If you’re a connoisseur of sweets, how to store marshmallows is a must-have piece of knowledge.
Marshmallows are one of the most-loved confections in the world, which means the chances of you needing or using them for desserts or even some dinner recipes are pretty high.
Whether you’re sprinkling the minis into your hot chocolate, roasting them for s’mores, topping your hot fudge sundaes with them, or baking them in a sweet potato pie, marshmallows are a near-essential pantry item.
The thing about having marshmallows around the house, though, is that knowing how to store them properly is paramount.
Marshmallows are pristine, fluffy clouds of balanced, creamy sweetness, and while we love that about them, it also makes them extremely susceptible to either drying out or getting sticky.
They may be squishy and fun, but they also require special attention to maintain their divinely soft and spongy texture.
However, the special attention required by marshmallows isn’t complicated or inconvenient.
We want you to have your marshmallows and eat them too – for days to come – so we’ve addressed all of your marshmallow storage questions and concerns right here in a handy guide.
There are three methods of storing marshmallows: in the pantry, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer.
Marshmallows deteriorate rather quickly without proper storage once opened, so knowing which of these best suits your needs is crucial to keeping your puffs pure.
How to store marshmallows in the pantry
Storing marshmallows in the pantry is simple and easy, and you don’t even have to transfer the marshmallows to another bag or container.
All you have to do is follow the bread storage method. Here’s how to do it:
- Place a slice of white bread in a marshmallow bag.
- Twist the bag’s opening and seal it thoroughly with a rubber band or twist tie.
- Put the sealed marshmallows at room temperature, preferably in a cool, dry place.
How to store marshmallows in the refrigerator
If you prefer to store marshmallows in the refrigerator, you’ll want to transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag.
This prevents both air and moisture from ruining the marshmallows and allows you to keep them for a bit longer.
Follow these easy steps to learn how to store your marshmallows in the fridge:
- Place marshmallows in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
- Include a dash of cornstarch or powdered sugar. This helps to absorb any moisture.
- Shake the container to coat the marshmallows with the added sugar or cornstarch, ensuring they won’t stick together when stored.
- Slide the container in your refrigerator.
How to store marshmallows in the freezer
Freezer storage is also an option for marshmallows and a pretty good one if you want to hang onto your candies for a few months.
Follow the same steps for freezing marshmallows as you would for refrigerating them.
Here’s how to do it:
- Transfer marshmallows to an airtight container with lid or freezer-safe bag.
- Squeeze out as much of the air as you can before sealing.
- Seal tightly and slide it into the freezer.
Pro tip: Make sure to put only a few marshmallows in the container or bag as this ensures they retain their shape.
Also, if you’re about to slice the stored marshmallows for your recipe.
Remember to slice them while they’re still frozen because you can easily slice them in this state.
How to keep marshmallows fresh?
The best way to keep marshmallows fresh is to store them properly and use them in the suggested amount of time, depending on how and where you’re storing them.
The fluffy texture of marshmallows makes them highly susceptible to drying out quickly, but they’re also very inclined to stickiness because of their thick, sugary composition.
While we’ve covered how to store marshmallows in three different ways, we’d also like to share some easy tips and tricks for optimizing the freshness of your stored mallows.
Tips and tricks for keeping marshmallows fresh
- Don’t overfill the bag or container in which you’re storing marshmallows; packing them too tightly can lead to them sticking together or getting squished.
- To prevent your marshmallows from sticking together, you can add powdered sugar to the storage container or bag before refrigeration or freezing.
- Allow frozen marshmallows to thaw for 15 minutes before using them in recipes.
- Bread can pull moisture from the air to keep marshmallows from getting sticky, but you can also use it to soften up marshmallows that are a bit dry.
- If you live in a warm or humid climate, storing marshmallows in the refrigerator or freezer is the best choice to keep them as fresh as possible.
Can you refrigerate marshmallows?
As we’ve already alluded to in the storage techniques and tips, yes—you can indeed refrigerate marshmallows.
Refrigeration is the best option if you don’t plan to use your marshmallows within a few days of opening the bag, live in a warm or humid climate, or don’t have a way to seal the marshmallow bag securely.
A refrigerator locks out moisture and keeps the puffy delights fresher for longer.
You can refrigerate an unopened bag of marshmallows, or you can move the marshmallows to a ziplock bag or airtight container to safely store them in the fridge.
How long do marshmallows last?
Generally speaking, an unopened bag of marshmallows will be good for anywhere from two to six months.
However, once the bag is opened, the shelf-life of marshmallows diminishes significantly and depends on the method of storage you choose.
If stored properly in the pantry or on the countertop, an opened bag of marshmallows will stay fresh for about three days.
When refrigerated in an airtight ziplock bag or container, marshmallows will last one week, giving you a few extra days to consume them.
