Homemade Apple Feijoa Marshmallow Fluffy Delight

The fruit puree was still too warm when I added it. I knew better.

The egg whites deflated a little. Not ruined. Just not as tall as last time.

I’m telling you this because online photos make it look like a science lab in here. It’s not.

What This Actually Tastes Like

Feijoa first. That sharp, floral, almost tropical thing hits your tongue.

Then apple comes in low and rounds it out. Like someone tuned the volume down on the feijoa.

It’s not sweet the way store marshmallows are sweet. It’s fruit-sweet, which reads as more subtle.

My husband ate one. Said nothing. Ate another. Still nothing. Then said, “What’s in these?”

That’s the reaction. Curiosity, not praise. I’ll take it.

The Feijoa Problem

If you don’t live somewhere feijoa grows, you might be looking at this and wondering where to even start.

I get it. I used to buy them from a neighbor who had a tree that dropped more fruit than her family could eat.

They’re seasonal. Brief. If you see them, grab a bag and freeze the flesh.

If you can’t find them, you can sub with guava or even pear plus a squeeze of lime. Not the same. Close enough.

Actually, pure feijoa is better. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

About the Timing

It takes 15 minutes to cook the fruit down. Not a hard 15. It’s “stir occasionally and don’t walk away” time.

The sieve part is the worst. Pressing hot fruit pulp through a mesh strainer while your arm aches.

I’ve made worse.

Then you heat the puree to exactly 105°C. Not 104. Not 106. 105. That’s where the sugar dissolves properly.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you’re guessing. I don’t recommend guessing with sugar work.

The whole hands-on part is about 45 minutes. The waiting is 6 hours minimum.

This is not a “make it after work” recipe. Pick a Saturday.

The Eggs Are the Hard Part

You need room temperature egg whites. Not cold. Not warm. Room temp.

They whip higher. They hold better. I’ve tested this side by side and cold whites are noticeably flatter.

Whip them to stiff peaks. That means when you lift the beater, the peak stands up and doesn’t flop over.

Then you fold in the fruit puree. Three additions. Gently.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: the mixture will look streaky and wrong at first. Keep folding. It evens out.

Quick tip: Fold in a figure-eight motion rather than circles. It incorporates the puree without deflating the whites as much.

It Looked Done. It Wasn’t.

I pulled my first batch after 4 hours. Looked solid. Felt solid.

Cut into it and the center was still sticky. Not liquid. Just… reluctant.

I refrained the pan and left it overnight. That fixed it.

This is why I say 6-8 hours at room temperature. The fridge works in 3 hours but the texture is different. It’s firmer.

Honestly? Not that deep. If you’re in a hurry, use the fridge. If you want the airy pillowy thing everyone raves about, let it sit.

Cutting Without Swearing

Oil your knife. I used vegetable oil on a paper towel. Then dust the blade with the powdered sugar-cornstarch mix.

Cut in one clean motion. Don’t saw. Sawing drags the marshmallow and you get ragged edges.

Dust each piece as you go. They stick to each other immediately if you don’t.

I forgot once. Spent 20 minutes peeling 24 squares apart. Won’t forget again.

How to Make It

Step 1: Peel and chop 500g feijoa and 400g green apples. Cook in a heavy pot over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft enough to mash with a spoon. Stir every few minutes. (If it sticks to the bottom, your heat is too high.)

Step 2: Press the cooked fruit through a fine mesh sieve. This takes about 5 minutes of pushing and scraping. Discard the skins and seeds. You should have roughly 400ml of puree. Measure it accurately.

Step 3: Combine the puree with 200g sugar in a clean saucepan. Heat to 105°C while stirring constantly. The sugar needs to fully dissolve. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook until the mixture thickens noticeably and bubbles become slow and lazy.

Step 4: While the fruit cools, dissolve 15g gelatin powder in 60ml cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom. It will look like a rubbery mass. That’s correct.

Step 5: Whip 2 room temperature egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. This takes 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer. The bowl must be completely clean—any grease will ruin the foam.

Step 6: Make sure the fruit puree is cool—warm but not hot. Fold it into the egg whites in three additions. The first addition will look like a mess. By the third, it should be uniform and pale.

