The coronavirus pandemic forced us to look at things much differently in 2020, one of those being cooking and baking. These activities became essential for those stuck at home looking for a distraction.

From stuffed cookies that pull apart with gooey goodness, to hot chocolate/dessert charcuterie boards that took over Instagram and Pinterest and hot chocolate bombs that became famous through TikTok, marshmallows were everywhere online. S’mores even saw an uptick as air fryers made it easier to perfectly create the snack from the comfort of the kitchen.

A brand that looks to take marshmallows to the next level is the Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co. HVMC products are handmade and feature all-natural ingredients inspired by the New York region with creative, fun flavors and eye-catching packaging.

With marshmallow varieties including vanilla bean, chocolate chip, pumpkin spice, strawberry, salted caramel or French toast, the brand has a flavor for everyone looking to snack on or incorporate into trendy desserts.

Marjorie Tarter, co-owner of Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co., has witnessed the many ways marshmallows have been utilized the last year to contribute to the overall trend.

“As a mallow enthusiast and owner of Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co., it was exciting to see how people really took their love for the treat to the next level this year,” she says. “From hot chocolate bombs to dessert charcuterie boards that flooded in-feed ‘grams, marshmallows proved to be the common ingredient for an at-home sweet viral success. We’ve been lucky enough to have several businesses including Sweet and Salty’s use our handmade and all-natural Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co. marshmallows inside treats like stuffed cookies to provide that extra gooey center for a very Instagrammable slow pull-apart bake.”

Social media has greatly contributed to the popularity of marshmallows, especially in 2020 as more time spent at home led to sparks of creativity in the kitchen. Not only are they visually appealing, but they make a satisfying inclusion in baked goods or accompanying other sweets.

“Marshmallows add that special squishy texture to all types of sweets,” Tarter says. “The gooeyness when baked provides a slow pull-apart element which is key for the perfect social media post. Using our unique marshmallow flavors, like pumpkin spice or salted caramel can take your cookie, brownie and rice krispy treat recipes to a whole new level!”

HVMC offers a wide variety of marshmallow flavors, both online and in-store at its café in Beacon, New York. Among those are vanilla bean, salted caramel, strawberry, French toast, chocolate chip and pumpkin spice. Although a lot of customers opt to try the more unique flavors, Tarter says the brand’s most popular is probably vanilla bean, which offers that classic mallow flavor with a gourmet, melt-in-your-mouth taste.

At its café, HVMC roasts and assembles each s’more to order with any choice of marshmallow and graham cracker combination. An online favorite is the S’mores Gift Basket, in which customers start with a marshmallow flavor (vanilla bean, chocolate chip, strawberry, pumpkin spice, salted caramel or French toast) and then pick two graham cracker flavors (cinnamon sugar, chocolate or chocolate chip).