Gluten-free Vegan Lucky Charms? This recipe came to me in a dream.
I swear to the G. I was literally deep in slumber when I remembered hearing a voice telling me to use my Marshmallow hearts recipe to make Lucky Charms. It woke me up immediately and left me wide awake until morning came, excited to test it out. Like, really? I’m dreaming about recipes now? Does this mean that I have officially crossed a kitchen rite of passage of some sort? Before I know it, I will be thinking about food development in the bathroom. Oh, who am I kidding? It’s been happening for a while now. I’ve been baptized into the knighthood of baking already, whatever that means. All I do know is that I can not escape thinking, breathing, and {now} dreaming about making food. If ever I’m accused of having an affair on Greg, it will be with baking.
{And yes, they are now baptizing knights. Fact}.
It took several attempts, and granted, I still haven’t perfected that crunchy marshmallow texture {though BraveTart looks like she has!} but I am in love with the entire look of this cereal.
LUCKY CHARMS RECIPE
Gluten, egg, and dairy free
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 bag of Dandies vegan marshmallows
- 1 Tb water
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. cornstarch
- Pink, orange, blue, and green food coloring
- fondant mini cutters
- Natural Path Whole O’s Cereal {it’s gluten free AND oh-so yummy!}
DIRECTIONS
- Heat Dandies in the microwave with the water in a bowl for 2 minutes. Stop after 1 minute and stir; each 30 seconds after, stop and stir until marshmallows are melted and smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and starch in 1/2 c. at a time and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. At about 1 c. you might have to start using your hands to mix in sugar (You want a dough to form and not be sticky). Knead dough in bowl. Seperate into 4 equal pieces:
- Add a few drops of food coloring in 4 of the separate dough balls. You probably might want to wear gloves at this point.
- Combine food coloring into the dough by kneading it initially, then twisting it in half (like you are ringing the water out of a cloth) multiple times until color is smooth and uniform. Repeat for each ball of color.
- With a rolling pin, gently roll out dough, each color ball at a time, until 1/2″ thick. Cut out shapes per color. For the rainbow color: Take a small piece from each 4 colors and roll together between both hands until webbed with color.
- Leave marshmallow cut-outs to sit out for a couple of days to harden OR dehydrate for several hours {not sure to amount of time because I am yet to be a part of the lucky members club who have a dehydrator. One day!}
These things are plumped with sugar. Tons of sugar. Makes you realize what the fat cats are actually putting into processed foods in order to make them taste good, which is why this is a once-in-a-lifetime recipe. Make it once in your life…and that is all you will ever need to do.
Pink hearts, blue diamonds, orange stars, green clovers, and rainbow-colored rainbows. The only thing missing is a big ol’ splash of green non-dairy milk.
Hello,
I just stumbled across this recipe because my husband loves lucky charms but can’t have them because of the pork gelatin. We have made the recipe that you directed another commentor to and they were great of but it took us 3-4 days just to get to the part where you use the cutters and then 3 more days after that to actually eat! They were great but I am trying to make these as a surprise for his birthday and this recipe would be much easier for me to put together and hide from him. Have you been able to update the recipe to make for a crunchier charm? I know it has been a few years but I though I would check!
Sweet and Sara makes a vegan cereal marshmallow that is just like the ones in lucky charms. http://store.sweetandsara.com/dried-cereal-marshmallows/
Wow! I am speechless. I love lucky charms, and have always wanted to make them at home! Thanks to you I can now! These look amazing, so I can’t wait to try them π
Brilliant! I would’ve never thought to make my own Lucky Charms. Now I need mini cutters!
I cannot eat the store brand of these, haven’t in a long time. Now i am craving this recipe though, and it is vegan! Much better way to enjoy a lifetime treat!
Love this idea! Haven’t had the real Lucky Charms in so long, and I love that these are healthy.
i love this recipe fun for kids and u know what they are eating
So cute! I know my two boys will devour these!
