These Halloween meatballs are a creepy, delicious way to add fun to your Halloween dinner or party spread using simple ingredients. Shaped to look like spooky eyeballs, they make for perfect Halloween-themed appetizers. You can make them traditionally, gluten-free, whole grain or keto.
Whether you’re looking for fun Halloween party food for kids or spooky Halloween appetizers for adults, these meatballs fit the bill. Serve them alongside spaghetti for a spooky twist or on their own for a terrifyingly tasty bite!
These meatballs are easy to customize and easy to make ahead, so they’re perfect for parties. For easy Halloween party food, make mini meatballs and serve them with toothpicks. They’re the perfect spooky finger food for guests.
If you’re searching for spooky food ideas, these meatballs should be at the top of your list. Here’s why:
- They look spooky – the eyeball design using mozzarella balls and olives gives them a creepy appearance, perfect for Halloween.
- They’re easy to make – simple ingredients and quick prep make these a great option when you need to whip up something fast for a party.
- They’re customizable – you can easily adapt this recipe to fit your dietary needs or taste preferences with various substitutions (see below).
- They’re kid-friendly – kids love the spooky eyeball design, making them perfect for a kids’ Halloween party.
How to make in advance
One of the biggest time-savers when planning Halloween appetizers is preparing the meatballs ahead of time. You can make these up to two days in advance, saving you time and stress on the day of your event.
- Prepare the meatball mixture according to your recipe, but stop before cooking them.
- Shape the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook. The meatballs will keep for up to 48 hours in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to bake, simply pop them in the oven and follow the cooking instructions.
This method is especially helpful if you’re preparing for a large Halloween dinner or planning to serve spooky spaghetti with meatballs. You can also prep the other components, such as cutting the mozzarella and olives, to make assembly easier later on.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these meatballs and the pasta.
- Ground beef – can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- Ground pork – enhances juiciness and flavor. You can replace it with additional ground beef or ground sausage for a more savory taste.
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese – provides a salty, nutty flavor. Substitute with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option.
- Bread crumbs – helps bind the meatballs together. Use gluten-free bread crumbs for a gluten-free version or 1/2 cup almond flour, which would also make these meatballs keto.
- Garlic cloves – substitute with 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder if fresh garlic isn’t available.
- Large egg – acts as a binder for the meatballs. Use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water) for an egg-free option.
- Dried Italian seasoning – substitute with a blend of dried oregano, basil, and thyme if you don’t have Italian seasoning.
- Red pepper flakes – add a hint of heat. Omit if you prefer a milder dish, or replace it with black pepper for a more subtle kick.
- Black olives – used to create the eyeball effect. See the section below for substitutes.
- Mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine) – form the base of the eyeball. See the section below for alternatives if mini mozzarella balls are unavailable or too pricey.
- Spaghetti – gluten-free spaghetti or zucchini noodles can be used as alternatives for a gluten-free or low-carb option.
- Tomato sauce – coats the spaghetti and brings everything together.
- Fresh or dried basil, oregano, or parsley – adds color and freshness to the final dish. All good choices! But I’d go with just one.
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish) – optional for serving.
Alternative eyeball ideas
Ciliegine mozzarella balls are typically about the size of a cherry, with a diameter of around 1 inch (or 25-30 mm). They usually weigh about ⅓ ounce (9-10 grams) each, making them perfect for small bites or for use in dishes like these spooky Halloween meatballs.
But they are expensive! It’s crazy. So here are some cheaper options
- Sliced string cheese – cut into small rounds to mimic mozzarella balls. They’re easy to find and more affordable.
- Small cubes of mozzarella – buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into small cubes. This option is cheaper and customizable in size.
- Halved cherry tomatoes – add a colorful twist by using halved cherry tomatoes. Place them cut-side down, and optionally add a tiny black olive or caper for the pupil.
- Mini bocconcini – slightly larger than mini mozzarella balls but can be cut in half to make the right size.
- Sliced hard-boiled eggs – cut into small rounds, with the egg white working well as the base for the eyeball.
- Provolone or Monterey Jack cheese slices – use a small cookie cutter or bottle cap to cut circles from cheese slices. These cheeses are soft and easy to shape.
Alternatives to olives for the pupil
Olives are cheap, but not everyone likes olives. So here are some different options!
- Sliced pickled jalapeños – add a spicy kick by using a small slice of pickled jalapeño as the center of the eyeball.
