I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to cozy up with a nice warm cup of holiday cheer! Starbucks ain’t got nothing on this Apple Chaider with Paleo Gingerbread Marshmallows. Except maybe their new holiday cups this year. Those are pretty dang cool.
With this recipe I wanted to combine two of my all-time favorite holiday drinks. A couple years ago, I worked down in Georgetown (in Washington, DC) and I always loved going to Baked and Wired, a cupcake shop down there. I could literally eat nothing in that shop besides this Apple Chaider, which was semi torturous to look at all those delicious cupcakes, but this drink was SO worth it. My other favorite holiday drink? A gingerbread latte from everyone’s favorite red cup shop. Yeah call me basic WHATEVER those things are delicious. But I knew I could make a homemade version that had significantly less chemical crap in it. And totally up the delicious factor too. But what if I could combine those two recipes? woah.
Homemade marshmallows? Not gonna lie, I was suuuper intimidated to try and make my own, even though I’d heard from so many of my friends that they’re not bad at all! But you know me and the baking/treats struggle. It’s so real. But these only took me one time to nail the recipe! So if I can do it, you totally can! Just make sure you have a thermometer to check the temperature of those buggers. So key. Here’s the one I grabbed off amazon. And ohhhh the gingerbread spices. Maybe it’s my slightly red hair, but anything ginger and I’m SO THERE. Alll the gingerbread things for the holidays, send them my way please and thank you!
So. With this recipe, not only are you getting an amazing, warming cup of delicious, but you’re getting a gut-healing power boost from some Vital Proteins gelatin in the marshmallows!
So why gelatin, you ask? Well, besides the fact that it is the glue holding these marshmallows together, it also has a ton of gut and immune-boosting benefits. Both Collagen and Gelatin contain amino acids that are identical to those proteins found in our hair, skin, nails, bones, joints, and cartilage – so by consuming gelatin and collagen, whether that be through bone broth or supplements like these, we are supporting the integrity of all those cells in our bodies! Meaning: more supple skin, stronger nails, shinier hair, plus stronger bones and cartilage. Now that’s what I call #winning.
Delicious and healing all at the same time? Now that’s my cup of tea. Or apple chaider, you know.
- 1 cup filtered water, divided in 2
- 3 Tbsp Vital Proteins grass-fed, pastured raised gelatin
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup local honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 2 Tbsp homemade powdered sugar, below
- 1 tsp gingerbread spice blend, below
- 1 tsp melted coconut or avocado oil, for greasing a spatula
- 1 cup maple sugar (sub: coconut sugar)
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp maple sugar
- ½ Tbsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 chai tea bags
- Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In the base of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), pour ½ cup water and sprinkle 3 Tbsp gelatin on top of it. Allow to sit while you make the marshmallow base.
- Combine the remaining ½ cup water, maple syrup and honey, and vanilla extract in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook at a boil until the temperature reads 235 - 240 F with a candy thermometer. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Check the temperature at 10 minutes, and at 2 minute intervals until it comes up to the 235-240 F.
- Meanwhile, make the gingerbread spice blend: in a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, maple sugar, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and black pepper until well combined. This will make more than you need for the recipe. Set aside for now.
- When the mixture comes up to temperature, remove from the heat. Turn the stand mixer on low, and carefully and slowly pour the mixture into the stand mixer, while you gradually increase the mixer’s speed. (You can also use a hand mixer) Once you’ve poured the entire mixture in and reached top speed, sprinkle in 1 tsp gingerbread spice blend, and allow to mix for about 6-7 minutes (or about 10 minutes with a hand mixer). It should resemble marshmallow fluff at this point.
- Using a spatula greased with coconut or avocado oil, immediately pour the marshmallow fluff into the greased pan. Smooth out the top with the spatula as best you can.
- Allow the marshmallows to sit at room temperature for about 3-4 hours, to firm, before cutting them.
- While they’re firming, make the powdered sugar: combine 1 cup maple sugar and 1 Tbsp arrowroot flour in the food processor, and let it blend for about 30 seconds. Cover the top with a kitchen towel so you don’t have sugar flying everywhere. You now have powdered sugar! Transfer to a glass storage container for later use. You won’t use all of it for this recipe.
- Dust a cutting board with 1 tsp arrowroot flour and 1 Tbsp of the powdered sugar. Remove the marshmallows from the pan using the parchment paper, and place them on top of the cutting board. Use a large, sharp knife to cut into squares (or whatever shape you’d like!) And roll them around in the flour/sugar. This will prevent them from sticking together, and will help them caramelize if you want to roast them!
- For the chaider, heat the cider and chai tea bags until simmering. Turn off the heat and allow the tea bags to steep for another 2 minutes, then discard them. Top with gingerbread marshmallows, and drink up!
powdered sugar recipe inspired by Bill and Hayley at Primal Palate!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Vital Proteins!
Looking for more gut-healing recipes with Collagen and Gelatin? check these out!
Maple-Spiced Paleo Panna Cotta
These marshmallows look so good !! I can’t wait to try this recipe ! :))
Thanks so much!! 🙂
What a creative recipe and this whole combination of flavors is just right up my alley! When I’m done with my Whole30, these are on my to-do list!
Thanks so much Cristina!! Good luck with the rest of your Whole30! I’ll be doing one in January (with the rest of the world, ha!)
Apple chaider–what a great name! This sounds so delicious, too.
Thanks so much! I got the idea from a bakery in DC! 🙂
Gingerbread marshmallows!? Mind-blown! I would have never thought to combine those two flavors!
Thank you! Gingerbread is my favorite 🙂
What a unique treat! I really love chai so this is definitely up my alley! Thank you for the great idea!
Hey Renee,
Yay! You’re so welcome. I love chai too, and chai + cider is amazing!!
These look absolutely amazing, and they’re going to be perfect for the New Year’s party I’m doing with slow cooker apple cider (or now apple chaider because that’s a better idea than what I was going to do)! 🙂
Thanks so much Kari! And woah, let me know how that turns out! I’d love to add a slow cooker option too 🙂
This recipe is so fun! 3 of my favorite things combined into one beautiful mug. This sounds perfect to me, especially today on this chilly day.
Hi Emily, yes! This is perfect for the polar vortex that is headed toward the east coast right now, ha!
I have to say I’ve never actually heard of Apple Chaider, but now that I have I need some! And these marshmallows… wow. They look so good!
I’d never heard of it until I found some at a bakery in DC! It’s my new favorite cold weather drink 🙂 and thank you so much!
I really need to make some marshmallows. Lovely photos!
Thank you! I’d never made them until recently, I didn’t realize they’re so easy to make!
This looks like the most cozy drink and I NEED those marshmallows!! Yum!
Thanks Jessica! It’s the best 🙂
This is a sweet recipe that looks so simple and easy to make. I love that you went outside your comfort zone and tried something that scared you. The feeling you get when you get is right is amazing, isn’t it? I want to curl up on the couch with you. Happy Holidays!
Thanks so much Kelly! Yes – it’s so simple and so delicious! Glad I finally tried out the marshmallows 🙂 So gratifying!!