Appetizers & Snacks/ Dessert/ Halloween/ mini desserts

Pretzel spiders – healthy Halloween treats

13 October 2020 | Last Updated: 23 October 2023 By Aleksandra

These pretzel spiders are a healthy snack for kids, perfect for Halloween. They’re made from date peanut butter oat energy balls and pretzels. They are simple and really quick to make. Your kids will love them!

You may also like these Oreo Spiders or Spider Cookies!

Pretzel spiders on a chopping board. Leaves scattered around.

Ingredients:

Ingredients needed to prepare pretzel spiders.
  • Dates: I used medjool dates, because they’re softer and sweeter. You can also use regular dates but they are usually dry and hard so you need to pour boiling water over them, let them stand for 10 minutes then drain. Sometimes you can buy regular, smaller dates (medjool dates are much bigger) that are already soft and are usually labeled ‘soft dates’.
  • Peanut butter – you can use other nut butter like almond butter.
  • Quick oats – you can also use old-fashioned oats but I would pulse them in a food processor first until they are in very small pieces (otherwise can be unpleasant to eat – quick oats are much smaller and thinner).
  • Maple syrup – you can use honey instead.
  • Pine nuts – they have the perfect shape to be used as the spider’s ‘eyes’ but are a bit pricey. You can also buy ‘candy eyes’ or make them from melted white chocolate.

How to make it step by step:

Note about the dates: If you’re using regular, dry dates, pour boiling water over them then let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.

Ingredients for pretzel spiders in a food processor bowl. Mixed ingredients for energy balls in a food processor bowl.

STEP 1: Remove the pits from the dates and add all the ingredients into a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

STEP 2: Pulse all the ingredients and mixed and they resemble a coarse ‘crumble’. The mixture doesn’t have to be completely smooth

Date peanut butter energy balls held in a hand. One pretzel spider on a chopping board.

STEP 3: Scoop some dough and roll into small balls.

STEP 4: Cut the pretzels in half and attach as the ‘legs’. Insert the pine nuts (‘eyes’) into the balls.

Enjoy!

Storage

They keep very well! You can store them for a couple of days in the fridge.

More Halloween treats

Pretzel spiders on a chopping board. Leaves scattered around.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Pretzel spiders – healthy Halloween treats for kids

These pretzel spiders are a healthy snack for kids, perfect for Halloween. They’re made from date peanut butter oat energy bars and pretzels. They are simple and really quick to make. Your kids will love them!
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Pretzel spiders on a chopping board. Leaves in the background.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 spiders
Calories 96kcal
Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 6 medjool dates 150g, or about 16 regular dates
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter
  • 36 small hard pretzels
  • 24 pine nuts

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Instructions

  • If you’re using regular, dry dates, pour boiling water over them then let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
  • Remove the pits from the dates and add all the ingredients into a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
  • Pulse all the ingredients and mixed and they resemble a coarse ‘crumble’. The mixture doesn’t have to be completely smooth.
  • Scoop some dough and roll into small balls.
  • Cut the pretzels in half and attach as the ‘legs’.
  • Insert the pine nuts (‘eyes’) into the balls.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Quick oats – you can also use old-fashioned oats but I would pulse them in a food processor first until they are in very small pieces (otherwise can be unpleasant to eat – quick oats are much smaller and thinner).
  • Pine nuts – they have the perfect shape to be used as the spider’s ‘eyes’ but are a bit pricey. You can also buy ‘candy eyes’ or make them from melted white chocolate.
  • Storage: these pretzel spiders keep very well. You can store them for a couple of days in the fridge.
  • Calories = 1 ‘spider’ (1/12 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Course Snack
Cuisine American
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