Never made your own Marshmallows? These fluffy, homemade marshmallows are better than any you can buy at the store!
I get giddy preparing to make these homemade marshmallows. Something about this recipe, and the fun it produces, just makes me happy, happy, happy.
Have you ever even thought about the possibility of making your own marshmallows?! Did you know they can be whipped up (easily!) right in your very own kitchen, and that they taste far, far better than any bag of little identical cylindrical white puffs purchased from the store?
Well, my friends, it is possible. And it’s not hard. All you need is a little patience with cutting the sticky pan of marshmallow. The rest is chump change.
We eat plenty of these flavorful marshmallows just as they are, plain and beautifully simple. But they are ahhhhhmazing in homemade hot chocolate…
and, when dipped in melted chocolate, they are better than the very best piece of candy.
When we made these last winter, we even roasted them over the coals on the Weber, after Blake grilled. And they were absolutely positively the best roasted marshmallows we’ve ever had the pleasure of tucking between two graham crackers.
They also make a great gift, as they keep really well in an airtight container at room temperature. They are still good a few weeks after making them. So…just put some in a baggie, tie on a playful ribbon, and you have a very fun gift. It will make anyone happy, happy, happy.
Have you ever made your own marshmallows? If so, how do you like to eat them?
Marshmallows
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup water, divided
- 3 envelopes (.25 ounce each) unflavored gelatin (find this next to the Jell-O at the grocery store)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for dusting the pan and finished marshmallows
Instructions
- Lightly spray the inside of an 8”x8” pan with vegetable cooking spray. Generously coat with powdered sugar and set aside.
- Pour 1/3 cup of the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and stir briefly to incorporate. Let stand for about 10 minutes, or until the gelatin has softened.
- In a saucepan, off the heat, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of water and the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Clip a candy thermometer on the inside of the pan, making sure it doesn’t touch the bottom. Cook the mixture without stirring until reaches 240°F. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush, dipped in water, to gently wipe away any sugar crystals.
- With your mixer on low speed, very carefully add the hot syrup to the softened gelatin. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high. The mixture will start out clear, but quickly turns very white. Beat for about 8 minutes, or until the marshmallow gets very thick and sticky, and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, in string-like pieces.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared pan using a lightly oiled spatula. With wet hands, press the batter evenly into the corners of the pan. Just keep rewetting your hands to help with the stickiness. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or until the mixture is firm and cool.
- Sift some powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Run a wet knife around the edge of the cooled pan to loosen the marshmallow. Remove the marshmallow from the pan, onto a cutting board or parchment paper. Cut into squares, using a pizza cutter. This is a sticky job, but just have patience. It’s worth it! I like to cut each pan into 36 squares, which gives you marshmallows that are about 1¼” square, but feel free to cut them into whatever size you like. Toss each marshmallow in the powdered sugar until completely coated.
- Store marshmallows in a single layer, or in layers separated by wax paper. They will keep very well for quite a long time (a couple weeks!) when stored airtight at cool temperature. For a variation, I like to dip the marshmallows in melted chocolate. It’s the best homemade candy EVER!! These are also spectacular roasted on a stick over the fire. Better than spectacular, actually.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Just visiting from Lisa’s Sweet as Sugar Cookies blog. These look fabulous and homemade marshmallows have been on my list of to-cook for a long time. I will definitely try these.
Hi Camilla – thanks for visiting!
Hi, I’m new to your blog, I saw this post on Sweets for a Saturday and had to stop by. I love making marshmallows; one of my favorite things to do with them is to plop them on top of a homemade graham cracker, and dip the whole shebang in chocoalte. Glorious! Your marshmallows look so light and fluffy, makes me want to make them again!
Hi Caroline – thanks for sharing – that sounds glorious, indeed!
Thanks so much for linking this up with Sweets for a Saturday. I truly appreciate your support. Hope to see you again next week. By then, I’ll have a cute button that you can grab and add to your post.
I love homemade marshmallows! My recipe is very similar to yours.
Hi Marcia – thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been wanting to try making these!! YUM!
I featured your post in the I’m Lovin’ It wrap up post! http://tidymom.net/2011/great-valentines-day-ideas/ Thanks for linking up!
