Vegan Marshmallows

Vegan marshmallows should be part of any plant-based kitchen - for s'mores, hot cocoa, rice krispie treats, or just for snacking.

Any plant-based kitchen should have a staple like this vegan marshmallow recipe in their back pocket. 

Whether your kids are looking to make an epic hot cocoa, or you're hosting a summer party and want to make a s'mores bar.

Having a vegetarian marshmallow recipe on hand that isn't packed full of preservatives is key to making everyone happy!

I know you hate the story before the recipe. I get it. But please hear me out on this one.

I've been trying to perfect Vegan Marshmallows for years. I've made them with aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas). Those resulted in a sub-par, not always stable version of what I thought a marshmallow should be.

Then I tried a corn syrup version that just made me feel a bit gross, and the texture was way closer to taffy than a marshmallow.

That's when I hit the internet for hours and hours of research. There had to be a way to perfect these things. I came across an old old recipe from 2009 at VeganMarshmallows.BlogSpot.Com. Here, David claims to have the winning marshmallow that never ever fails. (and he's not wrong in his claims!)

The only issue? Really obscure ingredients that I couldn't even find on Amazon or that were really expensive.

So I started scouring the hundreds and hundreds of comments to see what others were subbing out for certain things. Making notes, checking availability and pricing. By the end, I had a recipe that looked nothing like the original and was sure it wouldn't work out.

But I set out to give it a shot, and oh my gah!!!

Vegan Marshmallow Perfection!

• they came together within half an hour
• they set up very quickly - didn't have to wait overnight to see if my "experiment" had worked
• they work for rice krispie treats (coming soon!)
• they last days and days without getting weird
• they hold their shape and you can squeeze them between your fingers like perfect sugar pillows and they bounce back just like you'd expect a marshmallow to do

Absolute Perfection.

Let's jump right in and get to what's in these homemade vegan marshmallows.

Vegan Marshmallow Ingredient Spotlight

Organic Powdered Sugar - using organic powdered sugar is the option you'll want to go with if you're looking to keep these 100% animal-cruelty-free. Non-organic sugars use animal parts in the processing.

Tapioca Flour - Using tapioca flour is important to make sure the marshmallows don't stick together once cut into cute little squares. You can opt to use cornstarch instead if you'd like.

Pea Protein Powder - This is one of the most important ingredients for these vegetarian marshmallows. In my research, the original recipe creator was using a soy protein with 90% protein isolate. I found it hard to come across a completely vegan soy protein that wasn't a billion dollars. Knowing that pea protein is a pretty clean option, I decided to give that a try, and yes, it absolutely works.

You definitely want to be sure you're not using a pea protein with a bunch of additional ingredients or flavoring. I really like the results I got with the Naked Pea powder. It's 100% protein isolate, which is exactly what you want. I promise you, if you plan on making more homemade vegan marshmallows, you'll want to grab a container.

Xanthan Gum - Xanthan gum is a synthetic product that is used often as an additive to thicken or stabilize foods. Another option is to use guar gum, which in my research was commonly used in vegan marshmallow recipes.

Organic Granulated Sugar - Same as the powdered sugar, you'll want to make sure you use organic here for a fully plant-based option.

Agar Agar - Agar actually comes from seaweed! But don't worry - there's no fishy flavor going on here. No flavor. No smell. No color. In fact it is very similar to gelatin in most aspects except for where it comes from.

It does differ in the fact that agar sets more firmly than gelatin (which may be a good thing if you're trying to keep something firm and gelatin-like on a warm day). I mean, you don't want your vegan marshmallows to melt all over the place until you have them on a stick over the fire, right??

I've tried just whipping up aquafaba and using a sweetened foam-like mixture for marshmallows, like in my vegan s'mores dessert and my s'mores meringues, but it's just not the same. Without the use of agar powder, you're not getting the stability and jiggliness you're looking for in a marshmallow.

This is the agar agar powder I keep on hand. Note, it is not agar flakes.

I wish I had known just how easy it was to make a shelf-stable vegan marshmallow all these years. Now I'm going to show you how YOU can make them too! Be sure to check the recipe card below for full amounts and more in-depth instructions.

Following these simple steps will produce these amazing completely plant-based vegan marshmallows:

• fluffy
• absolutely fail-proof
• totally temperature stable
• perfectly sweet (but not too much)
• without using corn syrup
• no weird unstable bean water (aquafaba)

Cindy's Insider Pro Tips

Pro Tip 1 - One of my favorite ways to enjoy marshmallows is sandwiched between two cookies, and the more chocolatey the better. I'd definitely smash a mallow between these triple chocolate cookies without a second thought.

Pro Tip 2 - To prevent sugar crystals from forming in the boiling pot, keep a small bowl of water nearby, and use a pastry brush to carefully brush water around the inside of the sauce pan, creating condensation.

Pro Tip 3 - It's best if you have the stand mixer all ready to go with the covered towel and everything when the sugar mixture has come to temperature so you're not letting it cool down at all. You want to be able to move quickly.

