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Best Way To Melt Marshmallows

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Last Updated on January 6, 2023

Marshmallows are a popular treat that is enjoyed in many different ways. They have a delicious flavor and are even great for melting to use for various recipes. If you plan on making rice crispy treats or another recipe, you will want to know the best way to melt marshmallows.

Though melting marshmallows is great for many different things, it is a bit tricky to do. You want to avoid burning them or making a sticky mess. However, with the right steps, you can melt them to the right consistency.

What Are Marshmallows Made Of?

Marshmallows are a tasty treat many people enjoy thanks to their soft, squishy texture and sweet flavor. Though they taste great on their own they’re amazing in s’mores, hot cocoa, and much more. They have a delicious, sweet flavor that is hard to beat.

Marshmallows are generally made of sugar, water, air, gelatin, and corn syrup. However, the ingredients do vary by recipe and the taste and texture may even vary some as well.

Though quite different than what we know now, marshmallows were first enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians as early as 2000 BC. These original treats once contained a mallow plant (Althaea Officinalis), which grows in marshes in the wild. The sap from the mallow plant was combined with honey and nuts to make a tasty concoction.

Since many modern marshmallows contain gelatin, they are not vegan or vegetarian-friendly. Gelatin comes from collagen which is taken from the bones, joints, and tissue of animals such as cows and pigs. It is a tasteless, colorless ingredient that works as a stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in foods.

Though many marshmallow brands use gelatin, some use other ingredients to achieve the desirable chewy texture. Some brands do make vegan and vegetarian-friendly options.

How To Melt Marshmallows?

Upon buying a bag of marshmallows, you may have wondered, can you melt marshmallows? Well, you can melt this sweet confectionary. However, you need to make sure to do it properly to get the melted texture just right.

Melting marshmallows can be tricky as they can easily harden, making them difficult to work with. In addition, they can also burn if you are not careful with them. Fortunately, there are a few different methods that work well for melting them.

It is important to be extra careful when melting marshmallows, as they can get very hot due to their high sugar content. It is always a good idea to use oven mitts to protect your hands from getting burnt when handling hot bowls.

Can you microwave a marshmallow?

You can melt marshmallows in the microwave, however, it is one of the trickier methods to do so. If not done right, they can harden easily when using a microwave.

When using a microwave, add a bag of marshmallows to a microwave-safe bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water. Put the marshmallows in the microwave for thirty seconds, checking every 10 seconds to ensure they are not bubbling over.

After 30 seconds, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and stir them using a rubber spatula. If they are not yet fully melted, return them to the microwave and microwave at 10-second intervals until smooth. Once smooth, let it cool very briefly and use them right away before they harden up.

How to melt them on the stovetop?

To melt your marshmallows on the stovetop, grease the bottom of a large saucepan with butter. Then, turn the burner to medium heat and add your bag of marshmallows and two to four tablespoons of water. Regularly stir the marshmallows with a wooden spoon for five to seven minutes until they are smooth and creamy in texture.

Be sure to use plenty of big saucepans, as you don’t want them to boil over. Avoid heating them over high heat and this can make them burn, leading to a sticky mess. Remove from heat, let cool briefly, and then use immediately.

How to melt them with a double boiler?

Using a double boiler is a great way to melt marshmallows. To do so, add water to a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Then, grease a heat-safe bowl with butter and place it above the simmering water, being sure that it does not touch the water.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add a bag of marshmallows to the top pan, along with two to four tablespoons of water. Using a wooden spoon, stir for five to seven minutes until smooth and creamy. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for just a couple of minutes before using.

What Can You Use Melted Marshmallows For?

There are many uses for melted marshmallows. Some of the most common uses include making rice crispy treats and fondant. It is also great for using as a topping or filling in a variety of desserts including cakes, cookies, and brownies.

It even works well to use as a tasty dip for desserts and other snacks. You can dip strawberries, pretzels, cookies, brownies, chocolate, graham crackers, and whatever else you would like.

How Much Butter Do You Need to Melt Marshmallows?

To make around a cup of marshmallow glaze, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/8th teaspoon of salt
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 cups of mini marshmallows.

