Homemade Marshmallows (for Beginners!)
If you've never made homemade marshmallows, you'll be surprised at how easy and delicious they are to make! This recipe is foolproof! Perfect for s'mores, hot chocolate, or gifts for the holidays!
Florida is trying to give us winter at least one or two days out of the week with highs in the low seventies and lows in the fifties.
Thanks for at least trying, Florida.
On the nights it's (finally) a little cold, I bust out the hot chocolate and marshmallows. I'm going to have some semblance of winter while I live here, darn it. South Florida or not.
And cocoa and marshmallows are a necessity of winter. Because drinking hot cocoa when it's hot just ain't right. I'll blast the A/C if I have to, I'm gonna enjoy some winter!
Homemade marshmallows, in my honest opinion, are without a doubt far superior than store bought *smiles in Ina Garten*. No, but really they are: fluffy and soft, they have such a tender almost melt in your mouth quality and they are really, really, really just surprisingly easy to make as long as you have some corn syrup, a candy thermometer. and a stand mixer. Got those? Okay good, because you'll need them.
And before you freak out about the corn syrup, yes you can make marshmallows without it, but this recipe is for easy marshmallows for beginners! A fool proof method, if you will. The corn syrup makes sure that you do not end up with crystallized sugar and have to start over again while making the syrup for your marshmallows. It also makes sure the marshmallows are fluffy and chewy without having to add egg whites.
So if this is your first time making marshmallows, this recipe is perfect for you! When I say this recipe is and and foolproof, I mean it! The marshmallows come together very quickly and you'll be setting them down to rest overnight in under thirty minutes, start to finish. The next morning you cut the marshmallows up and they're ready to use.
And it's all so simple: bring water, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over medium high heat, until the candy thermometer says 240 degrees F. While that's going, have the gelatin bloom in your stand mixer bowl for about 10-15 minutes.When the sugar syrup is ready at 240, get it off the heat then you pour it into the bowl of gelatin slowly, with the mixer on medium speed.
Mix for 10 minutes on high until the concoction is white, thick, fluffy and glossy like a meringue.
You pour it into your prepared pan, cover it in powdered sugar and go to bed.
Dream about hot cocoa because you went to church in 87 degree weather in December and you can't wait for the next cold front to hit.
In the morning, slice and dice these babies up (it's okay if you eat a couple (or ten) because this recipe makes so many!) or use cookie cutter to make fun shapes out of the marshmallow. Keep in a zip top bag or air right container for when that cold blast finally hits Florida...
Luckily, these marshmallows last for two weeks so the next time you're blasted in the face with cold air when you step outside, these babies are ready for your favorite winter treat.
Love winter goodies? Check out:
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Christmas M&M Cookies
Martha Washington Candies
Another great thing about homemade marshmallows? You can make them any flavor you want. Simply put in some ginger syrup while you're making your hot syrup mixture, or add mint, lemon, almond, etc. extracts into the hot syrup and you have flavored marshmallows. You can also add spices so chai masala or pumpkin spice marshmallows are just as easy to pull off!
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📖 Recipe
Foolproof Easy Homemade Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup cold water divided
- 2½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin about 3 (0.25-ounce packets)
- ⅔ cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, the parchment should be longer than the pan so you can use it to pull the marshmallows out. Spray it liberally with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar and all of the cornstarch and set aside.
- Pour ½ cup of the cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the remaining water and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the saucepan and add the salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved completely and the syrup reaches 240 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and carefully pour the hot syrup directly into the bloomed gelatin, avoiding the side of the bowl as much as possible. Gradually increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture is very thick, white, and glossy, about 10 to 12 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just incorporated, no more than a minute.
- Working quickly, because the marshmallow will set up and become difficult to spoon out, scrape the mixture into your prepared pan using a silicone spatula that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Smooth the top into an even layer quickly, as the marshmallow is setting fast. Sift half of the powdered sugar-cornstarch mix over the marshmallow slab. Cover with plastic wrap loosely and let sit overnight at room temperature.
- The next day, turn the marshmallow out onto a cutting board with parchment paper over the board and peel off the foil. Sift the rest of the powdered sugar-cornstarch mix over the slab once again.
- Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, cut into 1-inch strips one way, and then across the other way for square marshmallows. You could also use round cutters or shaped cookie cutters rubbed with cooking spray to cut them out as well.
- Place the remaining ½ powdered sugar in a large ziploc bag. Working with 3 or 4 marshmallows at a time, toss the marshmallows in the bag with the powdered sugar mixture, then toss in a fine-mesh strainer to remove any excess powder. Marshmallows can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 2 weeks.
Omg! These are tremendous! As a marshmallow novice, I was a bit terrified at attempting these, but they came out beautifully and are delectable! I am definitely going to keep these in my favorites and make them again and share them with friends and family! Thank you for sharing!
1. Have you ever tried making them with strawberry flavoring or pureed strawberry jam, if so how much do I use to make it taste like strawberry?
2. Why do you use cornstarch with the powdered sugar?
3. Can I dip these in chocolate to make chocolate covered marshmallows? I want to make chocolate dipped strawberry flavored marshmallows for V-Day that taste just like real chocolate covered strawberries.
Hi Angela,
1. You can use powdered (use your blender or food processor) freeze dried strawberries and add in strawberry extract for a strawberry flavor.
2. The cornstarch cuts the sweetness of the powdered sugar and won't end up as a sticky mess if you live in a humid area.
3. Let the marshmallows dry out for an extra day so they don't melt from the heat of the chocolate. You can dry them out up to 3-4 days to make them hold up to heat like a store-bought marshmallow! You could even roast them over the campfire.
I hope this all helped. xo, Eden
Making these for the 3rd or 4th time. Everyone loves them and they are great over a fire and for s'mores
You don’t want winter, trust me. I dream of living in Florida.
Love from Cali ❤️
I don’t see how to prepare the pan. Did I miss it?
Did you read the recipe card?
Never mind..... I’m blind!!!! I found it!!!
Made these tonight and they are really yummy. I love making homemade marshmallows for smores and I'm heading to the woods for the weekend. The only thing I really do different is using a baking sheet and just spreading out the mixture instead of a closed in pan.
Can i use. Gelatin sheets and if yes how many for yr recepie?Thank you
You can use them. One packet of gelatin is equal to about 4 sheets of gelatin.
Hi, I love this recipe! I would like to make rice crispy bars immediately after this is ready. Can you tell me
how much of this will be equal to a full box of rice crispies. If it makes a 13X9 pan, it seems like it should be plenty, but I want to be sure before I start.
Thank you
Hi! This recipe is only about making the marshmallows, not making rice crispy bars. I would assume that the 100+ marshmallows this makes will suffice but since I did not make any rice crispy bars I would suggest checking your recipe for them and seeing how
many marshmallows it would need.
Made these along w/ hot cocoa mix for my husband today. Recipe was perfect and they're still setting but they look awesome!
What happens to them after two weeks? Giving these with a hot cocoa gift, and just curious about the two week mark.
They will begin to go stale unless they're frozen. Place them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and remove as much air as possible. Wrap the bag in foil and freeze. They'll last in the freezer for 3-4 months. Hope this helps!
Can you use a hand mixer or do you need a stand mixer? All the recipes I have seen call for a stand mixer.
You will need a stand mixer, the mixer will be on high speed for a long time (10 minutes) and that will burn out a hand mixer’s motor. If you haven’t invested in a stand mixer, I highly suggest it not only for this recipe but in general for baking! 🙂