You can’t go camping without a bag of marshmallows. You also can’t make a proper sweet potato casserole or play everyone’s favorite choking-hazard game, Chubby Bunny. Whether you’re preparing to head into the woods with a pack of matches and a bunch of sharp sticks or you’re shopping for Thanksgiving dinner accoutrement, the best marshmallows are essential.
We stocked up on all sorts of marshmallows—gigantic ones intended for s’mores, itty-bitty ones for hot cocoa and casseroles, and regular ol’ marshmallows for toasting over a fire. We tried all the marshmallows at room temperature and toasted, not over an open flame (we work in an office, not the wilderness) but briefly broiled in our trusty countertop oven.
We were looking for marshmallows with some bite—they shouldn’t be total mush—and a pleasant, vanilla-tinged flavor. We also wanted marshmallows that toasted nicely without turning to liquid or taking on a chemical aftertaste once they were browned. Some marshmallows we liked at room temp tasted really bad once they were toasted. Those didn’t make the cut. What we have here are the best of the best marshmallows, including the best vegan marshmallows, the best mini marshmallows, and, of course, the best marshmallows for s’mores.
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- Jet-Puffed Fruity Fun
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I have to be totally honest: I don’t know what fruity marshmallows are for. I mean, I bet you could make some pretty fun Rice Krispies Treats with these, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen them in the wild. Maybe they’re just for snacking? That’s fine! Anyway, if you came here looking for the best fruity marshmallows, we can tell you that Jet-Puffed makes fruit-flavored marshmallows that taste much better than the generic brands we tried. These come in three flavors: Orange, Strawberry, and Lemon & Lime. They all taste good separately and even better together. The fruit flavors aren’t overpowering, but you can actually taste them, which is more than I can say for some of the generic fruity marshmallows we tried. If you think the best marshmallows taste a lil like Froot Loops, give these little suckers a shot. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Dandies Vanilla Flavored Mini Vegan Marshmallows
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Spoiler: Dandies makes the best vegan marshmallows (see #3 on this list), but the company also makes the best mini marshmallows overall (which happen to be vegan). They’re a little bit denser than other mini marshmallows, but I think that’s a good thing. They’ll heat nicely on top of a casserole without turning to soup. They’ll hold up a little longer in a cup of hot chocolate. Mini marshmallows should have a little more body! Both Jet-Puffed or Kroger make tasty mini marshmallows, too, but these are a more inclusive purchase since they don’t contain gelatin. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Stuffed Puffs Classic Milk Chocolate Filled Marshmallows
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Stuffed Puffs are great in theory. Chocolate-stuffed marshmallows you can simply toast and stuff between a couple of graham crackers? Easily the best marshmallows for s’mores, right? Well, not quite, because when we tried these heated up, the chocolatey center didn’t really melt the way we hoped it would. Still, the flavor is really incredible. The milk chocolate stuffed in the middle provides a nice contrast to the one-note sweetness of the marshmallow itself. Yo, I dipped these in coffee and they were great. Keep them around for snacking purposes. And go ahead and use them for s’mores, but just try to melt the marshmallow slowly so the chocolate interior gets melty, too. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Jet-Puffed S’more Vanilla Marshmallows
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Jet Puffed S’more Vanilla marshmallows are ethereal, square-shaped pillows with a lovely hint of vanilla flavor. The flavor is great, and these marshmallows are much more sizable than the Jet Puffed original. These are made for s’mores, and we really do think they are the best marshmallows for s’mores. Are they so big that they will most certainly ooze out over the edges of a graham cracker sandwich? Most certainly.There’s potential for it to be a mess, but there’s also potential to achieve the perfect s’more with these guys. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Dandies Vanilla Flavored Vegan Marshmallows
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These vegan marshmallows are much sweeter than other marshmallows. They are a little stiffer and don’t have the same sort of give when you bite into them. But if you don’t eat gelatin, you’re gonna love these. The center is so decadent. And they taste like something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I asked my colleague, Mythical Chef Josh Scherer to weigh in, and he suggested Circus Peanuts—I think he might be onto something. The texture is definitely a bit Circus Peanut adjacent. They’re lovely! Roasted, they’re excellent. And they’re less runny than regular marshmallows, which is nice. I think you could totally replace your regular marshmallows with these vegan marshmallows and no one would know the difference. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
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I tried these alongside a lot of generic brands of marshmallows and they’re basically perfect, but our #1 pick for the best marshmallows just have more marshmallow flavor. These are still a gold standard, though. They’re so light and airy. They’re sticky on the outside—stickier than other brands—which means they brown nicely when you roast them over a fire. But if you’re just raw dogging marshmallows or making Rice Krispies Treats, Kroger would be my first choice. You won’t regret buying Jet-Puffed, though, especially because you aren’t tasting the marshmallows head to head. I heated these in the toaster oven and they taste better toasted than any of the other marshmallows we tried. They get VERY nice and brown on the outside and the caramelization tastes excellent. Grab some skewers—these are the best marshmallows for your next bonfire. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Kroger Marshmallows
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Okay, Jet-Puffed marshmallows are great, but I swear these Kroger marshmallows have a richer marshmallow flavor than Jet-Puffed, and they’re also less sticky despite being just as sweet. Some marshmallows aren’t sweet enough. Some are too dense. These are just as light and airy as Jet-Puffed, but they have a nicer flavor. They taste exactly like Lucky Charms marshmallows—super sweet and vanilla-y—but soft and squishy instead of crunchy. We actually tasted Lucky Charms-branded marshmallows and these taste more like Lucky Charms marshmallows. Toasted, these taste almost as good as the Jet-Puffed but not quite, so while they’re definitely the best marshmallows to melt into Rice Krispies or to munch on as a snack. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
Best Fruity Marshmallows
Best Mini Marshmallows
Best Snack
Best Marshmallows for S’mores
Best Vegan Marshmallows
Best Marshmallows for Toasting
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried: Happy Belly, Good & Gather, Stuffed Puffs Chocolate on Chocolate, Stuffed Puffs Cookies n’ Cream, Great Value, Yummallo Vegan, Yummallo Unicorn Poop, Frankford Sour Patch Kids, Campfire Giant Roasters, Great Value Marshmallows, Great Value Mini Marshmallows, Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows.
