Elevate Your Snacking Habits: How to Make Collagen Marshmallows
Apr 09, 2024by Sophia Ruan Gushée
Can homemade marshmallows be included among your list of healthy snacks or nutritious desserts?
How about collagen marshmallows? Can they be guilt-free indulgence with collagen powder benefits?
Keep reading to learn more.
Please note that some links earn us Amazon affiliate fees, and you should talk to your trusted healthcare providers before adding collagen powder into your diet.
Introduction to collagen powder
Used in your body to make connective tissue, collagen is the most abundant protein in your body at about 30% of your body’s protein, according to an article by the Cleveland Clinic. Collagen decreases, however, with age, excessive exposure to sun and/or alcohol, smoking, and insufficient sleep and exercise. With collagen loss, some people notice less youthful-looking skin and hair.
While diet can include natural sources of collagen, collagen supplements have become very popular. The global collagen supplements industry is forecasted to reach $3.4 billion in 2031 from its estimated $2.1 billion in global sales in 2022, according to SkyQuest (April 2024).
Even as sources, including an article published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, describe the scientific evidence on the health benefits of collagen powder as mixed, some consumers enjoy improved skin, hair, nails, and joint mobility and comfort.
Benefits of collagen marshmallows
I've been adding collagen powder to my coffee for years, after a friend who is a pharmacist raved about the benefits that she noticed after using a certain brand. Given her youthful skin and thick healthy hair, I bought what she bought and I felt better—better energy and younger skin.
After speaking to Shiva Rose, author of Whole Beauty, however, for a 40-Day Home Detox masterclass on simplifying natural beauty, Shiva inspired me to re-evaluate the collagen powder that I use to be sure to select one that comes from grass-fed cows. I then took it one step further to see if there were analyses of collagen powders that are low in toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Fortunately, Mamavation sent a few collagen powder products to a laboratory for testing and I selected one from her list of the best of the best.
My masterclass with Shiva got me excited to make homemade marshmallows with grass-fed collagen powder! I was planning on having it with my morning coffee—and replacing cream and sugar.
Stirring the marshmallows into my morning coffee is a similar experience to mixing marshmallows into hot chocolate. It ads creaminess and sweetness to coffee (and tea)! But, it also adds nutrients that may improve my skin health and appearance. Again, the large-scale trials evaluating the benefits of oral collagen supplements for skin and hair health are not available, so the scientific proof doesn't support the anecdotal claims that collagen supplements helped skin, hair, and nails. However, I now include these collagen-rich treats among my wholesome snacking especially since I have thoughtfully selected each ingredient of the below collagen marshmallows snack recipes.
Collagen marshmallow recipe ideas
Making collagen marshmallows is pretty easy but it takes a bit of time and takes more work to clean up since the gelatin and collagen coagulate relatively soon. With the simple recipe below, however, you'll become increasingly adept at perfecting these collagen-rich treats.
Tools needed to make collagen marshmallow recipes
Below is a detailed guide on making collagen marshmallows.
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Glass or ceramic bake dish (a loaf pan, 9x9 dish, or others will do)
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Mixer—either stand with mixer or handheld mixer
- Scissors to cut the marshmallows into squares
Ingredients for collagen marshmallows
Below is a list of ingredients for collagen marshmallow recipes with variations provided for sweetness and flavor. As I identify the most mindful ingredients (i.e., researching the most nutrient-dense AND clean of toxic chemicals and heavy metals), I will specify the brands below. Please keep in mind that even more details are available in the D-Tox Academy Shopping Guides (included with monthly membership to the nontoxic library of resources!)
