Creepy Halloween Food: Make a Ham Face

A healthier alternative to sugar-laden treats, this creepy ham face is a fun addition to any Halloween party food lineup.

Most Halloween food is packed with sugar and is unhealthy. That’s why I like coming up with non-sugary Halloween food ideas that are still fun.

This ham face is one of my favorites; it always gets a lot of attention. I have made this so many times over the years that I can give many tips and tricks for making it right!

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Why make a ham face?

Whether you are attending a Halloween party or just want something fun at home, this snack is quick to put together and is a lot of fun. Kids particularly enjoy helping out.

In the past, I just threw some cured ham (like prosciutto) over a plastic wrap-covered mask. This year, though, I took this dish to the next level by covering a chees ball.

Not only does it look terrifyingly realistic, but it’s also packed with protein.

Ingredients

For the simplest version, you only need cured meat. You can use a cured ham like prosciutto, jamón serrano, or a salt-cured country ham. You can also use thinly sliced sausages like salami or salchichón.

If you want to make this into a creepy cheese ball, you’ll need some cheese ball ingredients.

You can use any cheese ball recipe you have. If you don’t have a recipe, you can use my salted cod seafood cheeseball recipe with salted cod, cream cheese, dried onion, and garlic powder.

Step 1: Make the base

I’ll give you three options for forming the face shape:

Option 1: Use a mask

The easiest way to make a creepy prosciutto face is to cover a store-bought mask with foil or plastic wrap, and then cover it with prosciutto ham or sliced sausages.

While it’s the fastest way to complete this project, you have to go out and buy a mask if you don’t have one around. That means you’ll also have extra clutter at home after the party is finished.

Pros of using a mask:

• Quick and easy

Cons of using a mask:

• You have to buy a mask
• You can’t control the size. (The finished face is generally large, wide, and flat.)

While the face mask made the whole process super quick and easy, I think the other options give a more realistic look.

My mask was made of a thick cardboard-like material. Cutting the excess width off the forehead section might have made it look better.

Option 2: Make a face-shaped base out of paper scraps

The first time I made the prosciutto face for a party, I didn’t have a mask to use. So, I made a facial structure base from some wadded-up paper and cloth scraps stuffed into a food-safe plastic bag.

You can use whatever scraps you have on hand. I’ve used paper towels, wadded-up tissue paper, cloth scraps, and crumpled newspaper.

You’ll need:

• Paper scraps (or cloth scraps)
• Aluminum foil and/or a food-safe plastic bag (or plastic wrap)

Instructions:

1. Gather your materials.
2. Wad the paper up into an oval spheroid shape. You can hold it all together by filling a paper or plastic bag.
3. Cover the form with aluminum foil or plastic. I prefer using aluminum foil as you can easily mold it, and it holds its shape. Press into the shape to form eye sockets. (In retrospect, I should have lowered them to leave room for a forehead.)
4. Make a nose shape by adding a small wad of paper where the nose should be.
5. Cover the “nose” with another sheet of aluminum foil to hold it all in place.
6. You’re now ready to cover your “face”.

Option 3: Cover a cheese ball

My new favorite way of making this creepy face is to make it into a meat-covered cheese ball! I’m sharing my recipe, but you can use any cheese ball recipe you like!

Ingredients for the cheese ball:

• 450g (2 packages) cream cheese, softened
• 100g salted cod (pre-soaked and shredded)
• 2 tsp dried onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder

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Step 1: Prepare the cheese ball mixture

1. Soak the salted cod: Rinse the salted cod under cold water, and then soak it in a bowl of water. Change the water every 15 minutes, for about an hour, to hydrate the fish and remove the excess salt. After soaking, drain the water and shred the cod into small pieces.
2. Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, shredded cod, dried onion, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Taste and adjust: Add more seasoning as needed, keeping in mind the cod already provides a salty flavor.

Step 2: Shape the face

Take your cheese mixture and mold it into the shape of a face. You can use your hands or a spatula to form the shape. I used a rounded spoon to form the eye sockets.

Step 3: Chill

Refrigerate the face for at least 1 hour to help the cheese ball set and for the flavors to meld.

Step 2: Covering the base with ham “muscle”

You will need:

• Prosciutto, serrano ham, or another cured ham with a “muscle-like” look

Instructions:

Begin covering the face with thin slices of prosciutto or sliced salami. The meats will act as the “skin,” so layer them carefully, crisscrossing the slices to give a more realistic, eerie look. If you have large slices of meat, you can cut them into strips.

Cover the entire face with ham or sliced sausage, making sure there are no gaps. Once covered, you can continue to layer the meat if you have more meat that you want to serve.

Step 3: Add edible eyeballs

No creepy edible face would be complete without edible eyeballs!

You can use:

• Cream cheese and olives
• Mozzarella balls and blueberries
• Homemade gummy eyeballs
• lychees with blueberries

1. For that first Halloween party, I made the eyes out of olives stuck onto the face with some cream cheese. That worked out really well, and was a super easy option using foods many of us already have in our fridge.
2. Another year, I remembered that I still had some homemade gummy eyeballs in the fridge. So, I used those instead. To keep them in place, I wrapped a few thin pieces of prosciutto around them. I think this is probably the creepiest and tastiest option!
3. When I made my first video about making a creepy prosciutto face, I used mozzarella balls for the eyes and scooped out small areas to which I added some blueberry pupils. That was another easy, less creepy, eyeball you could choose.
4. This year, I found some mini cheese balls filled with raspberries at the store. I decided to cut them to expose the red center and use them as this year’s eyeballs.

Feel free to experiment with whatever you have at home or whatever you find at your store.

Step 4: Garnish your prosciutto face

Don’t leave your prosciutto face on a platter by itself! The face makes a perfect centerpiece for an ideal Halloween table. If you don’t want to complicate things too much, surround it with crackers or breadsticks, especially if you have made a cheese ball face.

You can also make an original Halloween charcuterie board by surrounding it with other sliced meats and cheeses. To make it look even better, mold the cheese into shapes or cut cheese shapes with a cookie cutter.

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Expert Tips for a Spookier Look:

• Uneven shapes add to the effect: Don’t worry if the face doesn’t look perfect—uneven features or a misshapen nose can make the face even creepier!
• Get creative with the eyes: You can experiment with different “eye” materials, like lychees or cheese balls filled with blueberries or olives. For extra realism, you can wrap meat strips around the eyes, giving them a sunken appearance.
• Try different meats: Prosciutto gives a veiny, thin look, while salami can create a rougher, weathered appearance.
• Serve with Halloween dips: Amp up the Halloween vibe by serving your prosciutto face with blood-red marinara sauce or green guacamole.

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Videos

Short “hands-in-pans” video for covered mask

Tutorial video for how to make a ham face (and hand) cheeseball

Halloween Cheese Ball: Cheese and Prosciutto Hand and Skull

Looking for other non-sugar, cute Halloween food ideas? Check out my Halloween food ideas for kids.

*This post was originally posted on October 16, 2013 and was updated and republished in October 2024 with new photos, video, tips and ideas.