"It’s no secret that neon colors are all the rage right now. Everywhere I go, there they are… in clothes, jewelry, accessories… even manicures! I thought it would be fun to incorporate those crazy colors into some yummy treats, but who wants to fire up an oven in this summer heat?" So said our friend Kim, of KC Bakes, who joins us again to follow-up from her amazing cake pop tutorial with a brand new idea that is easier than easy and so darned cute and clever! We are honored to have her share her tips and awesome photos with us for Marshmallow Madness Pops ideas. Kim, founder of KC Bakes, also has a variety of tutorials on her website to teach you other ideas & techniques, so be sure to check them out! Thanks, Kim!
Marshmallow pops are so a chance to be creative and one of the easiest treats to assemble, and there is zero baking involved. If you can work a microwave, then prepare to knock the neon socks off of your friends!
Most candy companies haven’t caught up with the trend just yet, so for the boldest neon, dye white candy melts with electric shades of the rainbow. Refer to the end of this post for candy-dying tips and how to achieve neon colors.
Two-Tone Effect. Hold the marshmallow by the top edge, and dip it halfway into the first color. Using your free hand, insert a lollipop stick into the just-dipped side of the marshmallow, and put it in your KC Bakes stand (or Styrofoam) to dry. Once the first color chocolate is dry, dip the marshmallow in the second color, right up to the edge of the first color.
Sprinkle on some Cheer. After coating the marshmallow completely in a neon color, dip the top of it in some rainbow sprinkles to make those colors pop even more.
Happy Birthday! Put the secondary neon chocolate into a Ziploc bag, snip the tip, and pipe it on like you’re decorating a cake. Trim neon candles in half, and before the top color chocolate hardens, insert the candle, allow everything to dry. Remove the candle before eating, of course.
So Sweet. On a last-minute run to Party City, I came across these candy-coated sunflower seeds, and for some reason, they just spoke to me. They’re simple, cute and somehow sophisticated. And you know, these may be my favorite pop in this whole post.
Having a neon party, but don’t have time to order candy dye? No problem! There are a lot of bright candies that will take your marshmallow pops from drab to fab!
Nerds come in huge multi-colored boxes, or you can buy them by specific flavor and color.
Candy buttons are great because you can stick them onto the pop in any pattern you like… it’s like a candy Lite-Brite! Do they still make those?
Pop Rocks have the trifecta… sight, taste and texture! Word to the wise, don’t make these too far in advance. If left out for too long (more than 36 hours), the pop rocks begin to dissolve and instead of having that spiky glacier-like texture, it looks like a thick gel. Learn something new everyday!
Pixy Stix aren’t the brightest color candy out there, but they add a great punch of tart flavor, and they are so easy to use… just tear off the paper-end, and pour. To enhance the color, dip the top of the marshmallow in colored chocolate first; the pop on the right was dipped in pink first, and then sprinkled with a red Pixy Stick.
When it comes to taste, Fruity Pebbles were my #1 favorite. They gave the marshmallow pop some great crunchy texture, but the fruity flavor definitely brought it home.
Now while I was at Party City, I spotted a big box of Ring Pops, and I immediately knew what I could do with them… marshmallow rings!
To get just the plastic ring part, put an unwrapped Ring Pop into a paper or thick plastic bag. Holding the ring part to keep it steady, take a hammer and bang on the candy part a few times. After two or three whacks, the candy split clean off.
Put a little chocolate on the flat-side of the ring pop, and push it into the top of the marshmallow. ‘Mallows can be a little springy, so you may need to hold it there for a few moments until it adheres onto the ring.
If you want to get fancyyy, dip the marshmallow in white candy, coat it with clear sanding sugar, and violá – marshmallow bling!
For your next get-together, neon or otherwise, remember that marshmallow pops make the perfect blank canvas to match your party theme… dip them in melted candy and go crazy (with toppings)!
Marshmallow Madness Supplies
- Kraft Jet-Puffed Jumbo Marshmallows - White Candy Melts or Vanilla Candy Coating - Assorted Candy Toppings - Neon Candy Dye - Lollipop sticks - KC Bakes Stand (or Styrofoam) - Ziploc sandwich bags
Tips: 1. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into melted candy, then insert them into the marshmallows. Let them firm up for a few minutes before dipping the pops; this will give the pops a little bit of extra support. 2. Consider your toppings and your timeframe carefully. Marshmallow pops that are fully coated in candy can sit out for quite a few days with no problem. However, certain toppings will go stale (like cereal) or can get gooey (like Pop Rocks) if they are exposed to the air for too long. 3. For the green and yellow neon dye in this post, I used AmeriColor “Electric” Soft Gels. Unfortunately, these dyes have water in the ingredients, any type of water will make chocolate seize into a hard lump. To get around this, AmeriColor makes a product called Flo Coat, which you add to the chocolate prior to adding the dye. 4. For the pink neon dye in this post, I used Make’n Mold pink candy dye, which can be found at most local craft stores. It is oil-based, and mixes into candy beautifully. Its actually marketed as their “pastel” collection, however keep adding more dye for an intense neon-like hue.
*For more detailed instructions on using neon dyes, click here.