Spooky Eyeball Cake Pops – fun Halloween cake pops for kids

Okay, friends—I have to tell you, these spooky eyeball cake pops are hands-down the most fun (and slightly creepy) little treats you can make for Halloween! Imagine biting into a sweet, soft cake ball covered in glossy white chocolate, with a bright candy iris and a squiggly red “vein” for that perfectly eerie eyeball effect. Honestly, they’re like Halloween magic in your mouth—cute enough for the kids, but totally impressive when you bring them to a party. Plus, you don’t need any fancy equipment to put them together. Just a little patience and some colorful candy melts, and you’ll have a batch that’s almost too spooky to eat… almost.

Quick Facts

• Yield: Serves about 24 pops
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes (for baking cake)
• Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Main Dish:

• 1 box yellow or white cake mix (plus ingredients called for on the box)
• 1 cup cream cheese frosting (store-bought or homemade)
• 12 oz white candy melts or white chocolate chips
• Food coloring gel in blue, green, or brown (for iris)
• Red decorating gel or thin red icing tube (for veins)
• Black edible marker or black icing gel (for pupil)
• 24 cake pop sticks or sturdy lollipop sticks

How I Make It

Step 1:

Start by baking the cake according to the box instructions (or your favorite recipe). Once baked, let the cake cool completely. Crumble the cake finely into a large bowl—it should look like soft breadcrumbs.

Step 2:

Add about 1 cup of cream cheese frosting to the crumbled cake and mix well. You want the texture to be moist and able to hold its shape when rolled but not too sticky. If it feels dry, add a little more frosting, one tablespoon at a time.

Step 3:

Roll the mixture into about 24 small balls, roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Place the cake balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps them firm up for dipping.

Step 4:

Melt the white candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and silky. Dip one end of a cake pop stick into the melted candy and gently insert it halfway into a cake ball. This “glue” keeps the pop firmly on the stick.

Step 5:

Dip each cake ball into the white melts, letting the excess drip off. Stand the pops upright in a styrofoam block or a tall glass to let the coating harden completely (about 15-20 minutes).

Step 6:

Once the coating is set, use a small brush or a toothpick to paint a colored circle in the center for the iris using your chosen food coloring gel diluted slightly with water or white candy melt. Add a black dot in the middle for the pupil with an edible marker or black icing gel. Then drizzle thin squiggly lines outside the iris with red decorating gel to mimic spooky veins. Let everything dry, and your creepy eyeball pops are ready to haunt your Halloween party!

Variations & Tips

• Use chocolate or red velvet cake for a different flavor and color base.
• Swap cream cheese frosting for buttercream if you prefer it sweeter.
• Get creative with the iris colors—purple or even neon green can be super fun.
• If you don’t have cake pop sticks, sturdy pretzel rods work as a crunchy alternative.
• Store cake pops in a cool place but not in the fridge too long—cold can dull the candy coating’s shine.

How I Like to Serve It

These eyeball cake pops are a fantastic addition to any Halloween party table—arranged in a spooky jar or stuck upright in a pumpkin are my favorite displays. Kids love grabbing them during trick-or-treat gatherings or school parties, where the fun (and a few “eww”s) really get the mood going. They also make cute little gifts if wrapped in cellophane with a festive ribbon!

Notes

• You can make the cake balls a day ahead and keep them refrigerated before dipping.
• If white candy melts get too thick, add a tiny bit of vegetable oil to smooth them out again.

Closing: These spooky eyeball cake pops always come through when I want a festive, fun, and finger-friendly Halloween treat that kids (and adults) can’t stop talking about!