• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tara Teaspoon logo

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Easy Dinners
    • Desserts
    • Pasta
  • Cookbooks
    • Delicious Gatherings
    • Live Life Deliciously
  • Newsletter
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy Version 2022
    • Disclosure Statement
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Easy Dinners
    • Desserts
    • Pasta
  • Cookbooks
    • Delicious Gatherings
    • Live Life Deliciously
  • Newsletter
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy Version 2022
    • Disclosure Statement
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    TaraTeaspoon » Holidays + Celebrations » Halloween

    This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure.

    Published: by

    Marshmallow Ghost Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Marshmallow ghost cookies
    Marshmallow ghost cookies

    If you're in need of a cute Halloween cookie decorating idea, look no further! Made with just 5 basic ingredients, these marshmallow ghost cookies are sure to be a standout at your next ghoulish gathering!


    Ghost Cookies made from Marshmallow

    Sometimes, after eating a lot of Halloween candy, I think I look like these ghosts. Chubby and sugary.

    I might look like that. But it was worth it if I got to eat a few of these little marshmallow ghost cookies.

    And no one tells me I look like that because I have lovely friends. Thank you, lovely friends. Just more reason to eat half (or all) of these by myself.

    For these Halloween ghost cookies, I made homemade marshmallow and then piped it on top of store-bought cookies. Sort of a semi-homemade thing!

    If you've never made homemade marshmallow, you're in for a treat. It is the most wonderful tasting sweet in the world.

    A homemade topping makes these cute Halloween cookies a melt-in-your-mouth dream!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients in Marshmallow Ghost Cookies
    • How to Make Marshmallow Ghost Cookies
    • Tips for Making Ghost Cookies
    • More Halloween Cookie Ideas:
    • Marshmallow Ghost Cookies

    Ingredients in Marshmallow Ghost Cookies

    For the homemade marshmallow, you'll need unflavored gelatin, granulated sugar, and water.

    For the cookie base, you could really use any nice, flat cookie for these (gingersnaps anyone!?), but Nabisco Famous chocolate wafers are perfection.

    If you miss them in the cookie aisle or your grocer doesn’t carry them (as is the case in some western states, don’t ask me why), they look like this:

    nabisco-wafers

    Mini M&M's make perfect eyes for these ghoulish treats. You attach the eyes right after you pipe the marshmallow so they stick.

    Then, cover the entire thing with crunchy crystal sugar. I love how simple the ingredients list is for this cute Halloween cookie!

    How to Make Marshmallow Ghost Cookies

    To start, you need to make a soft homemade marshmallow. If you've never made homemade marshmallow before, don't be intimidated. It's so easy, I promise!

    Simply sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over a dish of cold water. This softens the gelatin.

    Then, boil a mixture of granulated sugar and water until it reaches the soft-ball stage (I've given exact timing and temperatures in the recipe card below).

    Add the hot sugar mixture to the gelatin mixture. Transfer everything to a stand mixer and whisk until soft peaks form.

    Then, all that's left to do is pipe the homemade marshmallow onto the chocolate cookies and decorate them to look like ghosts!

    Halloween Ghost Cookies with bite out

    Do I Have to Use a Candy Thermometer?

    Yes, you need a candy thermometer to make the marshmallow ghosts. Homemade marshmallow is SO stinking easy…but requires that one gadget.

    Can I Make This Recipe in Advance?

    Yes, you can make the Halloween ghost cookies up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Tips for Making Ghost Cookies

    • I used chocolate cookies as the base for these Halloween cookies, but you can use any store-bought cookie base you'd like.
    • If you'd rather make homemade chocolate cookies, I have a great recipe here. The recipe I just linked is for chocolate snowman cookies, but obviously you won't be making those!
    • I recommend piping out just five marshmallow ghosts at a time. You need to add the eyes and crystal sugar before the marshmallow sets.

    More Halloween Cookie Ideas:

    Looking for additional Halloween cookie decorating ideas? I have lots of cute Halloween desserts on my blog already.

