Here’s an easy Halloween party foods idea: Eyeball Pinwheels recipe! They give the creepy look of bloodshot eyeballs and are especially fun when served on jack-o-lantern napkins.
To make your Eyeball Pinwheels recipe, you’ll start off by beating together two softened bricks of cream cheese and 1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix.
Lay a tortilla out on your work surface and cut off a bit of two opposite sides so the cuts are parallelย to each other. This will give you more a rectangle shape rather than a circle.
TIP: Flatout Bread also works great for these pinwheels and they are already rectangle shaped!
Spread some of the cream cheese mixture on top of the tortilla.
Near one of the edges (uncut edge), lay a line of large black olives. Make sure they are laying end to end. Lay a few slices of thinly sliced ham near the middle of the tortilla.
Carefully roll the tortilla edge over the olives, make sure to not shift the olives. Do this as tightly as you can without damaging the tortilla. Continue to roll the tortilla all the way up.
After you are done rolling the tortilla, you will have aย tightlyย rolled tortilla. Set on a plate and continue with the rest of your tortillas.
When all the tortillas are rolled, wrap each rolled tortilla in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is great too.
After refrigerating, they are ready to cut into pieces. With a sharp knife, slice pinwheels off the rolled tortilla. As you cut, you should be seeing little holes in your olives. If you slice a pinwheel and the olive appears to have no hole (such as it’s the bottom of the olive), just flip the pinwheel over and usually, the other side has a hole or area which will be used in the next step.
Cut small slivers of roasted red bell pepper and fold each sliver in half and insert it into the hole of the olive, fold side upwards.
That’s it! Once you are done with all your Eyeball Pinwheels you can stack them on a serving tray or plate for your Halloween Party.
OR, if you want to serve them in a really fun way, place two eyeball pinwheels directly on top of pumpkin or jack-o-lantern napkin to give it the look of eyes!
I regularly see jack-o-lantern napkins in stores during Halloween time (check Target – I saw some there for just $1). If you can’t find any, or don’t want to hunt for them, I found some cute Halloween jack-0-lantern napkins onย Amazon (affiliate link):
Easy Halloween Party Foods:
Eyeball Pinwheels Recipe
PrintEyeball Pinwheels (Halloween Party Food)
Description
Here’s an easy Halloween party foods idea: Eyeball Pinwheels recipe! They give the creepy look of bloodshot eyeballs and are especially fun when served on jack-o-lantern napkins.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces packages cream cheese (softened, 8 each)
- 1 ounce packet ranch dressing mix (dry, 1)
- 10 flour tortillas (burrito size)
- 2 ounces cans large black olives (6 each, but you won’t need all of the 2nd can)
- slices Thinly sliced ham (approximately 20-40 – depends on how much you wish to use and how large your slices are)
- Partial jar of roasted red bell pepper
Instructions
- Beat together softened cream cheese and packet of dry ranch dressing mix, just until blended.
- Lay tortilla on your work surface and cut off a bit of two opposite sides so the cuts are parallel to each other to give the tortilla more of a rectangle shape.
- Spread some of the cream cheese mixture on top of the tortilla.
- Lay a line of large black olives (about 6, but can vary) near one of the uncut edges. Ensure that the olives are laying end to end. Lay 2 slices of ham near the middle of the tortilla, overlapping if necessary.
- Carefully roll the uncut tortilla edge over the olives, make sure to not shift the olives. Roll as tightly as possible without damaging the tortilla. Continue to roll the tortilla over the ham and until the tortilla is completely rolled up. Set aside and continue with remaining tortillas.
- Wrap each rolled tortilla in plastic wrap individually and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator and unwrap one of the rolled tortillas. With a sharp knife, slice pinwheels off the roll tortilla, about 1/3 – 1/2″ thick.
- Slice several thin, small pieces of roasted red bell pepper. Fold a sliver of bell pepper in half and insert it, fold side up into the holes in your olives in the middle of your pinwheels. If an olive appears to have no hole (such as itโs the bottom of the olive), flip the pinwheel over and usually the other side has a hole or area which will be filled.
- Place on a plate or serving tray to serve.
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: American
I like my Eyeball Pinwheels and all, but no Halloween Party was built on pinwheels alone! Here is a huge list of great Halloween party foods that I know you are going to love.
