Healthy Honey Chamomile Marshmallow Recipe | Natural and Gut Healthy 

Growing up, I always loved toasted marshmallows. I didn’t have them very often as a kid, so whenever I could get my hands on them, I would take full advantage. As an adult, my love for toasted marshmallows hasn’t gone away, but the corn syrup and other less than ideal ingredients do not agree with me. Instant sugar headache anyone? Then I found out that marshmallows could be made with healthy ingredients and I couldn’t wait to try it out. My mind was blown by how delicious they turned out, how easy they were to make, and maybe most impressive, how good I felt after eating them. And then I began to think about how I could level them up by making some changes. Chamomile came to mind and I just had to give it a go. They turned out better than I could have imagined, so I thought I’d share this recipe with you all. Chamomile not your favorite? No problem! These marshmallows can be adapted very easily to other flavors, like classic vanilla, or maple sea salt. 

Health Benefits of Homemade Marshmallows 

Ok hear me out, these homemade marshmallows actually do have health benefits. It may sound kind of crazy, but it’s true! Both chamomile and beef gelatin boast many different benefits for your gut and beyond. Let’s get into it.

• Benefits of Gelatin 

Beef gelatin boasts many benefits that can help with your gut, joint, bone, hair, skin, and nail health. Gelatin is the cooked version of collagen. They have pretty much identical nutritional makeups with similar amino acids and are almost entirely made up of protein.  Many people take collagen as a supplement, but gelatin is great to use in foods because of its capability to make things gel. Ever have some broth gel in the refrigerator? That’s because of all the gelatin. Many people make bone broth because of that very reason and want the health benefits of the gelatin.

• Chamomile 

Chamomile is an amazing plant that has many health benefits and is full of antioxidants. Chamomile has been used for hundreds of years as a plant medicine. Chamomile can be used as an anti-inflammatory, sleep aid, digestive aid, for gastrointestinal issues, and more. It is most commonly consumed as a tea, but in this recipe, you get to have a bit more fun with it!

Why Homemade is Better

Homemade marshmallows are better for many reasons. For one, you get to control exactly what goes in them. Marshmallows are commonly filled with nasty ingredients including corn syrup, artificial flavors, and blue 1. Because marshmallows are commonly fed to children, I wanted to perfect a recipe that would be both taste bud friendly and healthy for kids, so that they could be enjoyed without any of the side effects.

Can You Use Alternative Sweeteners?

If you’re wanting to make homemade marshmallows without corn syrup, but aren’t a huge fan of honey, there are some options. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup and agave will also work for this recipe. As long as your natural sweetener of choice can be cooked to 240 degrees fahrenheit, it should work just fine. Be aware that whatever sweetener you use will change the taste of the marshmallows.

Flavor Variations

There are many ways you can change up this recipe. Think flavors like Maple Sea Salt and Strawberry. Want your marshmallow to be different colors? Add blue spirulina powder or beet powder while mixing, to make your marshmallows blue or pink. The possibilities are endless! 

* The recipes below can be made with the exact same instructions as the chamomile marshmallow recipe. 

Maple Sea Salt Marshmallows 

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 3.5 Tbsp unflavored gelatin (grass fed beef is best)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 pinches sea salt 
• Arrowroot powder

Strawberry Marshmallows 

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 strawberry purée (made from fresh or frozen strawberries)
• 1 cup raw honey
• 3.5 Tbsp unflavored gelatin (grass fed beef is best)
• 1 tsp beet powder (for color, optional)
• Pinch sea salt
• Arrowroot powder

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare Dish

Add parchment paper to the inside of A 9”x13” casserole dish and sprinkle some arrowroot powder in the bottom to prevent sticking. 

Step 2 – Brew Tea

Heat water and brew with two of the chamomile tea bags for 10 minutes.

Step 3 – Prepare Gelatin Mixture

Add half a cup of the brewed tea to your mixer bowl (or a high walled bowl if using a hand mixer.) stir gelatin, the remaining two dry tea bags, vanilla, and salt into the warm tea. and set aside. If using tea bags, cut open the bags and empty them into your gelatin mixture. If using looseleaf, add a tablespoon. 

Step 4 – Cook Honey Mixture

Add the remaining tea and your honey into a pot and place on medium heat. Cook, stiring occasionally till it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit. This is just over the soft ball stage in candy making. Use your candy or kitchen thermometer to check the temperature frequently. It should take around 8 -10 minutes.

Step 5 – Combine Ingredients and Whip Marshmallows

Once the honey mixture is done cooking, take it off the heat. With the mixer on medium speed, pour the honey into your gelatin mixture until combined, then turn your mixture to high speed. At first, the mixture will look very dark and watery, but as you mix it will start to lighten and become fluffy. You’re looking for the mixture to become the consistency of marshmallow fluff. It will look like softly whipped whipped cream. The whisks should leave impressions in the fluff, but it should not form stiff peaks. This will take 5 – 10 Minutes. 

Step 6 – Pour Marshmallows into Dish and Let Set

Once the marshmallow mixture is done, immediately pour it into your prepared dish and smooth it out. It sets up quickly, so make sure to work fast. Let your marshmallows set for 1 hour or longer. The longer you let your marshmallows sit, the more they will firm up. 

Step 7 – Cut and Store

Once the marshmallows have set, lift the parchment out of the dish and peel back the sides. Sprinkle some more arrowroot on the top of your marshmallow block and smooth till all of the sticky areas are covered. Cut your block into squares of your desired size and store in an airtight container for up to a month (if they last that long).