Turn ordinary olives into Black Olive Owls using orange cheese slices and bits of carrots for Halloween or a Harry Potter party. Fun food for kids.
For years, I've seen those cute penguins made out of black olives at parties and online and felt it was finally time for me to try my hand at making an adorable olive animal.
I love using black olives to make my food art. It's one of the true black-colored food items. I've used olives to make Teddy Bear Taco Tart, a Cheese Slice Owl, a Vampire Pizza, Mini Cheese Ball Chicks, and a Frankenstein's Monster Taco Dip.
As I sat staring down into a can filled with black olives, trying not to eat all of them before I made anything, it dawned on me that olives have a similar shape to owls and better yet many owls are covered in black feathers.
I figured turning them into owls would be easy. So, let's make some olive owls.
Ingredients
jumbo black olives
cream cheese, softened
carrot
American cheese
yellow and black food coloring
Supplies
disposable pastry bag
paper straw or lollipop stick
food-use-only paintbrush
small round cutter about ⅝ inches
1 wooden skewer (a lollipop stick would work as well)
Items used to create this project are available on Amazon.com. I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this page at no extra cost to you.
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Instructions
Cut the ears out of an olive.
Start by draining your black olives really well. Pat the outside and inside dry, or allow them to sit and dry for a while. I actually dried the inside using a clean cotton swab.
My olives had an X cut into one end, so I used that to my advantage. I made the cut bigger on two sides, but instead of going at an angle, I cut straight down forming a rectangle with a triangular top. Then I took the blunt end of a wooden skewer, pushed it up into the olive, and carefully lifted the cut pieces of olives up just enough so they looked like owl "horns" or "ears."
Most olives will have slits, but if they don't just cut them yourself.
Stuff cream cheese into the olive.
Then put some whipped cream cheese into a pastry bag, snip off the tip, and pipe it into the olive, filling it about ⅔ full.
Insert a straw.
Then insert a paper straw or lollipop stick into the cream cheese-filled olive.
Make carrot beaks.
Cut the carrot into thin slices, then cut triangular beaks out of each slice. Cut a slit into the front of the olive and slide one beak into it.
Make the eyes and feet out of cheese.
If you want glowing eyes, paint some yellow food coloring over the American Cheese Slice and allow it to dry then cut out small circles. Draw on the pupils using a black food coloring marker.
Cut the feet using a daisy plunger cutter. Then cut off three "petals" to form the feet.
Assemble the Olive Owls.
Use a bit of cream cheese to attach the eyes and feet to the black olives.
Tips
It's best to attach the cheese just before serving. I made these and kept them in the refrigerator for several days and the black food coloring bled a bit onto the yellow food coloring. So, I don't recommend making the eyes or attaching them too early.
Related Recipes
Be sure to check out all of my Halloween food ideas.
Recipe
Cream cheese-filled jumbo black olives are decorated to look like owls using cheese and carrots. These cute olive owls will make a fun Halloween appetizer or after school snack.
- 8 jumbo black olives, drained and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- 1 carrot
- 1 slice American cheese
- yellow food coloring
- black food coloring marker
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Cut two of the slits on the end of the olives and pull them up keeping them attached to form the owl's head feathers.
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Pipe cream cheese into each of the bottom of the olives (opposite the head feathers).
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Insert a paper straw or thick lollipop stick into the cream cheese through the bottom of each olive.
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Cut the carrot into thin slices. Cut out 8 small triangular beaks for the owls. Cut a small slit into the middle of each owl and insert one carrot beak.
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Brush yellow food coloring over about ¾ of the American cheese slice and let that dry. Cut out 8 small circles using a small round cutter out of the yellow-colored cheese. Draw black pupils onto each circle to create the owl's eyes.
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Cut the remaining cheese using small daisy cutters. Cut out 8 owl feet by cutting off 3 of the petals together in one grouping.
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Use cream cheese to attach two cheese eyes and two cheese feet to each olive owl.
Store your olive owls in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before serving.
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Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff says
I'm in love with your owls! They are just too cute ... love how tiny they are and want to make a flock of them 🙂
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
Not an olive lover, but these are so stinkin' adorable, they make me wanna be! These are one of the cutest food crafts you've made! :o)
beth says
Wow, thanks. That's so nice to hear =)
ami@naivecookcooks says
This is so so creative!
Suzanne @ Flour Arrangements says
Cutest ever! My kids will flip over these.
Alexis Middleton says
Adorable as always, Beth!
bethany dearden says
These are simply adorable! And my toddler is just loving olives lately, so I know these would be a huge hit with him!
Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com says
These are SO cute!!
Kat Jeter says
OMG, these are soooo cute!
Jo and Sue says
Sooooooooooooooo cute! 🙂
Lisa@hooplapalooza says
Hooo Hooo is the BEST at making anything edible? YOU! :>D
The Partiologist says
My oh my, I do love these owls, who would have thought to put olives on a straw - they are adorable!
Susan @ Oh My! Creative says
So cute! Love them!
Sue says
Oh my goodness, so adorable! They sound yummy too!
Maria says
So adorable!
Lynn@Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Absolutely adorable! Big smiles here:@)
Jessica Coleman says
What awesome owls an im sure their just as tasty too.