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    Home » Recipes » Day of the Dead

    Sugar Skull Video Tutorial

    Published: Oct 10, '20 · Modified: Oct 20, '20 · By: Beth · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make Sugar Skulls (Calavera) for the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) using a plastic skull mold then see how to decorate the skulls using colorful royal icing. Watch my Sugar Skull Video Tutorial.

    four sugar skulls decorated with colorful royal icing flowers, hearts, spider webs and more on a black background

    Sugar Skull

    Have you seen elaborately a decorated Sugar Skull and wanted to make one? I have put together a video tutorial to show you how to make sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead but before we get to that let me tell you a little bit about the tradition of making sugar skulls.

    What is the Day of the Dead?

    • The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a celebration of life, not death.
    • It is believed that the gates of heaven open at midnight on October 31st and the spirits of the dead can be reunited with their families. The deceased children come on November 1st and the adults on November 2nd.
    • This holiday is celebrated in Mexico and parts of South America but has also become increasingly popular among Latino communities in the United States. We even hosted a Day of the Dead themed party back in 2013.
    • Sugar skulls are a traditional craft that are made to be placed on beautifully decorated altars (ofrendas) by the family of a deceased relative during the Day of the Dead celebration.

    What is placed on the alter for Dia de los Muertos?

    • Every altar (ofrenda) should include the four elements:
      • Water - is often placed in pitchers on the alter so the spirits can quench their thirst.
      • Wind - is represented by traditional paper banners, known as Papel picados, that blow in the wind.
      • Earth -  is represented by food and flowers because the cycle of death and life is often associated with new crops growing up in fields where crops died the season before.
      • Fire - Candles help the spirits find their way.

    Ideas for food to be placed on your Ofrenda:

    • Cheesecake Mousse Skulls
    • Burrito Skulls or Enchilada Skulls
    • Pan de Muerto
    • Champurrado
    • Calavera Cookies

     

    how to make sugar skulls tutorial image with 4 decorated sugar skulls on a black background

    How to make Sugar Skulls

    Supplies needed to make a sugar skull:

    • meringue powder
      • Meringue powder is composed of cornstarch, dried egg whites, sugar, citric acid and some stabilizers.
      • Some sugar skull recipes call for raw egg whites, which are fine to use being sugar skulls are meant to be decorations and are not usually eaten.
    • granulated sugar
    • water
    • plastic skull mold
      • the recipe below will make 4 sugar skulls that are approximately 4 inches long and 3 ½ inches deep
      • I used a mold that I've had on hand for many years. I'll link below to some skull molds that are available on amazon.
    • royal icing and food coloring

    You can find supplies needed to make these homemade sugar skulls from amazon (commission earned for sales).

    Sugar Skull Video Tutorial

     

    Sugar Skull Recipe

    collage of images showing how to make the sugar skull mixture

    1. Stir together the sugar and meringue powder then add the water and stir until all the sugar is wet.
      • I used a food processor to make sure the sugar gets evenly mixed with the water.
    2. Squeeze together some of the sugar and if it holds together, it's ready.
      • If it's too dry, add some more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you get the right consistency.

    collage of images showing how to mold sugar skulls

    How to create sugar skulls using a plastic skull mold:

    1. Spoon some of the wet sugar into a 3-D skull mold.
    2. Press the sugar into the mold, compacting it tightly.
    3. Continue to fill the mold then scrape off any excess sugar so that you have a flat surface on top.
    4. Fill both the front half and back half of the mold.
    5. Place a piece of parchment paper and cardboard over the top of the mold.
    6. Carefully flip the mold and board upside down.
    7. Set the cardboard on the counter.
    8. Lift the mold of the sugar skull.
      • If the sugar skull sticks it is too wet. You will need to pour the sugar back into the bowl and add a bit more dry sugar to the mixture.
      • If the skull breaks apart, it's too dry. Pour the sugar mixture back into the bowl and add a bit more water.
    9. Allow the skull to dry for at least 6 hours. Then turn it over and allow the other side to dry for at least 6 hours.
    10. Spread a thin layer of royal icing in between the two halves of the skull.
    11. Press them together, remove any icing that has oozed out from in between the two pieces, then let dry for at least an hour before decorating.

    NOTE: Sugar skulls need to dry hard so it is best not to make them on humid days when there is too much moisture in the air.

    collage of images showing how to decorate a sugar skull using royal icing

    You can decorate your sugar skulls using paint, foils, colored glue, glitter, or royal icing.

    There is no limit to the designs you can make. Be creative and have fun adding your decorations. I used brightly colored royal icing to decorate mine.

