How to Dehydrate Peeps Marshmallows Easter Snack for Kids
Did you buy too many peeps marshmallows again?
Wondering what to do with them?
I’ve got a great idea and your kids are going to love it! Especially if they love the lucky charms marshmallows… so why not make your own cereal marshmallows?
How to Dehydrate Peeps
If you found loads of peeps on markdown at the grocery stores and you’re wondering what to do with them… I have a potential winner! Dry those peeps out and use them later!
I have used the oven and the dehydrator for a perfectly crunchy marshmallow and Ill show you how below. You can also dehydrate homemade marshmallows. I usually use one of Alton Brown’s recipes.
But for today we are drying out those super cute peeps!
What Can I Do With Dehydrated Peep Marshmallows?
Get out your favorite delicious recipe and work from there. Add the to some hot cocoa or hot chocolate. If they are too large break them up.
Do your kids love granola? Add some dried marshmallows to your cooked and cooled granola or even granola bars.
Top brownies, cookies, or even ice cream with these easter treats. You could even mix them into crispy rice treats for some extra crunchy marshmallow goodness.
My kid’s absolute favorite thing to do with these little marshmallow brick is to break them up and mix the pieces into some trail mix. You shouldn’t even have to add chocolate. The dried peeps should be enough sugar. I may have ran a few taste test panels throughout the day. We even dipped it in melted chocolate. That was a crunchy interesting idea.
If you want to pre-dry these peeps then just unwrap them and set them in a dry location. Make sure to separate them first. They should dry enough overnight that the oven or dehydrator time could be cut in about a third. I’ve actually heard of people who open the sack of peeps to make stale peeps and leave them open so they dry.
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Supplies
- Peeps Marshmallows,
- regular marshmallows, or
- mini marshmallows
- Sugar Crystals or
- Colored sugar coating
- Wax Paper or
- Parchment Paper
- Jelly roll pan or
- USA baking sheet
- Oven or
- Dehydrator
- Airtight Container, Mason Jars, or ziplock bag for long-term storage use a mylar bag with a vacuum sealer
What Can I Do With Dehydrated Peep Marshmallows?
Get out your favorite delicious recipe and work from there. Add the to some hot cocoa or hot chocolate. If they are too large break them up. You could even use small dehydrated marshmallows in your hot cocoa mix that way it’s pre-done and ready to go in a pinch!
Do your kids love granola? Add some dried marshmallows to your cooked and cooled granola or even granola bars.
Top brownies, cookies, or even ice cream with these easter treats. You could even mix them into crispy rice treats for some extra crunchy marshmallow goodness.
My kid’s absolute favorite thing to do with these little marshmallow bricks is to break them up and mix the pieces into some trail mix. You shouldn’t even have to add chocolate. The dried peeps should be enough sugar. I may have run a few taste test panels throughout the day. We even dipped it in melted chocolate. That was a crunchy interesting idea.
How to Dehydrate Peeps in the Oven
So you decided to Dehydrate some Peeps? Great!
You came to the right place!
Set your oven to the lowest temperature it will go. For the oven try around 160°. My personal oven will only go to 200. Is your oven’s lowest setting a little higher? No problem you will just need to shake or stir them a little more often. It should only take a few hours depending on the size of the peeps or marshmallows. If the oven is too hot you might just end up with a gooey mess. Be careful!
Only you know your oven. Ideally, you want the middle rack, however, if you can’t use that one I would choose the top rack. To me, the bottom rack is just too low and they had a small tinge of brown. Just check your oven for the most even spot it.
I started out with the peeps bottom side down so that they wouldn’t have smooshed faces. That gives the top a chance to dry out before rolling them on their side. Keep checking on the peeps every half hour or so and roll the peep as it dries. Once the peeps are completely dry remove them from the oven. The whole process could take as little as 2 hours and as long as 8. It depends on where you live, the weather and your oven so be patient.
This is a before and after picture. Notice that the marshmallow has actually filled out and become thicker that the undried version. Be sure to store in an airtight container, mason jar, or mylar bag. For long term storage, you can use a mylar bag or mason jar be sure to use a vacuum sealer to pull all the excess air out.
I started out with the peeps bottom side down so that they wouldn’t have smooshed faces. That gives the top a chance to dry out before rolling them on their side.
How to Dehydrate Peeps in the Dehydrator
Using the dehydrator is definitely the most hands off, easy peasy way to make dehydrated peeps marshmallows. The only thing that could be easier is if you could buy them already dried at the store.
Grab your dehydrator and set it to 160°. Place peeps on the dehydrator tray so they aren’t touching. The first time I made these I set them too close to each other and they took quite a bit longer to dry completely. So space is key. Also, you need to use several trays. 2 at the minimum because you need the air to circulate properly.
You will still need to flip or roll the peeps as they dry and check every hour until they get closer to the firmness you need. I broke a few open to see what the middle looked like so we had several test peeps and marshmallow bits in the first batch. Still yummy though.
Once the peeps or if you choose a big bag of marshmallows (if it’s later in the year) are completely dried you can store them in an airtight container or even a ziplock bag would work in a pinch! But the best way by far is going to be vacuum sealing either a mason jar or a mylar back.