I love the idea of remaking processed foods into healthier, whole food versions no matter how much sugar is involved! This looks awesome!
how is this real? sounds amazing π
I love that you made these vegan and gluten free – both a must in my life.
Please everyone watch earthlings and gary yourofsky on youtube please and please go vegan it’s better for us it’s betterο»Ώ for the animals andο»Ώ it’s better forο»Ώ the planet that weο»Ώ live on and be careful sugar is not vegan because of the boneο»Ώ charο»Ώ just search online forο»Ώ vegan sugar brands or just call the company or e mail them and ask them if they use bone char and beο»Ώ careful with theο»Ώ productsο»Ώ that contain sugar just read theο»Ώ ingredients btw beet sugar and evaporated cane juice are veganο»Ώ
oh! and green milk??
new to vegan and I have a question: food coloring. I read somewhere (and forgive the ignorance) that red food coloring contained Red 40–which, well, gross as this sounds, involved bugs. I don’t go into detail. Question is about vegan food coloring? Is that available in stores, do you make your own? This is my husband’s favorite cereal, I cannot wait to try it out.
A very good question! I believe it is a certain red food coloring that does involve beetles. I can’t remember which one (not helpful) but there are alternatives if this is an important issue for you. You can find red beet colored based food coloring at most health food stores or even online π Hope this helps! xo
How many of the little marshmallow charms does this recipe make? I would like to make a jar of them for a going-vegan friend who misses her favorite breakfast cereal. Should I double the recipe to fill a small, cute jar as a gift?
Is it bad that I am going to redirect you to a different recipe? ha. My only concern is that I haven’t perfected the texture at all and I think this one is much better: http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/10/bravetart-cereal-marshmallows-how-to-make-lucky-charms-at-home.html
Good luck and I love the idea of filling a jar with them!!!
But, the bravetart recipe is not vegan…
Was just about to make these and realised I have no tiny fondant cutters…oops. Not sure I’m handy enough to cut the shapes free-hand. LOVE your blog xx
I don’t blame you–I tend to have a shaky hand at times myself π Hopefully you have as much fun making these as I did–it really was a blast for me. Eating them, however? Meh. I couldn’t handle how much sugar it was… Good luck!
Dandies are the best aren’t they!
I was SO SUPER Excited to see the title of your post, I instantly knew what I would be seeing next – I loved Lucky Charms Growing up….you are my hero for making a vegan version; you ROCK Cara π
Recipes in my dream, yep. in the shower, yep. every waking moment – pretty much; reality is I think about food all day long π
We are in the field that we are supposed to be in, I guess, right? π <–regardless if we are paid for it or not at this point. But I have to correct you on something you said. It is not I but YOU who ROCKS… xo!
Love this! So creative, as is everything else on your blog. Thanks for the inspiration!
That is so nice of you to say, for reals! Thank you for brightening my day π
WHAT?!!! I make these and am so happy right now. Hilarious! Thanks for using Dandies!
Thank YOU for the Dandies, for reals. They have made me the happiest person π
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are actually my hero for making Lucky Charms vegan + gluten-free.
I definitely need to tweak the recipe to have the actual texture but for the meantime, this shall do! Thanks for the love, Mandiee! xo
You are a godddess…….
I am hoping it’s more like a Aphrodite or Persephone and less like a Charlie Sheen goddess π ha Thanks for the comment, Jeffie! xo
hehe affair with baking! yeah there are days when i have some random ideas in the shower. and days when hubbs is going to dig into the food and I am like, wait I need to take a shot of that.. and he looks at me,.. grumbles.. considers if he should wait or not.. and then just starts to gobble it up! π
i love the rainbow ones..and that green milk…. i was wondering about what that weird green liquid was.. only you can think of that!
The things the men in our lives have to put up with. But hey, we make them delicious food–they have to watch up take pics of said delicious food. That is package we come in π
Okay I can’t keep up – first I bought peppermint extract (and some lemon too while I was there) – now this? My daughter will be THRILLED to make these! Too much fun, really!