Freezer storage will allow marshmallows to stay fresh for up to four months, which is excellent if you don’t have plans to snack on them or use them anytime soon.
To enjoy maximum marshmallow freshness, eat or use them by the date on the packaging, or store them using one of the above methods.
Interesting Fact: Many grocery-store marshmallow brands include gelatin in their recipes, so they are not vegan or vegetarian, since gelatin is made from animal collagen.
How to keep marshmallows from sticking together
We briefly mentioned a trick for keeping marshmallows from sticking together earlier, but we’d like to take a moment to explain further.
As discussed, the sugary nature of marshmallows gives them a propensity for stickiness, especially if any moisture sneaks into the packaging.
While the refrigerator and freezer are great for keeping moisture out, some marshmallows may still stick together slightly due to simple proximity.
The first way to avoid this is to keep from overloading the ziplock bag or container with marshmallows.
In other words, don’t shove too many of them in there together; split the leftovers into separate bags or containers if you find yourself stuffing.
The second way is to add a light dusting of powdered sugar to the bag or container and shake it around to coat the marshmallows.
If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can also use cornstarch.
Can you freeze marshmallows?
Though it may seem strange to freeze something like marshmallows, it’s something you can absolutely do.
In fact, marshmallows freeze surprisingly well; their spongy consistency makes them excellent candidates for freezing temperatures and for thawing well to be used again.
If the bag of marshmallows has not been opened, you can simply toss the bag into the freezer until you need them again – within the four-month time frame, of course.
For an opened bag of marshmallows, you’ll need to package them first in either a ziplock bag or an airtight plastic container.
It’s crucial that you don’t overpack the marshmallows into these storage bags or containers, as the marshmallows may get squished or even stick together.
We recommend dividing up the marshmallows into multiple bags or containers if needed to avoid this problem.
When you’re ready to eat or use the marshmallows again, you’ll want to allow them to thaw entirely for the best texture and taste.
To defrost your marshmallows, you can let them sit out on the countertop for several minutes, or you can move the bag or container to the refrigerator for an hour or so or until the mallows are soft and fluffy again.
If your marshmallows become a bit sticky during the thawing process, you can turn to the powdered sugar or cornstarch trick to separate them and freshen them right up.
Just sprinkle a bit onto your candies, shake to coat them, and they’ll be good as new.
How long can you store marshmallows for?
The length of time you can store marshmallows depends on whether or not the original bag has been opened.
You can store unopened marshmallows in the pantry or refrigerator for one to three months or until the ‘best by’ date noted on the package.
If you’d like to keep that unopened bag of marshmallows for a bit longer, you can store them in the freezer for about six months.
An opened bag of marshmallows is a different story.
You can store opened marshmallows for a few days in the pantry, about a week in the refrigerator, and up to four months in the freezer.
How to keep marshmallows from getting hard
When marshmallows are exposed to too much air, they become dry, which causes them to get hard.
Even though they’re at high risk of drying out and hardening because of their light and airy makeup, preventing this from happening to your marshmallows is actually pretty easy.
The first line of defense is to protect the marshmallows from the air; twist and seal the bag they’re in or place them in an airtight ziplock bag or container.
If you plan on storing your leftover marshmallows in the pantry, add a slice of bread to the bag before twisting and sealing it.
The bread will draw out moisture from the marshmallows, so they don’t ‘sweat’ and get sticky, but it will also keep enough moisture in the bag with them that they won’t get hard.
If you have a dry marshmallow emergency, place them in an airtight bag or container with a slice of bread for a bit, and they should soften back up to those puffy sweets you know and love.
The bottom line
Marshmallows are a well-loved confection used in many desserts and dishes, so knowing how to store them properly is essential kitchen knowledge.
Marshmallows can be stored in the pantry (or on the counter), the refrigerator, or the freezer.
Each option comes with its own guidelines for technique and shelf-life, so be sure to follow them to enjoy the best possible version of your cloud-like candies.
Of course, we have found some great recipes while doing this research for how to store marshmallows. How about Nutella Skillet Smores Dip?
And since I’m a big fan of fondue, I can’t resist trying this total-cream-show Marshmallow Fondue Recipe from Campfire Brand?
Hawaiian Fruit Salad with mini marshmallows, anyone?
Or how about unlocking these 30 fun and yummy mini-marshmallow recipes to spark your marshmallow inspirations!
How To Store Marshmallows
Here’s how to store marshmallows in the refrigerator so you can enjoy the best possible version of these delectable treats for longer!
Ingredients
- Marshmallows
- Airtight container or zipper bag
- Cornstarch or powdered sugar, enough to coat
- Refrigerator
Instructions
- Place marshmallows in an airtight container or zipper bag.
- For 16 oz of marshmallows, add 2 T of cornstarch or powdered sugar.
- Shake the container to coat the marshmallows with the added sugar or cornstarch, ensuring they won't stick together when stored.
- Slide the container in your refrigerator.