Spiderweb Brownies – transform boxed brownie mix into a super cute Halloween treat! A quick homemade cheesecake mixture makes the spider web. Brownie mix, cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg yolk, vanilla extract, Oreo Cakester, licorice, and candy eyes. The perfect Halloween party dessert!
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
Combine the cream cheese, sugar and flour in a small bowl, and mix until smooth. Add the egg yolk and almond extract, mixing until smooth once again. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag, and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.
Place a small pool of the mixture in the center of the brownie batter. Draw circles around this pool, about 1 inch apart, moving out from the center each time. Once the circles are drawn, take a table knife, wet the tip, and draw it back and forth through the circles.
The knife will draw the cream cheese filling into arcs. Once you’ve gone all the way around the circles, take up your pastry bag again. Use the remaining filling to trace the path where the knife travelled, to create the spokes of the web.
Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, until the brownies just barely pull away from the edge of the pan. The center will rise while baking, but will sink back level once the brownies are cool. Remove them from the oven and cool before cutting.
To assemble the spider. Cut 8 pieces of licorice for each spider. Stick the licorice around the Oreo Cakester to make legs (4 on each side). Using frosting or melted chocolate, attach candy eyeballs.
Notes:
For best results, line cake pans with parchment paper.
If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can stir the cream cheese mixture by hand.
I use a box of brownie mix. Feel free to make your own brownies from scratch.
If you can’t find candy eyeballs, you can use a dollop of white frosting and press a mini chocolate chip into the center for each eye.
Can brownies be made in advance? Yes! You can make the brownies ahead of time and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze Cream Cheese Brownies? Yes! Bake the brownies and cool completely. Wrap the brownies in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.