Rice Krispies are fully coated in chocolate. Scoop down into the bottom of the bowl to mix the cereal hiding way down there.
Fill the saran wrap covered bowls and scoops with the chocolate covered Rice Krispie cereal, keeping the upper surface flat.
Cover with saran wrap and allow to cool completely to set.
Broken legs! Chocolate fingers are perfect for sculpting spiders legs.
Prepare the legs by cutting the curved ends off the weight bearing sides of 16 chocolate fingers on a slightly inward diagonal.
This means both ends of the outer leg limbs need to be cut and one side of the inner limb.
Brilliant spider legs made of Irish chocolate fingers.
Melt the additional chocolate over a bain marie. Spread some melted chocolate on a plate underneath the body and head of the spider to help hold it in place.
Dip the weight bearing ends of the chocolate fingers in melted chocolate to help stabilize them after you place them in a hinged position on the two sides of the spider’s body.
Loving the googly eyes on this Rice Krispie spider.
Eight legs are required for each spider.
Spooky Halloween fun!
Cut the last two chocolate fingers in two and use them to make two pincers for each spider’s head.
An M&M bedecked Halloween chocolate Rice Krispie spider.
You can use additional M&M’s, or Smarties if you’re in Ireland, to decorate your spider’s back. Just use the melted chocolate to hold the decorative candy in place.
And that’s how simple these edible spiders are to make.
Halloween chocolate Rice Krispie spiders recipe
Prep time: 2 hours
Yield: 2 spiders
A Halloween chocolate Rice Krispie spider!
Edible chocolate rice cereal spiders are perfect sweet treats for Halloween celebrations and make cute, spooky centerpieces for any Halloween festive table.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of rice cereal
- 8 ounces of chocolate chips to make the spider bodies
- 4 ounces of chocolate chips for decorating
- 4 candy eyes or M&M’s for eyes
- 18 chocolate fingers
- M&M’s for decorating (optional)
Method
Line two small dessert bowls and two ice cream scoops with plastic saran wrap, leaving extra plastic wrap for covering over the edges.
Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiled water, or bain marie.
Pour the melted chocolate over the rice cereal in a large bowl.
Use a spatula to mix the melted chocolate and rice cereal together.
Fill the saran wrap covered bowls and scoops with the chocolate covered Rice Krispie cereal.
Cover with saran wrap and allow to cool completely to set.
Prepare the legs by cutting the curved ends off the weight bearing sides of the chocolate fingers on a slight inward diagonal. This means both ends of the outer leg limbs need to be cut and one side of the inner leg limb.
Melt the additional chocolate over a bain marie.
Spread some melted chocolate on a plate underneath the body and head of the spider to help hold it in place.
Dip the weight bearing ends of the chocolate fingers in melted chocolate to help stabilize them after you place them in a hinged position on the two sides of the spider’s body. Place four legs on each side of a spider's body.
Use melted chocolate to fix the candy eyes in place.
Cut the last chocolate fingers in two and make two pincers for each spider’s head.
If desired decorate the spider's back using melted chocolate and candy.
Allow to cool completely to set before serving.
Happy Halloween to all.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom.
* Mairead Geary came to America for one year 20 years ago. She now lives with her husband and children in Kentucky and is proud to be an American citizen. Read more on her blog here.
*Originally published in 2018. Updated in 2024.
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