Host a Day of the Dead party with all the traditions of the celebration but with a healthy twist! Make these no-sugar calavaras de azucar, or low carb sugar skulls. They have no table sugar but use instead a low-carb sweetener. We even show you how to paint your skulls with naturally dyed sugar glaze! They make look fancy but this is truly a simple sugar skull recipe!
We’re not Hispanic or Catholic but we LOVE the Day of the Dead festival! One of the most enjoyable traditions for this holiday is the decorating of skulls formed out of sugar and decorated in bright colors. Also called, Mexican sugar skulls, these Dia de los Muertos sugar skulls are a huge part of the celebration for these days.
The only problem is that, as fun as decorating sugar skulls is, it’s SO sugary. The kids love to decorate them but then always ask to eat them. It’s just too much unhealthy sugar for one celebration in my house – we’d all get sick!
So, we made up a simple low-carb sugar skull so we can still enjoy this traditional activity for Dia de los Muertos.
More Seasonal Family Fun
There’s so much to celebrate this time of year – here are a few more ideas for the season!
*Homemade Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
5 Alternatives to Trick or Treating
*Homestead Holiday To Do List – from October through January!
Low Carb Sugar Skull Recipe for Day of the Dead
Make these no-sugar calavaras de azucar, or low carb sugar skulls. Using a basic recipe for the Indian treat Barfi (or Burvi), you can make these skulls with ricotta, monk fruit sugar, and whole milk powder. Don’t forget a little spice and naturally dyed sugar glaze for decorating.
Day of the Dead Low Carb Sugar Skulls
Ingredients
- 4 Oz. Butter melted
- 3 lbs. Whole Milk Ricotta drained*
- 2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Monk Fruit Sugar powdered
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Nutmeg
- For the Naturally Dyed Sugar Icing
- 1 Cup Monk Fruit Sugar powdered
- 1 Egg white or 1 Tbsp. Egg White
- 1 Tbsp. Milk or Cream
- Natural Icing Dyes see article
Instructions
- Instructions for Low Carb Sugar Skulls
- Generously grease the sugar skull mold with butter or a light oil like avocado. Remove any extra butter or grease.
- In a bowl, mix the milk powder, sugar and spices. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a 12" cast iron skillet, or any quality pan with good heat distribution, on medium heat. A copper bottom pan would also work well. If you don't have either, use whatever large skillet you have.
- Using a wooden kitchen spoon, or any heat resistant kitchen tool, add the ricotta and mix into the butter. Warm the mixture and stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Add in the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. It may seem like it will never mix together, but it will.
- Gently stir and mash the mixture in the pan and continue to cook over medium heat until it thickens. This can take anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes of consistent stirring to prevent burning. You want it very dry so that the mixture will come out of the sugar skull mold.
- One the mixture has thickened and is much drier than when it started out, it's time to put it into the mold. You should be able to pinch some out of the pan and have it hold its form without sticking to your fingers.
- Working quickly, press the mixture into the mold.** Be sure to press the mixture in firmly so that each part of the mold is covered. Allow to sit in a cool, dry place for several hours or overnight.
- When the mixture has dried a little further in the molds and is slightly movable within them, turn over and gently bang to release the sugar skulls. Place them on individual plates to decorate.
- Instructions for Naturally Dyed Royal Icing
- Mix all ingredients together to desired consistency. It should be smooth enough to pipe from a piping bag but not so wet it runs down the skull.
- Break into even amounts and place into ramekins. Mix in dyes of desired colors. Natural dyes can be more muted than chemical dyes, but not always. Don't be shy about adding color until they're just like you want them.
- Decorate as desired. A frosting piping bag will make this easier. You can also use a plastic storage bag with a small corner cut out to use as a tip. You may also use a beeswax reusable wrap in a similar way, though it will be slightly harder to control.
Notes
A Note on Texture
One of the neat things about using this recipe specifically for sugar skulls is that because of how it dries, there are cracks that look a lot like an actual skull! FYI, the longer you cook the recipe, the more it will dry out. You don’t want it so dry that it won’t stick together. However, the drier it is, the more cracks – the more skull-like!
Special Products for Low Carb Sugar Skulls
It’s true that this tradition takes a few specialty tools. Some traditions are SO worth it, though! The first thing I should say is that you should use high quality dairy. You can make your own ricotta cheese using this recipe from Our Salty Kitchen to use.
Or, you can purchase it. Just be sure that’s it rich and full fat.
Likewise ensure that your powdered milk is high quality because cheap, nasty stuff will ruin the flavor of your sugar skulls. I usually purchase Bob’s Red Mill Powdered Milk.
