Homemade Gummy Eyeballs for Halloween

Looking for a fun Halloween treat made with real ingredients? These homemade gummy eyeballs are made with fruit juice, blueberries, coconut milk, and gelatin. They’re creepy enough for a Halloween party, but surprisingly delicious!

I’ve always been more of a summer girl, but one thing I love about autumn is Halloween! Even as a kid, I loved planning Halloween parties and coming up with creepy things to serve.

These homemade gummy eyeballs are one of my favorite Halloween creations. I’ve experimented with them over the years, finding ways to make them look more realistic without sacrificing flavor.

Why make homemade gummy eyeballs?

Making your own gummy eyeballs is a fun way to get creative in the kitchen. You can choose your ingredients, adjust the sweetness, and avoid the artificial colors and flavors often found in store-bought gummies.

They’re also surprisingly tasty! The combination of coconut milk, blueberries, and fruit juice works really well together.

And if you want to make them even creepier, try serving them in a bowl of red fruit juice or berry purée for a bloody Halloween presentation! You could also serve them on a bed of homemade gummy worms for an extra-gory touch!

These would also make a fun addition to a Halloween charcuterie board! Serve a few gummy eyeballs in a small bowl alongside the other spooky treats for an unexpected surprise.

Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to make these creepy gummy eyeballs: blueberries, fruit juice, coconut milk, and unflavored gelatin. You can also add a little honey or another sweetener if you like.

Each ingredient plays a part in making the eyeballs look realistic.

Blueberries

The blueberries form the pupils of the eyeballs. Choose smaller blueberries that fit comfortably in the bottom of your molds.

Fruit juice or purée

The fruit juice forms the colored irises around the blueberry pupils. You can experiment with different juices to make different-colored eyes.

I’ve used both berry purée and pomegranate juice over the years. While both work, I prefer using juice because it flows around the blueberries more easily.

A thin juice can even seep underneath the blueberries, creating a translucent layer that makes the finished eyeballs look like they have a cornea!

If you prefer using fruit purée, you can thin it with a little water or juice to make it easier to work with.

A note about fresh fruit: Some fruits, including pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and fresh figs, contain enzymes that can prevent gelatin from setting. If you want to use these fruits, you’ll need to heat them sufficiently to deactivate those enzymes before adding the gelatin. Pasteurized juices generally don’t have this problem. You can learn more about which fruits to avoid (and how to use them successfully) in my homemade fruit gelatin recipe.

Unflavored gelatin

Unflavored gelatin gives the eyeballs their gummy texture and helps them hold their shape. I prefer using gelatin from grass-fed cows, but any unflavored gelatin powder should work.

These gummies use more gelatin than a typical gelatin dessert because we want them to be firm enough to remove from the molds and handle without falling apart.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk gives the eyeballs their white color and creamy flavor.

You can use canned coconut milk or make your own homemade coconut milk. There’s no need to use coconut milk with added thickeners because the gelatin will firm everything up.

If you don’t like coconut milk, you can substitute another white milk, either dairy or plant-based. Just keep in mind that the flavor and appearance may change slightly.

Sweetener (optional)

I like adding a little honey to the coconut milk mixture, but you can use maple syrup, sugar, or another sweetener.

The amount you need will depend on the sweetness of your fruit juice and your personal preference.

When I made the pomegranate version, I didn’t sweeten the fruit juice at all. I only added a little honey to the coconut milk, and I loved how the flavors worked together.

How to Make Gummy Eyeballs

Making these gummy eyeballs takes a little patience because you’ll need to let each layer set before adding the next one. The process isn’t difficult, though, and the results are worth it!

Prepare the fruit gelatin

Start by sprinkling the unflavored gelatin over the cold fruit juice or purée. Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid and bloom.

Once the gelatin has bloomed, gently heat the mixture, stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely. You can do this in a small saucepan, but I like using a small bowl over a pan of hot water (a makeshift double boiler). It’s especially convenient when working with such a small amount of liquid.

If you’re using a thick fruit purée, you may need to thin it with a little water or juice.