Step 7: Warm the bloomed gelatin until it becomes liquid (microwave in 10-second bursts works). Fold it into the mixture along with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Fold for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is thick, glossy, and holds a ribbon when you lift the spatula.

Step 8: Pour into an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Let set at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or refrigerate for 3 hours.

Step 9: Mix equal parts powdered sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Turn the marshmallow onto a cutting board dusted heavily with this mixture. Cut into 2-inch squares using an oiled knife, coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

Step 10: Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment. They keep for up to 2 weeks—if they last that long. Have you ever made marshmallows from scratch? Share below!

Ways to Change It Up

Try this: Replace half the feijoa with ripe pear for a milder, sweeter marshmallow. The texture stays the same but the flavor leans more apple-pear.

Try this: Add ½ teaspoon ground cardamom to the fruit while it cooks. It pairs surprisingly well with feijoa’s floral notes. My sister tried this and said it tasted “fancy” which I took as a compliment.

Try this: Dip the finished marshmallows in melted dark chocolate and let set. It’s more work but the contrast between bitter chocolate and sweet fruit marshmallow is worth the extra steps. Which would you go for? Drop it in the comments.

How to Serve It

They’re excellent in hot chocolate. Drop one in and watch it melt into a fruity foam on top.

Toast them over a gas stove or campfire. The outside gets crisp and caramelized while the inside stays soft. The feijoa flavor intensifies when warmed.

Sandwich two around a square of dark chocolate and a dollop of mascarpone. It’s not a s’more and it’s not a dessert. It’s something in between. What would you pair it with?

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Storing It Without Ruining It

Airtight container. Room temperature. Don’t refrigerate if you want that soft pillowy texture.

I kept a batch in the fridge once and they turned dense. Edible but not the same.

They last two weeks at room temp in a sealed container with parchment between layers. Any longer and they start to weep moisture.

Freezer? I’ve frozen them for three months. Thaw in the container at room temp for an hour. They’re a little stickier on the surface but fine.

Have you ever saved leftovers like this? Tell me below!

Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

I once added the gelatin when it was too hot. It seized into tiny rubbery lumps in the marshmallow. You couldn’t see them but you could feel them. That’s a texture failure.

I once skipped the dusting step because I was tired. Spent the next morning peeling marshmallows apart like they were glued together. They were. Lesson learned.

I once used a metal pan without parchment. The marshmallow stuck so badly I had to warm the pan to get it out. The bottom layer tore into shreds. Did something like this happen to you?

Your Questions, Answered

Can I use frozen feijoa? Yes. Thaw completely and drain off excess liquid before cooking. The puree will be slightly thinner so cook it an extra 2-3 minutes.

Why did my marshmallow not set? The gelatin didn’t bloom properly, or the fruit puree was too warm when you added it. Heat breaks down gelatin’s setting power. I learned this the hard way.

Can I make this vegan? Not with this recipe. The gelatin and egg whites are structural. You’d need a different base—agar agar and aquafaba maybe. Haven’t tried it. But you could.

Do I have to use green apples? No but they have more pectin and acidity than red. That helps the texture set. Red apples work but the marshmallow might be slightly softer.

My mixture separated while folding. What happened? The fruit puree was too warm. It deflated the eggs before they could incorporate. Next time, let the puree cool to body temperature before folding.

Can I halve the recipe? Yes. Use a smaller pan. An 8×4 loaf pan works. The cook time stays the same. Which answer helped you most?

One Last Thing

These marshmallows aren’t like the bagged ones. They’re softer. More delicate. They taste like fruit, not sugar.

If you’re expecting the rubbery texture of Jet-Puffed, this isn’t that.

But if you want something that tastes like a feijoa tree in your backyard, made with your own hands, worth the sticky counter and the arm ache from the sieve?

Try it once. Even if it doesn’t come out perfect the first time—mine didn’t—you’ll know for next time.

I’ve made this six times now. Each batch is slightly different. I’m okay with that.

Will you make this soon?

Happy cooking! —Danielle Monroe

Fun fact: Feijoa flowers are also edible. They taste like the fruit but milder—and they’re bright red and pink against the green leaves.