    Here are a few of my favorites:

    • Halloween Graham Cracker Cookies
    • Chocolate Skeleton Cookies
    • Halloween Monster Cookies
    • Spiral Halloween Cookies
    feature of marshmallow ghost cookies

    Marshmallow Ghost Cookies

    Tara Teaspoon
    Made with just 5 basic ingredients, these marshmallow ghost cookies are sure to be a standout at your next ghoulish gathering!
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Setting Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 22 Cookies
    Calories 115 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 22 chocolate wafer cookies
    • 2 ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (1 envelope)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • Brown mini M&M's
    • 1 ½ cups sanding sugar

    Instructions
     

    Make the marshmallows:

    • Line cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides; set aside.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over ⅓ cup cold water to soften.
    • In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, dissolve granulated sugar in ¼ cup water, stirring. Remove spoon, brush inside edges of pan with water to remove sugar crystals and boil until the temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238ºF) on a candy thermometer.
    • Add sugar mixture to gelatin and, using an electric mixer, whisk on medium speed for 3 min. Increase speed to high and whisk until soft peaks form, 8 to 10 min.

    Assemble cookies:

    • Transfer marshmallow to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch-diameter plain tip, or coupler, and immediately pipe pointed mounds onto cookies (pipe just 5 ghosts at a time so marshmallow doesn’t set before you decorate).
    • Working quickly, add candy eyes and coat generously with crystal sugar.
    • Allow ghosts to set about 1 hour before serving.

    Notes

    Storage: store in a covered container for up to 2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 27gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 12mgSugar: 24gCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.2mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    Spooky & Fun Halloween Recipes

    • Close up of Floating ghost cupcakes on orange and black polka dot napkin
      Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
    • polka dot halloween cookies
      Polka Dot Halloween Cupcakes
    • Plate full of Halloween Skeleton Cookies
      Chocolate Skeleton Cookies (With Video!)
    • spiderweb caramel apples feature
      Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples
    • halloween monster chicken sliders close up
      Halloween Monster Chicken Sliders
    • feature image of graham cracker cookies with chocolate frosting and Halloween sprinkles
      No-Bake Cookies for Halloween - Easy Graham Cracker Sandwiches with Sprinkles
    • feature collage image of halloween cakes and cupcakes
      25 Halloween Cakes and Cupcakes
    • featured image of halloween recipes
      35 Halloween Desserts and Treat Ideas
    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Originally published LHJ Oct/09. Photography Hallie Burton. Food Styling Joyce Sangirardi. Prop Styling Lynsey Freyers.

    « The Best Recipe for Turkey Pot Pie with Gravy
    101 Best Bacon Recipes »

    Filed Under: Candy + Treats, Cookies, Desserts, Halloween Tagged With: baked, baking, chocolate, ghosts, halloween, marshmallow, nabisco famous wafers, treats

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Bench says

      July 17, 2018 at 10:49 pm

      Cutest little ghosties!

      Reply
    2. Brittany Smart says

      July 19, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      Their adorable little eyes! Love these

      Reply
    3. Marie says

      April 25, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      This was my first time making homemade marshmallows. I'm amazed at how easy it was! This quarantine has us all mixed up with the days and seasons. It is Halloween, right?! These were almost too cute to eat!

      Reply

    Let us know how it went! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    search this website

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, I’ve shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. Make that 24 million and one. Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    Delicious Gatherings

    Delicious Gatherings cookbook cover

    follow on social

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    Meal planning tips sheet with avocado and sauce bowls on the left

    Meal plan with ease!

    Sign up to get a FREE Meal Planning Tips sheet sent straight to your inbox.

    You'll be organized and stress-free in no time!

    Live Life Deliciously Recipe Sharing Group!

    In this group, we share dinner, dessert, snack, and lunch recipes. Any and all recipes are welcome (with a few rules). Let's make cooking and baking at home fun!

    Join Our Group

    Media Kit

    Footer

    Helpful Links

    • New Posts
      • Recipe Index
    • Cookbooks
      • Delicious Gatherings
      • Live Life Deliciously
    • About Me
      • Ask Tara
      • Videos
      • Contact Me
        • Privacy Policy Version 2022
        • Tara Teaspoon Disclosure Statement

    Popular Recipes

    • Cookbook
    • Easy Dinners
    • Grilling and Smoking
    • Chicken and Poultry
    • Baking
    • Halloween
    • Chocolate

    Recent Posts

    • Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Warm Kale Butternut Squash Salad
    • Broccoli Cheddar Soup
    • Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
    • Polka Dot Halloween Cupcakes

    Copyright © 2023 Tara Teaspoon on the Brunch Pro Theme