These vegan marshmallows will amaze you! Easy to make, light and fluffy, sweet and delicious, this is the BEST way to make homemade vegan marshmallows by far! Toast them over a campfire, put them in your hot chocolate or simply eat them for a sweet treat!
I’ve attempted many different vegan marshmallow recipes over the years, and they have all completely failed until I started making them this way!
This recipe emerged out of a marshmallow topping a created for my vegan smores pie. I had been making a lot of aquafaba whipped cream, and thought that I would make it firmer with some agar agar (vegan gelatin) for a marshmallow-like topping! After a little trial and error, it worked perfectly as a pie topping. However, it needed a few more adjustments to make it into vegan marshmallows.
To make a true vegan marshmallow, I adapted the recipe to make it firmer and dry the marshmallows out slightly, so they would have the right texture. Finally, I have perfected the vegan marshmallow recipe that actually works!
You will LOVE this vegan marshmallow recipe because they’re
- sweet fluffy and delicious!
- free of all major allergens including gluten, soy, and dairy!
- relatively easy to make.
- a vegan marshmallow recipe that actually works!
What you will need to make vegan marshmallows:
Ingredients:
- Aquafaba – this is just a fancy word that means the liquid from a can of chickpeas or another white bean.
- Cream of Tartar – this is an acid that comes in a powder. You can find it in the spice aisle at any local supermarket.
- Vanilla Extract – clear vanilla will give you a whiter marshmallow, but regular brown vanilla works great too.
- Sugar – and vegan granulated sugar will work. Whiter sugar will give you whiter marshmallows.
- Water – to make a solution of agar agar, sugar, and water that will firm up your aquafaba.
- Agar Agar – this is a vegan gelatin that is derived from seaweed. It can be a little tricky to find and expensive at a natural foods store, but I order mine from Amazon or get it at my local Asian market. Use the powdered version, not the flakes!
- Powdered Sugar – for dusting the marshmallows.
Tools:
- Mixer – you can use a hand mixer, but a stand mixer is a lot easier.
- Saucepan – to cook the water, agar agar, and sugar solution.
- Rubber Spatula – for scraping out the agar agar syrup.
- Baking Dish – an 8″ x 8″ baking dish is the perfect size to use as a mold for your marshmallow.
- Cookie Sheet – for spreading out the marshmallow and letting them dry out a little.
How do you make vegan marshmallows?
- Dust the bottom of an 8″x 8″ pan with powdered sugar and set aside.
- Put the aquafaba in a mixing bowl with the cream of tartar and mix on high for 6 minutes until very fluffy.
- Add some vanilla extract and whip for 3 more minutes until it is white again and it forms very stiff peaks.
- In a small saucepan, combine water and agar agar and bring to a boil.
- Boil the water and agar agar for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add sugar and boil for another 3 minutes stirring constantly over medium-low heat. (Be careful not to cook it too hot or you will burn or caramelize the sugar).
- Turn off the heat and add the hot sugar mixture into the beaten aquafaba.
- Add this mixture slowly while beating aquafaba with a mixer set to low. This will turn the fluffy white mixture a little shiny.
- Quickly pour it into the pan that has been dusted with powdered sugar.
- Dust the top of the marshmallows with powdered sugar and let sit and cool for at least an hour.
- Cut into 1″ squares and dust all sides with powdered sugar.
- Turn your oven to 150° F. Once it reaches that temperature, turn it off and set your cubed marshmallows in the warm oven for about an hour to dry out a little.
Tips for making perfect vegan marshmallows every time:
- Whip the aquafaba for a full 9 minutes before adding the agar agar syrup.
- Stir the agar agar mixtures constantly over medium-low heat, just hot enough to keep it slowly bubbling.
- Make sure to cook the agar agar for a total of 6 minutes to make sure it’s completely dissolved and melted.
- Be sure to get all of the agar agar syrup into the aquafaba! Use a rubber spatula to scrape out the bottom of the saucepan to get it all.
- Immediately pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan while it’s still hot. (Once it cools, it will set and become firm in whatever position it’s in).
- Wait a full hour before cutting into squares.
