Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

Oh my gosh, you’ve got to try these Ghost Marshmallow Brownies – they’re the perfect mix of spooky and delicious that’ll make you the star of any Halloween party! I first made them years ago when my niece begged for “something ghostly but chocolatey” for her class party, and now they’re our October tradition. The rich, fudgy brownie base is sturdy enough to hold up those adorable marshmallow ghosts, but still melts in your mouth just right.

What I love most is how these little guys come together – that moment when you drizzle the white chocolate over the marshmallows and suddenly they transform into proper little phantoms is pure kitchen magic. Last year, my neighbor’s kids actually gasped when they saw them, then immediately started debating who got which ghost face (the lopsided ones with goofy expressions always disappear first).

The best part? They’re way easier than they look. That homemade brownie batter comes together in one bowl, and the decorating is foolproof – even my first attempt looked decent, though the ghosts did look slightly… traumatized. But hey, it’s Halloween – a little spooky imperfection just adds character!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love These Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

Trust me, these aren’t just any brownies – they’re the Halloween treat that’ll have everyone begging for your recipe. Here’s why they’re absolutely irresistible:

• So easy a zombie could make them – The brownie base mixes up in one bowl, and the ghost decorations are way simpler than they look (no fancy piping skills required!)
• Kid-approved magic – Watching marshmallows transform into ghosts never gets old. My niece still insists on “helping” with the chocolate drizzle every year.
• Pantry-friendly ingredients – You probably have most of what you need already, and the rest is easy to find (no hunting for obscure Halloween sprinkles).
• Instant party hit – They disappear faster than actual ghosts at any gathering. Last year, my book club ate the whole batch before discussing a single chapter!
• Customizable spookiness – Make silly ghost faces, scary ones, or let kids decorate their own – they’re delicious no matter how they look.

Ingredients for Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

Grab these simple ingredients – you’ll be shocked how ordinary pantry staples transform into something so delightfully spooky! I like to lay everything out before starting (my grandma called this “mise en place” but I call it “not running to the pantry covered in flour”).

For the brownie base:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter – the real stuff, please! Margarine makes sad, flat brownies
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar – trust me, measure this properly or your ghosts might float away
• 2 large eggs, room temperature – cold eggs make the batter seize up like a haunted house door
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – the good stuff, not that imitation vanilla water
• ⅓ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder – I’m loyal to Dutch-processed but any works
• ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour – spoon and level it, don’t scoop!
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder – just a pinch makes them rise without puffing away our ghosts
• ¼ teaspoon salt – balances all that sweetness like a good horror movie balances scares and laughs

For the ghostly decorations:

• 16 large marshmallows – not minis! These are proper full-sized phantoms
• 1 bag (10 oz) white melting wafers – about 1½ cups (Candy melts work better than chips here)
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips – for those adorable little ghost faces

See? Nothing weird or fancy – just solid ingredients that come together into pure Halloween magic. Now let’s make some spooky treats!

Equipment You’ll Need

Don’t worry – you won’t need any special ghost-hunting gear for these brownies! Just grab these basic kitchen tools (I bet you already have most of them):

• 9×9-inch baking pan – The perfect size for thick, fudgy ghosts. No 9×9? An 8×8 works but you’ll get taller brownies (bake 5 mins longer).
• Parchment paper – Lifesaver for clean removal. No parchment? Aluminum foil with a light butter coating works in a pinch.
• Medium saucepan – For melting butter and mixing the batter. Bonus: one less bowl to wash!
• Mixing spoon – Wooden or silicone – anything sturdy enough to beat that brownie batter.
• Microwave-safe bowl – For melting white chocolate wafers. Prefer the stovetop? Use a double boiler instead.
• Small zip-top bag – Our makeshift piping bag for ghost faces. No bag? A spoon and toothpick work too (messier but charmingly “haunted”).
• Cooling rack – Lets brownies cool evenly before their ghostly makeover.

That’s it! No fancy mixers or specialty pans – just simple tools for seriously spooky results. Now let’s get baking!