    Sugar Skull (Calvera) Recipe

    5 from 2 votes
    four sugar skulls decorated with colorful royal icing flowers, hearts, spider webs and more on a black background
    Print
    Sugar Skull Recipe
    Prep Time
    1 hr
    Drying time
    1 d
    Total Time
    1 hr
     

    Sugar skulls made using granulated sugar, meringue powder, and water are hardened then decorated with colorful royal icing to be placed on an altar for the Day of the Dead. 

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: day of the dead, sugar skulls
    Servings: 4 skulls
    Author: Beth
    Ingredients
    Sugar Skulls
    • ¼ cup meringue powder
    • 6 cups granulated sugar
    • ⅓ cup water
    Royal Icing
    • 7 ½ teaspoon meringue powder
    • 6 teaspoons water
    • 1 pound powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
    • food coloring
    Instructions
    1. Mix the sugar, meringue powder, and water together until the sugar holds together when squeezed. If the sugar is too loose add a bit more water.  

    2. Fill both the front and back of the skull mold with the wet sugar compacting it tightly so that there are no air holes. Scrape off the excess so that the tops are flat. 

    3. Cut some parchment paper and cardboard so that they are a bit bigger than the skull mold. Set the parchment paper over the top of the mold then set the cardboard on top of the parchment paper. Grab onto the mold and cardboard, and carefully flip them upside down and set on the counter. Carefully lift the mold up off the sugar skulls. The mold should come right off. If the sugar sticks, it's too wet. Scrape it out of the mold, clean the mold, and add some more dry sugar to the mixture and try molding it again. If your sugar skulls do not hold together you will need to add a bit more water. 

    4. Allow your sugar skulls to dry for at least 6 hours before flipping them over so that the other side can dry as well. Let them dry a minimum of 12 hours. 

    5. Make royal icing by whisking the water and meringue powder then adding the powdered sugar and almond extract and beating until it begins to lose its shine. 

    6. Spread a thin layer of royal icing on the flat part of the backside of each skull. Press the front and back sides together. Use your finger to wipe off the icing that oozes out from between the two pieces. Allow the icing to dry for at least an hour before decorating your skulls. 

    7. Color the royal icing using food coloring then spoon into pastry bags fitted with small round tips. 

    8. Pipe royal icing onto the skulls creating any designs you like. 

    9. Allow the icing to dry for several hours before using them to decorate your Day of the Dead altar. 

    Recipe Notes
    • The entire process from start to finish will take approximately 24 hours due to all the drying time. 
    • These skulls can be eaten but they are really supposed to be used as decoration, not as a dessert. 

    This tutorial was originally posted on October 29, 2018.

    Day of the Dead Recipes - Skull shaped food including Pizza Skulls and Sweet Sugar Skull Brownies.

    See more Day of the Dead recipes, here.

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth
    Beth
    Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth
    Latest posts by Beth (see all)
    • Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers - February 15, 2023
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    More Day of the Dead Recipes

    • Cakesicle Skulls
    • Burrito Skulls...creepy Halloween dinner or appetizer!
    • Cheesecake Mousse Skulls
    • Sugar Skull Brownies - perfect dessert to celebrate Day of the Dead

    About Beth

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    1. Connor

      May 03, 2022 at 5:28 am

      This is a great recipe but would I be able to do it without meringue powder or with flour instead

      Reply
      • Beth

        May 07, 2022 at 2:39 pm

        Thanks! You can make them using egg whites instead of meringue powder. I have not done that but you can find recipes online using egg whites. I have not seen any recipes using flour.

        Reply
    2. Elia Najera

      October 09, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      I do not see links for the skull molds. I am really looking forward to make these!

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 10, 2020 at 10:47 am

        Hi Elia,

        The actual mold that I used is no longer available but you can find other similar skull molds on Amazon. Here's one that I think would work well - https://amzn.to/3nJWiLd
        Here's another - https://amzn.to/2SKSTgC
        And another - https://amzn.to/36TaUBU

        Have fun making and decorating your sugar skulls!

        Reply
    3. Vicki

      September 03, 2019 at 2:19 am

      What do your sugar skulls taste like? Will kids like them?

      Reply
      • Beth

        September 03, 2019 at 6:53 am

        Hi Vicki,

        Sugar Skulls are really meant to be decorations as they are made using just sugar and water. You can certainly eat them, but it will taste like eating a big sugar cube with some royal icing on top.

        Reply
    4. The Partiologist

      October 31, 2018 at 6:30 am

      You've done a great job with the sugar skulls, love all those bright colors!

      Reply
      • Beth

        October 31, 2018 at 8:29 am

        Thank you. They are so fun to decorate. I'm sure you'd do a great job.

        Reply

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    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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