MgAl2O4 (MA) spinel powder was synthesized by heating an equimolar composition of MgO and Al2O3 in LiCl, KCl, or NaCl. The synthesis temperature can be decreased from > 1300 degrees C (required by the conventional solid-solid reaction process) to similar to 1100 degrees C in LiCl, or to similar to 1150 degrees C in KCl or NaCl. The molten salt synthesized MA powder was pseudomorphic and retained, to a large extent, the size and morphology of the original Al2O3 raw material, indicating that a "template formation mechanism" plays an important role in the synthesis process.