Dehydrated Marshmallows
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These dehydrated marshmallows are pure fun! Perfect for adding to hot cocoa, baked goods, and snack mixes, these crunchy sugar bombs are a cinch to make.
Most of the time, our dehydrator recipes and experiments are done for the practical purpose of preserving food. But not this one–no, this dehydrated marshmallow recipe is just for the fun of it!
Dehydrated marshmallows are sweet, crunchy bundles of sugary fun, just waiting to liven up your next mug of hot cocoa or make an appearance in cookies, brownies, or a S’mores-themed snack mix. And yes, their texture is just like the cereal marshmallows you remember from childhood 😉
In this post, we’re sharing all of our tips and tricks for how to dehydrate marshmallows. You won’t believe how easy this is, so let’s get started!
Prepping Marshmallows for Dehydrating
Before you start prepping your marshmallows, make sure your counters, equipment, and hands are clean & sanitized to prevent contamination, which can spoil your batch down the line.
- Mini marshmallows: No prep needed!
- Large marshmallows: Cut in half or into quarters (to help them dry faster). Dip cut edges in powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking.
How to Dehydrate Marshmallows
Dehydrating marshmallows is super easy and a great beginner dehydrating project. Once your marshmallows are prepped, set up your dehydrator and follow these steps:
- Arrange the marshmallows on your dehydrator trays, leaving space between them. They do puff up a bit, so this keeps them from sticking together and allows air to circulate.
- Dehydrate at 150ºF (65ºC) for 6-10 hours until the marshmallows are dry.
- Depending on your machine, you may need to rotate the trays occasionally to promote even drying.
- To dry in the oven: Place the marshmallows on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the oven at 150ºF (any higher than 150F will cause the marshmallows to melt, not dry!). Prop the door open with a wooden spoon to allow moisture to escape (be careful if you have curious pets or children).
Equipment Spotlight: Dehydrators
If you’re in the market for a dehydrator, we recommend buying one that has an adjustable temperature, which will allow you to dial in the drying temp to give you the best results for individual ingredients. The dehydrator we recommend (and use) most often is the COSORI Premium. You can also check out our best dehydrators post for a comparison of all the dehydrators we’ve used and would recommend.
How to tell when they are done
To test if your marshmallows are done, remove a few from the dehydrator and let them cool completely. This is important—they will still be soft when warm, even if they are properly dehydrated!
Once cool, the marshmallows should be hard and shatter when pressed firmly between your fingers. If they are still soft or gummy in the middle, back into the dehydrator they go!
The good news is that you can’t over dehydrate marshmallows.
How to store dehydrated marshmallows
If you’re dehydrating marshmallows for snacking or baking projects and plan on eating them within a week or two, you can store them in a sealed container or zip-top bag on the counter or in your pantry. Just let them cool and place them in a sealed container.
However, if properly dried and stored, dehydrated marshmallows can last for months! Here are our tips for long-term storage:
- Cool: Let the marshmallows cool completely before transferring them.
- Store in a clean, airtight container. For longer shelf life, vacuum seal.
- Use a moisture-absorbing desiccant packet if you anticipate opening the container often, or if you live in an area with high humidity.
- Label the container with the date and any other important details
- Place the container in a cool, dark, and dry place—inside of a pantry cabinet works well.
Vacuum sealing tips
We like to store our dehydrated food in mason jars that have been vacuum-sealed using this handheld FoodSaver vacuum sealer along with these jar sealing attachments. This gives us the benefit of vacuum sealing without the waste (and expense) of plastic vacuum sealing bags. Since the jars are clear we make sure we store them in a dark spot in our pantry to keep them out of direct light.
How to use
This is the fun part! Here are some ways to use your dehydrated marshmallows:
- Toast them! For that classic s’more flavor, put dried and cooled marshmallows on a lined baking sheet under a broiler for ~30 seconds until golden. These are SO good and worth the extra effort!
- In homemade hot cocoa
- In baked goods like cookies or brownies
- As an add-in for trail mix
- Make a S’mores snack mix with mini recess cups and mini graham cookies or cereal
- Add to cereal
- Dip larger toasted marshmallows halfway into melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers for a one-bite “s’more” treat
Ingredients
- Marshmallows
Instructions
- Start with clean hands, equipment, and countertops.
- (Optional) If you’re using full sized marshmallows, cut them into smaller pieces to help them dry faster. Dust the cut edges with powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking.
- Arrange marshmallows in a single layer on dehydrator trays, ensuring there is space between pieces to allow airflow.
- Dehydrate at 150ºF/65ºC for 6-10 hours*, until the marshmallows are completely dry. To test, let them fully cool, when pressed between your fingers or bite one—they should shatter when fully dry.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Optionally, place a moisture absorber in the container if you will open it often or live in a humid area.
Oh my goodness these are so delicious. I used our countertop oven that has a dehydrator mode. We were able to use 180 marshmallows, and it took eight hours for us, but so worth it!