Marshmallows are excellent treats made from water, sugar, and gelatin. They are quite popular and are consumed on various occasions.
Marshmallows can be roasted on a stick over a campfire – they are one of the most common foods associated with camping. Roasted marshmallows can be used to make S’mores, banana boats, and lots more. In addition to being roasted, you can also melt marshmallows and use them in other treats like BBQ peach cobbler, loaded baked apples, baked bananas, and more.
Usually, marshmallows are roasted over a naked fire, but what if you want to melt them for a particular recipe?
Can you microwave marshmallows? Yes, you can microwave marshmallows. At temperatures above 98.6⁰F, marshmallows will melt. Put the microwave’s setting on high and heat uncovered for 30 seconds. Stir the melted marshmallow after 30 seconds has lapsed and heat again.
The microwave works really fast and the marshmallows will be melted in no time. Once the marshmallows are completely melted, you can use them as icing for your baking or whatever you please.
However, you must be careful when heating marshmallows in the microwave. The reason for this is that overheating can cause the marshmallows to burn and have a black color. Also, marshmallows will puff up when being heated in a microwave.
It is important that you make use of a large and deep bowl that will accommodate the puffed up marshmallows. If the bowl is too small, the marshmallows will rise out of the bowl and spill into the microwave.
What Happens When You Microwave Marshmallows?
The microwave is an effective appliance for heating different foods – no surprise it works well for marshmallows too. However, the microwave heats food really fast and must not be left unattended to when being used. As the marshmallow heats in the microwave, there’s some formation of moisture due to gas being evaporated.
The evaporated gas facilitates the formation of gas bubbles and eventually causes the marshmallows to rise inside the microwave-safe bowl. To avoid making a mess, stir the marshmallow together at regular intervals. Once the marshmallow begins to melt and cool down, it’ll shrink back inside the bowl.
Melted marshmallows can be used in many different ways. My favorite use of melted marshmallows is making icing for baking recipes. In the next section of this article, I’ll be sharing the steps I usually follow whenever I’m heating a batch of marshmallows in the microwave. Make sure you follow them accordingly for the best microwaving results.
How to Heat Marshmallows in the Microwave
The microwaving process is very simple and straightforward. After a few minutes of heating, you’ll have a perfectly melted bowl of marshmallows that can be used in whatever recipe you like. The steps I usually follow are:
- Start by selecting a microwave-safe bowl that is big and deep enough to hold all the marshmallows. Also, the microwave-safe bowl needs to have sufficient depth so that the melting and puffed up marshmallow won’t spill over the side. Ideally, the solid marshmallows shouldn’t take up more than a third of the bowl’s space. Check the bowl’s bottom to see if it has the right symbol that confirms it as a microwave-safe product.
- Transfer the marshmallows into the microwave-safe bowl and make sure there’s sufficient space left inside for expansion. If the marshmallows are too much for a single bowl, you can simply melt them in smaller batches. The bowl should be filled by about one third of its capacity each time you’re heating marshmallows in the microwave.
- Set the microwave to high and heat the first batch of marshmallows for 30 seconds. You should not cover the bowl of marshmallows with anything. Instead, leave the microwave-safe bowl uncovered so that the marshmallows can melt fast. Once the first 30 seconds has lapsed, take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the melting marshmallows together – you can make use of a sturdy spoon.
- After stirring, place the microwave-safe bowl in the microwave and heat again for an additional 30 seconds. Once those 30 seconds also lapse, take the bowl out and stir again. Keep on repeating this process at 30-second intervals till the desired result is achieved.
How to Melt Marshmallows for Icing
If you’ll be melting your marshmallows for use as icing in a recipe, here are the steps to follow:
- Get a microwave-safe bowl and transfer the marshmallows into it. For 450g of marshmallows, add 2 tablespoons of water into the microwave-safe bowl.
- Set the microwave to high and heat the marshmallows together with water for 30 seconds. Remember to watch the process closely so that the marshmallows don’t spill over and make a mess.
- After the first 30 seconds are done, cautiously remove the bowl of partly melted marshmallows and stir with a sturdy spoon.
- Put the bowl of marshmallows back in the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds. Once those 30 seconds are up, stir the melted marshmallows together – repeat this until you have a satisfactory result.
- After the marshmallows have melted well, add some flavoring to the mix and stir together with a spoon. Also add some 65g of powdered sugar to your 450g mix of melted marshmallows and stir thoroughly.
- Lastly, knead the mixture of melted marshmallows into fine dough. If you’re not using the dough immediately, cover it in a layer of plastic wrap and preserve in the refrigerator.
Related Questions:
Some of the frequently asked questions on this topic are:
Why Do Marshmallows Grow in Size when Heated in the Microwave?
The heat inside the microwave causes molecules of water to vibrate within the melting marshmallow. The vibrating molecules are dislodged and turn to steam. This steam is what rushes into air pockets within the marshmallows and causes them to puff up.
Why Do Marshmallows Burn?
Because of the air pockets found within marshmallows, there’s usually expansion anytime marshmallows are heated. During this expansion, the sugar content of marshmallows can burn.
What Temperature Do Marshmallows Melt?
Marshmallows begin to melt at temperatures above normal body temperature. The standard measure for this temperature is 98.6⁰F.