Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups

There are some interesting dessert recipes floating through the interwebs:

Black bean brownies, chickpea blondies, lentil cookies…it seems like people are putting anything in desserts these days.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for experimentation in the kitchen. How else would I have known that I love peanut butter on my sweet potatoes? Or cashews in my cheesecake? Or beets in my smoothies? Experimentation is a necessity if we want to find new and inventive ways to jazz up our food.

And we always need jazzed up food.

While I’ve never actually tried it and, therefore, have no place to judge, I just can’t get behind the idea of legumes in desserts. Have you tried it? Am I missing something totally spectacular? I feel like there are so many more natural substitutions – like almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour – for refined all-purpose flour in baked goods, that I don’t feel the need to default to using beans in my sweet treats.

That being said, I used beans in this sweet treat.

Well, sort of. I used the liquid from a can of garbanzos to create that white, sweet marshmallow fluff you see in these pictures. This liquid, otherwise known as “aquafaba,” is a vegan culinary marvel. Especially if it can be used to create an egg-less, gelatin-less, refined sugar-free-less marshmallow fluff! Guys, this stuff is what [healthy fluffernutter] dreams are made of!

These Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups are the perfect addition to your 4th of July plans! They’re totally inventive. They’re festive. And, best of all, they’re freakin’ tasty. Don’t be afraid; aquafaba marshmallow fluff is bound to be your new kitchen obsession!

So, there are a few things that make this recipe totally out-of-this-world awesomely bonkers delicious.

First: the crust. GUYS. If I could eat but one item for the rest of my life, this crust would be a definite contender. The best part about it is that it requires but three ingredients: dates (caramely chewy goodness), oats (lifeblood to this 22-year-old), and cinnamon (the ultimate spice). I use these three ingredients more than anything on the blog. See Exhibit A, Exhibit B, and OH MY Exhibit C for proof!

Next: the marshmallow fluff. I can almost hear the fluffernutter Hallelujah chorus singing (is that a thing? do they have an opening?). For these Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups, we’re whipping together that magical aquafaba, some honey, a pinch of cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and the zest of a small lemon. The lemon zest is my special addition from the brilliant Chocolate Covered Katie’s recipe. While the lemon zest is totally optional, it definitely elevates the flavor in these dessert cups!

Last: the fruit. Now, because the 4th of July will quickly be upon us, I was thinking we’d all need a dessert featuring the good ol’ red-white-blue color scheme. Hence the beautiful blueberries and the sensational strawberries. HOWEVER, choose whichever fruits you like. Kiwi, bananas, mango, peaches, or (OMG) cherries would be absolutely delicious here.

There you have it: these Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups (aka. The ULTIMATE 4th of July Sweet Treat) are the real deal. Please do not be afraid of that fascinating aquafaba – believe me, I had the lowest expectations of this liquid. But seriously, I would not be touting its praises if I didn’t fully believe it was 100% perfectly delicious. Trust in the Fooduzzi. Your vegan marshmallow fluff dreams are about to be answered.

As mentioned in the post, this marshmallow filling was adapted from the amazing Chocolate Covered Katie. Check out her blog for incredible vegan dessert recipes!

Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups

From Fooduzzi at https://www.fooduzzi.com/2015/07/vegan-marshmallow-dessert-cups/

https://www.fooduzzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/red-white-blue-marshmallow-cups-2.jpg

Prep: 20m

Yield: serves 5-6

Total: 0h 20m

Magical homemade aquafaba marshmallow fluff stars in these gluten free and vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups! You'll never buy regular marshmallow fluff again!

You'll Need...

• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• pinch cinnamon
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• pinch cream of tartar
• splash vanilla extract
• zest of one small lemon (optional - omit for a traditional marshmallow filling)*
• blueberries and strawberries, to garnish

Directions

1. Make the oat cup: Combine dates, oats, and cinnamon in a small blender/food processor and blend until a ball forms.
2. Lay a small piece of wax or parchment paper across the diameter of 5-6 muffin cups so that you can use them as handles to pry the cheesecakes out. Press crust into muffin cups, using a spoon or shot glass to pack it tightly. Press some of the dough up the sides to form a "cup." Place in the freezer until set, about 30 minutes.
3. Make the Vegan Marshmallow Fluff: Drain the chickpeas over a small bowl to collect all of the can's liquid.** Add liquid to the base of a stand-mixer, along with honey, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract.
4. Turn the mixer to high and beat until you have a fluffy marshmallow fluff consistency, 5-10 minutes. Fold in the lemon zest only when ready to serve.
5. Assemble the Vegan Marshmallow Dessert Cups: Remove crusts from the freezer and pop them out of the muffin cups. Dollop some of the Vegan Marshmallow Fluff into the cups***, and garnish with strawberries and blueberries. Enjoy immediately!

Additional Notes

*The lemon zest will slightly deflate the marshmallow filling, but have no fear: it will still be insanely delicious.
**What to do with the extra chickpeas? Search "Pesto Hummus" or "Guacos" on my site. You will NOT be disappointed!
***There's a reason why you'll have a ton of this marshmallow filling leftover. Fluffernutters, anybody?

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Stay classy, Internet friends!

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