MARSHMALLOWS — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated November 2023

Marshmallows are a sweet and gooey part of the U.S. culture >> roasted as the quintessential fireside treat and included as an essential accompaniment to traditional dishes we cherish as annual customs.

LET’S BEGIN WITH THE REAL RECIPE: Since Ingredient Inspector.org is all about finding manufactured products which are Closest To Homemade, we’ll start by looking at what’s in homemade Marshmallows so we have a point of comparison.

Homemade Marshmallows contain Sugar + Confectioner’s Sugar + Gelatin Powder + Vanilla Extract + Water plus possibly Starch, Salt and Mallow Root.

MARSHMALLOWS HAVE BEEN PART OF HOLIDAY RECIPES FOR DECADES. We see here advertisements for Holiday recipes which include marshmallows:

Let’s see what’s in these products today and compare the ingredients to homemade marshmallows.

KRAFT HEINZ’S KRAFT JET-PUFFED MARSHMALLOWS HAVE NO REAL VANILLA LISTED AS AN INGREDIENT AND ARE BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS FOR CONTAINING ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR AND ARTIFICIAL COLOR. In addition to Artificial Flavor and Color, Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows also contain Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate. (Sources: Kraft Heinz My Food and Family Web site 11/23; Amazon Whole Foods Web site 11/23)

Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows contain Artificial Flavor and Artificial Color, Blue 1.

SIMILAR TO KRAFT JET-PUFFED, CAMPFIRE MARSHMALLOWS ARE ALL BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS FOR CONTAINING ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR AND HAVE NO REAL VANILLA LISTED AS AN INGREDIENT. Campfire Marshmallows contain Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate and Artificial Flavor and the Fruit-Flavored Campfire Marshmallows also contain four Artificial Colors >> Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. (Sources: Doumak Campfire Web site 11/23; Amazon Whole Foods Web site 11/23)

In the European Union, products which contain Artificial Colors are required to come with a warning on the package that the Artificial Colors may cause attention deficit disorders in children.

GENERAL MILLS LUCKY CHARMS MARSHMALLOWS ARE ALSO FAR FROM HOMEMADE™ WITH MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS NOT IN KITCHEN™ >> INGREDIENTS WE WOULD NEVER USE AT HOME TO MAKE MARSHMALLOWS FROM SCRATCH. These General Mills Lucky Charms marshmallows are manufactured by Kraft Heinz. (Source: General Mills Lucky Charms Web site 11/23; Amazon Whole Foods Web site 11/23)

These Dandies Marshmallows below contain Soy Protein and Carrageenan >> Carrageenan is a Thickening Agent made from seaweed to which many people have significant allergic reactions. (Source for ingredients: Dandies Web site 11/23)

A few marshmallow brands did not make it to the Closest To Homemade list >> Smashmallow Toasted Vanilla and Elyon Natural Vanilla because they do not have Real Vanilla listed as an ingredient, and Hammond’s Vanilla Bean Marshmallows which contain commercial Natural Flavors. (Sources: Instacart, Hammond’s and Amazon Web sites 11/23)

Real Vanilla is extremely difficult to cultivate and, hence, Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Beans are extremely expensive ingredients.

STORE BRAND MARSHMALLOWS with ingredients Not In Kitchen: Seen below, Whole Foods 365 Marshmallows contain Natural Flavors and Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate plus they do not list Real Vanilla as an ingredient; Target’s Good & Gather Marshmallows contain Natural Flavors and Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate plus they do not list Real Vanilla as an ingredient, and Stop & Shop Marshmallows also have the same profile as Target and Whole Foods plus Artificial Flavors and Blue 1. (Sources: Amazon Whole Foods, Target and Stop & Shop Web sites 11/23)

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS: Shown below, these Marshmallows contain no Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Diphosphate, Corn Syrups, Artificial Colors, Artificial Flavors, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Soy or Citric Acid.

These Closest To Homemade Marshmallows include The Naked Marshmallow Co., Sweet Apricity, Mojave Mallows and Healthy. (Sources: Brand Web sites 11/23)