Halloween is just around the corner and we are sure that everyone is well-prepared for the holiday with spooky decorations. Choosing your Halloween costume and carving out the yearly jack-o'-lantern are just some of the activities which you can do to capture the holiday spirit. Many coffee brands offer Halloween specials that look and taste fangtastic, however, the moment you finish your scary-looking latte all the cheer seems to be gone. Whether you’d like to make a Halloween drink at home or simply enjoy a fall drink on a cozy morning, here’s the recipe for you. 

Photo by Skyler Ewing on Pexels

The Ghost Marshmallows Latte is a spooky twist on a marshmallow latte which is one of the most popular fall drinks. These “scary” marshmallows are easy to make and they are the perfect Halloween treat when you are craving something sweet. 

Halloween Coffee Drinks 

Many recipes on how to make Halloween coffee usually include elaborate coffee art. These marshmallows take literally seconds to make and only call for the use of chocolate or edible marker to draw the eyes and the mouths of the ghosts. You could then toast your marshmallows and enjoy a toasted marshmallow latte, add them to your cafe latte or black and white mocha as a haunting decoration for your favorite Halloween mug. 

It’s the time of the year when coffee recipes call for ingredients such as pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg to bring that fall feeling to your cup. Cinnamon rolls and apple lattes are suddenly back on the menus of Starbucks and coffee chains alike and everyone’s ready for this cozy, calming and delicious season to begin. 

Pumpkins have been a Halloween tradition for hundreds of years and today bakeries and coffee shops altogether are quick to offer sweet treats at the start of October. Pumpkin spice is here to stay and you might as well enjoy it in the comfort of your own home with a do-it-yourself recipe. 

Origins Of Halloween 

For caffeine lovers, ghosts, witches, and ghouls might become an inspiration for Halloween coffee drink ideas, while Halloween itself is an ancient tradition that originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.  In the past costumes were worn to ward off spirits and people would gather around large bonfires, but today the activities would include trick-or-treating pumpkin carving, and festive gatherings. 

The first celebrations began as public gatherings where public events were held to celebrate the harvest. Similar to today’s traditions, Halloween in the old days included the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making. The get-togethers, ghost stories, and pranks related to the celebration have been translated into today’s culture as trick-or-treating. The practice of decorating jack-o-lanterns on its turn comes from Irish folklore and in the beginning, used other root vegetables such as turnips and potatoes. The pumpkins, which are a fruit native to America, became popular when they were found to make perfect jack-o-lanterns. 

Let's make some spooky coffee!

Adding pumpkin puree to your drink surely brings that cozy autumn feeling, but let’s decorate it with some ghost marshmallows to make it spookier.  

Surprise your friends and serve the bone-chilling treats at your Halloween party,  enjoy them as a snack with your family, or simply have them as a fun addition to your coffee bar, but either way, these marshmallow delights make a great addition to the Halloween spirit.

Although these “ghosts” look great served with almost any non-alcoholic Halloween drink, whether it would be hot chocolate or milk tea, we like to have them floating in a cup of coffee. Whether it would be a cold brew, a french press, or a drip coffee, it is entirely up to you and your own preference. 

This recipe calls for the use of espresso and milk or whipped cream of your choice. The important thing is to make it frothy and give the marshmallows a good base to float on. Therefore, unfortunately, an Americano or long black is not a good option when it comes to preparing this recipe. 

Let’s begin by brewing a good shot of espresso. The sweetness of the “ghost” marshmallows complements the bitter taste of the coffee and makes for a cozy drink. You can choose the coffee beans according to your preference, but we can say in general that if you’d like to have a milk-based espresso drink, you should go for a dark roast to “cut” the creaminess of the milk.

Whatever the case, get your portafilters ready, and let’s brew some espresso!

We recommend to use a 51 mm portafilter basket for this recipe, but it is entirely up to you and the espresso machine that you are using. If you are wondering how many grams of coffee would fit the 51mm portafilter, the answer is 18 - 20 grams which would make one to two shots of espresso using a machine such as the Leverpresso. 

Enough with the technicalities, here comes the fun part. 

Ingredients:

• 2 shots of espresso
• Steamed milk of your choice
• 1 tbsp vanilla syrup
• White marshmallows
• Chocolate syrup

Recipe:

1. Start by decorating the marshmallows. The easiest way to do it is to use a toothpick and chocolate syrup to draw Halloween-themed shapes or tiny faces on the marshmallows. Once you are happy with your ghastly creations, set them aside.
2. Extract your espresso using freshly baked and ground beans to get delicious rich crema. 
3. Steam the milk or let it boil over the stove for a warm and indulging milk-based drink. 
4. Combine the espresso, milk, and vanilla extract in a mug. This step is optional, but if you decide to use whipped cream carefully pour it into the mug so it settles on top of the coffee.
5. Garnish the cup with the ghostly-looking marshmallows and enjoy.

Final thoughts

The days before Halloween are a fun and busy time spent decorating your house or looking for that perfect Halloween costume. Take some time to relax and enjoy a cup of our ghostly marshmallows latte for extra holiday cheer. 

The ghost marshmallows make a haunting decoration for your favorite Halloween coffee mug, whether you serve them with coffee, hot chocolate, or even your favorite tea. Whatever your choice is, we wish you all a very spooky Halloween!