These Jack Skellington Chocolate Bowls filled with Cookies 'n Cream Cheesecake Mousse are to die for and they are perfect desserts to serve at a Halloween celebration or a Nightmare Before Christmas party.
If you can pipe chocolate circles, ovals, and lines, you can decorate these cool-looking white chocolate Jack Skellington bowls. Jack's face is simplistic so it's easy to add to desserts and appetizers.
I've shared recipes to make a Jack Skellington Dip and Jack Skellington Cheesecakes. Today, I'll show you how to make these chocolate bowls.
The edible bowls are made by dipping a small balloon in white chocolate or white candy melts. In the past, I've shown you how to use silicone molds to make chocolate cups, but those cups are only a half-sphere. These bowls need to be taller like my Grinch Candy Cups in order to add Jack's face, so you have to use a balloon.
The process of making the chocolate bowls using a balloon is fairly simple and I'll show you how in the video and step-by-step tutorial below.
I chose to fill my candy cups with cookies and cream mousse but you can fill them with candy, homemade no-churn vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate mousse, or chocolate truffles.
So, let's make some chocolate bowls.
Ingredients
white chocolate - Use either pure white chocolate which has been melted and tempered or white candy melts that have been simply melted. If you want bright white instead of off-white chocolate bowls, you will need to use Bright White Candy Melts.
pure dark chocolate or black candy melts - Pure chocolate will need to be tempered. Black candy melts can simply be melted.
You can find detailed instructions for working with chocolate and candy melts on my Chocolate Making Tips page.
cookies and cream mousse - Make this delicious mousse using cream cheese, sugar, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, whipped topping (Cool Whip), and OREO Cookies. See the recipe below.
Supplies
5-inch round balloons - Do not use really thin water balloons. They pop! Buy small round balloons, instead. Then just blow them up so they are the size of an orange.
parchment paper-lined baking sheets
zip-top bag
You can find items needed to make this recipe on Amazon.com. I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the affiliate links on this page at no extra cost to you.
Wilton Candy Melts, Bright ...Shop on Amazon 
Wilton Black Candy Melts® ...Shop on Amazon 
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Wilton Disposable 16-Inch D...Shop on AmazonInstructions
Make chocolate bowls using balloons.
- Dip a balloon into a bowl of melted and cooled white chocolate.
- Lift it out of the chocolate and then dip just the very bottom of the balloon back into the chocolate quickly and lift it out.
- Repeat this process a few times until most of the excess white chocolate has dripped off.
- Shake the balloon gently to allow any more chocolate to drip off before placing it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Dip more balloons.
- Place the balloons in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens.
Tips
If you are using pure white chocolate, it will already be cool enough to dip the balloons. If you are using candy melts, allow the candy melts to cool to at least 95 degrees before dipping the balloons. If the chocolate is too hot, you can pop the balloons.
Remove the balloons from the bowls.
Sorry, but I didn't take a picture of this step so I'm using a picture from my Peppermint Bark Bowls tutorial.
Once the white chocolate has hardened, snip a tiny hole in the top of the balloon near the knot. Allow the air to slowly release from the balloon. If you pop the balloon and it explodes, the bowl might break.
Peel the balloon off the bottom of the chocolate bowl.
Pipe on Jack Skellington's face.
Fill a small zip-top bag with melted black candy melts or melted and tempered pure dark chocolate.
Snip off one tip of the bag.
Pipe on two eyes, eyebrows, nostrils, and a stitched mouth.
Refrigerate for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens.
Fill the cups with mousse or candy or whatever you like.
Video
Be sure to watch the video below to see how to make these cups,
Recipe
- 24 ounces pure white chocolate, melted and tempered
- OR white candy melts, melted
- 4 ounces pure dark chocolate, melted and tempered
- OR black candy melts, melted
- 2 - 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 16 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
- 18 Oreo Cookies
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Dip a small balloon in white chocolate so that you cover about ¾ of the balloon.
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Remove balloon from the white chocolate and allow the excess to drip off.
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Set dipped balloon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
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Repeat dipping a total of 6 balloons.
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Refrigerate for about 5 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
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Repeat, dipping 6 more balloons.
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Remove balloons from fridge and immediately cut a small hole in the top of the balloon and allow the balloon to gently deflate.
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Pull the balloon out of the chocolate bowl and discard.
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Pour the black candy melts or dark chocolate into a small zip top bag.
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Snip off one tip from the bag.
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Pipe eyes, nostrils, and a mouth onto each bowl creating Jack's face.
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Freeze for 2-3 minutes until hardened.
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Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
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Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
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Add marshmallow fluff and vanilla bean paste or extract and beat until well combined.
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Pour in whipped topping and beat until creamy and smooth.
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Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
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Pipe the cheesecake mousse into each chocolate bowl filling them just half way.
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Break up an Oreo and crumble it in each chocolate bowl.
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Pipe a big swirl of cheesecake mousse over the cookies in each chocolate bowl.
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Crush the remaining Oreo Cookies into fine crumbs.
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Sprinkle the crumbs over top of the mousse filled bowls.
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Serve.
Recipe Video
See my Chocolate Making Tips page for detailed instructions for melting and/or tempering chocolate.
Make the chocolate bowls up to 2 weeks in advance. Store them at room temperature.
Fill them with the cookies and cream mousse just before serving.
- You can keep the mousse refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- It's best not to refrigerate the bowls but if you need to set a cardboard box over top of the filled bowls so that the box will wick up any condensation that might form keeping the chocolate bowls from becoming wet and sticky.
Related Recipes
Be sure to check out these other chocolate cup tutorials.
