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Creepy Halloween dish shaped as a head made out of Prosciutto ham with cream cheese and green olive eyes, surrounded by square crackers.

Creepy Halloween Food: Make a Prosciutto Face

Last Modified: June 5, 2020 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // October 15, 2019 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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A healthier alternative to sugar-laden treats, this creepy prosciutto face makes a creative antipasto platter and is a fun addition to any Halloween party food lineup. #Halloween #Halloweenfood #thethingswellmake #miy #antipasto #creepyHalloweenfood #halloweendinner
A healthier alternative to sugar-laden treats, this creepy prosciutto face makes a creative antipasto platter and is a fun addition to any Halloween party food lineup. #Halloween #Halloweenfood #thethingswellmake #miy #antipasto #creepyHalloweenfood #halloweendinner
A healthier alternative to sugar-laden treats, this creepy prosciutto face makes a creative antipasto platter and is a fun addition to any Halloween party food lineup. #Halloween #Halloweenfood #thethingswellmake #miy #antipasto #creepyHalloweenfood #halloweendinner

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

Overhead view of a creepy prosciutto face on a white plate beside a small bowl of nuts and a plastic Jack-o-Lantern.
A creepy Halloween antipasto idea
Pin this post for later!

Years ago, I went to a Halloween party at my friend’s nursery school. Parents were invited to bring food items to share, and one of the things I brought was this creepy prosciutto face. It attracted a lot of attention!

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

This has always been one of my favorites. Over the years, I’ve gone about making this “cute” appetizer in several different ways.

Watch how easy it is to make a prosciutto face

Make the prosciutto face base

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.

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 “junk” at home after the party is finished.

Overhead view of a prosciutto face on a platter, surrounded by crackers.
A prosciutto face made using a store-bought Halloween mask

Pros of using a mask:

  • Quick and easy

Cons of using a mask:

  • You have to buy a mask
  • The finished face is wide and flat

While the face mask made the whole process super quick and easy, I think the homemade face structure looked better in the end. Perhaps by cutting the excess width off the forehead portion of the mask, it would look better.

Table with Halloween foods including a prosciuttos face and a pumpkin shaped cheeseball with crackers.

Make a form from tissue paper

The first time I made the prosciutto face for the 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 plastic food-safe bag.

A plastic bag covered oval ball made out of paper scraps.
The first time I made a prosciutto face, I used wadded up fabric scraps and paper towels in a plastic bag.

To make a base for the prosciutto face, you can use whatever you have on hand. I’ve used paper towels, wadded up tissue paper, cloth scraps, and crumpled newspaper.

You’ll need:

  • Paper scraps
  • Aluminum foil and/or plastic wrap

Instructions:

Top view of several scraps of paper from paper bags and brown tissue paper scrunched up into 3 parts.
Paper scraps that I was saving to feed to our worms (compost bin)

Wad the paper up into an oval spheroid shape. You can hold it all together by filling a paper or plastic bag.

A brown paper bag filled with paper scraps next to a sheet of aluminum foil.
The paper bag has been filled with the tissue paper and is ready to be covered with foil.

Cover the form with aluminum foil or plastic. I prefer using aluminum foil as it can be easily molded and hold its shape.

A thumb pressing into an oval spheroid covered with aluminum foil to make eye socket shapes.
Forming the eye sockets by pressing on the foil.

Press into the shape on either side to form eye sockets. In retrospect, I probably should have put them a bit lower on the face to leave room for a forehead.

A hand pressing white tissue paper into a shape of a nose into an oval spheroid covered in aluminum foil.
I made a “nose” out of a paper towel and placed it under the eye sockets.

Make a nose shape by adding a small wad of paper on top of the shape where the nose should be.

Cover the “nose” with another sheet of aluminum foil to hold it all in place.

The finished look of a face shape covered with another piece of aluminum foil.
Once covered with foil, the base is ready to be covered with ham.

Cover a cheese ball

I haven’t done this myself yet, but the last time I brought out a ham face tray, a friend asked if there was cheese under there. I though, “Wow! What a great idea!”

Rather than use a mask or paper, you can make the shape of the face out of cheese ball ingredients. (Recipe to come?) ?

Covering the base with ham “muscle”

You will need:

  • Prosciutto, serrano ham, or another cured ham with a “muscle-like” look
The foil covered face with two slices of prosciutto ham on it, on a white platter with a plate full of prosciutto ham on the side.

Instructions:

Keep adding the prosciutto until you have completely covered up the face structure and used all of the ham that you want to use.

Once you have made the basic shape of a face, you can start to cover the face with your prosciutto.

It looks more realistic when you use strips of ham and criss-cross them over the face structure.

The foil covered face with more slices of prosciutto ham on it, on a white platter with a plate full of prosciutto ham on the left side.
Wrap pieces of ham around the bottom edges.