Thank you so much, Cheryl, for the feature. I appreciate it. And, yes, give this YUM a try!
I always wanted to try making marshmallows at home but never did. Your recipe sounds easy to follow. Will give that a try soon! hm…it’ll be nice to have it floating on a cup of hot chocolate! YUM…
I’m having the very first GIVEAWAY on my blog. Please stop by to submit an entry. Good Luck.
http://utry.it/2011/01/happy-birthday-to-meand-very-first.html
BTW, I’m your newest follower. :)
Nice to meet you, Amy – thanks for stopping by!
just wanted to stop by to say that I love your blog… the photo’s are beautiful… so evocative they make me wanna jump right in!…. I found your blog through Lisa’s Sweet as Cookie blog and clicked on your marshmallow picture as she asked… so glad I did, Dom at Belleau Kitchen
Thank you very much, Dominic!
I’ve never made, or tasted, homemade marshmallows! We are huge hot chocolate drinkers, especially right now, with it being so cold in Michigan. That would be a perfect way to spend a snow day- making marshmallows. Thanks for sharing. :)
These make for a very special hot chocolate – give it a try! Thanks for stopping by, Christina.
These look so cute in your polka dot blue paper cups!
Thank you Jenn!
I love homemade marshmallows. Yours look fabulous- great idea to add them to cocoa. My favorite is Barefoot Contessa’s toasted coconut marshmallows. I usually drizzle a little chocolate on top since I can never resist any coconut/chocolate combo.
Hi Shelley – I’ve seen those of Ina’s, too, and have yet to try them. I’ll keep that in mind about adding the chocolate! Thanks for letting me know – sounds yum!
We made scratch marshmallows in culinary school and I LOVED how they tasted!! Once done, we rolled them in dark chocolate then dredged them in crushed graham crackers. It was THE. BEST. taste ever, the finest S’more you could imagine. I do love a fresh marshmallow.
Now THAT sounds amazing, Kate! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t even like the store bought marshmallows unless I’m cooking with em’. I might actually like these…they do look amazing!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thanks for stopping by, Latrice. Give them a try!
Your marshmallows look as light and fluffy as a cloud. I bet they’d make awesome s’mores. I have a new linky party on my blog called “Sweets for a Saturday” and I’d like to invite you to stop by this weekend and link this up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweets-for-saturday-1_21.html
Thanks Lisa – I’m linked up!
What a fun thing to make with the kids. Your photos are great and the chocolate dipped one looks irresistible.
Thanks Paula – these ARE fun to make with the kids, plus they make ME feel like a kid!
They look so yummy. I may just have to make them again and put them into cute cupcake wrappers…I don’t buy gelatin…but I may have to break my own rule and give them as gifts! :) I am visiting from Saturday Swap
Thanks, Lisa – happy to meet you! I linked up to your Sweet Treat Saturday, too.
Use pepermint extract instead of vanillia then add them to hot chocolate pure heaven in a mug.
Oooooo, my peppermint loving daughter would drool for that!! Thanks, Denise!
I have made my own marshmallows and they are wonderful…the best way to eat them is roasted over a fire….pull off the chewy, crusty outside, roast again, lather, rinse, repeat…..makes for a sticky, delicious mess…..but FUN!
Glad to hear you like them roasted, too, Jill! What a treat!
You share the most wonderful and creative recipes. My kids would LOVE to make these. And when I make your cocoa recipe, I’ll now be making these! :) Thank you so much for linking to Saturday Swap. I hope you have a wonderful weekend Friend!
Ohhhhh, thank you so much, Kim! Have fun with these and the hot chocolate! And happy weekend to you, too.
These would be pure heaven in a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. WOW, I will be making these soon.
Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook
Pure heaven, indeed! Thanks for stopping by, Carolyn.
Looks amazing! Do you think you could alter the recipe to make fluff?
Hi Cris! I’m not sure about using this recipe, as it really is meant to stiffen up for cutting into individual marshmallows. I did a quick search and found recipes for fluff that are all basically the same, such as this one: http://www.grouprecipes.com/58165/home-made-marshmallow-fluff.html – good luck! I love fluff, too!