Meringue Ghosts: Gluten Free Halloween Cookies

 Celebrating Halloween when you’re gluten-free can be kind of a bummer, especially if you love making fun treats as much as I do! But with these adorable meringue ghosts, you can enjoy a delicious Halloween goody without the guilt. These cute gluten-free Halloween cookies are perfect for an easy Halloween party or just a fun everyday Halloween snack.

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Planning on spending Halloween at home this year? Check out all these fun Halloween at home ideas to have an amazing at-home Halloween with your kids!

These gluten-free Halloween cookies are so easy to make! All you need are a few simple ingredients. The only drawback is the long bake-time, but you’ll be happy you waited when you enjoy these delicious meringue ghosts! Here’s what you’ll to make your own meringue ghost cookies:

• eggs
• cream of tartar
• sugar
• vanilla
• chocolate chips

In addition to being easy to make, these gluten-free Halloween cookies are also super versatile! You could make them for your next Halloween party, serve them as a fun dessert after Halloween dinner, or whip them up as a fun Halloween-themed snack for your kids. They’re such a great recipe for gluten-free cookies!

Make Your Own Gluten-Free Halloween Cookies

Start by preheating your oven to 225 degrees, and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Then, grab a medium-sized mixing bowl and add your egg whites. Start by beating your eggs on medium-low speed until they begin to bubble, then add the cream of tartar crank the speed up to high, and beat until soft peaks begin to form.

After your eggs are nice and fluffy, add the sugar and beat again on medium speed. When the batter is ready, it will have a nice, shiny appearance and will be stiff enough that a nice peak will form when you remove the mixer blades from the batter. Finish by adding the vanilla to the mixture and mixing until incorporated.

Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe mounds onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I varied the size of my meringue ghosts to include small ghosts and larger ghosts. The small ghosts were the perfect size for my two-year-old to enjoy, while my older son loved the texture of the larger meringue ghosts.

Finish your meringue ghosts by adding chocolate chip eyes on each ghost. For the smaller ghosts, use mini chocolate chips and for larger ghosts, use traditional chocolate chips.

After adding the eyes, place the meringue ghosts in your preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the oven and keep the cookies in the oven for another hour. Finally, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet before eating.

Tips for Making Meringue Ghosts

These cookies are very easy to make, but sometimes questions arise while you’re in the process of making them! Here are some common questions about making meringue cookies:

I don’t have cream of tartar. Can I still make these meringue cookies?

Cream of tartar is used to stabilize the egg whites in this recipe, so you can’t leave it out. But if you don’t have cream of tartar in your pantry, don’t worry! You can swap out the ingredient for two teaspoons of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.

I’m in a hurry. Can I turn up the temperature in my oven to cook these meringue ghosts faster?

No! Turning up the temperature is not a good idea when making meringue cookies. The lower temperature is essential to getting that nice chewy inside and crunchy outside. If you turn up the temp, you’ll burn the cookies and they won’t be edible. In addition to keeping the temperature low, you must also make sure to allow the cookies to rest in the oven for the full hour — and no peeking! Extra moisture that may enter the oven from opening the oven door could result in an undercooked meringue.

Do I need any special equipment to make these gluten-free Halloween cookies?

While you could use a whisk to whip up these meringue ghosts, it would be a lot of work! I suggest using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to make these meringue cookies.

I don’t have piping bags. Can I still make meringue ghosts?

Piping the ghosts onto the pan is the best way to create the ghost shape. But if you don’t have piping bags on hand, grab a gallon-size zip-top bag instead. Just fill the bag with the batter and snip off one corner to transform it into a piping bag.

How will I know when my meringue cookies are done?

Meringue cookies are done when the exterior of the cookie has hardened and the bottom edges of the cookie are pulled away from the pan. A finished meringue cookie will also sound hollow when tapped on the table.

Yield: 24 meringue ghosts

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

 

Cook Time: 45 minutes

 

Resting Time: 1 hour

 

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

These delicious gluten-free Halloween cookies are the perfect spooky treat. You can eat these meringue ghosts on their own or use them as cute gluten-free cake toppers for a unique Halloween treat.

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Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips
• Mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high with a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment until they become frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium until soft peaks begin to form.
3. Turn the mixer to high and begin adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition. Continue beating until all the sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks begin to form.
4. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into a piping bag and pipe small and large mounds onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
6. Add two chocolate chip eyes to each large mound and mini chocolate chip eyes to the small mounds.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. When the baking time is up, turn off the oven and allow the cookies to rest in the warm oven for an hour.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Notes

If cream of tartar isn't available, replace it with two teaspoons of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to make your meringue ghosts.

Nutrition Information:

 Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g