Ghost Meringue Cookies: The Easiest 3-Ingredient Halloween Treat
These ghost meringue cookies are light, perfectly spooky, and ridiculously easy to make with just 3 ingredients. They’re the perfect Halloween treat that looks impressive without any fancy decorating skills.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-75 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling)
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature (about 90g or 3.2 oz)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g or 5.3 oz)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5 ml)
- Mini chocolate chips or black gel food coloring (for ghost faces, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Separate your eggs while they’re cold. Make sure absolutely no yolk gets into the whites.
- Let the egg whites come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Start whipping the egg whites on medium speed. After about 2 minutes, they’ll become frothy.
- Gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running on medium-high speed. Take about 30 seconds between each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract after all the sugar is incorporated. Beat for another 30 seconds.
- Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8-10 minutes total. The meringue should be glossy, thick, and hold a stiff peak when you lift the whisk.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (½-inch or 1.3 cm tip recommended).
- Pipe ghost shapes onto the prepared baking sheet. Hold the piping bag straight up and down, squeeze gently to create a round base, then lift the bag straight up while continuing to squeeze. Release pressure and pull away to create a little peak on top. Space ghosts about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Add faces while the meringue is still wet. Gently press two mini chocolate chips for eyes and one for a mouth, or use gel food coloring with a toothpick.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes at 200°F (93°C). Meringues are done when dry to the touch and easily lift off the parchment paper.
- Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool inside for at least 1 hour. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cleanliness is crucial—any trace of grease or egg yolk will ruin the meringue. Humidity is your enemy; store in an airtight container immediately after cooling. Let meringues cool in the oven to prevent cracking. For vegan version, use aquafaba (3 tablespoons per egg white). For sugar-free version, use granulated monk fruit sweetener.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 2530
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 10
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Protein: 1
Keywords: ghost meringue cookies, Halloween cookies, 3-ingredient cookies, meringue cookies, easy Halloween dessert, gluten-free cookies, low-fat cookies