-
6 tablespoons gelatin powder by Perfect Supplements
- 4 tablespoons collagen peptides by Perfect Supplements
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups pesticide-free honey, 100% pure maple syrup, organic monk fruit, or organic coconut palm sugar
- 3 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
- Organic tapioca starch, for coating
- Coconut oil to grease the dish
- Optional for flavors or nutrients: Rose powder (pink) or Butterfly Pea (blue)
Low toxic collagen powder
After much research, I chose Perfect Supplements – Unflavored Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder for Men and Women. I liked that it's:
- made from grass-fed animals on pasture and raised without the use of antibiotics
- tested below 0.5 ug/day of lead and did not require Prop. 65 Warning for California
- tested very "clean," according to Mamavation, who also "independently tested this brand for low levels of phthalates," indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” and it also has “Glyphosate Residue Free” Certification from the Detox Project
The manufacturer describes the Perfect Supplements collagen powder as:
- 100% HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN: Contains Type I & Type III Collagen. Allows you to easily get the nutrients of collagen via all-natural, Brazilian pasture raised and grass-fed cows
- MULTIPLE BENEFITS: Improves skin health, gut function & digestion, supports joint health, helps build and restore muscle, promotes healthy brain function, and delivers important Amino Acids
- HIGH BIOAVAILABILITY: Low molecular weight that is over 90% bioavailable and easily dissolves in any liquid – hot or cold
- PURE PROTEIN SOURCE: One serving has over 10 grams of protein and no sugar, fat, or carbs testing out at 97% protein
- NATURAL INGREDIENTS: Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Hormone Free, Paleo Friendly, No Chemicals, No Fillers, Lab Tested & Glyphosate Residue Free
If you're thinking about trying collagen powder, please first check with your doctor and follow the manufacturer's instructions!
Step-by-step instructions to make collagen marshmallow recipes
-
Grease the glass or ceramic dish with coconut oil and dust the surface area with tapioca starch. If you're using a flower powder, then sprinkle it on the dish now. Note: The larger the dish, the flatter the marshmallows. For standard-sized marshmallows, use a 9x9-inch dish. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the gelatin powder and collagen peptides. Gradually add 1 cup hot water as you whisk smooth any lumps lumps. If you combine at once, it will be lumpy. Once done, let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, boil the remaining 1 cup of water. Then add the sweetener of your choice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil while stirring regularly, about 3-5 minutes until thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Whisk over low heat until well blended. Remove from heat.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or into a heat-proof bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Whisk the mixture, carefully increasing speed to medium-high, for 10 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and continue whisking until you reach a thick, ribbony consistency — about 10-15 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Refrigerate for 3-5 hours, until fully set.
- Sprinkle a bit of tapioca starch on a sheet of parchment paper. Then carefully invert the set marshmallows onto the parchment. Dust all sides of the marshmallows with a bit of tapioca starch before slicing into desired shapes, or cutting with scissors. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Additional tips and ideas
Collagen marshmallows can be among your considerations for healthy snacks, nutritious desserts, oatmeal, rice crispy treats, or supplements to coffee, tea, or hot cocoa! For added colors and nutrients, use flowers in powder form. Most recently, I used rose powder and butterfly pea flower since I had them in my kitchen.
Benefits of rose powder
Rose powder is a beautiful color like dusty rose or lavender-pink. Used in water, milk, and baked goods, rose powder is reportedly helpful for moods and digestion. I love the rose powder by Anima Mundi.
Benefits of butterfly pea flower
A plant that's native to Southeast Asia, butterfly pea flower is a beautiful deep blue color and is rich with antioxidants. Used in teas and baths, butterfly pea flower also has spiritual significance. I love the butterfly pea flower by Anima Mundi.
Health benefits of collagen powder
While the scientific studies on the benefits of collagen powder supplements is insufficient at this time, there are some studies, like one published in the October 2019 journal Nutrients, that found that oral intake of collagen powder supplements "improve skin hydration, elasticity, roughness, and density after three months of intake." The article continued to explain that oral intake of the collagen peptides allowed the effects to reach "the deeper layers of the skin and sustainably improved skin physiology and appearance. In conclusion, the tested dermonutrient allowed for a long-lasting and cosmetically relevant regeneration of the skin."
A February 2024 article published in the journal Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology discussed findings that "suggest that low-molecular-weight collagen peptides supplementation can safely enhance human skin wrinkling, hydration, elasticity, and whitening properties."
Conclusion
Collagen marshmallows can be a fun addition to your rotation of healthy snacks and nutritious desserts. Homemade marshmallows are superior, however, since you can select the healthiest ingredients that also offer collagen powder benefits.
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