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These candy eyes are the easiest way to bring your Halloween treats to life. Made with simple royal icing and chocolate chips, they’re completely edible and way cheaper than store-bought versions. Once you learn how to make candy eyes, you’ll never buy them again.
Reasons You’ll Want to Make Them
These are adorable, customizable, and only take minutes to make.
You can make big or small eyes, offset pupils for silly expressions, and even color them for monster cookies or cupcakes. It’s one of those DIY candy eyes projects that’s as fun for kids as it is for adults.
What You’ll Need To Make Them
You’ll find the complete recipe in the card below, but here’s the quick rundown: one egg white, powdered sugar, and chocolate chips (or candy-coated sunflower seeds).
The royal icing dries firm, turning into perfect homemade googly eyes that hold up on cookies, cupcakes, or cake pops.
How to Make Candy Eyes
Full directions are in the recipe card below, but here’s a brief overview.
Beat the egg white and sugar until thick and glossy. Pipe small dots onto wax paper, then press a chocolate chip into each one before they set.
Let them dry for at least 24 hours until completely firm.
Store in an airtight container for weeks. That way they are ready whenever your desserts need a little personality.
Learn From Me
I’ve made these many times, and every batch turns out a little different (which is half the fun).
Keep the icing thick enough to hold shape, and don’t wait too long to add the chocolate chips or they won’t stick.
Once they dry, you’ll have a batch of edible eyes ready for all your spooky dessert decorating.
Other Fun Ways to Use Candy Eyes
Candy eyes aren’t just for Halloween — they’re fun year-round. Here are some creative ways to use them beyond spooky desserts:
- Holiday baking: Add them to snowman cookies, gingerbread men, or reindeer cupcakes at Christmas. I even use them to make my Thanksgiving Turkey Pretzel Treats.
- Kids’ snacks: Stick them onto fruit. Blanched almonds for teeth and fruit leathers for tongues complete the look.
- Birthday treats: Decorate cupcakes, cake pops, or brownies with goofy eyes for a playful touch.
- Animal-themed desserts: Turn donuts into bears, owls, or pigs with candy eyes and simple decorations.
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Pin ItHow to Make Candy Eyes
Ingredients
- 1 small egg white
- 1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- chocolate chips or candy coated sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Combine 1 small egg white and 1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Use the whisk attachment to beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- The final consistency must be such that you can scoop some up and it will stick to the spoon, but if you tilt the spoon, the thick icing will eventually fall off.
- If its too thick, add water in one teaspoon increments until you’ve reached the proper thickness.
- If its too thin, add additional sifted powdered sugar.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag with a small round tip, or you can just snip the corner of the bag off.
- Lay out a large piece of wax paper and squeeze straight down to make a mound the desired size to make an eye. Don't make more than 10 or so before putting the chocolate chips or candy coated sunflower seeds on top because the eyes will begin to dry right away.
- Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours before removing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I use to make cakes and used a lot of royal icing for decorating. If you put your royal icing eyes
on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper in a low heat oven for a few minutes they will dry nicely.
Hope this helps.
Paula