Continue to wrap and cover the face form with ham until the entire face is covered.

  • Redder, thicker ham slices look a bit less creepy.
  • Thinner, browner strips of ham give a creepier, more realistic zombie look. Depending upon your audience and party, you can choose accordingly. ?

Edible eyeballs

No creepy edible face would be complete without edible eyeballs! They give the face a super creepy look.

You can use:

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

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.

A prosciutto ham face with cream cheese eyeballs and olive pupils, surrounded by square biscuits.

On a different day, I remembered that I still had a few 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!

Close up of a prosciutto ham face showing the gummy gelatin eyeballs with blueberries as pupils.
A prosciutto face made with thin slices of prosciutto and gummy gelatin eyeballs makes for a truly creepy looking face.

When I made my video about how to make 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 super easy, less creepy, eyeball you could choose.

Prosciutto face with mozzarella cheese ball eyes and blueberry pupils on a platter surrounded by crackers
This prosciutto face made with thicker, redder slices of ham looks a little less creepy. It uses mozzarella ball eyeballs with blueberry pupils.

Looking back, I think that by wrapping strips of prosciutto ham around the eyeballs gives the whole thing a more finished look. You could try doing it with the mozzarella or cream cheese options too!

Spooktacular Gummy Eyeballs

Looking for a healthier Halloween treat? Learn how to make gummy eyeballs, using not-so-spooky, real-food ingredients. They're fun to make and delicious!
Check out this recipe
A hand holding a gummy eyeball from a plate full of gummy eyeballs and a jack-o-lantern in the background.

Garnishing your prosciutto face

Don’t leave your prosciutto face on a platter by itself! Try surrounding it by the following…

  • Make an original antipasto platter by surrounding it with other sliced meats and cheeses.
  • For the health-conscious, surround your prosciutto face with some cut up raw veggies.
  • Surround it with crackers. (This is especially a good idea if you have covered a cheese ball.)

Now be prepared for your guests to be shocked, grossed out, and amazed all at the same time!

How to Make a Creepy Prosciutto Face

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Creepy Halloween dish shaped as a head made out of Prosciutto ham with cream cheese and green olive eyes, surrounded by square crackers.

Creepy Prosciutto Face

Don't let sugar scare your guests away from your Halloween party. Make this creepy prosciutto face as a healthier alternative to the usual sugar-laden Halloween treats.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 15 1 slice servings
Calories: 36kcal
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • 15 slices prosciutto ham or serrano or other ham
  • 2 tsp. cream cheese or mozarella cheese balls
  • 2 olives or blueberries

Instructions

  • Choose what you'll use as the face-shaped based under the ham. You can use a store-bought mask or make the basic shape out of wads of paper or a cheese ball.
  • Cover mask or face shape with plastic wrap or foil and place it on a platter.
  • Cover the entire face base with slices of prosciutto. Use enough slices to completely cover all of the showing foil. You can keep layering it on if you want to use more ham. 
  • Form the eyeballs by scooping some cream cheese into each eye socket. If using mozzarella cheese balls, scoop a small amount out of the cheese to make room for the blueberry pupils.
    You can also use lychees or gummy eyeballs instead!
  • Push olives or blueberries into the cream cheese to form the pupils.
  • Garnish the ham face by surrounding it with crackers, veggies, or sliced meats and cheeses.
  • You can now serve your ham platter and creep out your guests!

Notes

For the base of the face use:
  • a mask
  • wadded up paper
  • a cheese ball
For the eyeballs use:
  • Cream cheese
  • Mozzarella balls
  • Lychees
  • Gummy eyeballs
Garnish with:
  • Crackers and/or melba toasts
  • Cut up raw veggies
  • Sliced meats and cheeses
Using thinner strips of ham gives a more realistic (and creepier) effect.
Try wrapping strips of ham around the edges of the eyeballs to help hold them in place and give a more finished look to the face.
Course snacks
Cuisine Halloween food
Other Diets Low Carb, Paleo
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 36kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 15mg | Vitamin A: 10IU

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 2019 with new photos, tips and ideas.

Category: Halloween, Holidays, Recipes

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We’ll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Previous Post: « Featured image displaying finished homemade costume makeup in chapstick containers. DIY Halloween Makeup (Homemade Costume Makeup)
Next Post: DIY Trick or Treat Bag An orange homemade trick-or-treat bag decorated with a Jack-o-lantern face. »

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Comments

  1. Zoe Brading

    September 25, 2020 at 7:58 PM

    5 stars
    This wonderful and very well written article reminded me of when I had
    big problems with teeth, cavities and pain, yellow and ugly teeth. Thanks!
    Keep doing a great job!

    Reply

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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

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