Sugar Skull Molds
I purchased my sugar skull molds from the Mexican Sugar Skull company which I found on Amazon. The molds are high quality and when I had questions about using them for this project, they were super helpful. They shared that people often use them to make Day of the Dead soaps and chocolate skulls. Both sound like something my family would love to incorporate into our celebrations!
I’m happy to recommend the Mexican Sugar Mold company. They’re even a family company, which is extra neat!
Natural Dyes
From Easter Eggs to Yarns, I love natural dyes. Natural dyes for frosting, though, are something I’m willing to purchase most of the time. Oh, a beet frosting is fun to make, but I often run short on time. I don’t DIY EVERYTHING ALL OF THE TIME! And you don’t need to either, unless you want to.
I’ve purchase several different brands of natural dyes and usually use India Tree. However, I really like the gel dyes for royal icing frosting because they blend so well. I’ve been using Chefmaster All Natural Dye lately and like it.
Common Questions
What are Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls Made Of?
Traditionally, Mexican sugar skulls are made of white sugar and egg white. They are really meant to be eaten and are mostly used for decoration. They harden so well that they will last until the mice or the rain find them!
What Does the Day of the Dead Actually Celebrate?
Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is Mexican sister of All Saint’s Day and All Souls’ Day, also being celebrated on the first and second of November. It is a national holiday in Mexico, but is also celebrated in countries like the Philippines and the United States.
It’s a two-day event to honor and celebrate those of our family members who have passed on. Though not a somber celebration, it is a sincere one and draws families closer together through food and fun.
Day of the Dead has its roots in ancient Aztec celebrations of the harvest that were reigned over by the Goddess Mictecacihuatl—the Lady of the Dead. Even though it falls near Halloween, El Dia de los Muertos isn’t meant to be spooky!
Why is it Called Day of the Dead?
The festivities are meant to be a grand celebration of the lives of deceased family members and friends.
Traditions of the day include dressing up with masks and costumes, feasting, signing and dancing. The graves of the departed are cleaned up and decorated, usually with bright marigolds, incense and offerings of favorite foods.
It’s a very recognizable holiday around the world because of the stylized designs associated with it. Decorations featuring grinning skeletons and bright colors are often set up doing goofy things, showcasing the sense of fun and humor that goes with the day. Other favorite decorations include the lovely Papel Picado banners that hang from businesses and homes, as well as marigold flowers.
This is a fun seasonal treat. And it’s good there is monk fruit as the sweetener. I bet my kids would like these…
Thanks for stopping by, Allison! They are fun – a little more involved than sugar cookie decorating, but they come with such a great tradition and story!
Totally love the idea of a low carb option, too much sugar and the kids go crazy! Just wondering if there’s another alternative to the monk fruit sugar? I don’t think it’s available where I live but I’m keen to try this recipe.
Great question, Amy! Any granulated sugar will do, so feel free to experiment. Traditional skulls are made of nothing but table sugar and egg white as a binder. Monk fruit sugar is granulated like table sugar and is a natural choice as a replacement for those counting carbs (like the Keto peeps) in our recipe, but any sugar will do. Because the base ingredients in this recipe are so different from a traditional skull, you could probably experiment with coconut sugar, raw sugar or even honey. Maybe even maple syrup – yum!
This is so creative! What a fun way to make it healthier! And thank you for the tip on the natural dyes! I’ve been wondering what would be a better alternative to the regular synthetic store-bought ones!
Thanks for stopping by, Kaylee! We’re blessed to live in a world of many natural dye options, right? They’re easy to use in a lot of different recipes, too.
These molds are delightful! My son has a Halloween birthday, and we incorporate Day of the Dead decorations all over the house (in fact we have already decorated although it is still almost a month away). Those molds look incredible and I can’t wait to try this recipe and to make some skull soap. How fun!!! Can’t wait to check out the natural dyes as well. I usually use India Tree, but I want to try the other brand for comparison. I am with you, beet frosting can be fun to make, but holy moly!!
So glad it was useful! The company has a lot of different molds, so if you don’t see what you want on Amazon, go directly to their site. The owners were so kind and helpful when I had questions, too.
I like India Tree, too – especially for sprinkles! I really liked having the gel for frosting, though. It takes a lot to make a bright color – typical of natural dyes besides turmeric – but since it’s only once a year, I don’t mind.
These are so cool! I don’t know that I would eat a sugar skull even if it is low carb…they’re too pretty! Thanks so much for sharing on Farm Fresh Tuesdays!
Thanks, Lisa! I think they’re pretty, too. Super fun to make with the kids!
They sound delicious! We love making special treats for Halloween, so we may try these this year!
Hope you enjoy them!