These ghost meringues are fun meringue cookies that are super easy to make and only require 5 ingredients! They’re the perfect Halloween treat for both kids and adults!
You might also like these black cocoa brownies or skeleton cookies!
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
You just need 5 simple ingredients to make these meringue ghosts!!
- Egg whites - I've recently started "aging" my egg whites and I've found it helps with my consistency. This is absolutely not necessary, but it's super easy to do so I recommend trying it out. Weigh out 100 grams of egg whites into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours but up to 3 days. Make sure to remove the egg whites from the fridge at least an hour before baking.
- Vanilla bean paste - I love using vanilla bean paste in meringues because it adds that delicious vanilla flavor, but not to much extra moisture. You can substitute vanilla extract if needed, just be very careful to not add too much.
- Dark chocolate - I like to use a tiny bit of melted chocolate to paint faces on the ghost meringues, but you could also use food coloring or a food safe marker!
How to Make Ghost Meringues
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until frothy.
Gradually add in granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time and increase mixer to medium-high speed. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form (about 5-6 minutes), then add in the vanilla bean paste.
Continue to beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks.
Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet. Using slow, even pressure, pipe about 2 inch high mounds of meringue. Space the meringues about 1 inch apart on your baking sheet as they won’t spread.
Bake at 200°F for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and allow the ghosts to continue drying in the oven for another 1-2 hours.
Remove from the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely to room temperature.
Use the melted dark chocolate and a small food-safe paintbrush to paint faces on your ghost meringues.
The meringue ghosts also make a super cute topper for this black cocoa Halloween cake!
Meringue Tips and Tricks
These ghost meringue cookies are easy to make but they can give you a little bit of trouble if you’ve never made meringue before. But these tips will help you get perfect meringue every time!
- Make sure your egg whites are fully at room temperature before you start making your meringue! Cold egg whites take much longer to form stiff peaks.
- Make sure the bowl of your stand mixer is fully clean and dry. Wipe out the bowl with a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar to ensure there are no residual traces of fat from a previous recipe as that can prevent your meringue from forming.
- Add in the sugar super slowly while beating the egg whites. If you add it in too quickly, you could deflate your meringue.
- Invest in some silicone mats! They aren’t expensive and they will make your life so much easier!
- Also invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn't too hot or too cold because improper temperature can affect the texture of the ghost meringues.
Recipe FAQ's
Store these ghost meringues at room temperature for up to 3 days!
The meringue ghosts will be very light and completely dry to touch. They will also lift off the parchment paper easily.
Your meringues will be super light and crisp once the oven has dried out all the moisture in the egg whites. If you don't let the meringues fully dry, they will get chewy. Or if you leave the meringues in a humid place (like the fridge) you will absorb moisture and lose their crisp texture. If they get chewy after being left out, pop in the oven for about 10 minutes at 200F.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Halloween Recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, scratch-made recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Recipe Card
Ghost Meringues
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ ounce dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until frothy.
- Gradually add in granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time and increase mixer to medium-high speed. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form (about 5-6 minutes), then add in the vanilla bean paste.
- Continue to beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks.
- Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet. Using slow, even pressure, pipe about 2 inch high mounds of meringue. Space the meringues about 1 inch apart on your baking sheet as they won’t spread.
- Bake at 200°F for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and allow the ghosts to continue drying in the oven for another 1-2 hours.
- Remove from the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely to room temperature.
- Use the melted dark chocolate and a small food-safe paintbrush to paint faces on your ghosts.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Browse more halloween recipes →
tell us what you think!