Are Marshmallows Vegan? (Or Do Brands Like Kraft Have Pork Gelatin?)

Are marshmallows vegan? We’ll answer all your questions and see if we can find some vegan brands of marshmallows below…

Let’s hop to it…

Are Marshmallows Vegan?

No, marshmallows are not vegan.

The main reason for this is that they contain gelatin.

Gelatin is a gel substance created from animals’ skins, hooves, tendons, and ligaments, placing it in the non-vegan category. They wouldn’t even be considered vegetarian!

Although rarer today, some marshmallows may even have eggs – another non-vegan ingredient!

If you’re looking to grab some vegan marshmallows in a pinch, use the links below to click over to Amazon to see the products we recommend: 

• Dandies Mini’s Vegan Marshmallows
• Dandies Regular Sized Marshmallows

Is There Vegan Gelatin?

If you’re wondering, there is a vegan version of gelatin called agar-agar. You can learn more about it in our article on vegan jello

Can You Get Vegan Marshmallows?

Absolutely. There are several brands of vegan marshmallows that exist and they’re becoming more and more readily available.

Bag of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

Check Price on Amazon >>

For your convenience, we’ve gone through every marshmallow brand we could find and revealed their vegan status below…

Which Brands of Marshmallows Are Vegan?

Here’s the breakdown of vegan and vegetarian marshmallows…

• Dandies – VEGAN. Dandies are a fully vegan marshmallow brand. No animal products to be found! You can buy them here on Amazon if you have a craving.
• Trader Joe’s – VEGAN. Trader Joe’s has their own vegan marshmallows, too! But be careful, they may also carry regular marshmallows too.**
• Haribo – NOT VEGAN. This brand of marshmallows contains gelatin or gelatine.
• Campfire – NOT VEGAN. Another standard brand of marshmallows contains gelatin.
• Kraft – NOT VEGAN. The Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallows have gelatin in them, much like all of the standard brands on the market.
• Ananda – VEGAN. This brand makes interesting vegan/vegetarian marshmallows, but it is located in the UK.
• Suzanne’s Specialties – VEGAN. But they specialize in marshmallow creme, similar to the “fluff” that you would spread on a peanut butter sandwich. It’s available here to check out.
• Freedom Confectionery – VEGAN. They’re a smaller brand that makes colored vegan mallows. No gelatin, eggs, soy artificial colors or flavors. Really an excellent choice. You can find them here.
• Smucker’s Marshmallow Topping – VEGAN. In the ice cream or peanut butter section, you’ll be able to find this product by Smucker’s, that’s a vegan marshmallow topping. Not quite a mallow, but still good for the flavor.
• Ziyad Halal Marshmallows – NOT VEGAN. They have beef gelatin instead of pork. Vegans should stay away from these!

**You can read more about the Trader Joe’s Marshmallows here…

What Are Vegan Marshmallows Made Of?

Here are the ingredients in one brand of vegan marshmallows (Dandies)…

• Tapioca Syrup
• Cane Sugar
• Filtered Water
• Tapioca Starch
• Carrageenan
• Soy Protein
• Natural Vanilla Flavor

Trader Joe’s vegan marshmallows have a nearly identical ingredient statement. We would suspect that Trader Joe’s is getting their product from Dandies as a private label agreement.

Needless to say, these are the ingredients you’ll find in most brands of vegan marshmallows.

Other less popular brands may have coconut or other unique flavors.

Are Vegan Marshmallows Good?

Vegan marshmallows aren’t only good – they’re delicious. Most people won’t notice a significant texture difference either.

When words like “fluffy” and “yummy” being thrown around freely, you know they’re good.

Can You Melt Vegan Marshmallows?

Vegan marshmallows do melt, but they may not become as “oozing” as the regular kind. However, they’re still delicious on a s’more or eaten just the way they are.

What Are the Main Ingredients in Marshmallows?

The main ingredients in regular marshmallows (non-vegan) are usually just sugar and cornstarch. You’ll find that the other ingredients like colors, flavors and gelatin make up less than 2% of the ingredient, but that doesn’t mean that they’re cruelty-free and vegan!

Here’s an ingredient statement from Jet Puffed Kraft Marshmallows as an example…

INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, DEXTROSE, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GELATIN, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE (WHIPPING AID), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BLUE 1.

Do Marshmallows Have Meat?

Technically speaking, they don’t have “meat.” However, regular marshmallows still have animal products in the form of gelatin which, as we already mentioned, is made from the bones, skin, and cartilage of animals.

Are Marshmallows Egg Free?

Most commercial marshmallows today do not contain eggs. This goes for the vegan and non-vegan variety.

Do Marshmallows Have Dairy?

Marshmallows do not usually have dairy products in them. This is true for both vegan and regular marshmallows.

Do Marshmallows Have Soy?

The two main vegan marshmallows we’ve listed here (Trader Joe’s and Dandies) have soy protein. However, we haven’t seen soy in any normal marshmallow ingredients. This means if you’re a vegan with a soy allergy, you won’t be able to enjoy them.

Are Marshmallows Made of Bones?

Since gelatin is made of bones, marshmallows also have bones in them! The bones aren’t stuffed directly in the marshmallows, though. They’re boiled along with other animal parts to reduce to a powder known as gelatin.

Are Vegan Marshmallows Halal?

Since there’s no pork from gelatin, vegan marshmallows are classified as Halal. Fantastic news if you are craving a s’more.

Other Common Questions

Is Nutella Vegan?

To date, the original Nutella is not vegan, but many hazelnut spread brands are just as good. We did an entire article on vegan Nutella here, which you can check out!

Can Muslims Eat Marshmallows?

Sort of. The important consideration if you’re Muslim is whether or not pork gelatin has been used in the product. Your best bet is to go with any vegan marshmallows on this list!

Does Whole Foods Sell Marshmallows?

Yes! And they even sell vegan ones. You can grab them here via Amazon’s Whole Foods section.

Are Graham Crackers Vegan?

That depends on whether or not you’re a vegan who avoids honey. Some graham crackers will have honey, rendering them in the “not vegan” category. However, we have a list of vegan graham crackers without honey right here.

Is Peanut Butter Vegan?

Most peanut butter brands and products are vegan, but you need to be careful of the less common ones with honey.

See this article for more information: Is Peanut Butter Vegan?

Wrap Up

We’ve learned a lot about marshmallows today! It’s not all good news, but give Dandies or the Trader Joe’s brand a try if you get out there. 

Here’s to a vegan campfire!

For more vegan tips, check out our shopping guide here.

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Joey Bruno

Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!