Marshmallow has been enjoyed for thousands of years – dating ancient Egyptians in 2000 BC. Of course, they were not exactly the same then. To begin with, Egyptians will squeeze the juice from the mello plant that grows wild lying in the swamp. This is where the name Marshmallow comes from – got it? Then, they mix the sap with honey and nuts. Believe it or not, it was considered a special dish served only to royalty and gods. Candy makers in France began introducing another version of Marshmallow in the 1900s. They used the same mello sap and whipped it into a fluffy candy mold. In the early 1900s, Marshmallow came to the United States. So, today we will find out are marshmallow dairy free or not?
Are Marshmallow Dairy Free?
Yes! We are happy to inform that Marshmallow is dairy free by nature. Marshmallow’s original recipe is just sugar, water and gelatin. Most marshmallows are also gluten free, but they may vary from company to company. So there is no need to worry about finding swaps to fit Marshmallow into your life.
Funny Facts of Marshmallow.
- More than 50 per cent of all marshmallows sold every summer are roasted and eaten on fire.
- Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana is known as the marshmallow capital of the world. Marshmallow is one of the major industries in the production sector, and has had marshmallow festivals every year since 1992.
- Although Marshmallow came from Egypt and France, American Marshmallow is today the number one consumer.
- More than 90 million pounds of marshmallows are sold every year in the US.
- Peak seasons for marshmallow sales are October & December.
- Even gharials love Marshmallow. While it is not clear who first gave marshmallows to an crocodile, they are commonly used nowadays to distract or bait crocodiles. In places like Florida, it is common, but elsewhere it feels like a myth. It was popularized by a character from HBO’s True Blood.
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Best Dairy Free Marshmallow Recipes.
Now that we know marshmallows are dairy-free by nature, as well as a bunch of other random marshmallow facts, let’s go on good things – eating them! We will break down many marshmallow recipe categories and provide our favourite recipes.
1. S’mores.
The beauty of s’more is that it has different textures – marshmallows are sticky from the inside and crispy outside. It melts Hershey’s chocolate. Then, you grab it all with two pieces of graham cracker.
Even if they are dirty, they are one of the most popular desserts for summer and autumn.
If you want to spice up the traditional flavour, try using peanut butter cups instead of chocolate – we recommend Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup for dairy-free options. Alternatively, try swapping traditional Graham crackers with chocolate or cinnamon graham crackers.
2. Brownies and Bars.
If you haven’t heard of Mississippi mud brownies, run, don’t walk to your grocery store and make it now. They are basically brownies, with a layer of marshmallows, then a layer of frosting on top. Here you can find a great dairy free recipe for them.
Of course, there are many bar-style desserts that include marshmallows. We recommend these s’mores times – just remove chocolate and butter for dairy-free versions, and you may have a full pan of s’mores that will last you a week instead of sitting once!
3. Rice Crispy Treats.
Crispy, yet goodness of gooey sugar. What more could you have wanted? These bars usually contain marshmallows, butter and puffy rice grains. To make them dairy-free, just swap the butter to dairy-free butter, and you’re good to go!
If you want to be wild, try these deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars with home flavour. Just make sure your chocolate chips and butter are dairy free.
4. Marshmallow Salad.
These “salads” are the kind of dishes you always see at a family gathering. Also known as Ambrosia salad, it depends on where you are located, these salads are classic. It is usually made with marshmallows, coconuts, pineapple tidbits, mandarin orange segment and sour cream.
To make it dairy free, swap the sour cream for a dairy-free option. Some people add different fruits to the mix, such as The Marasino Cherry – you can do whatever you want here! Coming to Marshmallow, there are no rules.
5. Cereals.
This list will not be complete without the mention of lucky charms. Marshmallow in cereal? Whoever came up with this idea was a talented person. What could be a better way to encourage children to eat breakfast?
Of course, it’s not the most healthy snack, but it’s definitely the most exciting, even as an adult. Nowadays, you can also buy 21 ounce bags of marshmallows on your own – not reducing boring grains any more and saving marshmallows for the last.
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6. Candid Yam.
Another traditional dish you often see around holidays at family functions. As the name suggests, this dish is mainly made of yam, brown sugar, butter and marshmallow. Depending on your family, this dish is either an important staple. Or is completely strange and gross.
If you are looking for a recipe, out of all the recipes it has more than 800 reviews and keeps things simple. To make it dairy free, just swap the butter for dairy-free butter.
7. Jello.
Meet together a final dish to add to your family. The Jello Marshmallow salad is an old dish that was all angry during the day, and you see it sometimes even today. They are generally easy to make, fruity and brightly flavoured.
They are similar to nectar salads. For example, this recipe for daily dish recipes is for cherry jello, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, whipped cream and marshmallows. Just swap whip cream for dairy free options, and you can eat this jello marshmallow salad as much as you want!
Bottom Line.
If you are lactose intolerant or dairy free, place marshmallows in the list of foods you can eat. No swaps are required – enjoy them as soon as they arrive. However, if it’s straight to Marshmallow like S’morse (with dairy-free chocolate bars) – you’re probably eating dairy-free sweets. With many different recipes to try, the options are endless!
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