Emily Chan
With Halloween right around the corner, you might be wondering if marshmallows are vegan. It turns out that most of them aren’t!
Traditional marshmallows are dairy-free, but they’re made with animal-based gelatin, which means they’re not vegan-friendly. But luckily, there are vegan marshmallow options that use all plant-based ingredients.
So, whether you’re making s’mores or spooky snacks, you can still enjoy the fluffy, sweet treat while maintaining your morals.
Why aren’t most marshmallows vegan anyway? It just seems like that should be the standard. The origin of marshmallows can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians as early as 2000 B.C.
They used the sap from the mallow plant (Althaea officinalis) to make a special gooey treat reserved for royalty and gods. The plant was pink and grew wild in the marshes. It is native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Now, you can see how marshmallows got their name.
In the 1800s, candy makers in France combined the marshmallow sap with sugar and egg whites and whipped the concoction by hand to create the marshmallows we know and love today.
The treat quickly gained popularity. Candy makers had to develop corn starch molds to make the marshmallows faster and keep up with demand.
By the 20th century, marshmallows were introduced to the United States and became available for mass consumption. The mallow plant was replaced altogether by animal-based products like gelatin and egg whites. This applies to both individual marshmallows and whipped marshmallow creams.
Marshmallows also contain sugar, which does not sit well with strict vegans because sugar is often processed with animal bone char.
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