Meringue Ghosts

These meringue ghosts are light, crisp Halloween cookies with cute candy eyes and chocolate chip mouths. They’re easy to pipe, even if you’re a beginner, and make adorable edible decorations for cakes, cupcakes and other Halloween desserts. You only need four basic ingredients for the meringue, plus the decorations!

The meringue itself is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and you can keep the finished ghosts that way with suitable decorations. You can also prepare them up to 2 weeks ahead, making them a great option when you have several Halloween treats to make.

Ingredients

• Egg whites – room-temperature egg whites whip up more easily and produce lighter meringues, although they don’t absolutely have to be at room temperature. I find it easiest to separate the eggs while they’re cold and then let the whites sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. There’s no substitute for the egg whites in this recipe.
• Cream of tartar – helps stabilize the egg whites so the meringues hold their shape. When I tested the recipe without it, the meringues developed cracks, so I recommend using it.
• Granulated sugar – sweetens the meringues and helps stabilize the egg whites. It’s essential to the recipe, and I haven’t tested other sweeteners.
• Vanilla extract – you can also try almond, peppermint or orange extract for a different flavor. Make sure the extract is oil-free, as oil can interfere with whipping the egg whites.
• Candy eyes and mini chocolate chips – use candy eyes for the eyes and mini chocolate chips for the mouths. Add both decorations before baking, pressing the pointy side of each chocolate chip into the meringue so that the smooth side faces outward. Alternatively, you can melt chopped semi-sweet chocolate and paint the faces onto the cooled meringues with a food brush. Check the ingredients of your decorations if you need the finished ghosts to be gluten-free or dairy-free.

How to Make Them

Start by beating the egg whites until frothy, then add the cream of tartar. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the meringue is glossy, holds stiff peaks and no longer feels gritty. Mix in the vanilla and pipe the ghosts onto your prepared baking sheets.

If you’re using candy eyes and mini chocolate chips, add them before baking. If you’d rather paint the faces on with melted chocolate, wait until the baked meringues have cooled completely.

Bake the meringues for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let them cool completely inside with the door closed.

The recipe card below has the complete instructions, but these photos show you what to look for along the way.

This is what the meringue should look like when it’s ready to pipe. It should be glossy and hold stiff peaks. If you rub a little between your thumb and forefinger, it should feel smooth rather than gritty.

You can pipe the ghosts in slightly different shapes and sizes, as long as they’re reasonably similar in size so they bake evenly. I make some about 1 inch wide and others about 1 1/2 inches wide.

Piping the Meringue Ghosts

You don’t need much piping experience to make these ghosts. Their shapes don’t have to be identical, and a few slightly crooked ones can look even cuter!

If you have a piping bag, use a 1/2-inch round tip and hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet. Apply gentle, even pressure to pipe the ghosts, varying their shapes slightly as you go. Leave at least 2 inches between them.

If you’re using parchment paper, place a little meringue underneath each corner to keep it from sliding around. To make filling the piping bag easier, place it in a tall glass and fold the top over the rim before spooning in the meringue.

Don’t have a piping bag or tip? A zip-top plastic bag works, too. Fill the bag with the meringue, squeeze out most of the air, seal it and cut off one corner. You can then pipe the ghosts directly onto your prepared baking sheet.

What’s the Texture Like?

These ghost meringues have a delicate, crisp exterior and a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The centers should be slightly chewy when baked as directed. If they’re baked longer, they’ll become drier and crunchier throughout.

They have a mild vanilla sweetness rather than a strong flavor, but I mostly love them as a fun, edible decoration for Halloween desserts.

Make Ahead & Storage

These meringue ghosts are a great make-ahead Halloween treat! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, provided they’re kept dry.

Avoid refrigerating them because they can absorb moisture and lose their crisp texture. I also don’t recommend freezing the decorated ghosts. Regular meringues can be frozen, but the faces on these ghosts can get messed up when they thaw.

If you live somewhere humid, try to make the meringues on a dry day. Humidity can prevent them from drying properly and make them sticky. If needed, you can leave them in the oven a little longer with the door slightly ajar to help them dry out.

How to Use Meringue Ghosts

These little ghosts are cute on their own, but they’re also perfect for decorating other Halloween desserts. I use them on my Ghost Cake, Halloween Cookie Cake and Halloween Milkshakes.

You can also use them to decorate cupcakes, place one on top of a mug of Instant Pot Hot Chocolate just before serving, or arrange them on a plate as edible Halloween decorations.

If you make these meringue ghosts, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comments below. Thanks!

5 from 15 votes

Meringue Ghosts

Author Erin Dooner

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 meringues

Print Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

These easy meringue ghosts are light, crisp Halloween cookies made with four basic ingredients and decorated with candy eyes and mini chocolate chips. They're easy to pipe, naturally gluten-free and perfect for making ahead.

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 large egg whites
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract*
• ▢ candy eyeballs and/or mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 275 °F (135 °C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
• To a metal or glass bowl (I don’t recommend plastic bowls because they can have traces of grease that can be absorbed by the meringue) of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and beat at medium-low until the egg whites are frothy. This takes about 30 seconds.
  2 large egg whites
• Add the cream of tartar and continue mixing at medium-low speed until combined.
  1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Gradually add the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. It should take 1-2 minutes to add all of the sugar. Don’t dump all the sugar in at once – it will end in disaster. Take your time and add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time, so that the sugar completely dissolves.
  ½ cup granulated sugar
• Once all of the sugar has been fully incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and the meringue is shiny, which will take about 3 minutes. To test the meringue, rub a bit between your thumb and forefinger. If it’s gritty, then keep beating until the sugar has dissolved and it no longer feels grainy.
• Mix in the vanilla extract just until combined.
  ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract*
• Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2” tip. It’s easiest to add the meringue mixture to the piping bag if you place the bag in a tall glass. Fold the plastic over the edges to make a wide opening and spoon in the meringue. Then fold over the sides and press the mixture towards the tip.
• Place a little meringue on the underside of the parchment paper at each corner of the baking sheet to keep the parchment paper from sliding.
• Begin making ghosts by holding the bag perpendicular to the lined baking sheet. Press gently, using even pressure, and pipe about a 1-inch (2.5-cm) mound (about the size of a Hershey Kiss). Then make some larger ones, about 1.5”, and vary the shapes a bit so they don’t all look exactly the same. Leave at least 2” space between the ghosts.
• Add candy eyes to each ghost and a mini chocolate chip for the mouth (stick in the pointy side; we want to see the smooth side).
• Bake for 1 hour or until they’re dry and crisp. Don’t open the oven door right after you bake the meringues! Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool to room temperature, about 1-2 hours, inside of the oven with the door closed.
• If making the chocolate eyes and mouths, remove the cooled meringues from the oven and paint on the faces with melted chocolate.
• Transfer the ghosts to an airtight container and store them at room temperature. They'll keep for up to 2 weeks if kept dry. Avoid refrigerating them as they can absorb moisture and lose their crisp texture.

Notes

• While vanilla extract is traditional, you could try almond, peppermint, or even orange extract for a twist. Just *make sure the extract is oil-free,* as oil can deflate the meringue.
• If you live in a humid area, try to make meringues on a dry day. Humidity can prevent the meringue from drying properly and cause them to become sticky. If it’s humid, you can try leaving them in the oven a bit longer with the door slightly ajar to help them dry out.
• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator. The values don’t include the decorations – just the meringues.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.02gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 9mgSugar: 4gCalcium: 0.2mgIron: 0.01mg

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