Bloody Eyeball Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Name: Bloody Eyeball Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: ½ cups Finely ground graham crackers; 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter (melted); ¼ cup Granulated Sugar; ⅛ teaspoon Salt; 3 8 oz Packages of cream cheese (room temperature); 1 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 teaspoon Adam's Extract Clear Vanilla; 5 Eggs; 1 can Cherry Pie Filling; 48 Wilton Candy Eyeballs

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Amp up your Halloween with the most delicious and yet frightfully looking Bloody Eyeball Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes. All the guys and ghouls will die for a Halloween cheesecake!

5 cupcakes on cupcake stand topped with red cherries in glaze with candy eyeballs on top.

Are you looking for something super spooky, delicious, and fun to share with your favorite guys and ghouls for Halloween? My Bloody Eyeball Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes are to die for (pun intended). Best of all they are so easy to make!

When I started brainstorming blood filled cupcake recipes I immediately thought of my mom’s cheesecake cupcakes. I grew up with my mom making cherry cheesecake cupcakes. I almost always requested them for the holidays and special occasion. The base cheesecake recipe comes from my recipe for Classic New York Style Cheesecake.

I’m sharing one of my favorite recipe and how to make a Halloween cheesecake. I’ll walk you through the recipe today. They are much easier then you could imagine. To give these cheesecake cupcakes a touch of Halloween I used cherry pie filling for a little “gore” + fun little candy eyeballs that Wilton makes.

In this post you will learn exactly how to make these Halloween bloody cupcakes.

🥘Ingredients
🔪Directions
⭐FAQs
💭Tips & Tricks
📋Halloween Recipes

Ingredients

Cream Cheese – Whenever you make cheesecake it has to be at room temperature!
Granulated Sugar – You will need granulated sugar for both the crust and the filling.
Vanilla Extract – For this cheesecake recipe I like to use a clear vanilla so it does not tint the cheesecake.
Eggs – These also need to be at room temperature!
Cherry Pie Filling – Any brand of cheery pie filling will do.
Wilton Candy Eyeballs – These are most important for making the cucpakes come to life!
Graham crackers – You can buy them already ground or whole and crumble them yourself.
Unsalted butter – You’ll want this melted to mix in with the graham crackers.

Directions

5 cupcakes on cupcake stand topped with red cherries in glaze with candy eyeballs on top and title text.

I use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer to whip together the cheesecake filling. I always use Dixie Crystals Sugar for all my baking. They are my go-to brand! I was recently introduced to Adam’s Extracts and I’m a new found fan! Two key ingredients in this cheesecake recipe. I’ll preheat the oven, then start the batter. The cream cheese has to be at room temperature–so make sure you plan accordingly. After I’ve made the cheesecake batter I then put together the graham cracker crust.

Using a medium cookie scoop I scoop about a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs into each cupcake paper liner. Then I scoop cheesecake batter and fill each liner at least ¾ full. In the oven they go for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven until set and no longer wiggly!

You will want to remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tray. Let them cool until room temperature then chill for at least 1-2 hours. That’s when I top them with cherry pie filling topping. Prior to serving to friends and family I’ll add on the candy eyeballs. If you leave them on over night the candies will start to bleed. They don’t look as crisp and fresh.

*Always store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

FAQs

hand holding up package of Wilton Candy Eyeballs.

How do you tell if cheesecake cupcakes are done?

To check if your cheesecake cupcakes are done, gently shake the cupcake pan. If the cheesecake looks nearly set and only a small circle in the center jiggles a little bit, it is done. The center will firm up during the cooling time. Never use a toothpick or knife to check.

Why do cheesecakes crack?

Over-mixing the cheesecake batter incorporates too much air, which makes the cheesecake rise during baking then collapses as it cools.

What can I top cheesecake with?

The sky is the limit with topping cheesecakes. Especially when you make cheesecake cupcakes. You can top with fresh fruit, canned fruit compote, or any of your favorite candy bars like Snickers, Reese, or even Twix! Drizzle some caramel or chocolate sauce on top or top with a little freshly whipped whip cream!

Where do you find the eyeball candies?

These candy eyeballs are made by Wilton. I have found them at Walmart, Michael’s Craft Stores, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, and of course Amazon. They come in all shapes and sizes. Perfect for these cupcakes, White Chocolate Halloween Candy Bark, and Monster Apple Slices.

Tips & Tricks

5 cupcakes on cupcake stand topped with red cherries in glaze with candy eyeballs on top next to vanilla extract.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks for making eyeball cakes for Halloween.

Bake ahead – You can bake the cheesecake cupcakes ahead of time and decorate right before serving.
Fruit – The cherry filling works best because it looks like little red eyeballs. But you could also use blueberry filling as well.
Candy Eyeballs – Make sure to place the candy eyeballs on just before you are about to serve. I learned that they don’t do well and bleed as they sit on the cherry compote over night.

Halloween Recipes

I love Halloween and because of that I have quite a few fun Halloween recipes both sweet and savory!

If your entertaining for Halloween or maybe need to make a delicious treat for your child’s school Halloween party. I know for a fact all the kids will love these Bloody Eyeball Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes… at least my crazy Halloween-loving children loves these Halloween cheesecake cupcakes!

If you make these Halloween cheesecake, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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