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Foam bananas
Light, squashy and bright yellow, foam bananas are a close cousin of the marshmallow. Here is what goes into them, why they are so light, and the diet and allergy points worth knowing.
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Foam bananas are soft, airy sweets shaped like small bananas, coloured yellow and flavoured to taste of banana. They belong to the family of foam sweets, which are made much like marshmallow: see what are foam sweets made of?
What is in them
Two UK listings give almost the same recipe.
Barratt Mini Foam Bananas, as listed by The Candy King. Sugar, glucose syrup, water, dextrose, beef gelatine, maize starch, curcumin as a colour, and flavourings.
Foam Bananas, as listed by Sweets and Candy. Sugar, glucose syrup, water, dextrose, beef gelatine, maize starch, curcumin as a colour, and flavouring.
Why they are so light
Foam sweets are made by whipping a hot sugar syrup with gelatine, which traps air bubbles and holds them in place as the sweet sets. Marshmallow, which is made the same way, is about half air: see how are marshmallows made?
The colour and the taste
The yellow comes from curcumin, the pigment that makes turmeric yellow, which carries the E number E100. Neither recipe lists any banana, so the taste comes from flavouring: see how are sweets flavoured?
Diet and allergy points
- Gelatine. Both recipes use beef gelatine, so foam bananas like these are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans: see gelatine in sweets explained
- Halal. Neither listing says the gelatine is halal. Beef gelatine is only halal if it comes from cattle slaughtered according to Islamic law: see a guide to halal sweets
- Milk. Neither recipe lists milk.
- Gluten and other allergens. Neither recipe lists wheat, but Sweets and Candy says its sweets are packed where wheat, gluten, soya, milk, peanuts and nuts are handled: see pick and mix and allergies
Foam cousins
Barratt also makes foam shrimps, and the listings for those show how much foam recipes can vary from one maker to the next: see foam shrimps
In our pick and mix
We sell 
Foam Bananas by the 100 g. Recipes differ between makers, so the card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the foam bananas we actually stock.
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What are foam bananas made of?
In the two UK listings here: sugar, glucose syrup, water, dextrose, beef gelatine, maize starch, curcumin as a colour, and flavouring.
Is there real banana in foam bananas?
Not in the recipes here. Neither lists banana, so the taste comes from flavouring.
Are foam bananas vegetarian?
Not the recipes here. Both are made with beef gelatine, so they are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Are foam bananas halal?
Neither listing here describes them as halal. Beef gelatine is only halal if it comes from cattle slaughtered according to Islamic law, so look for a clear halal label.
Sources
- Mini foam bananas, Barratt, product listing, The Candy King
- Foam bananas 1kg, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Marshmallow, Wikipedia
- Curcumin, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat are foam sweets made of?Foam sweets like foam shrimps are made like marshmallow: sugar and syrup whipped full of air with gelatine. Some use pork gelatine, so check the label.
- Sweet by sweetFoam shrimpsFoam shrimps are pink, airy sweets. Three UK listings differ on the gelatine, pork or beef, on the colour, and even on the flavour.
- How it is madeHow are marshmallows made?Marshmallows are sugar syrup whipped with gelatine or egg white until half air, then moulded in starch or extruded and cut. They began as a plant medicine.
- Diet, allergens and labelsGelatine in sweets explainedGelatine gives gummies and marshmallows their texture, and it melts below body temperature, which shapes how they feel in the mouth. Who avoids it.
- How it is madeHow are sweets flavoured?Sweets get their flavour from flavourings, essential oils such as peppermint, fruity esters and juices, often added after cooking so they do not burn off.
- Diet, allergens and labelsA guide to halal sweetsA halal checklist for sweets: gelatine and its source, carmine, alcohol, glycerol and certification. What to look for, and why a halal mark matters.