Make the pupils and irises

Place a blueberry in the bottom of each cavity of a silicone half-sphere mold. These will form the pupils of your eyeballs.

Using a syringe, dropper, or small spoon, carefully add a little of the fruit gelatin around each blueberry. You only need enough to form a thin layer around the pupils.

Refrigerate the molds until the fruit gelatin has set.

Prepare the coconut milk gelatin

While the fruit gelatin is setting, sprinkle the remaining gelatin over half of the cold coconut milk and let it bloom.

Gently heat the other half of the coconut milk in a small saucepan. Add the bloomed gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Sweeten with a little honey or your preferred sweetener, if desired.

Add the white layers

Once the fruit gelatin has set, carefully pour a very thin layer of the coconut milk mixture over the blueberries.

This first layer is important! If you add too much warm coconut milk at once, it can melt the fruit gelatin and release the blueberries, causing them to float away from the bottom of the molds.

Refrigerate the molds again until the white layer has set.

Then fill the molds with the remaining coconut milk mixture and refrigerate until the eyeballs are completely firm.

Remove the gummy eyeballs from the molds

Carefully pop the finished eyeballs out of their molds. Silicone molds make this much easier!

Your creepy gummy eyeballs are ready to serve!

Choosing the Right Molds

When I first decided to make gummy eyeballs, I already had some silicone half-sphere ice cube trays at home. In fact, those molds were what inspired me to make these in the first place!

I recommend using silicone molds because they’re flexible, making it much easier to remove the finished eyeballs without damaging them.

The size of your molds will determine how big your eyeballs turn out and how many you can make with the recipe.

I like using my Lékué Decopen to add the fruit gelatin around the blueberries. It gives me more control over how much liquid goes into each mold and makes the process much less messy. You can also use a syringe, dropper, or small spoon if you don’t have one.

Tips for Making Realistic Gummy Eyeballs

I’ve experimented with these gummy eyeballs quite a few times over the years. Some batches looked more realistic than others, but they all tasted good! Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Use fruit juice for more realistic eyes

When I first made these, I used a thick berry purée to create the colored irises. It worked, but the purée didn’t flow underneath the blueberries, leaving the pupils completely exposed.

Later, I tried using pomegranate juice instead. Because it’s thinner, it flows around and underneath the blueberries, creating a translucent layer over the pupils that looks almost like a cornea.

I actually prefer the more realistic appearance of the pomegranate version, but both methods work!

Don’t use too much fruit gelatin

One year, I tried adding more berry purée around the blueberries to help hold them in place. Unfortunately, the extra red gelatin made the finished gummies look less like eyeballs!

For the most realistic results, use just enough fruit gelatin to create a colored iris around each blueberry.

Of course, if you’re making these for Halloween, a little extra red isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

Add the coconut milk in thin layers

This is probably the most important trick I’ve learned.

If you pour too much warm coconut milk gelatin over the blueberries at once, it can melt the fruit gelatin holding them in place. The blueberries may float away from the bottom of the molds, leaving you with eyeballs without visible pupils.

To prevent this, pour in a very thin layer of coconut milk gelatin first. Refrigerate it until it sets, then add the remaining mixture.

That first layer helps hold everything in place.

Avoid freezing the layers

I once tried freezing the first layer of fruit gelatin to make it set faster. Unfortunately, ice formed on the surface, and some of the layers separated when I removed the eyeballs from their molds.

I was able to press them back together, but refrigerating the layers works better and helps them stick together properly.

How to Store Gummy Eyeballs

These homemade gummy eyeballs are a great treat to prepare ahead of time for a Halloween party!

Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. You can make them a day or two before your party, leaving you more time to prepare everything else.

If you’re stacking them, separate the layers with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.

I don’t recommend freezing them. Freezing and thawing can affect the texture of gelatin and may cause the layers to separate.

For the best presentation, wait until just before serving to place them in a bowl of red fruit juice or berry purée.

Frequently Asked Questions

Video

This post was originally published on October 4, 2013. It has been updated over the years with an improved recipe, new photos, a video, and additional tips for making realistic gummy eyeballs.