- Make sure to turn your oven off before putting the marshmallows into it. You don’t want to melt them, just dry them out a little.
How do I make flavored marshmallows?
- Peppermint Marshmallows – replace the vanilla extract with 1 tsp. peppermint extract or 1 drop of peppermint oil.
- Strawberry Marshmallows – chop up dehydrated strawberries in a blender or food processor until they form a powder. Add 2 tbsp of the powder to the aquafaba towards the end of beating. Mix another tbsp in with the powdered sugar for dusting the marshmallows.
- Chocolate Marshmallows – add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the aquafaba towards the end of beating. Mix another tbsp. of cocoa powder into the powdered sugar used for dusting the marshmallows.
How do I store my marshmallows?
Place them in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep about 5 days.
Want to turn your vegan marshmallow into vegan peeps? Check out my homemade vegan peep recipe!
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Vegan Marshmallows
Prep Time
9 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Drying Time
2 hrs
Total Time
15 mins
An easy way to make homemade vegan marshmallows from aquafaba.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, vegan
Keyword: vegan marshmallow recipe, vegan marshmallows
Servings: 16
Calories: 20 kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tbps agar agar powder (not flakes)
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Get your mold ready:
- Dust the bottom of an 8"x 8" pan with powdered sugar and set aside.
Make your fluffy aquafaba:
- Put the aquafaba in a mixing bowl with the cream of tartar and mix on high for 6 minutes until very fluffy.
- Add some vanilla extract and whip for 3 more minutes until it is white again and it forms very stiff peaks.In a small saucepan, combine water and agar agar and bring to a boil.
Make your agar agar syrup:
- Boil the water and agar agar for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add sugar and boil for another 3 minutes stirring constantly over medium-low heat. (Be careful not to cook it too hot or you will burn or caramelize the sugar).
Mix everything together:
- Turn off the heat and add the hot sugar mixture into the beaten aquafaba.
- Add this mixture slowly while beating aquafaba with a mixer set to low for about 30 seconds. This will turn the fluffy white mixture a little shiny.
- Quickly pour it into the pan that has been dusted with powdered sugar.
Cooling and drying your marshmallows:
- Dust the top of the marshmallows with powdered sugar and let sit and cool for at least an hour.
- Cut into 1" squares and dust all sides with powdered sugar.
Turn your oven to 150° F. Once it reaches that temperature, turn it off and set your cubed marshmallows in the warm oven for about an hour to dry out a little.
Recipe Notes
Tips for making perfect vegan marshmallows every time:
- Whip the aquafaba for a full 9 minutes before adding the agar agar syrup.
- Stir the agar agar mixtures constantly over medium-low heat, just hot enough to keep it slowly bubbling.
- Make sure to cook the agar agar for a total of 6 minutes to make sure it's completely dissolved and melted.
- Be sure to all of the agar agar syrup to the aquafaba! Use a rubber spatula to scrape out the bottom of the saucepan to get it all.
- Immediately pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan while it's still hot. (Once it cools, it will set and become firm in whatever position it's in).
- Wait a full hour before cutting into squares.
- Make sure to turn your oven off before putting the marshmallows into it. You don't want to melt them, just dry them out a little.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Marshmallows
Amount Per Serving (1 marshmallow)
Calories 20
% Daily Value*
Sodium 1mg0%
Potassium 10mg0%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Sugar 4g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Thank you Monica, so grateful for that recipe! My little girl is on her first overnight camp out tonight and desperate to join in the marshmallow roasting! They have worked out beautifully! I even tried ‘roasting’ them on my gas hob and they brown, melt and crisp just like regular marshmallows! I know one of the camp leaders is vegetarian as well as two other kids so I think there will be happy campers all round! Thank you!!
Debbie, I’m so happy to hear that you all liked them and that they worked for the campout! They do roast surprisingly well! 🙂
For making rice Krispy treats would you just skip the pan step and just mix it directly with the cereal?
Sterling, I was excited to make rice krispy treats this way too. I thought that I could just skip the pan step and mix it with the cereal, but it didn’t work. It’s too wet and makes the cereal soggy. I think it may work if you do the drying out process and then remelt it with vegan butter, but I haven’t had time to test it out yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Just made these. Amazing!!!