Sprinkle Coated White Chocolate Bowls
Grinch Candy Cups • Peppermint Bark Balloon Bowls
Santa Suit Chocolate Cups
- Irresistible Sweets with Dixie Crystals® - July 13, 2024
- How to make peanut butter? - February 15, 2024
- OREO Penguins - December 20, 2023
Clare Shalala says
Thanks ,saw these , i volunteer at the soup kitchen by making lunch , thought these would be great for dessert on Halloween
Beth says
I hope everyone enjoys their special Halloween desserts! Have fun making them.
Elly Rivera says
Por favor como consigo pelusa de marhsmelowws y pasta de vainilla o es lo mismo que esencia de vainilla. Gracias por la respuesta
Beth says
Marshmallow fluff is soft marshmallow cream. You can buy it in tubs at the grocery store or make homemade. Vanilla Bean Paste is a thick version of vanilla extract that has flecks of vanilla bean in it. I love use it because it has such a wonderful flavor but vanilla extract will work just as well.
Barbara says
Can you make the bowls orange to make pumpkins
Beth says
Yes you can. That works out great!
Krissy says
Can I make the bowls ahead of time and freeze them and if so should I decorate the face after I pull them from the freezer?
Beth says
You can make them ahead of time and just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. If you freeze them for too long they will crack and will get sticky from condensation.
Hanna says
Hi. I am attempting to make these bowls and my balloons are sticking to the chocolate. When I peel the balloon off it leaves a color layer from the balloon on the bowl. I feel that's not safe to eat. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks in advance.
Beth says
You may be having trouble removing the balloons for a few reasons.
If your chocolate has not hardened enough the balloon can stick. Make sure the candy feels hard and looks somewhat shiny before removing the balloons. I find it best to remove the balloons as soon as the bowls come out of the freezer. Sometimes you really have to pull them out of the cups. On occasion you may even have to pick pieces off the bowl. If you can't get it all out, you need to throw that bowl away.
If you let your chocolate bowls sit in the freezer for too long and they become sticky and wet then the balloons can stick.There is nothing to you can do once this happens. If you get distracted while working, set an alarm to alert you so you can get the balloons out of the freezer.
If the balloons are old they lose some of their elasticity and they will stick. I try to buy new packages of balloons each time I'm making edible bowls.
I hope that helps.
Maggie says
How far in advance can I make the bowls? Super cute idea!!
Beth says
You can make the bowls up to a few weeks in advance. Thanks!
Katherine says
Best to make them as close to serving time as possible because condensation in the fridge will make them sticky
Beth says
Yes, I like to fill them just before serving so that I don't have to refrigerate the chocolate bowls. If you do make them ahead of time, cover them with a cardboard box. The box will wick up the condensation.
Nicole says
My balloons are popping =\
Beth says
Are you using water balloons? If so, they are too thin. You need to use 5 inch balloons that are much thicker than a water balloon. If the balloon looks a bit transparent before it's blown up, it's too thin. The balloons should look opaque. I had the same trouble with popping when I used water balloons. You might also need to let your candy coating cool a bit. If it's too hot it can pop even a thick balloon.
Kari says
Our balloons popped, too. We used 5" balloons from the party store. 🙁
Beth says
I would think those would work but they may be too thin. Are the balloons opaque before you blow them up or can you see through them? They need to be thick.
Did you try letting the candy melts cool? They may be too hot.
Kari Myers says
We let the candy melts cool more, and it worked. Thanks for sharing, the kids are loving this!
Beth says
I'm so happy to hear that you got them to work!
The partiologist says
Those bowls are soooo cool, what a fantastic idea!
Beth says
Thanks, Kim!
Pamela Grove says
My 28 year old niece has been into basically anything that is Tim Burton, especially The Nightmare Before Christmas ever since she was a young teen so I forwarded the email on these when I received it the yesterday. I just received one back saying these are "so cool". I think she might be hinting that I make her some. I've made bowls using chocolate before so that's not a problem. I'm glad you mentioned about needing to have the chocolate be dipped higher than usual for these, I might not have thought of that. However, I'm still not 100% sure about decorating his face. I've looked and looked but I don't see any specific directions for it. I notice you mention about being able to pipe it, but did you pipe directly on the bowl (for sure I will hold it too hard and break some if I do that) or did you pipe the individual components of the face and attack it to the bowl with additional chocolate? Just how did you get the face on the bowl? thanks
Beth says
Hi Pamela,
I'm happy to hear your niece thinks the bowl are cool! If you make them for her, I hope she loves them.
Sorry, I accidentally forgot to add those instructions above. As far as getting the face onto to the bowls, yes, you pipe the eyes, nostrils, and mouth onto the bowl using black candy melts or dark chocolate. Pour the chocolate into a zip top bag, snip the tip, and pipe directly onto the bowl. Be sure to hold the bowls gently so they don't break. I decorated all my bowls without a single crack. Good luck and have fun!
Danie Abbotoy says
I think you could decorate them before removing the balloon, to make it easier...
Beth says
That's a great suggestion. Thanks!
Teresa says
I have a question about candy melts? do they have a shelf life? someone gave me some candy melts. the only thing she couldn't say was how old they were. some of the packages were never opened and some had been opened. I'd like to be able to use them but I'm just not if I should. any help that you could give me I would appreciate it.
Beth says
Hi Teresa,
Candy Melts will stay fresh and taste good for at least 6 months and possibly up to a year. I've noticed that as they age they lose their flavor. So, open a package and taste a wafer. If it still tastes good then go ahead and use them. Once you melt them you may find that they are rather thick. That can happen with age or improper storage. You can thin them out using Wilton EZ Thin or paramount crystals (aff links). Find more detailed information on my Chocolate Making Tips page.