How to Make Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

Okay, let’s make some spooky magic happen! I’ll walk you through each step – it’s easier than you think, and way more fun than most Halloween crafts. Just follow along and you’ll have the cutest ghostly treats in no time!

Making the Brownie Base

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line that 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides. This little “handle” will save you so much frustration later when removing the brownies!
2. Melt the butter in your saucepan over low heat. Once it’s fully melted (but not bubbling!), take it off the heat and immediately stir in the sugar. Keep stirring until it looks like wet sand – this helps create that perfect fudgy texture.
3. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each. Then mix in the vanilla. The batter should look shiny and smooth now – if it separates a bit, just keep stirring gently until it comes together.
4. Sift in the dry ingredients – cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. I know sifting seems fussy, but it prevents lumps and makes the brownies extra tender. Stir just until combined – overmixing makes tough brownies, and nobody wants tough ghosts!
5. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan. I like to use a small offset spatula for this, but the back of a spoon works fine too. Get it as level as you can – uneven brownies mean lopsided ghosts later!
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Start checking at 25 minutes – the brownies are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not completely clean either). Remember, they’ll keep cooking a bit as they cool!
7. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. I know it’s tempting to decorate warm brownies, but patience is key here – at least 1 hour. Warm brownies make melty, sad ghosts!

Creating the Ghostly Decorations

1. Lift the cooled brownies out of the pan using the parchment handles and place on a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares – I find a long, thin knife wiped clean between cuts gives the neatest edges.
2. Arrange the brownies on a parchment-lined baking sheet (this catches drips and makes cleanup easy). Now grab those marshmallows – they’re about to become adorable little spirits!
3. Melt the white wafers according to package directions (usually 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between each). Pro tip: Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil if the chocolate seems too thick for drizzling.
4. Dip the bottom of each marshmallow in the melted white chocolate and place one in the center of each brownie. Hold it there for a few seconds to set – this “glue” keeps them from floating away!
5. Now the fun part! Use a spoon to drizzle white chocolate over each marshmallow, letting it drip down the sides to create flowing ghost shapes. Don’t worry about perfection – wobbly ghosts have more personality!
6. Let the ghosts set at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips (careful, they burn fast – do 15-second microwave intervals). Transfer to a zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner, and pipe on eyes and mouths. Go for spooky, silly, or surprised – they’re your ghosts!
7. Let everything set completely (about 30 minutes) before serving. I know it’s hard to wait, but you want those chocolate details to stay put when people take their first bite!

See? Not nearly as complicated as it looks! The hardest part is actually waiting for them to cool before decorating (and not eating all the marshmallows while you work). Now you’ve got the most adorable haunted treats ready to spook your friends and family!

Tips for Perfect Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

After making these spooky treats more times than I can count (and learning from all my mistakes!), I’ve got some foolproof tricks to guarantee ghostly success every time:

• Mix with a light hand – Stir the brownie batter just until the flour disappears to keep them fudgy. Overmixed batter makes tough ghosts!
• Stick those marshmallows tight – That initial chocolate “glue” dip is crucial. Hold each marshmallow in place for 5 seconds before letting go.
• Splurge on good white chocolate – Cheap wafers can seize up. I prefer Ghirardelli or Merckens for smooth, drippy ghosts that set properly.
• Work quickly but calmly – Melted chocolate waits for no one! Have everything prepped before you start decorating.
• Let them haunt properly – Resist nibbling! The ghosts need a full 30 minutes to set completely before serving or packing up.

Bonus spooky secret: If your white chocolate thickens while working, zap it for 5 more seconds and stir in a few drops of vegetable oil to bring it back to life!

Variations & Swaps

Want to put your own spooky spin on these ghostly treats? Here are my favorite easy twists – because even ghosts like to mix things up sometimes!

