VEGETARIAN MARSHMALLOWS

Notes:

These vegetarian marshmallows are elegant, light, bouncy, and full of marshmallow flavor and texture. They’re made with high quality ingredients and, as far as marshmallows, go better for you and less sweet than any commercial ones. You can see them in action in my IG reel for Rocky Road cookies. They’re made with egg whites, raw agave syrup, and agar agar with flavor enhanced by vanilla extract and a touch of salt. Per the original recipe for marshmallows, developed in the 1800s in France, the sap of the marshmallow plant, which forms a stable gel, was whipped with egg whites and sugar to create both a medicinal and tasty confection. However, most commercial recipes today use gelatin (making them non-vegetarian) in place of marshmallow sap and chemical whipping agents in lieu of egg whites. This vegetarian recipe uses agar agar (derived from red seaweed or algae) as the gelling agent for a stable, fluffy and flavorful product. And this recipe is much closer to the original than the highly processed stuff at the store since we are using both egg whites and plant derived gelling polysaccharide.
These marshmallows are not arctic white like many of the commercial ones, and this is because of the dark syrup that was used. Corn syrup would have made them lighter in color, but it’s much sweeter and more processed of course. Also, many commercial marshmallows include a touch of blue food colorant to make them appear whiter. But what we need is for them to be delicious and this recipe is that. There are also vegan recipes out there that are great and use aquafaba (the liquid from cooked chickpeas) in lieu of egg whites.

Agar agar melts into solution only when heated above ~194 F, but it sets up much more quickly than recipes using gelatin and at a higher temperature (about 95 F). You will likely notice that the marshmallows from this recipe appear set after about an hour, but give it 2-3 hours to fully cool and set.

If you want lighter colored marshmallows you can use a lighter colored syrup like tapioca (which is also not insanely sweet), however I like the creamy color of these and also the flavor and color of agave syrup.

Equipment:

• 8 x 8 baking pan

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment, but electric hand mixer ok too

• Medium sauce pan

• *Optional candy thermometer

Time: 20 mins to prepare, 2-3 hours to set

Ingredients:

• Egg whites: 1/2 cup (~3 egg whites)

• Agave syrup: 1 cup (I used raw agave syrup but it does not need to be raw)

• Agar agar powder: 1.5 tbsp

• Water: 5 tbsp

• Salt: 1/4 tsp

• Vanilla paste/extract: 1 tsp

Dusting powder

• 4 parts corn starch, 1 part powdered (confectioner’s) sugar; A good amount for this recipe is 4 tbsp corn starch and 1 tbsp powdered sugar.

Directions:

1. Line an oiled (vegetable or coconut oil) 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on high for 3-4 mins until you get stiff peaks. You can also do this with a hand electric mixer.

3. Add the agave syrup to a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high. While waiting for it to boil, wet the agar agar powder in the water and mix it to soak it all up then add it to the saucepan. Whisk the syrup continuously until it reaches a rolling boil (~220 F) which should happen fairly quickly, then add the salt and vanilla to the saucepan. Whisk to combine and keep whisking for another minute until the mixture starts to look thick and gelled then remove from heat. *You can optionally use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature but it’s not necessary as you can just watch for the boiling to happen and then give it another minute while whisking.

4. Turn your mixer with the whipped egg whites down to low, and slowly pour the agave/agar agar mixture into egg whites to create a marshmallow fluff. Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed for about 30 seconds to aerate the fluff. Then quickly transfer the fluff into your prepared baking pan, smooth the surface with an oiled spatula, and let it rest for about 2-3 hours or overnight.

5. Once they have set up, dust with the cornstarch/powdered sugar mixture. It’s good to do this in a large storage container with a lid so you can just shake the container to fully coat the marshmallows.

6. Turn the marshmallow sheet onto a cutting board and cut into large squares (~1.5” x 1.5” or bigger if you want). Store in an airtight container; they’re best when consumed on the same day, but you can keep them stored for a couple of days, and even longer in the fridge.

Marshmallow fluff

Fully incorporated and ready to set in the pan.