These rice crispy eyeballs are classic Rice Krispies treats rolled into balls, dipped in white chocolate, and decorated with a chocolate chip pupil and creepy red icing veins to look like spooky, bloodshot eyes. They take about 50 minutes total, most of it chill time, and need zero decorating experience to look genuinely impressive.
These are basically classic rice crispies molded into the shape of a ball, coated in white chocolate, and decorated to resemble a spooky and bloodshot eye. Trust me, these are going to be the absolute star of the show at your next Halloween party!
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Why You Will Love These Rice Crispy Eyeballs
Listen, you really do not have to be a master cake decorator or some kind of artist to make these look nice! They are so much easier than they look, they only take a little while to make, and they are absolutely great to serve at any kind of Halloween party you are having. Plus, the smell! With the cinnamon, vanilla, and butter, I do not know if love has a smell, but I assume it smells exactly like these!
If you love a fun, kid-friendly party dessert like this one, you are also going to want to try my Blueberry and Milk Jello Cups, another eye-catching, easy-to-make treat that always gets a big reaction from kids at a party.
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Large pot or saucepan
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- Microwave safe bowl for melting chocolate
The Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 10 oz (1 bag) mini marshmallows
- 6 cups crisp rice cereal, like Rice Krispies (check the box if you need a gluten-free version, see FAQ below)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tsp olive oil, for greasing your hands
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or white melting wafers
- 18 to 24 semi sweet chocolate chips, for the pupils
- 1 tube or can red decorating icing
Let us Get Cooking!
1. Making the Rice Crispy Base
To make eyeballs, you are going to start by making your classic rice crispy mixture. All you have to do is melt some butter in a large pot on low heat with a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a little bit of vanilla. Then, add in your mini marshmallows and cook them on a low heat. Stir constantly until they are all melted down and smooth. Remove from the heat immediately.
A quick safety note: melted marshmallow is essentially molten sugar and gets very hot. This step should be handled by an adult, and if kids want to help make these, bring them in once the mixture has cooled enough to roll safely in the next steps.
Go ahead and gently fold this melted goodness right in with your rice crispy cereal until all the cereal is evenly coated. There is really no fancy way to go about doing it other than, you know, just mix it!
Pro tip! Take some softened butter and rub it all around your bowl and utensils so things do not stick. You are working with melted marshmallows, so it is going to get sticky!
2. Rolling the Eyeballs (Without Sticky Fingers!)
Now, if you are using a good silicone baking mat, the treats will not stick to the table. But hands are not immune to stickiness! Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper generously sprayed with cooking spray.
Here is my ultimate hack. Take a little bit of olive oil, drizzle it over your fingers, and rub them together. That way, the melted marshmallow mixture does not stick to your hands at all. Your fingers are going to be a little bit oily, but that is okay. Olive oil is a lot easier to wash off your fingers than melted marshmallows, trust me!
Grab about 2 tablespoons of the warm mixture and pack it in really, really tight until you get a nice and firm little ball. Drop your little balls right onto your silicone mat or greased sheet of parchment paper. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
3. Chill
Once your balls are all rolled out, put them in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes so they can firm up completely and cool. If your crispies are not fully set, they are just going to fall apart when you try to dip them, and you do not want that.
4. The White Chocolate Dip
All right, so now once the crispies are out of the fridge and they are nice and firm, you need some melted white chocolate. Melt it in a microwave safe bowl in short 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring well between each one, until it is smooth. This keeps the chocolate from scorching or seizing up.
Take your chilled rice crispy balls and lightly dip the top half of each into the white chocolate. You do not want to do too thick of a coat. Use your fingers to gently spread and smooth out the edges of the rest of the top, then place them back onto the mat.
5. Adding the Pupils and Spooky Veins!
While the white chocolate is still wet, take one semi sweet chocolate chip and immediately place it upside down with the flat side facing up right in the center of the eyeball to simulate the pupil. Make sure you do this before the white chocolate sets, because once it cools down, you are not going to be able to get these to stick! Repeat for all eyeballs.
If you love easy, festive baking projects like this, my Easy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are another simple treat that always brings out the fun for a fall or Halloween gathering.
6. Chill Again and Decorate
Pop them back in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the white chocolate hardens completely.