Bewitching Brews
- Shrunken Heads in Ciderย –ย Girlichef
- Candy Corn Martiniย –ย The Messy Baker Blog
- Trick-or-Treat Wine Pairings for Halloweenย –ย ENOFYLZ
Ghoulish Gruel:
- Steak Bites with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauceย –ย I Run for Wine
- Eggs in Purgatoryย –ย My Catholic Kitchen
- Mini Jack-o’-Lantern Sloppy Joe Piesย –ย Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Mummy Hot Dogs – In the Kitchen with KP
- Meat Headย –ย Ruffles & Truffles
- Goblin Eggsย –ย Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Mummy Hot Dogsย –ย Damn Delicious
- Spooky Kid Pizzasย –ย Sustainable Dad
- Pumpkin Chili, Pumpkin Dip, & Wicken Witch’s Brewย –ย Daddy Knows Less
- Monster Mashย –ย Cindy’s Recipes & Writings
- Sloppy Worm Sandwichesย –ย La Cocina de Leslie
- Goryย Greenย Monster Eyeball Dipย –ย Shockingly Delicious
- Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballsย –ย Comfy Cuisine
- Eyeball Pinwheelsย –ย Home Cooking Memories
Spooky Sweets:
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Biscoff Creamย –ย The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Spooky Ogre Eye Cookiesย –ย The Realistic Nutritionist
- Jack O’ Lantern Cookiesย –ย Magnolia Days
- Spooky Good Popcorn Snack Mixย –ย The Weekend Gourment
- White Chocolate & Coconut Dipped Strawberry Ghostsย –ย Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Monster Bitesย –ย Cravings of a Lunatic
- Vegan Halloween Sugar Cookiesย –ย Hezzi-D’s Books & Cooks
- Monster Cookiesย –ย Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
- Tunnel of Doom Cakeย –ย That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Candy-Stuffed Rice Crispy Treat Pumpkinsย –ย Chocolate Mooseyย
- Crispy Graham Bonesย –ย The Meltaways
- Dulce de Leche Bat Cookiesย –ย Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Witch’s Fingersย –ย Noshing with The Nolands
- Sweet Intestines with Broken Glassย –ย The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Graveyard Browniesย –ย The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Boo Candy Corn & Chocolate Chip Cookiesย –ย Hip Foodie Mom
- Bleeding Devil Cakesย –ย Momma’s Meals
- Pumpkin Halloween Munchย –ย Big Bear’s Wife
- Halloween Peanut Butter Cookie Cups – Shugary Sweets
- Jack-O-Lantern Carrot Cakeย –ย Galactosemia in PDX
- Halloween Orange Scream Pudding Cups – Must Have Mom
- Messy Monster Cookiesย –ย MarocMama
- Halloween Popcorn Cakeย –ย Pippis in the Kitchen Again
- Witches Morning Gruelย –ย In the Kitchen with Audrey
- White Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Ghostsย –ย Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Peanut Butter Candy Bar Cookiesย –ย The Cookie A Day Challenge
- Monster Cookie Revel Barsย –ย Baker Streetย
- Halloween Cereal Barsย –ย Basic N Delicious
- Ossi di Morti (Bones of the Dead Cookies)ย –ย Webicurean
- Pumpkin Pie Pinwheelsย –ย Midlife Road Trip
Alli @ Tornadough Alli says
This is seriously awesome! Love this idea! I have to make this year for any Halloween get together we may have! Thank you for sharing with us at #ThrowbackThursday we hope to see you again this week.
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner? says
THese are super cute and so cool! We just LOVE Halloween inspired food here ๐ I am featuring you this week, over at Simple Supper Tuesday. We hope you can join us again, starting Monday night at 8pm, EST.
Hope says
Approximately how many does this recipe make?
Kim Bee says
This is pure genius. I love this. I’ve never seen them done like this before. So cool.
Heather @girlichef says
These are cute…AND tasty!! Love the shot on the plate – too fun!
Hezzi-D says
These are so cute! (and easy). I love the picture with them on the pumpkin napkin!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
I love these, how cute are they?! Very creative, tortilla pinwheels are always a hit.
Patti says
Love this idea and your plates really make it festive!
Kathia Rodriguez says
I just love this recipe!
brandie says
Thank you, Kathia!
Stephanie{TheCookieADayChallenge} says
I am packing these in my boy’s lunches tomorrow!!! Cute!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
I love these eyeball pinwheels! ๐ so simple and yummy AND perfect for a Halloween party! Love it!
brandie says
Thank you, Alice!
Carla says
Hahahaah I love that picture with the napkin and your eyeball pinwheels! Very creative appetizer!
Cindys Recipes says
Love the flavor combo Brandie!
Laura Hunter says
These are so clever, especially when you placed them on the napkin. ๐
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious says
Great tutorial! Thank you for this!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
What a great idea for a party!! I love it!
Liz says
Such a cute idea!!! I could put away a LOT of these ๐
brandie says
LOL…you and me both! Thanks Liz!
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
These look so yummy and a perfect appetizer for a halloween party. Yum!
Veronica Gantley says
I love halloween party food it is so creative. Your pinwheels look wonderful.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says
These eyes might be scary but they sound good to eat!
Anne @ Webicurean says
This sounds so good, I’ll bet I can serve it any time of year, even if it looks like eyeballs!
Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
What a great idea!! I can’t wait to have a Halloween party so I can put all of these great recipes on my table!!
sunithi says
Very cute ! I could eat the pinwheels plain ! They look great with the pumpkin !
Bea says
What a fun idea for a Halloween Party!
Angie @ Big Bear's Wife says
Great “eyes”! Love the wraps! I love the step by step photos too!
Tara Noland says
Those are great!! Perfect idea for my Halloween party. They are a must try. Happy Halloween!!
Jen @JuanitasCocina says
I love how you rolled the olives right up into the roll! Creepy!!!
Katie says
Creepy AND tasty! I love a tortilla pinwheel…and these have a great effect perfect for Halloween! Thanks for sharing ๐
Renee says
Pass me the platter…I want one now!
And the photo of them on the pumpkin napkin is so good! Love it.
Susan says
These are adorable! Great snack for a party.