There’s something very comforting about an indulgent cup of hot chocolate on a cold day and even better if it is topped with gooey and puffy marshmallows.
If you’ve been craving this decadent combo, but are concerned about making healthier choices, look no further: healthy marshmallows do exist (and they pair well with our hearty hot chocolate).
I was quite surprised to find a variety of healthy marshmallow recipes on the Internet. Some caught my attention such as Elderberry, Matcha & Basil, Chocolate and even Beet. But all of them contain gelatin, which doesn’t make them vegan. Also, most plant-based marshmallow recipes I came across were spreads and they didn’t have the puffiness I was looking for. After more research I stumbled upon My Goodness Kitchen, a plant-based recipe blog for vegans, carnivores and everyone in-between. In this recipe, Amanda presents us with a homemade maple marshmallow recipe, both vegan and healthy. Enjoy!
Vegan Maple Marshmallow Recipe
Made with full-bodied maple syrup instead of sugar or corn syrup, these vegan maple marshmallows are perfectly sweet, fluffy and sticky.
Photo taken from My Goodness Kitchen
Recipe from My Goodness Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups 310ml maple syrup
- .5 cup 125ml water
- .5 cup aquafaba white bean or chickpea brine
- 2 teaspoon 10ml agar agar powder
- .5 teaspoon guar gum or xathan gum I used guar gum, it’s cheaper!
- .5 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 small pinch sea salt
- .5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon raw caster sugar
- corn flour for dusting
- toasted coconut to serve
Instructions
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Set out all measured ingredients on your counter with a large mixing bowl and two smallish saucepans.
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Line a square cake pan with baking powder and dust with corn flour.
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Put the agar agar and water in one of the saucepans and set aside
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Place the aquafaba, guar gum and lemon juice in the mixing bowl and, using a hand mixer, beat for around 2 and half minutes until fluffy.
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Add the sugar and continue to beat until glossy and full.
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Put the maple syrup and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to around 115 – 120 degrees C. Watch carefully. Remove from the heat when temperature is reached.
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Turn the hand beater on again and carefully and slowly, pour the maple syrup in to the aquafaba mixture until combined and fluffy.
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Put the agar agar and water over the stove top and bring to the boil. As soon as you see a bubble, lift the pan higher above the heat and swirl. Continue to swirl for around 15 – 20 seconds. The mixture will thicken but will not set.
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Still swirling, take the pot to the mixing bowl. Start the hand mixer again and, while mixing, pour in the agar agar mixture. Add a pinch of salt and continue to mix until your mixing bowl is cool. This will take around 5 minutes.
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Pour the marshmallow into the prepared cake pan and quickly smooth it out with a lightly greased spoon.
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Loosely cover the pan with parchment paper and allow the mixture to set for around two hours. I left mine overnight, but it will set earlier.
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When set, using a knife lightly dusted with cornflour, cut the marshmallow into squares.
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Either dust the squares with more cornflour or toast some desiccated coconut and roll the marshmallows through.
Notes
When boiling the maple syrup watch the pot… like really watch it. The recipe calls for a temperature of 114 – 120 degrees C (soft ball candy stage) and the maple can get away from you, bubbling over in the blink of an eye. Needless to say, while this marshmallow is a lovely treat for children to enjoy, it is not child-friendly to make.
In the final stages of the recipe the agar agar and water mixture is brought to a quick boil and in some recipes it states to let it sit for a minute. Don’t. As soon as the mixture either stays on the heat too long or is removed from the heat it begins to set. I worked out a neat swirling trick that brought the mixture to a boil but didn’t set it. Simply hold the saucepan over the heat and the second you see any bubbles lift the pot well above the heat and swirl for around 15 seconds. This means the agar is activated but doesn’t set.
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