Marshmallow Heart Pops

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, how did I get here??

I have many times, and I am so thankful for where I am now.

But also think it’s slightly comical that the old me who loved food coloring and all those crazy Pinterest (not so healthy) recipes, is here sharing a naturally dyed, naturally sweetened, homemade heart shaped marshmallow pop.

Kids man. Kids change it all. In a very good way. But I probably wouldn’t be concerned with food dye if I hadn’t had kids. Heck I probably wouldn’t have ever gave it a second thought let alone research it.

If you want to know why I AM concerned with it and would love a DIY natural food dye recipe then check this out.

I suppose I probably wouldn’t really have a need for Marshmallow Heart Pops either if I didn’t have kids…

So basically you can thank my kids for this recipe lol.

These Marshmallow Heart Pops are fun, homemade, dye free, paleo friendly, relatively easy, ya know all the good stuff.

They start with naturally sweetened marshmallows that are spread into a pan and left to set up. Then the marshmallows are cut into heart shapes. Those heart shapes are then dipped into a naturally dyed, homemade, naturally sweetened white chocolate. And then you can top with extra sprinkles if you so wish. You can put these Marshmallow Heart Pops on a stick or not, but I suppose they wouldn’t be Heart Pops if they weren’t on a stick and children just love anything on a stick…

All of that may sound like a lot of work but I assure you they are really not that hard. The marshmallows come together in about 15-20 minutes then they just sit for four hours or so to set up. The white chocolate is achieved in another 10 minutes then sits for another hours so while you blend it every so often. The rest is just assembly which is the fun part!

Just think of how cute these would be for a Valentine’s Party or just how happy your kids would be to have them on Valentine’s morning. Or what about a themed birthday party?? Baby shower??? ENGAGEMENT PARTY?? Sorry I’m getting all wild and crazy just thinking of different ways to use them. Why be limited to one measly holiday? Valentine’s Schmalentines….

Anyway, the recipe…

Marshmallow Heart Pops

Ingredients:

Marshmallows

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of maple syrup or honey or a combo of both
• 2 3/4 tablespoons gelatin
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Coating

• 8oz cocoa butter
• 6 tbsp honey
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp KitchenColor Natural Food Coloring or DIY Natural Food Coloring

Instructions

For the Marshmallows

1. Prepare a 9 x 13″ pan with a light greasing of butter or other fat (to hold the parchment in place) then place a piece of parchment big enough to hang over the sides a little in the pan. Smooth the parchment paper so that it sticks to the pan.
2. Place the gelatin and half of the cup of water in the stand of a mixing bowl. Briefly mix to make sure all the gelatin is hydrated. Leave attached to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment ready to go.
3. Place the remaining half cup of water, the maple syrup (or honey) and the pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Once boiling place a candy thermometer into the syrup mixture and let it come to 240*f.
5. After the syrup has reached 240*f very carefully, slowly pour it into the stand mixer with the gelatin, running at medium speed. Be careful not to burn yourself or to pour too fast. You want to pour it in a nice, steady, thin stream.
6. Once you have poured all of the syrup into the stand mixer, turn the mixer to high and beat for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is triple in size, white and has soft peaks when you stop it.
7. When it has finished whipping, quickly spread into the prepared pan. Don’t dawdle here because it will set up quickly.
8. After it is spread in the pan, leave uncovered and undisturbed for 4 hours or more.

White Chocolate Coating

1. Place all of the chocolate coating ingredients in a double boiler, or a heat proof bowl fitted over a small pan with an inch of water in it.
2. Bring the water in the pan to a boil with the bowl over it. Whisk it while everything melts.
3. Once all of the cocoa butter and honey melt remove from the pan/heat and using an immersion blender or food processor to emulsify it well.
4. Let sit for 15-20 minutes then again use the blender or processor to emulsify it. Rest again for 15-20 minutes and repeat. Continue doing this until it is cooled completely and has become a cream cohesive mass with no oil separating. This may take 1-2 hours. If you want to speed it up, place it in the fridge but don’t forget to take it out and blend it every 15 minutes or so.
5. When the chocolate coating is ready for dipping continue with assembly.

Assembly

1. When the chocolate is close to ready take the marshmallows out of the pan using the parchment paper. Gently peel the parchment paper from the sides and cut out the hearts using a cookie cutter.
2. If using, stick the sticks through the hearts. Dip into chocolate coating, turning over to coat both sides. Once covered place on parchment to dry. Repeat with the rest.

Print

Marshmallow Heart Pops

Fun and yummy White Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Heart Pops that are naturally sweetened, dye free, and paleo! The perfect treat for Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion! 

Servings 8 marshmallows

Ingredients

Marshmallows

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of maple syrup or honey or a combo of both
• 2 3/4 tablespoons gelatin
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Coating

• 8 oz cocoa butter
• 6 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp KitchenColor Natural Food Coloring or DIY Natural Food Coloring

Instructions

For the Marshmallows

1. Prepare a 9 x 13″ pan with a light greasing of butter or other fat (to hold the parchment in place) then place a piece of parchment big enough to hang over the sides a little in the pan. Smooth the parchment paper so that it sticks to the pan.
2. Place the gelatin and half of the cup of water in the stand of a mixing bowl. Briefly mix to make sure all the gelatin is hydrated. Leave attached to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment ready to go.
3. Place the remaining half cup of water, the maple syrup (or honey) and the pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Once boiling place a candy thermometer into the syrup mixture and let it come to 240*f.
5. After the syrup has reached 240*f very carefully, slowly pour it into the stand mixer with the gelatin, running at medium speed. Be careful not to burn yourself or to pour too fast. You want to pour it in a nice, steady, thin stream.
6. Once you have poured all of the syrup into the stand mixer, turn the mixer to high and beat for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is triple in size, white and has soft peaks when you stop it.
7. When it has finished whipping, quickly spread into the prepared pan. Don’t dawdle here because it will set up quickly.
8. After it is spread in the pan, leave uncovered and undisturbed for 4 hours or more.

White Chocolate Coating

1. Place all of the chocolate coating ingredients in a double boiler, or a heat proof bowl fitted over a small pan with an inch of water in it.
2. Bring the water in the pan to a boil with the bowl over it. Whisk it while everything melts.
3. Once all of the cocoa butter and honey melt remove from the pan/heat and using an immersion blender or food processor to emulsify it well.
4. Let sit for 15-20 minutes then again use the blender or processor to emulsify it. Rest again for 15-20 minutes and repeat. Continue doing this until it is cooled completely and has become a cream cohesive mass with no oil separating. This may take 1-2 hours. If you want to speed it up, place it in the fridge but don’t forget to take it out and blend it every 15 minutes or so.
5. When the chocolate coating is ready for dipping continue with assembly.

Assembly

1. When the chocolate is close to ready take the marshmallows out of the pan using the parchment paper. Gently peel the parchment paper from the sides and cut out the hearts using a cookie cutter.
2. If using, stick the sticks through the hearts. Dip into chocolate coating, turning over to coat both sides. Once covered place on parchment to dry. Repeat with the rest.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you do anything special? Tell me all about it in the comments!