What are marshmallows made of?

What Are Marshmallows Made Of?

Despite their soft, cloud-like texture, marshmallows aren't made from anything that grows in a garden anymore—certainly not the mallow root they were originally derived from. Long ago, confectioners used the sap of the mallow plant to create a spongy treat. Today, that natural ingredient has been replaced by something far more common: gelatin.

Modern marshmallows are mostly sugar, corn syrup, and water, whipped together into a fluffy mixture with the help of gelatin, which gives them their signature bounce. This sticky, airy concoction is then piped through long tubes to form the familiar cylindrical shapes. Once cooled and cut, they become the familiar squares you roast over a campfire or stir into hot cocoa.

For shaped marshmallows—like the iconic yellow chicks known as Peeps—a special nozzle extrudes the mixture while moving in precise patterns, cutting the marshmallow into recognizable forms as it goes. It’s a surprisingly simple mechanical dance that turns goo into nostalgia.

Starch is used generously during production to keep the pieces from sticking, which is why store-bought marshmallows have that faint powdery coating. And while the recipe might sound industrial, the result is something deeply comforting—a sweet, squishy bite that melts just slightly at body temperature.

So next time you bite into a marshmallow, remember: it’s not magic, but science and a little culinary history, all wrapped up in a pillowy puff of sugar.