Oozing red frosting and candy eyes add a spooky flair to these peanut butter Halloween Eyeballs. Serve this eye-catching treat at your next party! Your guests will get a kick out of these spooky zombie eyes on the dessert table.
Need more Halloween treats? These homemade Butterfingers and these decorated monster cookies are fun to make and eat.
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Spooky Eyeballs
Every October, our boys ask if I am going to make these spooky Halloween treats again. A few years ago, I jazzed up peanut butter balls for one party, and now my family wants them for Halloween every year.
Of course, I will never turn down an opportunity to make and eat chocolate and peanut butter treats.
My husband saw eyeball truffles on the counter and said they reminded him of the Walking Dead episode with Glenn's eyeball. He pulled up a replay and made me watch the eyeball scene.
Why You Will Love These Candy Eyes
- Delicious and fun. The zombie eyes, made with peanut butter, white chocolate, and candies, taste delicious.
- Extra spooky treat. Red gel oozing out of the candy eyes gives them that extra spooky touch.
- Eye-catching treat. When the kids and adults see it, get ready for some chuckling and grimacing at the dessert table.
Ingredients Needed
With just a few ingredients, you can create these fantastic zombie eyes for a Halloween treat this year!
- Unsalted Butter: Set it out beforehand to soften before mixing everything. If you are using salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Make these truffles with your favorite brand.
- Marshmallow Cream: Fluff is the secret ingredient that makes our peanut butter balls taste amazing!
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Adds a little flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the truffles.
- White Chocolate: We love using Ghirardelli melting wafers to make candies and truffles. They melt quickly and taste great!
- Red Gel Frosting & Candy Eyes: You can find these in the baking aisle of most craft stores or the Halloween aisle at Walmart. Another fun option is to use gummy eyeballs instead of hard candy eyes.
How to Make Peanut Butter Eyeballs
A batch of these Halloween buckeyes come together quickly. Once you have the truffles made and chilled, it only takes a few minutes to dip and decorate. Your kids will have fun helping you add the "bloody" frosting and eyes.
- Beat the butter, peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it forms a soft dough.
- Roll the peanut butter mixture into 36 balls, place them on a wax paper-lined tray, and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a toothpick (or fork) to dip the peanut butter balls in melted white chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place on parchment paper to set.
- Squeeze a circle of red gel on top of the peanut butter eyeballs. Use a toothpick to drag the gel down the sides of the eyeballs, then op with large edible eyes and let set.
Storage Recommendations
The peanut butter eyeballs can be kept for 2-3 days in a tightly sealed container on the counter or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Freeze the undipped truffles for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add the spooky decorations before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Set the butter out beforehand so it is soft and ready to mix with the other ingredients.
- Follow the directions for melting the white candy. I prefer to melt the chocolate at 50% power in the microwave so it melts slowly and doesn't burn or scorch.
- Do not freeze the truffles before dipping. This will make the treats too hard to dip with a toothpick. Plus, dipping frozen balls into hot chocolate will result in cracks in the chocolate as they set up.
- Use a toothpick to drag the gel frosting down the sides of the peanut butter balls to resemble bloodshot eyes. You can also use the tines of a fork to do this.
- This recipe makes 36 good-sized candy eyeballs. If you serve these to a crowd or with many other treats, you could also make 72 smaller eyes. Just make sure to use mini googly eyes.
- You can also make the eyes on lollipop sticks and create an eyeball bouquet.
FAQs
Place the peanut butter balls in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer the frozen candies to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding the chocolate and candies.
Most craft stores, like Michaels and Hobby Lobby, have a cake-decorating aisle and will have them there. Walmart and Target will usually have them in the seasonal or baking aisles.
More Halloween Desserts
- Dirt Cupcakes
- Owl Candy
- Halloween Apple Treats
- Spooky Snack Mix
- Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
- Frankenstein Marshmallow
- Halloween Cheesecake (no bake parfaits)
- Halloween Cream Pie
- Oreo Bats
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Recipe
Halloween Eyeballs
Oozing red frosting and candy eyes add a spooky flair to these peanut butter Halloween Eyeballs. Serve this eye-catching treat at your next party! Your guests will get a kick out of these spooky zombie eyes on the dessert table.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup marshmallow creme
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of table salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 - 10 ounce bag white candy melting wafers
- 1 - 2 ounce tube red sparkle gel
- 35 large candy eyes
Instructions
- Beat together the butter, peanut butter, marshmallow, vanilla, and salt until creamy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Roll the mixture into 36 even balls. Place on a wax paper lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt the white chocolate according to the package directions. Use a toothpick to dip the peanut butter balls one at a time.
- Place the dipped balls on a wax paper lined tray. Cover the toothpick hole with more white chocolate. Let set.
- Squeeze a circle of red gel on the top of each peanut butter ball. Place a candy eyeball on top and press down gently.
- Use a toothpick to drag the side down the sides of each truffle. Let set. Store in a loosely sealed container.
Notes
- Set the butter out beforehand so it is soft and ready to mix with the other ingredients.
- Follow the chocolate melting directions. I prefer to melt the chocolate at 50% power in the microwave so it melts slowly and doesn't burn or scorch.
- Do not freeze the truffles before dipping. This will make the treats too hard to dip with a toothpick. Plus, dipping frozen balls into hot chocolate will result in cracks in the chocolate as they set up.
- Use a toothpick to drag the gel frosting down the sides of the peanut butter balls to resemble bloodshot eyes. You can also use the tines of a fork to do this.
- This recipe makes 35 good-sized Halloween eyeballs. If you serve these to a crowd or with many other treats, you could also make 72 smaller eyes. Just make sure to use mini googly eyes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 35 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 125Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 31mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
This post was first published in October 2016. The post was updated and then republished in October 2020.
Mindy Watkins
If you want to make the EYEBALLS ahead and need to freeze…can they be dipped in the chocolate OR do you have to do that after they thaw?
Jocelyn
For best results, I would freeze them without the chocolate. Chocolate can discolor when it thaws. Thaw the eyeballs in the fridge overnight, then add the chocolate and candy eyes before serving.
Susan Smith
How do you get them so white? I used the white melting chips last year, and they're not the bright white, more like an off yellow.
Jocelyn
I always use melting wafers for dipping truffles and chocolate in. My favorite brand is Ghirardelli. You can usually find bags of the white and chocolate in the baking aisle of most stores.
Roy Shaffer
Love them. I hope they're yummy too.
Karly
Ha! I'm totally in love with these. Who knew something could be so disgusting and so delicious at the same time!?
Jocelyn
Hahaha! I know, right?
Kristen Chidsey
I only have one boy--okay, two if you count my husband!! They would love these! And I love peanut butter. So perfect.
Tori//Gringalicious
Omg, Jocelyn! These are just the cutest. I totally adore!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats
These are so fun! They are a must at a halloween party!
Medha
These spooky desserts are so well decorated! I love the peanut butter flavor, too 🙂 So festive!
Heather Kinnaird
Charlie made me watch that scene...GROSS! My kids are totally addicted to that show and are always trying to gt me to watch, but no thank you. I'll take a peanut butter eye ball though any day 🙂
Jocelyn
Why do they think we want to watch this show? I don't get it at all! Peanut butter eyeballs are the only eyeballs I want to see. Glad I wasn't the only one forced to watch that scene...it's still embedded in my mind! Shudder!!!
aimee @shugarysweets
CUTE! Ask your boys "What's Glenn's favorite restaurant?"
Answer: POPEYES 🙂
Jocelyn
Hahaha! Yup, they have already used that one on me.