Easy Edible Googly Eyes
September 28, 2023
Have you ever wondered how to make these Edible Googly Eyes Candies? Here are three approaches and different techniques to dry them up faster.
Edible Googly Eyes are always a hit on Halloween, birthdays, or else. Every parent must have them in the pantry, and they can get pricy. Here is a great way to manufacture a bunch in three different methods: two with sugar and one with chocolate. Also, the post will provide some techniques to cut the drying time in half and more. Let the kids try to make a few; it’s an excellent practice for their fine motor skills!
The Standard Googly Eyes
This technique is simple: it contains confectioner’s sugar, also known as powdered sugar, a bit of water and meringue (or egg white) powder. It’s also called Royal icing, and this way is the most typical way to make them. You don’t need a whole piping bag for these small quantities; simply use the corner of a small plastic bag. This icing will dry quickly, although you’ll need at least 24 hours at room temperature to get it hard and unbreakable. If you want to speed things up, add it to a dehydrator (3-4 hours) or oven at the lowest temperature, and let the door a tad open until dried completely.
The Corn Starch Version
This method is the same as the one above, but instead of meringue powder, we use cornstarch. Knowing that most parents out there don’t own meringue powder, this alternative goes well if you don’t want to invest in meringue powder; although the finish may be a tad more challenging to dry correctly and not as rock-hard as the ones above, it still does the trick!
The Chocolate Eyes
Edible Googly Eyes are fun to make, too, and there is no need for artificial colourant, which I know many parents prefer. The end result of the white of the eyes is slightly yellower. Also, being chocolate, they tend to melt quickly, so keep these in the fridge for a better, easier manipulation when the time comes. Making the perfect consistency is more challenging; more patience and attention will be needed for a perfect texture. But on the positive side, you’ll get eyes almost instantly because they harden fast in the fridge, unlike the sugar version.
The Drying
The drying method is extended for the sugar versions; if you are a lucky owner of a dehydrator machine, now it’s time to shine! Although, if you are in no hurry, calculate 24 hours minimum. However, if you make bigger googly eyes version, they might take double to dry up completely. If you want to speed up the process with the sugar versions, add them to the oven at the lowest temperature with the door slightly open. This should suck the humidity out way faster but again depends on the size of your eyes. The Chocolate version takes no time to set, especially fast if you put them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. You have them instantly!
Storage
The sugar version you can easily keep at room temperature in a pot, although the chocolate ones, you better keep them in the fridge to prevent them from melting and make them easier to manipulate. They both are pretty much eternal, being made solely of sugar! So you’ll have your Edible Googly Eyes for a long time!
Variations
If you are patient enough, you could add a coloured layer, in between, to give colour to your eyes or skip the white altogether and add coloured eyes in the batch with different sizes and forms. Just remember that if it’s bigger, it will take longer to dry (the sugar version). If you don’t like colourant in your food, mix both methods, make the whites with sugar and melt a tad of dark chocolate for the center. Make sure it’s over 75%, and even better, 85% cacao to have it dark enough!
Googly Eyes Recipes
Here are a few ideas on what to make with them!
- Mummy Dogs from This Silly Girl’s Kitchen
- Halloween Bats Brownies from Cutefetti
- Meringue Ghosts by WornSlapOut
Ingredients
Royal Icing Googly Eyes or Cornstarch
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp meringue powder egg white powder or cornstarch
- black food colouring
Chocolate Googly Eyes
- 400 g white chocolate
- 50 g dark chocolate 85% cacao (darker the better)
Instructions
Sugar Googly Eyes
- Add the powdered sugar, meringue powder (or cornstarch) in a small bowl, add the water and mix until smooth.
- Reserve 1/5 of the icing in a small bowl for the black part of the eye. Add black food colourant until dark enough.
- Add the white leftover icing to a small plastic bag and twist it until firm; cut a minuscule hole in the corner and start making the eyes on parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
- Let them set for 5 minutes before adding the black with a wooden stick; this is way easier and more precise.
- Let it harden at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours or add it to the dehydrator machine for 4 hours or in the oven at the lowest temperature with a cracked open door for a faster result.
Chocolate Googly Eyes
- Melt the white chocolate in a Bain-Marie (bowl over simmering water pot) and mix with a spatula until melted.
- Let the Chocolate cool for 5-10 minutes before adding it to a plastic bag, twisting and cutting a minuscule hole.
- Test if the chocolate is too liquid by trying to make an eye or two; wait a minute or two if it is too runny. Make the eyes.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a small cup or bowl for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave until melted. Wait again 5 minutes before using it.
- Finish decorating the eyes with the help of a wooden stick.
- Réfrigerate for 30 minutes to set perfectly before scrapping off.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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20 Comments
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Andréa
I always bought these to decorate my cupcakes and never knew how easily one can make it. They turned out so delicious. And we had a lot of fun preparing them!-
Marie Breton
Sometimes you need different size or forms which are not on the market! This is the way to make it happen!
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Nancy
I had no idea it’s this easy to make Googly eyes. I always bought mine. Thanks for this easy recipe -
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Bernice
This is so cool! It never occurred to me to even try making googly eyes. I love using them on everything at Halloween and sometimes just for fun on other days. Thank you for this fun and useful recipe.
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Lily
Didn’t realize how easy these are to make and the chocolate ones taste so much better than store-bought! -
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Vanessa
How cute! I definitely go through a lot of them around Halloween so this is a fantastic idea! -
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Sean
Googly eyes with options! Love it! Haha. I’m a big, BIG Halloween fan, and honestly everything is better with spooky eyes. This is tons of fun, and it’s great to have the sugar and chocolate options for different settings. Cheers! -
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Fouzia
They look so cute!! Good healthy option of using meringue powder and white and dark chocolate. My grand kids would really have fun making them. -
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Asha
I made these with the white and dark chocolate. Makes a cute addition to the Hallowe’en party snacks. -
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I never thought about making these myself- simple! Such great step by step instructions- ty