I can’t imagine eating a mass produced marshmallow again (vegan or otherwise). And I made my daughter very happy!!!
I’m so happy that you and your daughter liked them! 🙂
Hi, I have now had seven failed attempts at making vegan sugar-free marshmallows. I tried several recipes on the internet, but not yours yet. I don’t have cream of tartar – can I use lemon? Since it will be heated, much of the liquid will disappear anyway. What is the cream of tartar? I thought acids make it harder for the agar to form a jelly.
And I was only able to buy agar flakes. I googled and it says to replace one tsp of agar powder with one tablespoon of flakes. Should this work or is there another reason why flakes might not work?
TIA
The cream of tartar gets whipped in with the aquafaba. The agar agar will be what you cook down with the sugar to make a syrup that will set the aquafaba, so the acid and the agar agar don’t mix until the end of the process. You can use lemon juice instead, but I have found that the cream of tartar works a little better. (Cream of tartar is an acid leftover from the winemaking process). You can also use agar agar flakes instead. You will just need more of it and it seems to take a little longer to melt completely. Good luck! 🙂
Has anyone tried making these and then roasting them over a campfire for S’mores?
I have roasted them over a campfire and they roast similar to a regular marshmallow. Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made non vegan homemade marshmallows in the past and you need to dry them out extra long so they don’t melt when roasting, do you have to dry them out longer than when they’re in the oven to roast them nicely? Planning on having smores for a camping trip this weekend.
You will need to dry them out as the recipe describes, and they roast well that way. You may want to dry them out a little more so that they travel better and don’t get stuck together. Maybe transport them in a hard container so that they don’t get smushed together. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Could I put in puffed rice in the marshmallow mix before I put in the fridge or do you suggest letting them harden and reheating them to make rice krispy squares ?
I used the hot marshmallow fluff to make rice crispy treats with this last week and it was a fail! It was too wet and made the rice crispies soggy. (My kids ate it anyway, but I didn’t like it). I need to test the recipe again by remelting the dried out marshmallow. I’ll let you know.
How did the second batch come out?
Vanessa, I haven’t had a chance to make it again yet. I had a broken oven for a while then was out of town a lot. I’ll be sure to make the mini ones soon!
Can you substitute honey for sugar in this recipe? Do you think that they would hold up a bit for roasting a few seconds on an open camp fire? I’d love to try these for the kids at the resort but I don’t like using sugar.
Thank you
It’s so sweet that you would make it for kids at your resort! The marshmallows do hold up to toasting. I have never tried it with honey, so I’m not sure. I would be worried that it would be a little wetter. You may need to let it dry out a little longer. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Hello, would you consider testing this recipe for mini marshmallows? AND mini dried cereal marshmallows, like Lucky Charms? I would like to see if that works with your recipe. Thanks.
I will give it a try as soon as I’m able. I think that you should pour the mixture on a cookie sheet instead of a deeper dish and simply cut them into smaller pieces. You can leave them in the oven until they dry out completely. Hope that helps. 🙂
Making them was easy but mine stayed too sticky so I must have done something wrong. I will try them again another time. But the process is quick and should work.
I’m not sure why they were too sticky. They are fairly sticky until you coat them in powdered sugar and dry them out in the oven. Maybe dry them again and leave them uncovered until they dry out some more?
So easy to make and nice and thick Marshmallows. I made the Vanilla ones as a starter. I was not sure if the AF would turn to liquid once Cocoa added. Glad I picked up the typo for you:). Cheers.
The aquafaba will stay just as fluffy once you add the cocoa powder. Liquids and especially oils tend to deflate the aquafaba, but powders don’t seem to.
Can I use coconut sugar?
You can use coconut sugar, but you will have brown marshmallows. If you’re okay with that, I’m sure it would taste good. 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow and wondered if it is really only 1and 1/4 TEAspoons of sugar? I am used to adding a lot more sugar when making anything sweet with AF. Thanks, and will give a rating as soon as it is devoured:)
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for alerting me to that typo. It was supposed to say cup, not teaspoon. It has been fixed now. I hope that you enjoy them!