The Marshmallow Brand You Should Avoid At All Costs

When it comes to camping or, heck, even just a cold evening at home gathered around the fire, marshmallows can be a great, simple dessert. You can turn them into gooey classic s'mores or eat them plain. And of course, there are holiday staples that call for marshmallows, such as sweet potato casserole .

If you add this item to your shopping list, however, it's important to note that not all marshmallows are created equal. In fact, Daily Meal taste-tested 11 marshmallow brands and found that, while some brands such as Jet-puffed and Campfire are classic choices, there's one that you'll definitely want to skip. In particular, if you come across Dandies' vegan marshmallows on your store shelves, you're better off steering clear.



The vegan label is certainly appealing, as is their advertisement of avoiding artificial flavors and ingredients as well as corn syrup, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the taste and texture simply aren't pleasant. The taste of Dandies' marshmallows isn't terrific The first issue with Dandies, and arguably the most important one, is that the flavor just isn't what you're after when you bite into a marshmallow. In fact, the issues with the flavor are foreshadowed thanks to the odd, unsweet, and unappealing aroma that these treats give off.

At least their taste is sweeter than their smell, which is not surprising as they're sweetened with both tapioca syrup and cane sugar. (Leading brands are sweetened with corn syrup, sugar, and dextrose.) The catch, however, is that Dandies' marshmallows lack that iconic, sugary marshmallow flavor.

This could, in part, be due to the lack of corn syrup. Corn syrup, although similar to sugar, isn't as sweet, which can lead to a less cloying taste. You'll also notice that these marshmallows try to mimic the taste of some of the more iconic brands like Campfire by using vanilla flavoring.

While this might sound like a good idea, brands like Jet-Puffed don't actually list vanilla flavoring specifically among their ingredients, which may also throw off the flavor of Dandies' vegan version. The texture leaves much to be desired, too If you can get past the flavor of Dandies' vegan marshmallows, the next hurdle you'll have to come to terms with is the texture. On the outside, they look like your typically puffy marshmallow.

However, when you bite into them you'll find that they're coarse. On top of that, they have a gritty, powdery texture. Another issue is that many recipes that call for marshmallows require you to melt them.

However, for a tray of Rice Krispies treats or even just melting over the campfire, users in the r/vegan subreddit claim these particular sweets can take quite a while to melt. You might be able to enjoy them uncooked, but they don't always work out the way you're expecting in your favorite desserts. The Reddit users said that the inside doesn't get as gooey as a typical marshmallow does, but they still heat, blister, and burn the same as a normal marshmallow, so you could use them in s'mores and still get a similar texture.

Next time you're hitting the supermarket for a bag of marshmallows, if you see this particular brand on display, it's probably best to pass them up and opt for a tried and true brand. Even if you need to avoid regular marshmallows because of a vegan diet, you're in luck: Trader Joe's sells vegan marshmallows, too, and theirs ranked higher on our taste test than Dandies did..