• Peppermint Ghosts – Swap the vanilla for peppermint extract (just 1/2 teaspoon – it’s strong!) in the brownie batter. Suddenly you’ve got perfect winter holiday treats that look like ghosts caught in a snowstorm!
• Gluten-Free Phantoms – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose. My neighbor’s celiac daughter swears they’re just as fudgy – you’d never know they’re GF!
• Vegan Spirits – Replace butter with coconut oil, use flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg), and dairy-free chocolate. The marshmallows are tricky (most contain gelatin), but Dandies brand makes great vegan ones!

Quick decorating variations:

• Ghosts with blush – Add a tiny pink sprinkle on each marshmallow cheek for bashful spirits
• Mocha ghosts – Replace 1 tbsp cocoa powder with instant espresso powder in the batter for grown-up flavors
• Colorful spooks – Tint the white chocolate with food coloring for pastel ghosts (purple ones are my niece’s favorite!)

The beauty of this recipe is how adaptable it is – whether you’re accommodating allergies or just feeling creative, your ghostly brownies will still be deliciously spooky!

Storing and Serving Ghost Marshmallow Brownies

Okay, let’s talk about keeping these adorable little ghosts looking (and tasting) their best! These brownies are surprisingly sturdy – if you can resist eating them all in one sitting, that is. Here’s how to store them properly so they stay fresh and spooky:

Storage secret: Pop them in an airtight container at room temperature (no refrigeration!). That’s right – the fridge is actually the worst place for these because it makes the marshmallows go all hard and the chocolate sweaty. Just a cool, dry spot like your pantry is perfect. They’ll stay delicious for up to 3 days this way – though I’ve never actually had a batch last that long!

Now, for serving – these little ghosts absolutely shine at parties. Arrange them on a black platter with some candy eyeballs scattered around for extra spooky points. They’re always the first to disappear at potlucks! For school lunchboxes, I wrap each one individually in parchment paper so the ghosts don’t get smushed (and to prevent any “my ghost touched your sandwich!” drama from the kids).

Pro tip: If you’re making them ahead for an event, decorate the marshmallows the day before but wait to add the chocolate chip faces until a few hours before serving. This keeps the details looking crisp and prevents any smudging in storage. Happy haunting!

Nutritional Information

Okay, let’s be real – we’re not eating ghost brownies for their health benefits! But since some folks like to know (or need to track for dietary reasons), here’s the scoop on what’s in these spooky treats.

Per brownie (1 of 16):

• Calories: 260 kcal
• Sugar: 20 g
• Sodium: 50 mg
• Fat: 12 g (7 g saturated, 4 g unsaturated)
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 35 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 40 mg

Quick heads up – these numbers are estimates based on standard ingredients. Your exact counts might vary slightly depending on the brands you use (especially for things like chocolate and marshmallows). If you’re making substitutions for dietary needs, those will change the numbers too. But hey – it’s Halloween! This is the one time of year when even nutritionists look the other way at extra sugar!

My philosophy? Enjoy your ghostly treats in moderation (or not – I won’t judge!), balance them with some healthy meals, and savor every spooky bite!

Ghost Marshmallow Brownies FAQs

Why These Ghost Marshmallow Brownies Are the Best

These Ghost Marshmallow Brownies are the perfect mix of rich, fudgy chocolate and fluffy marshmallow fun. With their spooky ghost design, they make a festive centerpiece for Halloween dessert tables while still being easy enough for beginner bakers to create. Kids love the playful marshmallow topping, and adults can’t resist the indulgent brownie base, making them a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any gathering.

If you’re searching for a Halloween dessert that’s both adorable and delicious, this recipe is a must-try! Bake up a batch, then share your creations in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for even more spooky recipes and holiday inspiration.

More Halloween Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoyed these Ghost Marshmallow Brownies, you’ll love these other festive treats that are just as fun and spooky. Perfect for parties, bake sales, or cozy nights at home:

• Nutty Ghosts
• Ghostly Popcorn Balls
• Jack Skellington Oreo Pops
• Zombie Brain Cupcakes

Each recipe adds a playful and delicious twist to your Halloween spread, keeping the celebration sweet and spooky.

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