If there's one sweet treat the screams Easter, it's Peeps. Those cute little brightly colored birds do look adorable peeking out of an Easter basket. However, since they are loaded with artificial colors, flavors and questionable ingredients, and packaged in plastic, they aren't exactly good for your children or the environment. You can grab a few organic, vegan ingredients and make your own Peeps, to surprise and delight your little ones on Easter morning. Or better yet, make these vegan Peeps with your kids as an Easter activity, along with decorating your Easter eggs!
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups organic sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup organic light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
- 4 tsp agar agar powder
- 1 tbsp organic vanilla
- 1 cup organic sugar
- natural food colorants
Step 2: Soak the Agar Powder
You will need to soak the agar powder in 1/2 cup cold water until it is completely absorbed, which can take about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Heat it Up
While the agar powder is soaking, bring the 1/2 cup water, 1 3/4 cups organic sugar and 3/4 cup organic light corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan. Stir it constantly over medium heat until it reaches 113° C, taking care not to let it boil over.
Step 4: Beat It
Using your stand mixture or hand mixer, slowly combine your sugar mixture, agar and the vanilla. Beat it on high speed for approximately 10 minutes or until the mixture looks like fluffy egg whites.
Step 5: Make the Colored Sugar
While the fluffy marshmallow mixture is beating, separate your leftover organic sugar into smaller bowls and add a couple of drops of natural food colorant to each bowl and mix until you reach your desired color.
Step 6: Prepare your Work Surface
I decided to pipe my peeps onto cookie sheets to contain the sugar mess. Simply sprinkle a generous amount of colored sugar all over the cookie sheets.
Step 7: Pipe the Peeps
Either use a piping bag or spoon to add the peeps to your sugar lined cookie sheets.
Step 8: Add the Sugar
Sprinkle the peeps with different colored sugars until the peeps are well coated.
Step 9: Add the Eyes
I used a toothpick dipped in dark green vegetable food colorants to make the eyes.
Step 10: Let them Set and Enjoy
I let the peeps sit out for a few minutes to set and then wrapped them up for Easter.
Organic Vegan Peeps Recipe
- 1 3/4 cups organic sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup organic light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp agar agar powder
- 1 tbsp organic vanilla
- 1 cup organic sugar
- natural food colorants
You will need to soak the agar powder in 1/2 cup cold water until it is completely absorbed, which can take about 10 minutes. While the agar powder is soaking, bring the 1/2 cup water, 1 3/4 cups organic sugar and 3/4 cup organic light corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan. Stir it constantly over medium heat, taking care not to let it boil over. Using your stand mixture or hand mixer, slowly combine your sugar mixture, agar and the vanilla. Beat it on high speed for approximately 10 minutes or until the mixture looks like fluffy egg whites. While the fluffy marshmallow mixture is beating, separate your leftover organic sugar into smaller bowls and add a couple of drops of natural food colorant to each bowl and mix until you reach your desired color. I decided to pipe my peeps onto cookie sheets to contain the sugar mess. Simply sprinkle a generous amount of colored sugar all over the cookie sheets. Either use a piping bag or spoon to add the peeps to your sugar lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle the peeps with different colored sugars until the peeps are well coated. Use a toothpick dipped in dark green vegetable food colorants to make the eyes. I let the peeps sit out for a few minutes to set and then wrapped them up for Easter.
