Recipe: Jello Shot Eyeballs

This Halloween treat will be a hit at any party this weekend.

Posted 4:44 p.m. Oct 27, 2015 — Updated 3:16 p.m. Oct 28, 2015

Kathy Hanrahan

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gelatin can be used to make a lot of really tasty treats. And the fact that it jiggles and is kind of slimy works pretty well for Halloween.

I needed something to make for a Halloween party my 3-year-old son is going to, and I stumbled across this recipe on the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog. It is non-alcoholic, but I'll provide a link for you at the bottom for an alcoholic version.

Jello Shot Eyeballs

What you need:

White Grape Juice - 3 cups
Knox Gelatin - 4 envelopes or one large box of Lime Gelatin (you need something clear for the eyeball)
Green and blue food color
Black gel food coloring
Circular mold - I used a mold for mini pumpkins that I found at Dollar Tree
Non-stick cooking spray
Parchment or wax paper
Cookie sheet
2 Freezer safe containers
Small cookie cutter or bottle cap

Steps:

Pour 3 cups of white grape juice into a saucepan, then sprinkle in your gelatin. Mix and let the gelatin dissolve at a low heat for about five minutes.
While that is happening, use some non-stick spray to coat your eyeball molds. Spray but wipe it off and leave only a little residue so the eyeballs won't stick in the pan.
Pour about 1/2-2/3 cup of the gelatin mixture into two freezer safe containers. Then, add your food coloring. This mixture will be your iris for the eyeball. I used blue and green. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the mixture. You don't want it to freeze! Put the remaining gelatin mixture into a container - you need it to cool to room temperature.
After 20 minutes, take the bowls out of the freezer and use a cookie cutter or a small bottle cap to cut out the circles for the eyes. Place them on a sheet of wax or parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Then use black food coloring to put dots on each circle. You are making the pupils for your eyeballs. Place cookie sheet into the fridge for 5-10 minutes to let the coloring set.
After the color has set, take the pan out and grab that remaining gelatin mixture. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin into the mold, then drop in your colored circle, pupil side down. Then, cover the top of it with about 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin.
When all molds are filled, put your eyeball mold into the fridge about a couple hours to set before serving.

Tip: I took the remaining gelatin and poured it into plastic shot glasses. I filled the glasses about halfway, then added a Halloween gummy into the glass, then poured some gelatin over it. I placed them into the fridge to set as well.

Now, if you want to go the alcoholic route, My Science Project offers a recipe that swaps out the grape juice for unsweetened coconut milk and Malibu Rum.

Coconut Malibu Eyeballs

What you need:

2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup Malibu
½ cup sugar

Directions:

Sprinkle the gelatin over the coconut milk in a saucepan and let sit for a few minutes. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin starts to dissolve. Add the sugar and stir till dissolved. Cool till just warm. Stir in the Malibu. Pour into spherical ice mold that has been sprayed with cooking spray. After chilling and unmolding, paint on details with gel or paste food coloring.

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