Boo! These melt-in-your-mouth Halloween Ghost Meringues are just the right amount of spooky-cute. Made with only 4 ingredients, they're light, crisp, and perfectly sweet. Plus, they're easy enough for kids to help decorate - and so tasty that grown-ups will be sneaking seconds too. An instant Halloween favorite!
Every All Hallow's Eve, I like to sneak in a little spoOoOOky fun to the dessert table 👻! To start off the season this year, I whipped up a batch of these Halloween ghost meringues and toted them down to a kid-friendly brewery meetup. Let me tell you - they disappeared faster than candy on trick-or-treat night! Both kids and adults devoured them (my three-year-old included). They're crisp, sweet, and just the right amount of silly and spooky. Best part? They only need a few simple ingredients, and you can bake them ahead!
Why You'll Love THem
- Spookily cute: Perfect for Halloween parties or trick-or-treat night.
- Easy to make: Just egg whites, sugar, a little cream of tartar, and some vanilla extract with a mixer do the trick.
- Kid-friendly decorating: Let little hands help with the ghost faces.
- Make-ahead magic: Bake them a day or two before and store until party time!
What You'll Need
To whip up these Halloween ghost meringues, you'll only need 4 ingredients!
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
📝 Full measurements and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Piping bag fitted with a round tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped)
- Baking sheet
- Silpat or parchment paper
- Black edible markers, or melted chocolate/black gel icing for making the eyes and mouths.
Variations
Try adding pumpkin spice: Add ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice for a fall twist (this will change the color a smidge though)
Make them chocolate dipped for extra yums: Dip the bottoms in melted dark or white chocolate and a sprinkle of colorful sanding sugar
My personal fave? Colorful ghosties: Tint the meringue with gel food coloring (orange, purple, green you name it!) before piping.
Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature egg whites: They whip up higher and more stable than cold ones.
- No yolks allowed: Even a speck of egg yolk will prevent stiff peaks so crack carefully!
- Clean bowl & whisk: Make sure everything is grease-free before whipping. Other the egg whites won't form stiff peaks!
- Low & slow baking: Meringues bake best at a low temperature (around 200°F) to dry out without browning and cracking.
- Pipe tall swirls: For the best ghost shape, pipe in a spiral motion, pulling up at the top to make a little peak for the "head."
- Decorate after cooling: Wait until they're fully cooled before adding faces! And be gentle or you'll wind up cracking your meringues.
Storage
Store your Halloween Ghost Meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure to avoid humidity and refrigeration, it makes the meringues sticky and soft!
FAQs
Yes! Bake them 1-2 days before your Halloween event. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes. Cream of tartar just helps stabilize the egg whites. If you don't have it, you can skip it. You might just need to whisk them a little longer!
Keep whipping! Sometimes it just needs a few more minutes. Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are clean and grease-free, and that the egg whites are at room temperature.
I like to use black edible markers (double-sided with an extra fine tip) to draw on the eyes and mouths - super easy and mess-free! You can also use melted chocolate or black gel icing.
I don't recommend it. They don't hold up well in the freezer. Stick to room temperature storage for best results!
Halloween Ghost Meringues
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: About 24 meringues 1x
Description
Light, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth Halloween Ghost Meringues made with just 4 ingredients and so easy the kids can help decorate. Guaranteed to vanish faster than candy on trick-or-treat night!
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- Black edible markers or melted chocolate/black gel icing for decorating
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
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In a clean mixing bowl, add egg whites and cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until frothy.
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Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while whisking on medium high speed. Continue whisking until soft, glossy peaks form. Keep a close eye on it! This can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your equipment, age of the eggs used, temperature, etc.
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Add in vanilla paste or vanilla extract. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form, again anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes depending on several factors.
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Once stiff peaks have formed, use a silicone spatula to gently transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped). Pipe tall swirls onto prepared baking sheets to resemble ghost shapes.
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Bake for 1 hour until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and let them cool inside with the door closed for 1 to 2 hours.
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Decorate cooled meringues: use black edible markers to draw eyes and mouths. Alternatively, use melted chocolate/black gel icing applied with a toothpick.
Notes
Room temperature egg whites: They whip faster and hold more volume than cold egg whites.
No yolks: Even a tiny bit of yolk will keep your meringue from reaching stiff peaks.
Grease-free equipment: Wipe your bowl and whisk down thoroughly to remove any grease, or the egg whites won't whip properly.
Bake low & slow: Keep the oven around 200°F so the meringues dry out evenly without browning or cracking.
Pipe tall swirls: Pipe in a spiral motion, pulling up at the end to form the ghost "head."
Cool before decorating: Let meringues cool completely before adding faces, and handle gently to avoid cracks.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in a dry place at room temperature for up to 5 days. Avoid humidity; do not refrigerate or freeze!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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