One blackberry, one blueberry, some melted chocolate, and two candy eyes. That’s all that goes into these funny, delicious treats. Use them to garnish our Halloween cheese board, add them to slices of pumpkin cheesecake, or top your favorite sundae. Enjoy!
The blackberry’s bumpy, glossy black body looks convincingly creepy, the blueberry makes the perfect little head, and piped chocolate legs bring each one to life. They take no baking, no special skills, and about half an hour, and they’re a sweet, fruity counterpoint to the richer food on a Halloween table. You’ll find them creeping across our Savory Pumpkin Dip and Halloween Skull Cheese Board.
TABLE developed this Halloween recipe collection so our readers would have the most amazing, amusing, and gorgeous food and drink for their Halloween parties this year. Every recipe was developed and styled by Anna Franklin and photographed by Dave Bryce, and every one works as well at the office as it does at home.
Why Berry Scary Spiders Belong at Your Halloween Party
They’re mostly fruit. A fresh berry treat balances out the candy bowl. They’re no-bake. All you need is a microwave and a piping bag. They’re versatile. Set them on a cheese board, a cheesecake, a sundae, or a platter all their own. And they get a reaction. Guests of every age will do a double take before they take a bite.
How to Make Blackberry Spiders
Start with the chocolate. Melt the wafers, pour some into a small bowl for dipping, and spoon the rest into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a very small corner snipped off. Dip half of each blackberry in chocolate and set it on parchment paper. Use a dab of chocolate to stick a blueberry to the stem end of each blackberry for the head.
Then bring them to life. Use tiny dots of chocolate to glue two candy eyes onto each blueberry, and pipe eight legs out from the body, four on each side, bending them at the “knees” for a creepy-crawly look. Let the chocolate set completely before lifting the spiders off the parchment.
Tips for Making Berry Scary Spiders
Dry the berries completely. Even a drop of water can make melted chocolate seize and turn grainy. Rinse the berries early and let them dry on paper towels.
Choose big, firm blackberries. Large, plump berries make the most dramatic spiders and hold their shape.
Keep the piping hole tiny. A very small opening gives you thin, spidery legs instead of blobs.
Pipe thick enough to hold. Legs that are too thin will snap when you lift the spiders off the parchment.
Speed up the setting. Pop the tray in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the chocolate quickly.
Make them the same day. Fresh berries are fragile, so make the spiders no more than a few hours ahead and keep them refrigerated until serving.
Print
Berry Scary Spiders Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 20 spiders 1x
Description
No-bake Halloween spiders made with chocolate-dipped blackberries, blueberry heads, piped chocolate legs, and candy eyes.
Ingredients
- 20 large fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried completely
- 20 fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried completely, plus a few extra
- 2 cups chocolate melting wafers
- 40 candy eyes
Equipment: Piping bag or zip-top bag, parchment paper, and a baking sheet or tray
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, or over a double boiler, until smooth.
- Pour some of the chocolate into a small bowl for dipping. Spoon the rest into a piping bag or a zip-top bag and snip a very small opening in the corner, so the chocolate doesn’t come out too fast.
- Dip half of each blackberry into the chocolate and set it on the parchment. Using the chocolate as glue, stick a blueberry to the stem end of each blackberry for the head.
- Pipe a tiny dot of chocolate onto each blueberry and attach 2 candy eyes. Then pipe 8 legs out from the body of each spider, 4 on each side.
- Let the chocolate harden completely, about 15 minutes in the refrigerator, before lifting the spiders off the parchment.
- Use the spiders to garnish a cheese board or dessert or serve them on their own as a festive snack.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert, snack, party food
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 45
Berry Scary Spiders FAQs
Where do I find candy eyes?
Look for candy eyeballs in the baking or cake-decorating aisle of most supermarkets and craft stores.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of melting wafers?
Melting wafers are made to melt smoothly and set firm and glossy. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that keep their shape, so they melt thicker and set softer.
Why did my chocolate get thick and grainy?
It probably seized from a drop of water or from overheating. Make sure the berries and your tools are completely dry and melt the chocolate in short bursts to avoid overheating.
How far ahead can I make them?
A few hours ahead, refrigerated. Fresh berries soften and weep over time.
How else can I use them?
Set them on a Halloween cheese board, perch them on slices of pumpkin cheesecake, or crown a sundae.
About the Recipe Author
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com
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