Homemade fondant made with marshmallows covers cakes without cracking, tearing, or elephant skin, and it actually tastes good, which is more than you can say for most store-bought versions. I have been making this LMF recipe since 2010 and it is the same fondant I used on every wedding cake and tiered cake throughout my professional career. Pair it with a layer of white chocolate ganache underneath for the smoothest possible surface before you cover.
Quick Glance: Fondant Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Fondant Recipe (LMF)
- Why You'll Love It: Stretchy, smooth, and actually delicious, this marshmallow fondant covers cakes without cracking, tearing, or elephant skin and costs a fraction of store-bought.
- Time and Difficulty: 10 minutes | Beginner-friendly
- Main Ingredients: Marshmallows, powdered sugar, vegetable shortening, store-bought fondant.
- Method: Melt marshmallows, mix with powdered sugar and shortening, knead in store-bought fondant until smooth and stretchy.
- Texture and Flavor: Soft, pliable, and taffy-like with a light, sweet vanilla flavor, nothing like the rubbery, bitter fondant you get from the grocery store
- Quick Tip: Always use cheap store-brand marshmallows - name brands like Jet-Puff are too dense and dry.
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Why This Fondant Recipe Works
Marshmallows are made of sugar and gelatin, which gives LMF its base elasticity and holds everything together. The sugar keeps it sweet and pliable, while the gelatin is what allows it to stretch without breaking. The problem with plain marshmallow fondant is that marshmallow alone does not have enough elasticity to cover a cake cleanly, which is where most homemade fondant recipes fall short.
Adding a small amount of store-bought fondant is what separates LMF from every other marshmallow fondant recipe. Store-bought fondant contains additional gums and stabilizers that give the finished batch a level of stretch and smoothness that marshmallow fondant alone simply cannot achieve. You are essentially using a cheap product to upgrade your homemade batch into something far better than either one would be on its own.
Store-brand marshmallows work better than name brands like Jet-Puff because they have a softer, airier texture that melts down smoothly and incorporates easily. Name brands tend to be denser and drier, which makes the fondant stiffer and harder to work with. This is one of those rare cases where the cheaper option genuinely produces a better result.
Vegetable shortening coats the sugar molecules and slows down moisture loss, which means your fondant stays soft and workable longer without cracking or developing elephant skin on your cake. Warmth is also essential. Heat relaxes the gelatin structure and makes the dough stretchy and forgiving. Cold fondant tightens up and tears, which is why you always knead it well and reheat before using.
My marshmallow fondant has been my secret weapon for years, and now it can be yours, too.
Fondant Ingredients
Making LMF only requires five ingredients, and most of them are easy to find at any grocery or craft store. Check the notes at the bottom of the recipe card for brand recommendations and substitutions.
- Marshmallows: Marshmallows are the base of this recipe and do most of the heavy lifting. They are made of sugar and gelatin, which gives the fondant its soft, pliable structure and natural elasticity. Store-brand marshmallows like WinCo, Hy-Top, Aldi, or Campfire work best because they are softer and melt down more smoothly than denser name-brand options like Jet-Puff.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is what gives the fondant its body and workable texture. It absorbs into the melted marshmallow mixture and firms everything up into a dough you can knead and roll. You may not need every last bit depending on your climate, so add it gradually and stop when the dough feels smooth and slightly tacky.
- Store-Bought Fondant: This is the ingredient that makes LMF different from every other marshmallow fondant recipe. Adding Wilton or Satin Ice fondant introduces extra gums and stabilizers that dramatically improve stretch and smoothness. You are essentially using a small amount of a cheap product to upgrade your whole batch into something far better than either one would be on its own.
- Vegetable Shortening: Shortening coats the sugar molecules and slows down moisture loss, keeping the fondant soft and pliable. It also lubricates your hands and work surface during kneading so the dough does not stick or tear. Do not substitute butter here because the water content in butter can affect the texture.
- Warm Water: A small amount of warm water helps release the melted marshmallows from the bowl and loosens the mixture just enough to incorporate the powdered sugar smoothly. If you are making a dark-colored fondant, replace one tablespoon of water with one tablespoon of gel food color to get a head start on the color during mixing.