My favorite little man helped me make these and we had a blast. Your girl will love making the marshmallow dough! Keep up, will ya? π
Sheesh, I am slow! I need more sugar… clearly!! π
Mooooorrrreeeeeee SUGAR!!!!! And green milk π
How fun! I have a few GF friends that would love this. And that header photo of that cupcake looks to die for!!
Hi Grace! Thanks so much for passing along the Fork and Beans love–much appreciated. And just so you know, that cupcake really IS to die for. xo!
Ok, so WHERE in the world do you find these “fondant mini cutters?!” I NEED THEM! NEEEEEEEEEEED!
I got them at Michael’s. I bought the circle, oval, star, heart, and flower (I made the diamonds out of the oval). They come in 3 sizes too, so you are getting 3 for the price of 1! Here is the link: http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=52B1F75C-802D-F658-0ABB23ED8601A600&fid=D773F905-1E0B-C910-EA64A6283485E180
Dude! These are so CUTE! I’ve never tried (or seen) the normal lucky charm cereal… the concept scares me a little bit…. I mean, kids eat it for BREAKFAST!?! Madness! This is so super cute though, and for a kiddo treat would be fantastic… your version would be a bazillion times healthier/better/animal friendly than the commercial stuff anyway (again, scary!) I’ve never seen vegan marshmallow here in Aussie either, boo hiss. I will hunt some down, maybe my favourite iHerb can hook me up!
What? No Dandies in Aussie?? That must be changed! And I’m not sure if my version of this cereal is healthier but at least it looks fun, right? ha.
Hey Lou π Not sure where in Australia you are but I know you can buy them in store at The Green Edge in Brisbane, and also at The Radical Grocery in Melbourne. Online you can get them at The Cruelty Free Shop (based in Sydney) or The Vegan Store (based in Brisbane).
These are wayyyy to cute. Your creativity will never cease to astound me! lol
Gabby, you flatter me with your words and sweet potato chips π
why haven’t they invented technology that would allow me to send you them through my computer. Because if they did we could do an exchange and life would be that much sweeter π
That happens to be a fantastic idea! It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out either, right? You should work on it and patent it. You will be rich! And then you can send me all the chips I need {which is a lot} π
I too used to fish out all the marshmallows until one day I realized they tasted like chemicals so I reverted to bags of Campfire marshmallows instead, toasted on a fork over the stove. Faith and begorra girl, I can hear you now “They’re always after me lucky charms.” BTW, if you’re gonna start manifesting your dreams in such a spectacular manner, I’ll put in my order for GFSF custard filled chocolate eclairs now and get ahead of the crowd. xo
Oooooooohhh can you just taste that now? Do you by any chance have a good recipe for those eclairs? *lifting eyebrows up and down*
I will, just as soon as I get back in the kitchen. Vegan, GF choux pastry. What could be easier? See? I wasn’t kidding about that concussion. π
Girl, I hope you are recovering along! Nurse Cara will be in shortly to change your bedding. But no sponge baths this time, you hear me??? xoxo
Awww.. I just love those marshmallow hearts. They are so much fun and could be perfect to make for Easter as well. Love this girl π
I see a marshmallow celebration needed for EVERY holiday! π
Man, I need to start getting more productive in my sleep. I’m totally slacking! I was never into Lucky Charms (I prefer my marshmallows toasted), but I think it’s so cool that you’ve made a vegan and gluten free version. You’re really onto something!
And you thought sleep was for, well…sleeping. Silly Cadry. That was so 1998.
You’re mental – I don’t know another food blogger like you and that’s a VERY good thing… These look awesome, so cool that they came to you in a dream, Cara.
I *am* mental, you are right. Thank you Nick–I consider that the highest compliment one could have π xo
It is a compliment, for sure! Don’t change π
Omg I have to try this! They are epic!! Also, that’s some pretty crafty dreaming you get. Thanks for the recipe π
Hi Kiesha–thank you!
I wish I could get dreams about money magically appearing. Maybe that will come next? π
I dream food all the time. and I love it! all these hours up at the hospital lately have given me much time for food thought, too – and I have so many notes on my phone and laptop from it. (some are kind of cryptic…)
these are amazing. YOU are amazing. I still want to come play in your kitchen…
We should definitely compare notes. Except something tells me you are much more organized than me! I have scraps of paper everywhere with random doodles of drawings of the food I want to make, recipes I am creating in my brain, or just ideas… I think this means we are in the right profession. Okay, now if only I can get paid doing this…
I have an extra Starbucks apron with your name on it π
If my Mom were looking at this, she’d say “BOK!” I don’t really know why. But when I saw these, my mind went “BOK!” Apparently my Mom’s legacy is to leave the surprised centers of my brain stuck in chicken mode. These are stunning! Have you tried freecycle before? We gave our dehydrator away through freecycle a couple of years ago. I’m sure they have a chapter in your area.
Nothing says “Yes please!” like a few chicken shouts. At least that is my motto in life π
Checking out freecycle–never heard of them before, but thanks for this!
What fun! Congratulations on making them vegan, too – bravo! “Perfectly crunchy” or not, they look incredible! π
Thanks, Willow! At least I got it right in that category π
Nuhuh! You did not make Lucky Charms marshmallows!!! Ha. Ha. Ha. I love the way your mind works. I am tapping my little heart out in honor of your insane creativity. Oops, just smashed into a wall and experienced a swirling cloud of birdies and shamrocks. Tap. Tap.
You need to work on balance Kelly. If I am trusting you as my leprechaun, you cannot be running into walls. Professionalism! Now start again: 1, 2, and 3…
oh my gosh, my favorite childhood cereal! my mom would hardly ever get it because my brother would pick out all of the marshmallows, leaving only the cereal which was just not that tasty and got me so mad! i haven’t looked at the ingredients in a really long time, but i’m sure it’s filled with horrible stuff. even if your marshmallows are pumped with sugar, at least it’s not highly processed crap they sell in stores.
Yet another food we share in common. Your brother and I sound awfully similar, except I would just sift through the marshmallows to add to what was already in my bowl. It would be a shame to have the cereal overpower the marshmallows, right?! xo
yeah, it would be. what’s worse is having NO marshmallows because that cereal is GROSS on it’s own. like cardboard..that has a hint of marshmallow taste.
Good point. Good thing this cereal is super delightful! I cannot stop eating the O’s for dessert every night π
OMG These are adorable! I feel like one way to get them to have a more lucky charm crunchy texture is just to let them get a little bit stale by leaving them out overnight? I don’t know. Just an idea. I actually only like marshmallows if they are a) burnt to a crisp or b) pretty stale. Is that weird?
P.S. I dream about recipes ALL THE TIME! It is a problem. But sometimes where my best ideas come from!
What does dreaming about recipes mean? That we are consumed by it? I like to think it means we are blessed π
Yes–overnight sitting! I have had them on the counter for 2 days now and they are finally lightly crunchy but not 100% Lucky Charms marshmallow crunch you know? Too much moisture–must go about it a different way for the recipe. Oh well though, it’ll do right? And I see nothing wrong with your marshmallow requirements! Sounds exactly the same as mine π
That’s wonderful! I love your dreams, keep ’em coming! Also like the advice, as I agree it’s scary out there what they’re selling because it’ll sell… if I get my kneading courage together… I’ll make a pizza from scratch. Then I will make this. It’d be nice to try this once more.
You HAVE to make homemade pizza. You will never want to eat any other kind again π Then, before you know it, you will be making everything at home: pastries, bread, even your milk will be freshly squeezed. ha.
how fun and colorful that looks! a bowl of those cereals surely makes your day! π
It also makes my dessert too π I’m not gonna lie, I miss eating Lucky Charms–that crunchy marshamllow texture. mmmm. But making your own is so much more fun. Thanks Alexia! xo