Dessert recipes: Sweet treats to make with leftover Thanksgiving marshmallows

Year after year, there are tons of creative suggestions for dealing with Thanksgiving Day leftovers. Turkey tacos, stuffing fritattas, cranberry sauce smoothies—there’s an idea out there for every item on the menu. One leftover, however, is consistently, shockingly ignored.

The average sweet potato casserole recipe calls for just 2 cups of marshmallows. A bag of marshmallows contains at least 4 cups. Let other people worry about what to do with extra Brussels sprouts (note to cooks: If your family didn’t eat them on Thursday, they’re not going to want them on Friday). Bakers like me are wondering what to do with those remaining marshmallows.

Plenty of people are snobs about marshmallows, mistakenly believing that they are an invention of the post-war food industrial complex. In fact, like beer and the pyramids, they originated in ancient Egypt. Back then, marshmallows were medicinal lozenges, made from the extract of an herb that grew abundantly along the marshy shores of the Nile. Until the mid-19th century, marshmallows were a labor-intensive herbal remedy, still made with the sap of the marsh mallow plant. Easier-to-source gelatin replaced sap at this point as a thickener. The addition of sugar transformed marshmallow lozenges into candy. In the mid-20th century, molds and extruders allowed for mass production. A sweet potato casserole topping was born.

According to the American Confectioners’ Association, we buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows per year. If every household uses only half a bag on Thanksgiving, that’s a lot of leftovers cluttering the cupboard. The problem isn’t particularly urgent, since, unlike turkey or stuffing, even an opened package of marshmallows will stay fresh in the pantry for two to four months. But if you hate waste as much as I do, you’ll want to have a plan for using all of your leftover marshmallows by March, before they shrivel up and dry out.

You could simply commit to drinking a cup of hot chocolate garnished with marshmallows every night until the bag is empty. Or roast in your fireplace or over a gas burner. But there are more creative ways to use those last few cups.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting: An easy alternative to meringue frosting, with none of the hassle or health concerns that come with using raw eggs. Simply whip together softened butter and confectioners’ sugar, beat in melted and cooled marshmallows, and add some vanilla extract and a pinch of salt for flavor.

S’Mores in a Skillet: A cold weather alternative to the barbecue treat. Line a nonstick ovenproof skillet with broken graham crackers and cover with chocolate chips or chocolate bars. Bake until chocolate is melted, top with marshmallows, and broil until marshmallows are toasted.

Baked Banana Boats: Another campfire treat, easy to adapt for the winter. Split a banana, still in its peel, lengthwise. Stuff with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts. Wrap in foil and bake until the filling is gooey and melted.

Marshmallow Popcorn: Toss some popcorn with melted marshmallows and butter. Customize by throwing in pretzels, nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, a few spoonfuls of Nutella.

Easy Chocolate Mousse: Melt together some chocolate, butter, and marshmallows. Fold in heavy cream, and you have almost-instant mousse.

After baking half a dozen pies for the holiday, I don’t feel like turning on the oven. So I’ll use 6 of my leftover marshmallows to make these little microwave chocolate cakes with gooey marshmallow centers. For consistent results, microwave them one at a time (total baking time will still be less than 5 minutes). Overturn them onto dessert plates and serve immediately, while the marshmallow centers are still hot.

Molten Chocolate and Marshmallow Cakes

 1⁄3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs 

1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

6 large marshmallows

1. Spray four  1⁄2-cup ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until half-melted. Stir until smooth.

2. Whisk together sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Stir in flour and salt until just combined.

3. Fill ramekins half-way with batter. Press a marshmallow into the center of each. Cover marshmallows with remaining batter.

4. One at a time, microwave cakes until they are just set on top but still very soft, 30 to 40 seconds. Let stand 1 minute. Run the tip of a small knife around each cake to loosen. Invert onto small plates and serve immediately. Makes 6 cakes