Edible Fake Blood – Perfect for Halloween!

Need gruesome, glossy, realistic blood for your Halloween bakes? This easy edible fake blood takes five ingredients and about 10 minutes, and it tastes of fruit and vanilla rather than food coloring.

Cranberry juice gives it a deep red base, corn syrup makes it glossy and slow-dripping, and a little cornstarch (cornflour) thickens it so it clings to cakes instead of running straight off. Drizzle it over a Spooky Halloween Cake, pour it over a Baileys Freakshake or run it around the rim of a Purple People Eater cocktail.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Five ingredients, 10 minutes: everything goes into one small pan.
• Safe to eat: it is made entirely from food ingredients, so it is fine on cakes, cupcakes, cookies and drinks.
• Realistic: thick, glossy and slow to drip, and you control the shade.
• Not just for baking: use it for Halloween make up, costumes and decorations too. My kids even used it to make our carved pumpkins extra gory.
• Make ahead: it keeps in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Here’s What You’ll Need

One batch makes about 1 cup (250ml).

• ⅓ cup (80ml) cranberry juice – cherry or pomegranate juice work too, and all three add color and flavor. Water is fine, but you will need more food coloring.
• 2 tbsp (15g) cornstarch (cornflour) – this thickens the blood. Add more for thicker blood, less for runnier.
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract – optional, or use any colorless extract for flavor.
• ¾ cup (250g) light corn syrup or liquid glucose – in the UK, Dr Oetker liquid glucose is easy to find; the tubes are 140g, so you will need two.
• ½ tsp red gel food coloring – I use Wilton No Taste Red. Add 1–2 drops of blue or brown for a darker, more realistic shade.

How to Make Edible Fake Blood

1. Make a slurry. Stir the cornstarch into the cranberry juice in a small saucepan until completely dissolved, with no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and corn syrup (or liquid glucose) and stir again.

1. Heat gently. Set the pan over low heat and stir constantly for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Heating activates the cornstarch, which is what gives the blood its body (nobody likes runny blood!).
2. Color. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the red food coloring a little at a time until you like the shade. Add a drop or two of blue or brown for a deeper red-brown.
3. Cool and store. Let the blood cool – it thickens as it does – then transfer to a jar or airtight container.

Cook’s tip

Getting the Color Right

Fresh blood is bright red; older blood is darker and browner. Always add the color off the heat and check it by dripping a little onto a white plate – it looks much darker in the pan than it does on a cake.

How to Use Edible Fake Blood

• On cakes and cupcakes. Let the blood cool completely and chill your cake first, so the drips stop where you want them. Spoon it around the top edge and nudge it over, or use a small ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. It stays glossy and slightly tacky rather than setting hard, so add it within a few hours of serving.
• For dipping. Serve a bowl of blood alongside my crisp meringue bones – deliciously gruesome. And for the full crime scene, splatter it over my Halloween Bone Cake.
• For fine detail. An Oxo silicone squeeze bottle gives you much more control for splatters, drips and writing.
• On cocktails and drinks. Dip the rim of the glass into a saucer of blood, turn it upright and let it run down the sides.
• For make up and decorations. It is made from food ingredients, but keep it away from the eyes. Red food coloring can stain skin, fabric and porous surfaces, so test a small patch first and protect costumes you care about.

Recipe Variations

• Liquid glucose: a direct swap, ¾ cup (250g).
• Golden syrup: use the same amount. It is amber, so add an extra drop of blue to keep the red from looking orange.
• Honey: use the same amount. The flavor comes through, and honey is not suitable for babies under one.
• Add some Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre) – it not only intensifies the color, it greatly enhances the flavor.

How Much to Make

One batch gives about 16 tablespoons. For a party or class activity, allow about 1 tablespoon per person – so two batches is plenty for 30 children.

More Spooky Halloween Recipes

• Halloween Bone Cake
• Spooky Halloween Cake
• Toffee Apples (Candy Apples)
• Meringue Bones
• Purple People Eater – Color Changing Halloween Cocktail

HAVE YOU MADE MY EDIBLE FAKE BLOOD RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day!

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions

This one is – it is made entirely from food ingredients. Most store-bought fake blood is made for costumes and is not meant to be eaten, so always check the label.

Yes. Liquid glucose is a direct swap, and golden syrup or honey should also work – see the section above.

Yes. Use beet juice or tart cherry juice as the liquid and leave the coloring out. The color will be more of a dark pink-red and less vivid.

It can. Red food coloring may stain skin for a day or so and can mark fabric and porous surfaces. Rinse with cold water straight away.

No. It stays glossy and a little tacky, which is what makes it look fresh, so handle decorated bakes carefully.

Up to three weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge.