Toasted Marshmallow Fluff – A Little Spoon

I originally made this toasted marshmallow fluff recipe to ribbon it through my No Churn S’mores Ice Cream. I quickly realized it’s a recipe unto itself. Toasting and mixing the charred, roasted flavor throughout the marshmallow fluff make it perfect for so many pastry/dessert applications (see FAQs) where you want consistent roasted marshmallow flavor but also a smooth texture. Next time you make a fall treat consider adding fluff to it!

How do I store toasted marshmallow fluff?

Store the roasted fluff in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature or 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Or, for a more spreadable consistency, make sure to let the refrigerated fluff come back up to room temperature before using it.

What if I don’t have a stand mixed for the toasted marshmallow fluff?

A hand mixer will work perfectly fine. I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention two things:

1. It will take longer as a hand mixer’s speed and power are less than a stand mixer.

2. YOU MUST BE FAR MORE CAREFUL with the butane torch if you are using a hand mixer. Make sure you never direct the torch towards your hand. Instead remove the mixer before toasting the fluff in your bowl. Make sure the bowl you are using is metal and you have some kind of glove on if you need to hold the bowl while mixing. It will get hot because of metal’s conductivity. Please be safe when using open flame in your kitchen.

Why should I add cream of tartar to egg whites before mixing?

Adding an acid, like cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate), to egg whites helps stabilize the egg proteins and makes them more resistant to breakdown, drying out, and graininess. Bye-bye weeping, both the foam and me!

How do I know if the egg whites are overmixed?

If you over mix eggs whites, the proteins will crowd and “weep”, mostly water as they destabilize. Here’s the egg white circle of life:

1. The foam created from whisking will go from large translucent bubbles to small opaque ones.

2. The volume will increase, and the egg white foam will get visibly glossy as the bubbles get smaller and form soft peaks.

3. The volume will continue to increase as the egg white proteins become more structured and form stiff peaks.

4. The structure will break down and the bubbles will once again begin enlarging. The foam will turn grainy and matte, and you will see foam floating around on top the liquid pushed out of the foam structure.

If you see signs of bubbles or graininess immediately stop whisking and assess. If you are making something high in sugar like a meringue or marshmallow, you can still probably use the egg whites, as the sugar will emulsify and re-stabilize the structure. However, if you see any splitting, stop and start over.

Good thing this recipe has cream of tartar. huh?

How long should I toast the toasted marshmallow fluff?

The easy answer is, as long as you want.

The long answer is, it depends on what you are using it for and how strong you want the flavor to be. If you plan to use the marshmallow fluff mixed in with other flavorful ingredients, like dark chocolate, it could overwhelm the flavor of the fluff if it’s not toasted enough. The same goes for cold applications. A lot of the char tastes comes from the toasted aroma of the marshmallow. The colder it gets the less aroma there is and the weaker the flavor.

In these kinds of cases, toast more than you think you should. You could also follow the tip in the notes section and leave chunks of toasted marshmallow intact for condensed sections of flavor.

What can I do with toasted marshmallow fluff?

There are so many things you can do with toasted marshmallow fluff! Here are some ideas:

1. Top fall beverages: For starters, add a few spoonfuls of toasted marshmallow fluff to the top of a mug of hot chocolate or your latest pumpkin spiced latte for a whole new cozy experience.

2. Swirl into desserts: Additionally, lots of desserts could benefit from a toasted marshmallow swirl, like peanut butter brownies or no-bake pumpkin, chocolate, or plain cheesecake (OMG YUM). And, of course, we can’t forget my no-churn s’mores ice cream.

3. Make all the no-bake s’mores desserts: Next, melt some chocolate and mix in the marshmallow fluff for a s’mores dip. Use graham crackers as a dip vessel. Furthermore, you can upgrade rice crispy treats by using toasted marshmallow fluff instead of melted marshmallows. Then, toss in chocolate morsels and crushed Biscoff cookies for an added twist.

4. Garnish cupcakes and pies: Finally, can you imagine a slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of toasted marshmallow fluff on top? Yeah?! Me too! Or how about chocolate cupcakes with a cookie butter center and marshmallow fluff frosting? Incredible!

However you choose to use toasted marshmallow fluff, it’s sure to be delicious!