Description
These Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs are a spooky, delicious appetizer perfect for Halloween or any fun gathering. Cremini mushroom caps are filled with a creamy, garlicky tofu ricotta mixture, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and black olives to resemble eerie eyeballs. Baked until tender, these bite-sized treats are both vegan and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Mushrooms
- 18 ounces (510 g) cremini mushrooms
Filling
- 14-ounce (397 g) package extra-firm tofu, drained but not pressed
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings and Garnishes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes, dry (not in oil)
- 2.5-ounce (71 g) can sliced black olives
Instructions
- Prepare the Mushrooms: Rinse or gently brush off the cremini mushroom caps to clean them. Carefully remove all of the stems and set the caps aside on a baking sheet, making sure they are ready for stuffing.
- Make the Tofu Ricotta Mixture: In a food processor, combine the drained but not pressed tofu, garlic clove, lemon juice, salt, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and black pepper. Puree the mixture until completely smooth to create a creamy ricotta substitute. Transfer the smooth mixture into a piping bag or a zip-top bag fitted with a small round tip for easy filling.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Mushrooms: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Carefully drizzle a couple of drops of balsamic vinegar into each mushroom cap to add a touch of tangy flavor.
- Stuff the Mushrooms: Pipe the tofu ricotta mixture into each mushroom cap, forming small mounds. The amount can vary based on the size of each mushroom to fill them nicely without overflowing.
- Add Toppings: Finely chiffonade the sun-dried tomatoes and gently scrunch the strips to create vein-like textures. Place these tomato pieces atop the stuffed mushrooms. Then, place one slice of black olive on top of each and press down gently to secure.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet with the stuffed mushrooms into the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake until the mushroom caps begin to wrinkle slightly and the filling is warmed through.
- Serve: Serve the stuffed mushroom eyeballs warm, which enhances their flavors, or at room temperature as a spooky appetizer at your party.
Notes
- These stuffed mushroom eyeballs make a perfect vegan and gluten-free appetizer.
- No need to press the tofu; just drain excess water to maintain creaminess.
- Adjust the spices to your taste to enhance the garlic and herb flavors.
- You can use regular or baby bella cremini mushrooms depending on availability.
- Sun-dried tomatoes add a nice contrast in flavor and appearance, making the stuffed mushrooms look more like eerie eyeballs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed mushroom eyeball
- Calories: 10
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
