Easy Ghost Meringue Cookies for Halloween
Ever tried a cookie that melts the second it hits your tongue? These easy ghost meringue cookies are crisp on the outside, light as air inside and piped into little ghosts with mini chocolate chip eyes. With just egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and a splash of almond extract, one batch makes about 20 ghosts.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Ghost Meringue Cookies Recipe
- Serves: 0 18-24 ghosts
- Main Ingredients: egg whites (at room temperature), cream of tartar, almond extract (optional but I add it for extra flavor), sugar, some mini chocolate chips, about 48
- Why You'll Love It: This ghost meringue cookies recipe makes the most spooktacular treat of the season! These meringue cookies are crispy, sweet, and as light as can be.
Meringue has a reputation for being fussy, but most of the time here is hands-off while the ghosts bake low and slow in a 200°F oven. Once you get the hang of it, you can pipe the same meringue into any shape, like my chocolate chip meringue cookies or star meringue cookies for the holidays.
Why These Halloween Meringue Cookies Turn Out Crisp
Adding the sugar a spoonful at a time while the mixer runs lets it dissolve completely, which is what gives you a glossy meringue that holds stiff peaks. Cream of tartar keeps the whipped egg whites stable, and baking at a low 200°F for 2 hours dries the ghosts out slowly so they stay snowy white and crisp all the way through.
Ingredients for Ghost Meringue Cookies
Egg whites: Room temperature whites whip up taller. Separate them carefully, since even a speck of yolk keeps them from whipping.
Cream of tartar: It helps the meringue hold its shape. A few drops of lemon juice or white vinegar work in a pinch.
Almond extract: It’s optional, but I add it for extra flavor. Vanilla, lemon or peppermint extract work too.
Mini chocolate chips: Two per ghost make the eyes.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Wipe your bowl and beaters with a paper towel and a little vinegar so there’s no trace of grease, which keeps meringue from whipping.
- No piping bag? Spoon the meringue into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner.
- Pipe quickly once the meringue is ready so it keeps its shape.
- Skip humid days if you can, since moisture in the air can make meringues sticky.
How to Make Ghost Meringue Cookies
1Separate the Eggs
Preheat the oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Separate the eggs, making sure no yolk gets into the whites.
2Beat Until Foamy
Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until they turn bubbly and foamy.
3Add the Cream of Tartar
Add the cream of tartar and almond extract, then keep beating on medium speed until soft peaks form.
4Beat in the Sugar
With the mixer running, add the sugar a spoonful at a time and beat until the meringue is smooth, glossy and holds stiff peaks.
5Pipe the Ghosts
Fill a piping bag or zip-top bag with the meringue. Pipe a round blob for the head, swing left to right for the arms, then pull down at an angle for the body and tail.
6Add the Eyes
Press two mini chocolate chips into each ghost’s head for eyes.
7Bake Low and Slow
Bake for 2 hours, until the ghosts are dry and crisp.
8Cool
Let the ghosts cool on the baking sheets, then move them to a wire rack or serving plate.
Serving and Storing
These little ghosts are pretty on a Halloween dessert table next to big chewy Halloween candy cookies and a tray of frozen yogurt Halloween bark, and they’re light enough to float on top of a mug of stovetop hot chocolate. For more party ideas, take a look at our list of easy Halloween treats and desserts.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days so they stay crisp.
Ghost Meringue Cookies FAQs
Why won’t my meringue get stiff?
Usually the sugar went in too fast or too early, or there was a little fat in the bowl or a drop of yolk in the whites. Add the sugar slowly once soft peaks form, and start with a spotless bowl.
Can I make the ghosts stand up?
Yes. Pipe the meringue in a circular motion into 2-inch-tall mounds, then add the chocolate chip eyes.
Can I color the meringue?
Add a little gel food coloring with the last of the sugar for orange pumpkins or green monsters instead of white ghosts.
Easy Ghost Meringue Cookies for Halloween
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp mini chocolate chips about 48 chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray your cookie sheet with vegetable oil.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they bubble up. Add the cream of tartar and almond extract (optional).2 large egg whites (at room temperature), 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1/2 cup sugar
- Continue beating the meringue batter at medium speed until soft peaks form. While continuing to beat the mix, gradually add in the sugar, beat until smooth and stiff peaks form.
How to Make the Ghosts
- To make the ghosts, use a piping bag with a round tip or don't be fancy and just use a zip-lock plastic bag and cut the tip off a corner to squeeze out the meringue.
- Fill the bag with the meringue and create the ghost in one continuous motion by gently squeezing the meringue out of the bag onto the prepared baking sheet. Do this fast so the meringue stays the right consistency. You can do this any way you like, or make anything you like.
- Started with a round blob of meringue for the head. Then, I formed the arms by moving the bag left and then the right, forming the arms. I then went down with the bag on an angle to make the body of the ghost. Add in chocolate chips for the eyes.2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
- Place the tray of ghosts in the oven and bake at 200 degrees F for 2 hours.
- Let them cool on the cookie sheets. Put them on a plate to serve, or store in an airtight container.