The History of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows were created by Ryan Howard and Dan Ziegler. The two founded Chicago Vegan Foods in 2001. After learning about the animal rights movement in the 1990s, they decided to channel their activism into a business with the goal of increasing awareness about animal rights and offering cruelty-free alternatives to popular products. They started by making their Temptation Vegan Frozen Dessert (which evolved to include Temptation Vegan Soft Serve) and Teese Vegan Cheese. In 2010, they launched what would become their flagship product — Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. They ensured the taste and texture would match or exceed gelatin marshmallows and quickly gained fans among vegans as well as those with specific allergies, since Dandies are made without gelatin (which is neither vegetarian nor vegan), artificial flavors or colors, corn syrup, gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and tree nuts. In the beginning, Howard and Ziegler worked out of Howard’s basement. Today, the food company manufactures Dandies out of their own 40,000-square-foot vegan facility. Impressively, Dandies Vegan Marshmallows have moved beyond the vegan market into mainstream popularity. They’re now available at most grocery stores across the United States and Canada as well as in some parts of the U.K. They are especially popular for making vegan-friendly s’mores, hot chocolate, and baked goods.