Pro Tip 4 - For best slicing, use a clean sharp knife and dip it in the powdered sugar mix first. Then rinse the knife off every few cuts so its not too gooey, making it difficult to cut.

Vegan Marshmallow FAQs

Are there any vegan marshmallows?

I know Trader Joe's has started offering a gelatin-free marshmallow. Dandies is another popular brand as well. But I know both of these options can be difficult for those who don't live in larger cities and have a TJs in their area.

Are Kraft Marshmallows vegan?

Unfortunately, not even a little bit. The gelatin in them makes them not vegan at all... so let's talk about that.

Why is gelatin not Vegan?

Most conventional store-bought marshmallows contain gelatin. And I know what you're thinking. Gelatin is no problem. There's no meat in my Jell-o. I totally get it. I didn't realize this until my brother-in-law told me and ruined all jello, gummy bears, and fruit snacks for me. Thanks dude.

But yeah, back to gelatin. So it's pretty gross when you think about it. Gelatin comes from pork... specifically the tendons, skin, bones, cartilage... you know - all the extra part you really don't want to think about. And most of us don't. But man, if you're wanting to rid yourself of animal products, gelatin seems like a great place to start, cause blegh. I want nothing to do with a little piggie's cartilage or other extra parts. And I definitely don't need that in order to give my gelatin-free marshmallows and other treats that squishy texture we love so much.

So then what do we use instead?

Agar powder. Or agar agar. It's a weird one. I know. 

And I don't like using products that are off the wall to you, but sometimes you just gotta place an order on Amazon and make it happen. I had a hard time finding it local, even at the specialty health stores, but I heard that it's readily available at most Asian markets.

And I know you're wondering the most important thing about these homemade vegan marshmallows.

Do they toast up like a regular marshmallow?? 

YES! They so do.

Are vegan marshmallows good?

Because this so matters... they taste just like a toasty marshmallow you're used to from your childhood. I couldn't believe how similar the flavor was. 

In fact, I didn't even get that nasty belly-aching sugar-coating situation with these marshmallows! Total win!

You can bet your bottom dollar that every mug of hot cocoa and every s'more will be complete with the addition of these vegan marshmallows.

What are you waiting for?!

How about more Vegan Dessert Recipes?

Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Fudge Cups
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Vegan Lava Cake
Vegan Cheesecake
Vegan Brownies
Vegan Fondue

Now that you know how easy it is to make this vegan marshmallow recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment letting me know how it turned out for you.

This recipe has been updated to the best version I've tested yet on 03/13/2021!

Vegan Marshmallow Recipe

Vegan marshmallows should be part of any plant-based kitchen - for s'mores, hot cocoa, rice krispie treats, or just for snacking.

4.66 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Vegan Essentials

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 20 marshmallows

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Holly

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour or corn starch
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• ▢ 5 Tablespoons pea protein powder with at least 90% protein isolate
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ▢ ¾ cup cold water

Sugar Syrup Mixture

• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon agar powder not the flakes
• ▢ 1 cup water

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and tapioca flour. Spray 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and coat with powdered sugar mixture completely. Tap the excess back into the bowl and set aside for coating the marshmallows later.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pea protein, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Add cold water and mix with the whisk attachment for 10 minutes. The mixture will be thick with stiff peaks.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sugar and agar powder. Add water, stir, and heat on high. Stir occasionally until mixture has reached 225-227°F. (See recipe notes for visual cues)
• As soon as the sugar mixture has come to temperature, carefully pour it quickly into the pea protein mixture while whisking at high speed. It is best to use a splatter shield if you have one or cover the mixture with a clean towel so you don't get splattered with the hot mixture.
• Mix for 10 minutes on high speed. Scrape bottom and sides with a rubber spatula halfway through. After 10 minutes, the mixture will be shiny, thick, and fluffy.
• Quickly pour the mixture into prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to get it all out. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, quickly spread mixture to all edges and corners of the pan.
• Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour to set.
• Once completely set, turn the vegan marshmallow out onto a cutting board lightly coated in reserved powdered sugar mixture. Cut into squares however big you'd like and coat in reserved powdered sugar mixture.

Notes

• Sugar Mixture Visual Cues: It is best to use a thermometer for accuracy, but there are a couple cues you can watch for. Not much will happen until the mixture reaches 210°. At that point, it will start to boil. Then around 212°, the mixture will turn a more clear amber color. Once you reach the desired temperature of 225-227°, the mixture will be a dark amber color with a thick consistency, somewhat like honey.

• Nutritional Information listed below is for 25 servings. Please know that there is no shame in making this dish a 1-serving situation or a 20-serving situation. Nutritional information for the entire dish is as follows, and you are more than welcome to break it down as you see fit.

Entire dish - kcal: 1861 F: 1 C: 435 P: 43

Nutrition

Serving: 1c | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 43mg | Sugar: 17g