Spooky Eyeball Sweet Rolls! Need something quick and easy to make for Halloween festivities? These ooey, gooey, no-bake sweet rolls come together quickly with the help of King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls! Filled with raspberry jam and topped with a creamy glaze and gummy eyeballs, they'll become your family's favorite creepy treat!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by King’s Hawaiian as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
October has arrived, and that means it's time to bust out the ghoulish decorations and creepy treats in preparation for Halloween! Halloween has become so much fun for our family now that our little one is fully invested in participating in all the festivities. From picking out his costume {we've had it for over a month now} to putting together treat bags for his class, he is so excited to take part in all the fun.
He's also at the age where helping me in the kitchen is something that definitely piques his interest, so these days I'm always thinking up creative recipes that are perfect for keeping little hands busy. That's how I came up with the idea for these Spooky Eyeball Sweet Rolls that we'll be making together this Halloween!
Spooky Eyeball Sweet Rolls
King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls make an ideal base for these no-bake treats with their mildly sweet flavor and fluffy interior. {My son has become a fan of these for his school sandwiches, too.} A bite of these provoking peepers reveals a gooey raspberry jelly center that'll send shivers down anyone's spine! Topped with a sweet cream cheese glaze and a gummy eyeball candy, they're equal parts devilish and delicious, and absolutely appropriate for horrific Halloween menus.
How To Make These Easy Halloween Desserts
I can tell you from experience {trial and error, mostly} that the key to cooking and baking with kids is keeping things fairly simple. These Halloween treats have the wow-factor that kids want without the disaster-factor of a messy kitchen aftermath! With a little help from adults, kids can easily assemble these charmingly disgusting delicacies.
First and foremost, choose an area of your kitchen or dining table work space that has ample room for all involved. Next, cover your work area to ensure easy cleanup -- I like to recycle paper grocery store bags by opening them up and using them as a table cover, or use cheap plastic table cloth or a plastic garbage bag ripped at the seam to lay flat. Finally, prepare the "chefs" by making sure they're wearing clothes that are easily washed or by letting them wear aprons. {Or both since, let's be real, kids tend to have a magical talent of getting stains just about everywhere!}
Once the area and the kids are ready, set up a station with all the required tools: Mixing bowls, measuring cups, piping bags, embellishments, etc. The gooey filling for these eyeballs is raspberry jam, or any red jam of your liking. Simply fit a piping bag with a small tip {if it's too big the jam will pour out too quickly}, insert the metal tip into the top of a King's Hawaiian Sweet Roll and use a bit of pressure to squeeze the bag and deposit some filling into the center of each roll -- you'll feel it fill and puff up a bit as you squeeze. This might take a few practice runs or demonstrations before kids get it just right, but after a few they'll be pros.
Next up, stir together the simple cream cheese icing in a bowl. You'll want to get it to a spreadable consistency, but if you're having trouble doing so, simply pop it into the microwave {make sure the bowl is microwave-safe} and zap it for 10 seconds at a time until it's loosened up enough to slather or pour. Let the kids spoon a dollop of icing onto the top of each roll to cover the hole where the jam was inserted, then smooth with an offset spatula. Top each roll with a gummy eyeball, and for an extra spooky effect, use a little extra jam to "draw on" gooey veins with a toothpick. So easy, and so fun!
Other Recipes Using King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
The bite-sized nature of King's Hawaiian rolls makes them a shoe-in for party appetizers! Whether sweet, savory {or a combo of both!}, their unique flavor lends itself to tons of creative options. Check out some of the other ways I use King's Hawaiian rolls or head to their website for more ideas!
- Baked Pumpkin Butter, Turkey & Cheese Sliders
- Hawaiian-Inspired BBQ Shrimp Rainbow Cobb Salad
- Hawaiian Turkey Sliders
- Cuban-Style Bocaditos
Spooky Eyeball Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
For Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 12 gummy eyeball candies
For Rolls:
- 1 bag King’s Hawaiian Original Dinner Rolls
- ¾ cups raspberry jam seedless is best, plus extra for decorating
Instructions
- Make Icing: In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, butter & powdered sugar until smooth. You may may need to microwave the mixture for about 10 seconds at a time to get it to a spreadable consistency.
- Fill Rolls: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with jam. Insert the tip into the top of each roll down towards the middle and squeeze until about a tablespoon of jam is deposited into the center — you should be able to feel the roll swell a bit as it fills.
- Slather each roll with a dollop of icing until the top is completely covered. Top with a gummy eyeball candy. If desired, use a toothpick dipped in raspberry jam to create “blood vessels”.
- Serve immediately.
Trina G says
I’m so making these for the kiddos’ classrooms ... they’ll be a hit and sound so easy to make!