- Pepperoni or salami slices – cut small circles from pepperoni or salami to place in the center of the cheese or tomato to act as the pupil.
- Raisins or dried cranberries – these can be pressed into the cheese to act as the pupil, adding texture and a pop of dark color. Kind of weird, yes, but if your kid won’t eat olives, jalapenos, or pepperoni, then you can use raisins or dried cranberries. Just tell them to pick them out before eating. 😉
How to make them
This is just to give you an overview. The full recipe is down below in the recipe box.
Remember, there are several alternatives to olives if you don’t like them. All are listed above!
How to freeze
These spooky meatballs freeze well, which makes them a fantastic option if you want to get ahead on your Halloween prep. Here’s how to freeze them.
- After shaping the meatballs, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour until they’re solid.
- Transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label your container with the date so you don’t lose track of them!
- When you’re ready to use them, thaw the meatballs overnight in the fridge, then cook as directed. You can also cook them directly from frozen, though you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
This is a great option if you’re hosting a Halloween party and want to avoid last-minute stress. Simply assemble them with the spooky eyeballs on the day of your event.
Gluten-free option
It’s easy to make these meatballs gluten-free! As I wrote above, swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs, which are available at most grocery stores.
You can also use almond flour as an alternative to traditional breadcrumbs.
- Double-check that your Parmesan cheese is gluten-free, as some brands may contain hidden gluten.
- If you’re serving the meatballs with pasta, opt for gluten-free spaghetti to keep the entire dish gluten-free.
With these simple changes, everyone at your party can enjoy these fun little Halloween-themed appetizers, even those with dietary restrictions! Yay. 🥳
Problems?
If you run into any issues while making your meatballs, here are some common troubleshooting tips.
- Meatballs too dry – if your meatballs come out dry, you may have overbaked them. Make sure to check their internal temperature with a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking.
- Meatballs falling apart – if your meatballs are too crumbly, they may need more binding. Add an extra egg or a bit more breadcrumbs to help hold them together. But this shouldn’t be a problem if you follow the recipe!
- Eyeballs not sticking – pat the mozzarella balls and olives dry before placing them on the meatballs. Any moisture will prevent them from sticking properly. Again, this is in the recipe. 😉
- Uneven cooking – make sure your meatballs are the same size so they cook evenly. You can use a cookie scoop or your hands to shape them uniformly.
Serving ideas
These Halloween meatballs are versatile and can be served in various ways depending on your party’s theme.
- Halloween spaghetti and meatballs – this is what I did here. Serve the meatballs over spaghetti for a spooky twist on this classic dinner idea.
- Eyeball meatball sliders – serve the meatballs on small slider buns for a fun finger food option. Perfect for a buffet-style Halloween dinner!
- Spooky meatball skewers – thread the meatballs onto skewers for an easy Halloween party food that’s great for both kids and adults.
Whether you’re looking for adult Halloween party food or something fun for the kids, these Halloween meatballs are sure to be a hit! I hope you’ll enjoy them. 🙂
Halloween Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453 grams) ground beef
- 1 pound (453 grams) ground pork
- 1 cup (100 grams) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup (112 grams) breadcrumbs
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and lightly grease a baking sheet large enough to fit 24 1” meatballs.°
- Use clean, dry hands to gently combine all the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl, until well incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the mixture to avoid making the meatballs dense.
- Shape the mixture into 24 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls and place about 1” apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 14-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F (71 C). Cook the pasta according to package instructions while the meatballs are baking. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining! Then drain, but don’t rinse. While the pasta is cooking, cut the mozzarella balls in half lengthwise. Put them on a paper towel to help soak up some of the moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Cut up the olives. I cut away the top and bottom and just used the middles so that they’d lay flat. Also place them on paper towels and pat dry.
- When the meatballs are done cooking, remove from the oven, add a halved mozzarella ball to the center of each meatball, and put back in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the balls have melted a bit to create the eyeball.
- Remove from the oven and add the olive to the center of each eyeball.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the now-empty spaghetti pot and warm up over medium-high heat until hot and steamy. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, and if it’s not too thin, the remaining 2 tablespoons. This will help the sauce stick better to the noodles.
- Add the pasta to the pot and stir until well combined.
- Top with basil, oregano, or parsley.
- Cool leftovers and refrigerate in an airtight container (preferably glass, so it doesn't stain) for up to 4 days.
Leave A Reply!