These deep fried bat wings turn spring roll wrappers into crackly black wings with a soft, oozing cream cheese center. Chive and onion filling and softened spaghetti bones give them that eerie, veiny look. They fry up crisp in under a minute a side, ready for your Halloween table in about 40 minutes total.
This recipe skips the usual paper decorations and food coloring pens people use for Halloween platters. Instead, it dyes the wrapper and filling from the inside, soaking the spring roll skin in black water so the color holds through frying instead of fading into the oil.
The hard part is frying wings you can’t watch for color, since black wrappers give no visual cue as they cook. That’s why timing by the clock matters more than watching the pan, about a minute a side. Go past that window and the thin wrapper scorches fast enough to set the oil smoking.
Deep Fried Bat Wings (Halloween Spring Roll Wings)
8
servings30
minutes10
minutes180
kcalIngredients
5 rectangular spring roll wrappers
8 oz (227g) chive and onion cream cheese spread
20 pieces uncooked spaghetti
Small breadsticks (optional, for the top bone)
Black food coloring
Cooking oil, for frying
Directions
- Dye the water. Fill a shallow pan with slightly warm water and stir in black food coloring until it runs fully dark.
- Soften the spaghetti. Drop the uncooked spaghetti into the black water and let it soften while you work.
- Heat the oil. Set a frying pan over medium-high heat with enough oil for shallow frying.
- Soak a wrapper. Place one spring roll wrapper in the dyed water until it softens and turns black.
- Dye the filling. Mix black food coloring into the cream cheese until it turns a deep grey, then load it into a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off.
- Shape the wing. Lift the softened wrapper onto a cutting board and blot dry with paper towel. Fold it corner to corner, trim into a triangle, then cut down the center into two smaller triangles. Scallop the edges of each triangle with a sharp knife to form the wing shape.
- Add the bones. Unfold each triangle and pipe three lines of cream cheese where the wing bones would sit. Lay two softened spaghetti strands into the piped lines to mimic bone structure, using a breadstick along the top fold if you want extra texture.
- Seal and fry. Fold the wing back over and press gently to seal. Lift carefully with both hands and lower into the hot oil. Fry about one minute per side.
- Drain and cool. Remove to a paper towel or rack and let the wings cool before serving.
FAQs
Can I use round spring roll wrappers instead of rectangular?
Yes, round wrappers work, though you’ll only get one full wing per sheet instead of two. Rectangular wrappers cut diagonally into two matching triangles, which is where the extra yield comes from. If you’re making a big batch, buy rectangular wrappers so you don’t run through your stack as fast.
Why does the oil sometimes catch fire on this recipe?
Overcooked spring roll wrapper thins out fast once the moisture cooks off, and dry pastry catching in hot oil is what causes flare-ups. It happens because the black color hides the usual browning cues that tell you to pull food out. Keep a lid nearby and never leave the pan once wings are frying.
Can I prep the wings ahead of time and fry them later?
You can assemble the wings a few hours ahead if you keep them covered and chilled on a tray. The cream cheese firms up in the fridge, which actually makes the shaped wings easier to lift without tearing. Just bring them close to room temperature before frying so the oil doesn’t seize up.
What can I use instead of chive and onion cream cheese?
Plain cream cheese works fine and takes the black dye just as evenly as the chive and onion version. Swapping it out mostly changes the flavor, not the texture or the ooze you get when you bite in. Herbed cream cheese with dill gives a similar savory bite if you want a change.
Why use spaghetti instead of just piping the cream cheese in vein lines?
The noodles give the wings a raised, ridged texture that piped cream cheese alone can’t hold once it’s sealed inside the wrapper. Spaghetti also cooks through in the same minute the wrapper needs to fry, so nothing stays raw. Undercooked noodles will feel stiff, so soften them fully in the dye bath first.
Can these be baked instead of deep fried?
Baking will get you the shape but not the same snap, since spring roll wrappers need hot oil to blister and crisp properly. A hot oven with a light oil brush comes closest, though the wrapper stays chewier than fried. If you bake, watch closely since the black color still hides overbrowning.