This method is perfect if you’re worried that you’ll burn your marshmallows (it happens!). Now all you need to do is:

  1. Add the vanilla, salt, and sugar to a bowl and mix.
  2. Now over medium heat, add your butter to a pan, along with 1/4 cup of water.
  3. Once warm, add in your marshmallows and keep stirring until they’ve melted completely.
  4. This shouldn’t take any longer than 2 minutes.
  5. Now pour the mixture from your pan into the sugar mixture and mix well.

To put it simply, for every 2 cups of mini marshmallows, you’ll only need around 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, along with around 1/4 cup of water.

How to Pipe Melted Marshmallows?

To make a pipe-able frosting out of melted marshmallows, you’ll need a few additional ingredients:

  • You’ll need around 2 cups of mini marshmallows
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup of water
  • 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar

Now all you need to do is:

  1. Add the egg whites, sugar, syrup, and water on top of a double boiler.
  2. Beat with a mixer for a minute or two.
  3. Now place over boiling water and keep mixing until stiff; this should take around 8 minutes.
  4. At this point, you can fold in the marshmallows, as well as the vanilla.
  5. After another 2 minutes of beating, you should have a smooth frosting and your marshmallows should be completely melted.
  6. At this point, add the mixture to a piping bag, and pipe as you usually would.

How Do You Get Melted Marshmallows Out of a Bowl?

Melted marshmallow is notoriously difficult to clean from bowls. They’ll always be some leftovers and they’ll be sticky and hard to remove from your bowl. This is why you should always use a heat-safe bowl when melting marshmallows. That way, once you’re ready to clean, you can fill a sink or washing-up bowl with very hot (or boiling water) and then place the bowl into the water. After around 15-20 minutes, the residue should have completely dissolved and no need to scrub endlessly!

What is the Melting Point of Marshmallows?

The melting point of marshmallows is relatively low. It’s only just above our own body temperature, at around 98.6F. This is why you can often feel them melting in your mouth! And also why they tend to burn extremely quickly. It’s always best to melt them low and slow.

Will Melted Marshmallows Reset?

They will harden again. However, it won’t be the same shape that it once was. What you can do is use any leftover melted marshmallows you have to make into custom shapes. That way they’ll still be used up, and will still taste just as delicious!

What Can You Do With Melted Marshmallows?

S’mores, rice crispy treats, and as a topping or filling are the obvious options when it comes to melted marshmallows, but the possibilities are endless! Some of my favorites include:

  • bananas. baked bananas with melted marshmallows, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips
  • marshmallow wraps. tortilla wraps with peanut butter, melted marshmallows, chocolate chips
  • peach cobbler. with melted marshmallows on the BBQ
  • apples. baked apples with melted marshmallows, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter
  • dessert nachos/dessert pizza. need I say more?
  • marshmallow fluff. while it won’t be quite the same as the one from the stores, it’ll still be just as tasty!

These are just a few of my top picks, but there are many more!

Do All Marshmallows Melt?

Typically, all marshmallows will melt (as long as they don’t have any mix-ins added). However, it’s best to use marshmallows from a bag that has just been opened. This is because the longer marshmallows have been exposed to air, the harder and drier they’ll become. When this happens, it’s very hard to melt them effectively.

can you melt marshmallows

Final Words: The Best Way To Melt Marshmallows

Though you can melt marshmallows in the microwave and on the stovetop as well, the best way to do it is generally with a double boiler. A double boiler uses low, slow heat to melt them, reducing the chance of them hardening or burning. The use of butter and water helps create a smooth, delicious treat, great for many uses.

Always remember to be careful as the high amount of sugar makes marshmallows get very hot when melted. Once melted, allow the mixture to cool for just long enough so that you won’t burn yourself, but not long enough that it will harden. Be sure to also stir the mixture regularly when melting to create a smooth texture.

Do you have any questions regarding the best way to melt marshmallows? If so, please ask your comments related to melting marshmallows and what you can use them for in the comment section below.

Read more about How Much Sugar In Marshmallows?

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