Gluten-Free Vegan Marshmallow Pops { Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! }

So I've decided to make some gluten-free vegan marshmallow pops today. Yep, I know -- I'm an adult. But still, who doesn't like a good frosted marshmallow? :) . I was also feeling kind of festive and wanted to try something simple and fun, especially since St. Patrick's Day is coming up soon. But, honestly these can obviously be dressed up for any occasion.

Now, here's some disclosure: I sure miss the days of working with colorful melting wafers! I have yet to succeed in coming up with a perfect gluten-free vegan alternative (besides a nice chocolate coating. Have you seen this DIY vegan magic shell recipe yet?). So if you do venture out to make these, don't expect a perfect coating, and don't expect the process to be smooth. But it is easy-peasy, and if you bear with the little imperfections here and there you'll end up with some very, very yummy gluten-free vegan marshmallow pops!

A few notes:

- I used dandies vegan marshmallows, and they worked perfectly well. Feel free to use other brands too, if you know of any, but I don't think a very sticky marshmallow (like Sweet 'n Sara's for example) would work for this particular recipe. Then again, couldn't hurt trying ;) .

- Also, I got the straws at Michael's for like $2 on sale (for a small pack). I cut them in half, so you don't need many straws. If you're looking for something similar, I know you can buy them online, but they can be quite a fortune. Simple lollypop sticks would work too as an alternative.

- For the coloring, I recommend going with gluten-free, vegan and natural brands like India Tree or Seelect. I didn't specify the number of drops I used as I kind of kept going without keeping track until I got the colors I wanted. I actually started out by trying to just use some chlorophyll, but wasn't getting a good color so ended up adding in some actual food coloring as well.

- Last note: these are super sweet. So make if you're the kind of person who likes candy coated with more candy ;) .

Gluten-Free Vegan Marshmallow Pops { Perfect for St. Patrick's Day! }

Print Recipe

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 marshmallow bag's worth

Ingredients

• 1 bag of large marshmallows {I used Dandies -- a vegan and non-GMO brand}
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Food coloring of your choice
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• Some decorative straws or lollypop sticks, etc. (see notes above)

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Instructions

1. Use a knife to poke a small hole at the bottom of each marshmallow. Then skewer each marshmallow with the straws or with some lollypop sticks. Place these marshmallows in the freezer while working on the next step (the longer they chill, the better, but should be at least 10 minutes).
2. Mix the coconut oil and the powdered sugar in a wide mouth glass mason jar or a deep small mixing bowl. You may want to use an immersion blender to blend everything together and ensure there aren’t any clumps. If the mixture thickens up (can happen if it’s chilly in your house), just rewarm it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Then start adding in your food coloring and mixing until the mixture is uniform and you get the color you’re looking for. Allow the mixture to cool off a little at this point. For dipping, the mixture should be liquid, but not too hot. Mix again with a spoon to make sure the mixture doesn’t separate prior to moving on to the next step.
3. Pour shredded coconut into a small bowl. Take the skewered marshmallows out of the freezer. Dip each marshmallow into the coating mixture (you may need to dip several times to get the coating even), and then dip into the shredded coconut to coat the bottom and the sides. Place upright on a plate and put it in the freezer. Repeat for each marshmallow (you can do several at a time and then place the batch in the freezer). NOTE: if you screw up any marshmallows, rinse them off under cold water. Dry with some paper towel. Return to freezer for 10 minutes and then repeat the dipping & coating process above.
4. Leave the marshmallows in the freezer for at least 10-15 minutes for the coating to harden up. After that you can transfer the plate into the fridge and store until ready to eat or serve. The coating might melt slightly if left out of the fridge for too long or if it’s very hot.