Creepy Halloween Hand Recipe (2024)

A flavored cream cheese dip shaped into a creepy hand and wrapped in prosciutto to make a disturbingly realistic Halloween appetizer in just 10 minutes!

Why Make This Recipe?

• It's festive and unique: This creepy Halloween hand is perfect for either adult and kid Halloween parties and will be sure to leave everyone impressed by your creativity! (I won't tell that you had a recipe!)
  • Pair this appetizer with my Rice Krispie Treats Pumpkins and Hocus Pocus Book Brownies for a fully festive Halloween bash!
• It's easy: This may look like you need a background in sculpting to create, but it's actually embarrassingly easy. There is no cooking required, simply mix your cream cheese with some dry ingredients then spread into a hand-like structure. The prosciutto will do the rest as far as covering up any imperfections!
• It's customizable: I like to mix my cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, basil and oregano, but you can use any seasonings you'd like. You could even toss in some diced peppers, olives, or green onions, or change it up by mixing in various cheeses.
• It's a delicious appetizer: This Halloween hand isn't just for show! The flavors in this prosciutto cream cheese dip blend perfectly together and make for an incredibly tasty appetizer!
  • If you're a fan of cream cheese, try out this Marinated Cheese or this Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Ball as other fun party appetizers!
• It's creepy: In addition to being festive for a Halloween party, this creepy hand truly has a wildly unsettling appearance. I have friends who won't even touch this because it's so realistic, so it's a great recipe if you're just a little bit psycho like me! 🙂

Ingredient Notes

• Prosciutto: You'll need 4 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto for creating the "skin" of the hand. I like Citterio brand the best, as it is readily available in my area and sliced perfectly for the thickness we need. Whatever kind you use, just make sure it is thinly sliced so it is easy to work with. (Traditionally prosciutto will be cut thin so this shouldn't be an issue!)
• Cream cheese: To make any cream cheese dip, I always choose Philadelphia brand and I try to use ⅓ less fat when possible. You will need 16 oz of cream cheese for this recipe.
• Pre-made log of prosciutto and mozzarella: You should be able to find this 8 oz pre-made log of rolled prosciutto and mozzarella in your specialty cheese aisle at the grocery store. This helps make a super easy wrist bone to start structuring the hand.
  • If you're unable to find one, you can simply use a little extra prosciutto and cream cheese to form a bit of a wrist structure!
• You'll also need your favorite flavoring ingredients for the cream cheese dip. I chose to use 1 tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, plus ½ tablespoon each of dried basil and oregano.

Step by Step Photos

To start, allow 16 oz of cream cheese to soften slightly at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. Then, in a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese with your desired flavorings (I used 1 tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder and ½ tablespoon each of dried basil and oregano).

1. Place your prosciutto/mozzarella log down on your serving platter of choice as the wrist bone. Make sure you leave enough room on your platter for the rest of the hand! (PS:You don't have to use saran wrap, I just did that because I needed it for photographing on my chalkboard!)
   • If you were unable to find a pre-made prosciutto/mozzarella roll, you can simply use an extra 8 oz of cream cheese and 2 oz of prosciutto. (Just be sure to increase your seasoning amounts to compensate for the extra cream cheese!)
2. Spoon out about 1 C worth of your cream cheese mixture to make the palm of the hand at the base of the wrist bone. Smooth a little over the top of the prosciutto log to make it continuous.
3. Next, roughly create the 5 fingers with your remaining cream cheese mixture, saving a little for touch-ups.
   • You can use a small spatula for this, but I find it is easier to just use your fingers!
4. Smooth out all of the fingers and add extra cream cheese as needed to give the form of a true hand.
   • Don't forget to add a little extra "hand meat" between the thumb and palm and the pinky finger and palm to make the hand look more realistic.
   • Nothing here has to be too smooth or perfect because you're going to be lining it with prosciutto, but keep in mind that prosciutto is very thin so you'll at least want to have the thickness of the fingers correct!
5. Cover the cream cheese entirely with prosciutto pieces.
   • I find that it looks more realistic/creepy to rip the prosciutto into smaller pieces first, rather than just laying it down in full sheets. This also gives you some of the creepy looking fat strips, too!
     • This will also make it simpler to eat because the smaller pieces will easily break off with crackers or a cheese knife rather than having to constantly slice through a large piece of prosciutto with each bite!

That’s it! Serve with a cheese knife and sturdy crackers like Wheat Thins and be prepared to freak out all of your Halloween party guests! Enjoy! 🙂

Any leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten within 3-5 days!

FAQs and Expert Tips

• Shopping:When shopping for ingredients, remember that you'll need 4 oz of sliced prosciutto (I recommend Citterio brand), 16 oz of cream cheese (I recommend ⅓ fat by Philadelphia), and a pre-made log of prosciutto and mozzarella rolled together. (If you're unable to find this, you can substitute for an extra 8 oz of cream cheese and 2 oz of prosciutto.)
  • If you don't already have them at home, you'll also need garlic and onion powder, as well as dried basil and oregano. (However, you can use any seasonings you'd like, see the substitutions bullet point below.)
  • Don't forget some crackers for serving as well! I prefer Wheat Thins for this dip because they are sturdy enough to cut through the prosciutto.
• Substitutions:Prosciutto is non-negotiable for this recipe since it makes the "skin" look so realistic. However, you can substitute the cream cheese for another sturdy, spreading cheese such as flavored goat cheese, or even combine various types of cheeses for a more unique flavor.
  • You can also swap out the seasonings for diced peppers, olives, green onions, or any other of your favorite dip ingredients! (Just be sure they aren't too chunky or it will ruin the appearance of the hand!)
• Prep:The step by step photos above should walk you through the preparation of this prosciutto cream cheese dip, just remember to use a serving dish that is large enough for the hand to lay flat and allow enough time for your cream cheese to soften for easier mixing and spreading (about 15-20 minutes.)
• Making ahead of time: If you're strapped for time on the day of your Halloween bash, you can definitely make this prosciutto cream cheese dip in advance! The cream cheese will hold its shape well in the refrigerator. Simply create then follow the storage directions below until ready to serve.
• Storage:Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container (or by wrapping your serving dish in plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Related Recipes

• Rice Krispie Treats Pumpkins
• Hocus Pocus Book Brownies
• Kentucky Hot Brown Dip
• Taco Dip Flag

What do you think? Did this recipe make thecutfor you or did itcrumble? What would you do differently? Leave a comment below! 🙂

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