Low-Carb Halloween Monster Cookies with Googly Eyes

Looking for low-carb Halloween cookies that won’t send you into a sugar crash? These vanilla sugar cookies are soft and tender and finished with a light, creamy cream cheese frosting that’s delightfully low in sugar.

The little googly eyes shown are sugar-free — I’ll explain how to make them yourself. It’s simple, fun, and surprisingly easy to do at home.

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Best Sweeteners for This Recipe

I tested these low-carb sugar cookies using allulose, erythritol, and a 50/50 erythritol–monk fruit blend.

1. Allulose: My top pick. Allulose leaves no aftertaste, keeps cookies soft when chilled, and prevents graininess. If you want the cookies to stay tender for more than a day, allulose is ideal.
2. Erythritol: Gave a pleasant texture but a slight cooling effect. Cookies made with erythritol firmed up on the counter as they cooled. My husband liked the firmer bite; I preferred the softer texture from allulose.
3. Erythritol–Monk Fruit Blend (50/50): This blend reduced the cooling sensation and slowed down graininess. Cookies made with the blend stayed good through the next day.

Sugar-Free Googly Eyes and Alternatives

I made sugar-free royal icing and piped my own googly eyes. The recipe card includes the full instructions. Making royal icing lets you create colorful sugar-free sprinkles as well, if you wish.

If you’d rather not make eyes from scratch, here are a few easy options.

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Option 1

Melted chocolate: Use a small amount of white sugar-free chocolate for the base and a dab of dark chocolate for the pupil — quick and simple.

Option 2

Buttercream: Tint a small amount of buttercream with black gel dye and pipe tiny pupils directly onto the frosting.

Option 3

Store-bought edible eyes: If you use standard edible googly eyes, a teaspoon contains roughly four net carbs and about six small eyes; the carb impact per cookie is small and manageable if you’re tracking carbs.

Making the Sugar Cookies

• Use a heavy-duty cookie sheet. If you only have a thin pan, double it by placing another sheet underneath or wrap the bottom with foil. Almond and coconut flours brown quickly, so protecting the pan’s bottom helps achieve an even golden bake.
• Watch the cookies closely starting around 12–14 minutes. Remove them when the edges just begin to brown — do not overbake.
• Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack. They will be soft from the oven and need a few minutes to set up.

Frosting

Follow these steps to make a stable, fluffy cream cheese frosting:

1. Beat cold cream cheese until smooth and spreadable in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
2. Scrape down the bowl to fully incorporate any bits of cream cheese.
3. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and your powdered sweetener. Mix on low until the cream blends with the cream cheese.
4. Increase the speed and whip until light and fluffy, stopping before the mixture becomes loose.

Piping Tips

Fit a piping bag with Wilton’s Grass Tip 233 and fill it about half full with frosting. Hold the bag straight up at a 90-degree angle to the cookie. Squeeze to create short strands of “fur,” about 1 inch long; release pressure and pull the tip away to finish each strand cleanly.

Storage & Serving Suggestions

These cookies taste best within the first few days. Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

You can freeze unfrosted cookies for up to one month; thaw in the refrigerator before frosting and serving.

Low Carb Halloween Cookies with Monster Faces

Yield:
16

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Additional Time:
35 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 10 minutes

These adorable monster cookies are decorated with piped “fur” and optional sugar-free googly eyes. They’re gluten-free and made without refined sugar, so they’re a great Halloween treat for anyone watching carbs.

Ingredients

Monster Cookie Batter

• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup powdered erythritol
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp protein powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Frosting

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sweetener
• 1 cup (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Orange & Purple food coloring

Googly Eyes

• 2 Tbsp powdered egg white
• 2 cups powdered erythritol
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp water (plus more for blending)
• Food dyes
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Sugar Cookies

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl until the mixture is soft and spreadable.
2. Add the sweetener, vanilla, and egg and beat on high until blended.
3. Mix in almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, protein powder, and salt on low until evenly combined.
4. Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a heavy-duty cookie sheet with parchment. See notes about pan protection below.
6. Form 1/4-cup rounds of dough on the prepared sheet and press them flat with your fingers. The dough won’t spread much, so shape each cookie before baking.
7. Bake 14–16 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. Do not overbake.

Low-Carb Frosting

1. Cube 1 cup cold full-fat cream cheese and beat in a stand mixer for about 1 minute until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
2. Add vanilla, food coloring, and powdered sweetener, then mix briefly.
3. Pour in 1/2 cup full-fat whipping cream and mix on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, resembling buttercream.
4. Avoid overbeating, which can cause the mixture to become runny.
5. Fit a piping bag with Wilton’s Grass Tip 233, fill halfway, and hold the bag straight up while piping.
6. Squeeze to form short strands of fur; pull up and away when each strand reaches about 1 inch to create clean tips.

Googly Eyes (Optional)

1. In a stand mixer, whisk powdered egg white and powdered erythritol. Slowly add water, lemon juice, and vanilla while mixing on medium-low. Increase speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, about 7–10 minutes.
2. Divide the white royal icing into bowls and tint each portion with gel color until you reach the desired shades.
3. Thin each color with 1 teaspoon of water at a time until pipeable but still stable.
4. Pipe dots onto parchment with a size 2 or 3 tip, let them set for 30 minutes, then add small black pupils with a size 1 or 2 tip to finish the googly eyes.
5. Allow the eyes to dry at least four hours (longer in humid conditions) before using them on your cookies.

Notes

1. If your cookie sheet is thin, place a second sheet underneath or wrap the bottom with foil to prevent over-browning. Almond and coconut flours brown faster than wheat flour.

2. Do not skip the protein powder — it adds structure that replaces gluten and helps the cookies hold together. Any flavor of protein powder will work.

3. Chilling the dough is essential. If you skip refrigeration, the cookies will spread and lose their shape when baked.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Anthony’s Organic Coconut Flour
• Hoosier Hill Farm Allulose
• Sukrin Icing
• Cake Decorating Supplies Kit

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 197Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 8gNet Carbohydrates: 5gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a courtesy. Erythritol and other sugar alcohols are often excluded from net carb counts because they have minimal impact on blood glucose. Net carbs shown are total carbs minus fiber.

Did you make this recipe?

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