Once they are out and the chocolate is perfectly set, it is time for the final touch. Using your red icing, pipe a thin circle around the chocolate chip to create a creepy red iris! Then draw squiggly little veins radiating outward down the sides of the eyeball. I use a pressurized icing can to get clean lines, but you can just use a plastic storage bag with a tiny hole cut in the corner as a piping bag. Serve and enjoy!
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FAQs
How do you mold Rice Krispies treats into balls without them sticking to your hands?
Trust me guys, the absolute secret here is grease. My favorite hack is taking a little bit of olive oil, drizzling it over your fingers, and rubbing them together before shaping. It prevents the melted marshmallow from sticking completely, and oil is way easier to wash off your hands than sticky sugar! You can also use cooking spray or softened butter.
How do you keep Rice Krispies treats soft and chewy?
The biggest mistake people make is overheating the marshmallows! Make sure you melt your butter and marshmallows on a low heat. The second they are completely melted and smooth, get that pot off the stove. If you overcook them, the sugar crystallizes and turns your treats into rocks!
Can I use store bought Rice Krispies treats instead of making them from scratch?
Yes! If you are super short on time, you can absolutely grab some prepackaged and snack sized treats. Just unwrap them, dip the tops into your melted white chocolate, add your chocolate chip pupil, and pipe on the red veins. They will be squares instead of eyeballs, but they still look awesome.
Can I make Rice Crispy Eyeballs ahead of time?
You sure can. You can make these guys 2 to 3 days in advance. Just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. But listen to me. Do not store them in the refrigerator long term! The moisture in the fridge will ruin the crunchy texture and make your cereal super soggy. Keep them on the counter!
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes, with one important check first. Standard rice cereal, including most classic Rice Krispies, actually contains barley malt syrup, which is a hidden source of gluten many people do not expect in a rice-based cereal. If you need a truly gluten-free version, look for a crisp rice cereal that is specifically labeled gluten-free, and double check your white and semi-sweet chocolate chip brands as well, since some are processed on shared equipment.
Spooky Rice Crispy Eyeballs
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy18 – 24
eyeballs20
minutes5
minutes120
kcal25
minutes50
minutesThese bite-sized rice crispy treats are rolled into balls, coated in white chocolate, and decorated to look like creepy, bloodshot eyeballs. A total Halloween party showstopper that takes zero professional decorating skills!
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Large saucepan
Mixing bowl
Microwave safe bowl
- Ingredients:
42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
283g (10 oz / 1 bag) mini marshmallows
168g (6 cups) crisp rice cereal
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
2ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
5 to 10ml (1 to 2 tsp) olive oil, for greasing hands
170g (1 cup) white chocolate chips or melting wafers
45g (1/4 cup, or 18 to 24 pieces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, for pupils
1 tube or can red decorating icing
Directions
- Prepare a baking sheet with a non-stick silicone baking mat or heavily greased parchment paper.
- In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. This step involves very hot melted sugar and should be handled by an adult.
- Add the mini marshmallows and stir continuously on low heat until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Fold in the crisp rice cereal until evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.
- Coat your hands lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Scoop out the mixture and pack it tightly to form firm, round balls. Place them on the prepared mat.
- Refrigerate the balls for 15 to 20 minutes until firm.
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Dip the top half of each firm crispy ball into the chocolate, smoothing the edges.
- Before the chocolate sets, press a semi-sweet chocolate chip upside down, flat side up, into the center of each eyeball to create the pupil.
- Chill in the fridge for another 10 minutes until the chocolate hardens completely.
- Use red icing to draw an iris ring around the chocolate chip and wiggly, bloodshot veins extending outward.
Notes
- Storage: Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Do not store them in the fridge long-term, since the moisture will make the cereal soggy.
- The Olive Oil Trick: Do not skip greasing your hands. Melted marshmallow is incredibly sticky, and olive oil is easier to wash off than a thick layer of stuck-on marshmallow.
- Packing the Balls: Because these get dipped in warm chocolate, pack the balls nice and tight so they do not fall apart during dipping.
- Hot Sugar Safety: Melted marshmallow reaches high temperatures and can cause burns. Adults should handle the stovetop step, and kids can help once the mixture has cooled enough to roll.
- Small Pieces and Young Children: These are firm, bite-sized treats with a hard chocolate chip pressed in. As with any small-piece food, supervise very young children and toddlers while eating.
- Gluten Note: Standard rice cereal often contains barley malt syrup, a hidden gluten source. Use a certified gluten-free rice cereal if needed.
- Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on chocolate coating thickness and icing amount.
