Black Sesame Soot Sprite Cookies
by Nutty and toasty delicious Soot Sprite Halloween Cookies are inspired by Japanese anime My Neighbor Totoro. These spooky and cute black sesame soot sprite cookies are dangerously easy to make and with no butter, low carb, and gluten-free. The hardest part is waiting for the cookies to cool. Watch the video for a quick how-to tutorial!
If you love black sesame recipes, you’ll also love my black sesame paste and black sesame latte!
Soot Sprite Halloween Cookies (Keto, Paleo, Low Carb)
Soot Sprite (or Susuwatari) are pitch-black and fuzzy-haired beings with two large eyes and long, thin limbs from the Japanese anime Totoro. People love the story since it aired in 1988. Today’s Halloween cookie idea is inspired by My Neighbor Totoro and I am a food blog.
The extra nutty sweet flavor from the toasted black sesame seeds combined with low-carb monk fruit maple flavored sweetener is a flavor that both adults and kids would love. The cookies are chewy inside and with just a touch of sweetness but not too much. Nate and I can quickly devour half a dozen of them no problem!
Who are Soot Sprites?
Soot sprites (also known as Susuwatari) are spirits in the Japanese anime My Neighbor Totoro. Soot sprites are these cute, black, and fuzzy beings that are a little smaller than tennis size balls and dwelled in old abandoned houses.
The first time I saw them, I thought they were tiny spiders but quickly I realize that these soot sprites are much cuter than the real spider. Just look at their cute big round eyes and fuzzy hair. No wonder kids adore them so much and they make the best-themed Halloween cookies.
How to make low carb black sesame soot sprite cookies?
To keep my Halloween cookies low carb, I use black tahini paste that’s made with black sesame seeds so that the cookies will be in a dark color like soot sprite!
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. I use almond flour to keep the cookies low-carb.
- Shape them into individual cookie dough balls and flatten them into an oval-ish shape.
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Press-in the candy eyeballs.
- Let cool and dust with more Keto brown sugar and enjoy!
Will you taste the beef gelatin?
No. You won’t. I learned this trick from my friend Christina that beef gelatin will make the cookies chewy. And because black tahini has rich toasty and nutty flavor, you will not taste the gelatin flavor. It only adds chewy texture to the cookies.
What is black tahini?
Black tahini (or black sesame paste) is a common ingredient in Asian desserts for example Tangyuan. Black tahini is made from unhulled sesame seeds. It’s more nutritious and has a stronger flavor than the white sesame seed version.
Where to buy black tahini?
Most health food stores now carry black tahini. I have used Kevala and Maruhon. Both brands are great. Marunon is made in Japan and the Japanese version is sweetened with honey. You can order both via Amazon.
What does black tahini taste like?
I absolutely adore black tahini. Black tahini is more fragrant than the white sesame paste tahini. It has an earthy undertone and is extra toasty and nutty delicious.
Is black tahini better for you?
Black sesame seeds are a good source of energy because of its high healthy fat content like fatty acids and omega-6. They also contain fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and many other health benefits.
These soot sprites inspired Halloween cookies made with black sesame paste. They are not only adorable but also healthy and delicious. All you need is a big bowl and a spoon, your kids and family will LOVE these spooky yet cute cookies!
Black Sesame Soot Sprite Cookies (Keto, Low Carb)
Video
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- ¼ cup black sesame paste
- ¼ cup nut butter of choice, I use almond. Use sunbutter for nut-free
- 2 tbsp Monk fruit maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dry ingredients:
- 1/4 + 1/2 cup fine ground almond flour, sifted
- Small pinch coarse pink salt or sea salt
- 1 tbsp beef gelatin powder, optional. It makes the cookie chewy
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Other:
- 1- 1 ½ tbsp Monk fruit brown sugar, rolling and dusting
- Small food weight scale
- 24 Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients from black tahini to olive oil. Stir and mix well until the batter is well combined.
- In a separate large bowl, sift the almond flour through a mesh strainer, add salt, gelatin powder, if using, and baking soda.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Slowly and carefully mix the wet and dry until you can no longer see the white color flour. The dough should feel not too wet and not too dry. If feels too dry, add a bit more olive oil. If too wet, add a bit more flour.
- Set the keto brown sugar aside in a small bowl. Prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment. To make the cookies, form small cookie dough ball that weighs about 0.6-0.7 oz per ball.
- Dip the cookie ball in brown sugar and gently press it down to form an oval-ish shape, about a little over ¼-inch thick. You might need to pinch the dough a bit to fix some cracks.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes over the middle rack. The cookies will be soft once out of the oven. Use the opportunity to press-in candy eyeballs. Carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Dust with more keto brown sugar before serving.
Notes
- FYI – The candy eyeballs aren’t keto friendly. They are for decoration only. Totally optional!
- The nutritional label is calculated without the candy eyeballs.
Nutrition
More low carb Paleo and Halloween treats!
- Black Sesame Ice Cream (spooky delicious + dairy-free!)
- Paleo No Bake Cookies
- Blackberry Lemon Jam Thumbprint Cookies (these cookies are AMAZING!)
- Chocolate Goji Berry Cookies (super healthy!)
- Sweet Basil and Rosemary Cookies
- Vietnamese Tapioca Pudding!
- Easy Strawberry Chia Pudding
- Lavender Honey Ice Cream (No churn!)
- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins (with chocolate yoguft frosting!)
- More healthy low carb snacks
Pair the Soot Sprite Cookies with These Low Carb Appetizers
- Thai Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chicken Yakitori Skewers
- Keto Egg Rolls (fans’ favorite!)
- Herb Stuffed Mushrooms (perfect finger food)
- Keto Scallion Pancakes
- More low carb party food ideas here
If I omit the monk fruit maple syrup, will the cookies still hold together you think 🤔 ?
I think they should still hold together as the black sesame paste I use is pretty thick. The cookies might not be as sweet though…
We used regular maple syrup and added an extra tablespoon and they were soooo good! It was a fun, healthy activity for my toddler and I for Halloween
These are adorable cookies!! I’ve never heard of black tahini paste.
I love learning about a new ingredient.
Thanks!!!
These are so cute! My nieces and nephews are going to love them. Thanks!
ChihYu, these are so cute and spot on. We love Miyasaki’s movies. I just showed my 11-year-old your creative cookies; we both love them and can’t wait to make these – a perfect yummy October craft for us. It’s fun to see how many people’s lives Miyasaki’s beautiful movies have touched. 🙂
Thank you so much. My husband loves these cookies, too! LOL!
I can’t wait to make these for Halloween, my little boy will love them!
I am so glad I found this recipe! I wanted to make healthy cookies for my Halloween party and these are just perfect. Love the combination of ingredients and they look gorgeous. I wasn’t aware there was Monk fruit brown sugar. I like that… So excited!
Thank you! They are easy to make and adults love them, too!
So cute! These will be great for Halloween! I like that they’re not too sweet!
So fun to make and delicious too! I like that they are not too sweet but just right!
We made these adorable cookies! My kids love soot sprite so we decided to give these cookies a try. OMG they are toasty delicious and I like that they aren’t too sweet. Also very easy to make. Adults and kids friendly. Will be making them again!
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! SO happy to hear!
Would plain gelatin work for this recipe?
Hi Lisa, I have yet to try plain gelatin. It’s not a crucial ingredient. I would skip it./ 🙂