You know when you have a crazy craving for something, and it just won't go away, no matter how hard you try to repress it? That was me about three months ago when I wanted nothing more than to make vegan s'mores with some graham crackers, some dark chocolate, and a big ol' scoop of that marshmallow fluff in a jar that's usually reserved for ice cream sundaes.
Yes, I could have opted for some vegan marshmallows instead -- and, in fact, I did do that in the end -- but I wanted that fluff no matter what! The fly in the ointment, though, was two-fold: 1) it was incredibly difficult to find in any grocery store, and 2) when I did find it in Superstore -- in the chewing gum aisle, of all places! -- it contained egg whites. Womp womp.
Cut to: me storming away from the store like an overtired toddler, while Mr. Picky Bitch tried to console me. It seemed like my craving for marshmallow fluff would never be fulfilled, and I was devastated. I was crushed. In a word, I was overreacting.
But after receiving a standing mixer for Christmas, and doing hella research on the magic of aquafaba, I was inspired to try my hand at turning chickpea water into gooey, comforting marshmallow fluff.
And let me tell you, it was a huge success.
Without further ado, I now present to you: homemade vegan marshmallow fluff!
This stuff is deliciously addictive, easy to make, and a near identical twin to its animal byproduct-laden counterpart. And the best part is that it takes less than 30 minutes to come together!
Vegan Marshmallow Fluff
(adapted and converted from Emma's recipe at Walks, Talks, and Eats)
What You'll Need:
150 ml aquafaba* (chickpea water from a can)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup caster sugar** (also known as 'fruit sugar', 'fine sugar', etc. I got mine at Bulk Barn, but I've also seen it at Superstore)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (I got a small bag of this at Community Natural Foods)
What You'll Need to Do:
- Add the aquafaba, cream of tartar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl.
- Set your standing mixer up with the whisk attachment, or, if using a hand mixer, assemble as required, and get ready to rock. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed to get things going, then slowly increase the speed to a medium to medium-high setting. Whisk for about 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks begin to form.
- Keep the mixer running, and add the icing sugar one tablespoon at a time until fully combined.
- Once that's done, you can let the mixer take a break for a minute or two while you combine in a small bowl or mug the caster sugar and xanthan gum.
- Turn the mixer on to a medium to medium-high setting again, and add the caster sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.
- Turn off mixer, give the marshmallow fluff a taste, and try your best not to eat it all in one sitting.
This process took me about 22 minutes from start to finish, which is pretty great considering that there's now no time at all between me and a huuuuge bowl full of marshmallow-y goodness. Come to think of it, that might not be such a good thing....
Luckily, I've used half of my first batch on these s'mores cupcakes.
But I've got an ever expanding list of things I want to put this stuff on, and I'm so excited for each and every one of them!
What are you most excited to put this marshmallow fluff on? Let me know by commenting below, or by tweeting at me.
* Make sure your can of chickpeas has no added salt; I've read that salt in aquafaba can lead to unpredictable results. Also, this recipe could definitely work with aquafaba from home-cooked chickpeas, but I can't testify to that this time around.
** It's important to use caster sugar here instead of basic white sugar because, like a meringue, this mixture can easily become weighed down, so a finer sugar is key to keeping things light and airy.
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