How To Make Fondant Step-By-Step
Before you start, coat your hands and work surface lightly with vegetable shortening. This prevents sticking during kneading and makes the whole process much easier to manage.
- Sift your powdered sugar into a large bowl and set it aside. Sifting prevents lumps in the finished fondant, which can show through on a cake.
- Place your vegetable shortening into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. You do not need to mix it yet, it will incorporate on its own once the marshmallows go in.
- Heat your marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until they are completely melted and glossy. They should look like a thick, sticky white lava.
- Pour your warm water over the top to help release them from the bowl, then pour everything into the mixer bowl with the shortening.
- Immediately add the melted marshmallows to the stand mixer with the vegetable shortening and the hook attachment.
- Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and begin adding your powdered sugar one cup at a time. It will look rough and shaggy at first; that is completely normal. Keep adding sugar and mixing until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl and looks smooth and slightly sticky, about 5 minutes.
- Coat your fingers in shortening and pull the fondant off the dough hook. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into your remaining powdered sugar.
This is also the point you would add in food coloring if you want to color your fondant.
- Microwave your store-bought fondant for 30 to 40 seconds until it is warm and very soft.
- Scoop the fondant mixture out of the stand mixer bowl onto your workbench with extra powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
- Knead everything together until the powdered sugar and store-bought fondant are fully incorporated. You may not need every last bit of powdered sugar, stop when the dough feels smooth, pliable, and slightly tacky but not sticky. If it feels too stiff, microwave the whole batch for 20 to 30 seconds to soften it back up.
- Once combined, pull the fondant like taffy, stretching it out and folding it back on itself repeatedly. When it is ready, it will stretch several inches without tearing and feel silky and elastic. If it is still tearing, it needs more heat, microwave for 30 seconds and keep pulling.
To store: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a zip-lock bag at room temperature. LMF will keep for several months. Always reheat and knead well before using again.
Before applying fondant, frost your cake with a layer of white chocolate ganache - it sets firm enough to give the fondant a perfectly smooth surface to adhere to.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using name-brand marshmallows. Brands like Jet-Puff are denser and drier than store-brand marshmallows, which makes the finished fondant stiffer and harder to work with. Stick to WinCo, Hy-Top, Aldi, or Campfire for the best texture and the lowest cost.
- Not heating the marshmallows enough. The marshmallows need to be completely melted and glossy before they go into the mixer. If there are any unmelted lumps, they will create hard spots in your fondant that show up on the surface of your cake. Heat in short bursts and stir between each one until the mixture is fully smooth.
- Adding the powdered sugar too fast. Dumping in all the sugar at once causes it to clump and mix unevenly. Add it one cup at a time on the lowest mixer speed and let it fully incorporate before adding more.
- Skipping the store-bought fondant. This is the step most people want to leave out, but it is the one that makes LMF work. Without it, the fondant will not have enough elasticity and will be more likely to tear when covering a cake. Do not skip it.
- Using cold fondant. Cold fondant is stiff and will crack or tear as soon as you start rolling it. Always microwave and knead your fondant thoroughly before using it, even if you just made it and it has cooled down. It should feel warm and stretchy before it goes anywhere near a cake.
- Covering a warm cake. The cake and its buttercream or ganache coating need to be fully chilled and firm before you cover it with fondant. A soft surface will not support the weight of the fondant and you will get bumps, bulges, and sliding.
- Rolling the fondant too thin or too thick. Too thin and it will tear during application. Too thick and it will look heavy and be hard to get sharp edges. Aim for about ⅛ inch, which gives you enough strength to cover the cake without the fondant looking clunky.
- Using too much food coloring. Liquid food coloring adds too much moisture and can make your fondant sticky and pocked with tiny holes. Always use gel food coloring, and for deep colors like red or black, add the color during the mixing process rather than kneading it in afterward.
If you want something more sculptural, try my modeling chocolate recipe instead, which holds fine details much better for sculpting.
Fondant Recipe FAQs
I know it seems counterintuitive, but this is the step that makes LMF better than any other marshmallow fondant recipe out there. Marshmallow fondant on its own lacks the elasticity you need to cover a cake cleanly. Store-bought fondant contains gums and stabilizers that dramatically improve how the finished batch stretches and handles. By adding it to your homemade batch you are essentially upgrading a cheap, average product into something far better. