Name: Spooky Ghost Meringue Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 24 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 large egg whites, room temperature (about 90 g / 3 oz) — no yolk specks; 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional, but lovely); 48 mini chocolate chips (for the ghost eyes)

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By Tasty Loom | Ready in 2 hr 50 min (mostly hands-off) | Makes 24 cookies

Crisp on the outside, chewy-soft in the middle, and gone in one bite — these little ghosts are the lightest Halloween treat you’ll ever make, and they pair perfectly with the rest of your spooky spread: a bowl of Spooky Pumpkin Hummus for the savory side, a slab of Halloween Candy Bark for the chocolate lovers, a plate of Spooky Halloween Sugar Cookies for the decorators, and a pitcher of Witches Brew Punch to wash it all down. For more melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, the Spiderweb Brownies are always the first to disappear.

What You Need

3 large egg whites, room temperature (about 90 g / 3 oz) — no yolk specks
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional, but lovely)
48 mini chocolate chips (for the ghost eyes)

How To Make It

Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with a splash of white vinegar (any grease kills meringue). Add the egg whites and cream of tartar; beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, 2–3 minutes.
Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until stiff glossy peaks hold — 5–7 minutes total. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty, when rubbed between your fingers. Beat in the vanilla.
Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped). Pipe 1½-inch rounds onto the sheets, then pull the bag straight up to form tall ghost peaks, spacing them 1 inch apart.
Gently press 2 mini chocolate chips into each ghost for eyes, pointed tips facing out.
Bake 90 minutes without opening the door. Turn the oven OFF, crack the door open, and let the ghosts cool inside for 1 hour — this keeps them snowy white and crack-free. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.

Meringue mixture in a bowl with ingredients

Tips & Variations

Room-temperature egg whites whip up taller and glossier than cold ones; separate them while cold (cleaner break), then let them sit 20 minutes.
If your meringue weeps or won’t hold peaks, the bowl had grease — re-wipe with vinegar and start the whites over.
Humid day? Add 10–15 minutes to the bake and let them cool fully in the turned-off oven.
Flavor twists: swap vanilla for 1/4 tsp almond or peppermint extract; add 1 tbsp cocoa powder with the sugar for chocolate ghosts.
Orange “pumpkin” ghosts: tint the finished meringue with 2–3 drops of orange gel food coloring before piping and skip the chocolate eyes — or pipe the ghosts onto pretzel sticks for spooky pops.
Make-ahead magic: these keep a full week in an airtight container, so they’re the easiest party-prep dessert on the blog.

Estimated nutrition per cookie: ~25 cal | protein 0.5g | carbs 6g | fat 0g.