When it comes to Halloween, we all know that the more treats the better. With adorable marshmallow ghosts floating on top, these fudgy, rich brownies are the perfect canvas for a playful twist! Make these spooky ghost brownies with your kids, friends, and family to get everyone in a spooky mood. As you pipe different ghost faces on the marshmallows, you’ll hear nothing but laughter all around.
Crispy outside, ooey gooey inside, complementing with the fluffy marshmallow ghosts and frostings, this Halloween-themed treat is just as fun as they are to eat!
Table of contents
- Why you’ll love these spooky ghost brownies
- Ingredients for spooky ghost brownies
- How to make spooky ghost brownies
- Success tips for making ghost brownies
- Can I just use cocoa powder only without chocolates?
- Why did the brownies come out cakey?
- What to do if the brownies are too dry?
- How to store leftovers?
- How to reheat leftovers?
- More dessert recipes
Why you’ll love these spooky ghost brownies
- Irresistibly delicious: With a rich chocolate flavour, these fudgy brownies are crispy outside, and incredibly soft and moist inside with a gooey centre. The marshmallow topping adds chewiness to the brownies, making them irresistibly delicious and satisfying.
- Super fun to make: Make this Halloween treat with your kids, friends, and family to get everyone on a spooky creativity game!
- Easy and straightforward: These ghost brownies are relatively simple to prepare, making them a great treat for bakers of all skill levels – perfect for last-minute gatherings or family activities.
- Customisable: Add different toppings, like sprinkles or edible glitter, to make your own personal favourite Halloween treat.
Ingredients for spooky ghost brownies
For the fudgy brownie base
- Unsalted butter: Melt the butter to create a denser, fudgier texture with a tender crumb.
- Cocoa powder: The key ingredient that provides a deep, rich chocolate flavour.
- Chocolate: Using chocolate in addition to cocoa powder intensifies the chocolate flavour and the melted chocolate creates a smooth, velvety texture for brownies. I used a mix of dark and milk chocolate to create my personal favourite chocolate flavour.
- Sugar: I used a combination of both white and brown sugar for this brownie recipe. Brown sugar results in a fudgy, chewy texture, while white sugar helps create a crispy top and edges.
- Eggs: They act as a binding agent that binds all the ingredients together, and provide some leavening to create a slightly lighter texture.
- Vanilla extract: This acts as a flavour enhancement and makes the brownies more aromatic.
- Salt: Adding a pinch of salt to the batter enhances the flavours of all ingredients.
- Plain flour: Plain or all-purpose flour provides enough structure and chewiness to brownies, which is essential for achieving the desired fudgy or chewy texture.
For the marshmallow ghosts
- Marshmallows
- Icing glaze: Acts as a binding agent that combines the brownies with the marshmallow topping.
- Melted chocolates: For piping ghostly faces on the marshmallows.
How to make spooky ghost brownies
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Melt butter, dark and milk chocolates over a double boiler until smooth.
- In a mixer bowl, add in brown and white sugar, then whisk in 1 egg at a time. Add in vanilla extract and whisk until you get a creamy texture. Do not overmix.
- Pour in chocolate ganache mixture and mix well.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, fold the batter until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a 7” x 7” square pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes. If you pierce a toothpick through the centre, it should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- When the brownies are done, remove them from the cake pan, and let cool completely.
- Use melted chocolate to pipe ghostly faces on the marshmallows, then prepare the icing glaze by mixing powdered sugar and milk until no lumps. Adjust the consistency by adding in more or less liquid.
- When the brownies are cooled, divide into 9 pieces. Use a spoon to spread the icing glaze on each brownie base, then place a marshmallow ghost on top.
Success tips for making ghost brownies
Whisk eggs and sugar properly.
