How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (2024)

Learn how to make homemade marshmallows with this homemade marshmallows recipe and step-by-step tutorial.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (1)

I am not going to say that you will never buy marshmallows from the store ever again, because we all know how busy we are and we all know that those fluffy bags of yummy convenience have their time and place. However, if you want an amazingly delicious homemade marshmallow for your hot chocolate bar or a new sweet treat for your Christmas baking tray then this is your recipe.

While there are a few steps in the marshmallow-making process, it is much simpler than you would probably imagine to make homemade marshmallows. While the flavor and texture define them as marshmallows that is where the similarity with the store-bought bag ends. Perfectly sweetened, light, fluffy, amazing texture… I could go on but I won’t.

You just have to make them for yourself to believe me, and when you do you will come back to this recipe often because – did I forget to mention it’s versatile? Beyond just plain vanilla you can make them in a dozen flavors: peppermint, chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, root beer, cinnamon, and more. Grab your mixer, dust it off, and let’s get to work.

Homemade Marshmallows Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup very cold water
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 packets unflavored gelatin
  • pinch of salt
  • plain cooking spray

Directions:

Generously coat an 11×13 pan with nonstick spray, and dust well with powdered sugar.

Place 1/2 your cold water and all the gelatin packets in your stand (or hand) mixer bowl, let it sit and soften while you prepare the rest.

In a large saucepan combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and the other half of the water over medium-low until mixture begins to boil and reaches 240 degrees (use a candy thermometer).

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (2)

Once mixture reaches 240, remove from heat and pour over gelatin mixture in bowl.

Use a mixer on low setting to mix until gelatin is completely dissolved.

If you have a splash guard for your mixer go ahead and put it on now.

Increase speed to high and beat until white, shiny, fluffy and more than tripled in volume- about 10 minutes.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (3)

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and coat the top of it generously with powdered sugar.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (4)

Place in refrigerator for an hour or two, uncovered, until solid.

Flip onto a surface coated with powdered sugar and cut into desired size (a pizza cutter rolled in powdered sugar works great).

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (5)

You can also use cookie cutters to cut your marshmallows out in fun, festive shapes.

Marshmallow Flavor Variations

Instead of vanilla, substitute another flavoredextract like peppermint, coffee, root beer, strawberry, cinnamon, coconut, or maplefor the vanilla extract in the recipe.You can find many of these at your local grocery and more exotic ones at specialty shops or find them at Amazon.com and have them delivered to your front door.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (6)

Printable Recipe for Marshmallows

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (7)

Print

Homemade Marshmallows Recipe

An easy step by step tutorial showing you how to make homemade marshmallows

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade marshmallows recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Jody

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup very cold water
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 packets unflavored gelatin
  • pinch of salt
  • plain cooking spray

Instructions

  • Generously coat a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray then dust well with powdered sugar.

  • Place 1/2 of the cold water and all of the gelatin packets in your mixing bowl. Let it sit and soften while you prepare the rest.

  • In a large saucepan combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and the other half of the water over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to boil and reaches 240 degrees (use a candy thermometer).

  • Once the mixture reaches 240 degrees, remove from the pan from the heat and pour over the gelatin mixture in the bowl.

  • Use a mixer on a low setting to mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

  • If you have a splash guard for your mixer go ahead and put it on now.

  • Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the mixture is white, shiny, fluffy, and has more than tripled in volume. Approximately 10 minutes.

  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and coat it generously with powdered sugar.

  • Place the pan in the refrigerator for an hour or two, uncovered, until solid.

  • Flip the marshmallow onto a surface coated with powdered sugar. Cut it into the desired size of marshmallows. A pizza cutter rolled in powdered sugar works great for cutting the marshmallows.

Notes

You can also use cookie cutters to cut your marshmallows out in fun, festive shapes.

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How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Recipe & Tips (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in marshmallows? ›

Marshmallows are made of sugar, corn syrup (sugar), water and gelatin. They can have other things added for flavor and color, but that's it. The magic is how the ingredients are combined. Marshmallows are a scaffolding of sugar and gelatin that stays rigid enough to become a network of stable air bubbles.

Why are my homemade marshmallows not fluffy? ›

Even just a couple degrees too hot or too cool makes all the difference. If the sugar isn't cooked hot enough, they'll be mushy (and possibly contribute to the "soggy" factor mentioned above). If the syrup is cooked too hot, they'll set too firm and chewy and lack volume.

How long do homemade marshmallows last? ›

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

What are the three main ingredients in marshmallows? ›

A typical marshmallow contains sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin, plus some air. That's it. “A marshmallow is basically a foam that's stabilized by gelatin,” says Richard Hartel, a food engineer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In marshmallows, the foam is made up of air suspended in a liquid sugar mixture.

Are homemade marshmallows better than store-bought? ›

While making homemade marshmallows is admittedly more time consuming than just buying a bag from the store, they truly put the store-bought version to shame. Far better in both texture and flavor, homemade marshmallows are 100% worth the effort and time it takes to make them–I promise!

How do you keep homemade marshmallows fresh? ›

In a Sealed Bag With Bread

Set the bag away from direct light and in a cool, dry place. The bread pulls moisture out of the air and away from the marshmallows to keep them fresher for longer. Get more tips about baking cookies on our Baking Tips Pinterest board.

What substance in a marshmallow makes it fluffy? ›

Air bubbles make marshmallows light and fluffy

That's because marshmallows are a foam. They contain a lot of tiny air bubbles which are surrounded and stabilized by sugar and proteins from egg whites and gelatin. Since air doesn't weigh much, adding it into a product decreases its density.

Why is my homemade marshmallow runny? ›

The marshmallow needs to be whipped till it makes stiff peaks. At this stage, the marshmallow can hold a soft shape for a moment before collapsing back into itself. If the mixture cannot do this, it will be too runny. If you mix past this point, you'll have a thick, rigid that doesn't spread easily in your pan.

How much does it cost to make homemade marshmallows? ›

You'll find yourself making this easy recipe all year round to enjoy in hot chocolate and with s'mores. This recipe makes 24 large marshmallows and costs about $1.91 to make. That's just $0.08 per marshmallow! Use these marshmallows for classic S'mores or use them in my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Smores Recipe.

How are marshmallows made how it's made? ›

Originally made by whipping the sap of the plant and sweetening it, modern marshmallows are made from sweetened egg whites or melted gelatin whipped to an almost stiff peak.

Are marshmallows good for you? ›

Marshmallows are a sweet treat that many of us enjoy with hot chocolate, on top of sweet potatoes, or even shaped into peeps at Easter time. But these fluffy white puffs aren't very nutritious. Marshmallow ingredients usually include just sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin.

What makes marshmallows stick together? ›

Marshmallows are made from a mixture of sugar (or corn syrup), gelatin, and water. The ingredients are whipped together into a spongy texture. Put simply, marshmallows are sugar and water wrapped around bubbles. Air pockets help marshmallows keep their shape.

Why are marshmallows vegan? ›

The original ancient marshmallows were made from the root of the marshmallow plant and were vegan. Most modern marshmallows are made from gelatin, which is made from animal byproducts like skin, bones, and connective tissue. Some modern marshmallows might be made from carrageenan instead and might be vegan.

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