Who is this choice for?

Traybake and rocky road bakers

Small marshmallow pieces can be mixed through a biscuit bake while you choose the chocolate separately. Waitrose describes its Cooks’ Ingredients mini marshmallows as suitable for adding to bakes.

Shoppers looking for a Fairtrade chocolate claim

A ready-coated mallow may suit a recipe that welcomes its existing chocolate and flavour. Check what the claim covers: the Fairtrade Foundation distinguishes the classic FAIRTRADE Mark from an FSI Mark naming a particular ingredient.

Bakers checking ingredients for others

Read the exact pack before buying and serving. The plain marshmallows listed by Tesco, Waitrose and M&S include beef gelatine, while the chocolate-coated Mallow & Marsh example carries precautionary warnings for peanuts, tree nuts and egg.

What should you check?

Decide how the marshmallows will sit in the biscuits, then check the chocolate claim and the ingredients on the products you intend to use.

Priority What to check Your needs
Fairtrade claim The Fairtrade Foundation says the classic FAIRTRADE Mark covers all ingredients that can be Fairtrade-certified. An FSI Mark identifies the particular Fairtrade-sourced ingredient; look for cocoa named on the chocolate pack. I want to know whether the claim covers eligible ingredients across the product or specifically the cocoa I am adding.
Piece size Check whether the pack contains mini or larger marshmallows. Waitrose describes its mini mallows as an addition to bakes; M&S uses soft marshmallows with chocolate and biscuits in a s’mores-style recipe. For rocky road or a traybake, I want small pieces through the mixture. For marshmallows between biscuits, larger pieces may suit the method.
Existing coating Check whether the mallows already contain chocolate and another flavour. Waitrose lists Mallow & Marsh Milk Chocolate Over Coconut Mallows with 35% milk chocolate and a Fairtrade ingredient claim. If my recipe already specifies its own chocolate, I would rather choose that ingredient separately; a coconut-flavoured coated mallow needs to suit the bake as it is.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredient list and precautionary allergen statement for every component. Tesco, Waitrose and M&S list beef gelatine in the plain marshmallows cited here; the Waitrose listing for the coated Mallow & Marsh product warns that it may contain peanuts, tree nuts and egg. Before sharing a bake, I need to check that the exact marshmallows and chocolate suit the people eating it.

Common buying mistakes

  • Treating a general sourcing statement as a Fairtrade mark

    A broad sourcing description does not tell you which ingredients, if any, carry a Fairtrade claim. The Fairtrade Foundation assigns different meanings to the classic FAIRTRADE Mark and the ingredient-specific FSI Mark.

    Check the chocolate pack for the mark itself and, for an FSI Mark, the named ingredient if cocoa is your priority.

  • Using coated mallows as though they were plain minis

    A chocolate-coated, coconut-flavoured mallow brings its own coating and flavour to the recipe. Its format is different from mini marshmallows intended to be mixed into a bake.

    Choose coated pieces only if they suit the recipe; otherwise, use plain baking marshmallows and select the chocolate separately.

  • Assuming marshmallows meet dietary or allergy requirements

    The plain Tesco, Waitrose and M&S products cited here list beef gelatine. The coated Mallow & Marsh example also carries precautionary peanut, tree-nut and egg warnings.

    Check the current ingredients and allergen statements on the exact packs before buying and again before serving a shared bake.

Relevant brand and retailer references

Mallow & Marsh

A reference for chocolate-coated mallows rather than plain mini baking marshmallows.

  • Waitrose lists its Milk Chocolate Over Coconut Mallows with a Fairtrade ingredient claim and 35% milk chocolate.
  • The existing coconut flavour and chocolate coating need to fit the biscuit recipe; the listed product may contain peanuts, tree nuts and egg.

Waitrose

A retailer with both a mini marshmallow baking ingredient and a separately listed chocolate-coated mallow product.

  • Waitrose describes Cooks’ Ingredients Mini Pink & White Marshmallows as suitable for adding to bakes.
  • Check certification and ingredients by product: its separately listed Pink & White Marshmallows contain beef gelatine.

Tesco

A retailer listing mini and standard marshmallow formats in its home-baking range.

  • Its listed range includes pink-and-white minis, white minis and standard marshmallows, allowing a choice of piece format.
  • Tesco Marshmallows 200G contain beef gelatine. Check the chosen chocolate separately if its Fairtrade claim matters to the bake.

M&S

A reference for baking marshmallows and chocolate between biscuits.

  • M&S publishes a s’mores-style method using biscuits, marshmallows and chocolate.
  • Its listed Soft Marshmallows contain beef gelatine; check the chocolate you add for the Fairtrade claim you want.

Joybuy marshmallow options

This plain marshmallow option is for a biscuit recipe where you choose and add the chocolate separately. Check its piece size if you need small pieces throughout a traybake.

Morrisons Marshmallows 200g pack

Morrisons Marshmallows 200g

For biscuits made with marshmallows and chocolate as separate ingredients, this 200g pack leaves the chocolate choice to you. Check the piece size before using it throughout a traybake, and read the current pack for the gelatine source and allergen information.

View on Joybuy

Questions about biscuit baking

Does the classic FAIRTRADE Mark cover every ingredient?

It covers every ingredient that can be Fairtrade-certified, not necessarily every ingredient in the product. That is how the Fairtrade Foundation defines the classic black-background mark; check the pack to see which claim the chocolate carries.

What does an FSI Mark naming cocoa mean?

It identifies cocoa as the Fairtrade-sourced ingredient, according to the Fairtrade Foundation. That makes it relevant when cocoa is your particular priority, but it is not the same claim as the classic FAIRTRADE Mark covering all eligible certifiable ingredients.

Can I assume plain marshmallows are vegetarian?

No. The plain marshmallow products cited here from Tesco, Waitrose and M&S list beef gelatine. Check the exact current pack for an alternative that meets your requirements.

What should I check before adding chocolate-coated mallows to a shared bake?

Read both the ingredients and precautionary allergen statement on the exact pack. Waitrose lists peanut, tree-nut and egg may-contain warnings for Mallow & Marsh Milk Chocolate Over Coconut Mallows; check the other ingredients in the bake as well.

Can I bake marshmallows and chocolate between biscuits?

Yes. M&S gives a s’mores-style method using biscuits, chocolate and soft marshmallows, heated at 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 for around two minutes. That sandwich-style method calls for a different marshmallow format from small pieces mixed through a traybake.