This is the most important step in brownie making. You need to ensure all sugar has completely dissolved, otherwise you’ll get a grainy texture. At the same time, mixing eggs and sugar helps to incorporate air into the batter, which contributes to the leavening process. If they are undermixed, the brownies may not rise as expected, resulting in a texture that is too dense and heavy. But if they are overmixed, this will introduce too much air into the batter, leading to a lighter, more cake-like texture, unlike the rich, dense texture you normally get with brownies.
Do a toothpick test.
To know whether the brownies are baked to your desired consistency, do a toothpick test. Insert a toothpick or a baking needle into the centre of the brownies. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the brownies are done. For fudgy brownies, you want some moist crumbs, while for cakey brownies, the toothpick should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.
Let the brownies cool completely before decorating.
Be sure to remove the brownies from the pan and let cool completely before pouring the icing glaze over. Otherwise, the glaze will melt instantly.
Place marshmallow ghosts on the icing glaze as soon as possible.
The icing glaze will cool and dry out quickly, so be sure to place the marshmallow ghosts on top as the icing glaze is still smooth and liquidy to bind the topping with the brownie base. You could also work on one brownie at a time to avoid the icing glaze from drying out.
Can I just use cocoa powder only without chocolates?
Yes, you can just use cocoa powder without chocolates to make brownies. However, the brownies may have less intense chocolate flavour and will tend to be more cake-like. You may need to adjust the fat content (like using more butter) to maintain moisture and richness for a fudgy texture.
Why did the brownies come out cakey?
Cakey brownies may result from overmixing the batter, or incorporating too much air. So be sure to mix just until combined.
What to do if the brownies are too dry?
If your brownies turn out dry, it may be due to overbaking. You can serve them with ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce to add moisture.
How to store leftovers?
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to reheat leftovers?
To reheat the brownies, the quickest way will be to microwave for about 20-30 seconds. But I personally prefer reheating in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 5 minutes. This way, the marshmallow on top will also be toasted, getting that melted core with crispy crust to complement with the fudgy brownies!
Bringing together the perfect blend of rich chocolate goodness and whimsical Halloween fun, make these marshmallow ghost brownies to get everyone smiling on their faces! I’m sure your guests will be enchanted by their adorable spooky appearance and irresistible flavour.
More dessert recipes
I’d love to hear about your experience making my recipes! If you’ve tried this Spooky Ghost Brownies recipe or any other recipe on HomeCookJournal, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Feel free to take snapshots of your experience with my recipes and share them on Instagram so I can repost on stories! And if you have any other foods you’d like to make, please feel free to comment as well!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get updates on any new recipes!
Spooky Ghost Brownies
Equipment
- 1 7-inch square pan
Ingredients
For the fudgy brownie base
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped
- 50 g milk chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (4 tbsp)
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 70 g brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup plain flour (62g)
For the marshmallow ghosts
- 9 marshmallows
- 1/4 cup powdered or icing sugar
- 1-2 tsp milk or water
- Melted chocolates for piping ghostly faces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Melt butter, chopped dark and milk chocolates over a double boiler until smooth and glossy.
- In a mixer bowl, add in white sugar and brown sugar, then whisk in 1 egg at a time. As you add in the 3rd egg, add 1 tsp vanilla extract, and whisk until creamy. Tip: Do not overmix to avoid making brownies with a cakey texture.
- Pour in the chocolate ganache and mix until just combined.
- Sift in the dry ingredients – plain flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold the batter until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a 7” x 7” square pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick or a baking needle into the centre. For a fudgy texture, it should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- When the brownies are done, remove them from the cake pan and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, melt some extra dark chocolate and pour into a piping bag. Pipe ghostly faces on the marshmallows, and prepare the icing glaze by mixing powdered sugar and milk until no lumps. Adjust the consistency by adding in more or less liquid.
- When the brownies are cooled, divide into 9 pieces. Use a spoon to spread the icing glaze on each brownie base, then place a marshmallow ghost on top. Tip: Do this step quickly to prevent the icing glaze from drying out.