These Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows are sweet and puffy peppermint joy!
Our oldest daughter has been asking for peppermint marshmallows ever since I first starting whipping up my own homemade batches a number of years ago. Every time I say that I’m making marshmallows, Hatti asks, “Peppermint??” And, like a broken record, I tell her, “Not this time.”
So, needless to say, when Hatti came home from school to find these Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows waiting for her…she was nothing but pure happy. With a great big smile, a little happy dance, and a mouthful of sweet and fluffy peppermint joy…she was one delighted girl.
Previously, I had never added any flavoring but vanilla to my marshmallows. And they’ve been nothing but pure white. So this was a fun experiment for me in both flavor and color. I’m glad Hatti never gave up on me!
I love how the red coloring is swirled so delicately throughout the marshmallow. It’s so very pretty.
Really, what could be more fun than a tower of sweet pillowy marshmallows, made from scratch? It’s the ultimate in kitchen play!
But I’d be nowhere in my marshmallow experimenting without the help of my KitchenAid stand mixer. Just ask my aunt Patsy, who made marshmallows from my very first marshmallow post. She had her old mixer smoking. For real!
Making homemade marshmallows requires a strong dependable stand mixer. The marshmallow gets super thick and sticky in the bowl, and needs to be beaten for about 10 minutes to get the right consistency. Human arms are just not cut out for the job. At least my arms aren’t.
Blake and I bought our first KitchenAid stand mixer shortly after we were married. In red, it was the pride of our newlywed countertop.
Now, more than 14 years later, I can say that the KitchenAid stand mixer is an appliance I wouldn’t want to live without. It gets used several times each and every week, sometimes several times in the very same day. It’s a workhorse and a time saver, and a piece of equipment that allows me to accomplish so much more in the kitchen.
I’m thankful to KitchenAid for providing me with this new yellow stand mixer. Please say hello to Buttercup!
While I’ve always loved our red stand mixer, I was feeling the need for a change. I looked to a piece of Curly Girl artwork hanging in our kitchen for inspiration. The yellow mixer spoke to me. Or was it my love for butter and its beautiful hue? Or that yellow is our youngest daughter Tessa’s favorite color?
Whatever the reason…Buttercup was meant to be part of our family.
Do you make homemade marshmallows? If you haven’t tried it yet, I really want to encourage you to do so. Homemade marshmallows are just the best treat, and are definitely superior to the ones found in the baking aisle at the grocery store. They make the most awesome s’mores. And just imagine what one of these peppermint swirl marshmallows would do to a mug of hot chocolate!
Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- ⅔ cup water, divided
- 3 packages (¼ ounce each) unflavored gelatin (found by the Jell-O at the grocery store)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
- 10 drops red food coloring
Instructions
- Lightly spray the inside of an 8''x8'' pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the powdered sugar and tilt the pan until there is a thick coating of powdered sugar on the bottom and sides of the pan. Gently shake out any loose powdered sugar and discard. Set pan 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 and soften. Let stand for about 10 minutes, or until the gelatin has softened.
- In a medium saucepan, off the heat, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of the water with the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place the saucepan 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.
- With mixer on low speed, very slowly and carefully add the hot syrup to the softened gelatin. Increase mixer speed to high. The mixture will start out clear, then quickly turn very white. Beat for about 7 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.
- Add peppermint extract and beat 2 more minutes.
- With mixer stopped, add red food coloring in random drops over the top of the marshmallow mixture. On very low speed, give the marshmallow just 1 to 2 turns with the mixer blade, until you see swirls of red and white. Do not over mix, or you will lose the red streaks and end up with all-pink marshmallow.
- Spread swirled marshmallow mixture into 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 wheel. 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 remaining 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 moderate temperature. They also keep well in the freezer. Eat plain, dipped in chocolate, or in hot chocolate!
Nutrition Information:
A great big thank you to KitchenAid for providing me with Buttercup, an Artisan Series 5-quart stand mixer.
Hattie is very smart and you are a sweetheart for making her marshmallow dream come true! They look beautiful.
Thanks, Paula. I always knew I’d get them made, it was just a matter of time. ;)
Looks like we were thinking the same thing this week! I just posted peppermint swirl marshmallows today, and I’ve gotta say, they’re my new favorite holiday treat. Yours are so gorgeous, Brenda! No wonder Hatti was over the moon!
Great minds think alike! I’m loving yours, too, Georgia! :)
Marshmallows are on my baking list, but I might need to add a peppermint swirl to mine now!
Marshmallows are always fun, but these were so much more. I def think you should give it a try!
These marshmallows are gorgeous!! Love the fun red swirl! :)
And the mixer?!? Such a fun color!
Thanks, Tieghan!! :)
I’m with your little one, peppermint marshmallows sound like the best kind of marshmallows ever!
Your new standmixer is beautiful! That is the perfect color yellow! I would like a wall or two in my house this color… :)
My sister has some butter yellow walls in her house…I do like it alot! Thanks, Christina!
If I didn’t love marshmallows and peppermint so much I would say these are too pretty to eat.
I know you’d love these, Mom. xo
Gorgeous, love the peppermint swirl! I have the Buttercup mixer too and just love it :).
Hi Laura – thank you so much! And YAY for Buttercup! :)
These are beautiful! Homemade marshmallows are so much better than store bought!
Thank you so much, Jessica! :)
They look lovely, I love marshmallows but not a fan of peppermint.
You could still make these with the same swirl, and just leave out the peppermint flavoring. I’d replace with 1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract.
Buttercup is so precious! And I love these marshmallows, yummy!
Thanks, Angie! :)
I’m in heart with Buttercup! She’s adorable – and so are these mallows! I need a batch for some hot cocoa ASAP!
Love my Buttercup. And, yes, you DO NEED these for your hot cocoa…so awesome!!
You talked me into it! Just finished my first ever homemade marshmallows using this recipe and they are wonderful…and actually, pretty easy! I have to admit, 2 tsp of peppermint scared me a little, so I only used 1 tsp. Planning to send them with my son for his class Christmas party. Thank you for sharing…and finally listening to Hatti!! :)
I LOVE to hear this, Heather!! So glad you liked these. I did try these with 1 tsp. peppermint and didn’t feel it was enough…we really like peppermint at our house! :)
LOVE that yellow! Also the recipe, Brenda!
Tessa has definitely convinced me on the beauty of yellow. ;)
So fun! Love this recipe.
Thanks, Katrina! :)
Your daughter Hatti has good taste! And just look at the beautiful red swirled mrshmallows. Perfect for a holiday table! What a great addition to any buffet.
Hi Wendy…thank you! :)
I love homemade marshmallows, storebought ones just can’t compare! This version is so pretty and perfect for the holidays, thanks for the inspiration :)
Nice to hear from you, Anna. Homemade marshmallows are such a fun treat!
I cannot wait to make these peppermint marshmallows. I can see they will be a great addition to several recipes!
Your new KitchenAid is a ray of sunshine for your kitchen…enjoy!
Thanks, Ruth. Enjoy!
Yes, that red swirl is beautiful! I have only tried to make marshmallows once and it was disastrous! These look so good and soft! And that yellow mixer really is beautiful!
You need to try making them again, Becca. I remember trying a different recipe many, many years ago and it failed. But the one I always use now works great.
These marshmallows are almost too pretty to eat!
Almost. ;) Thanks, Christina.
I’m so in love these marshmallows and your new stand mixer!! yay!!
Thanks, Julie. They’re BOTH fabulous! :)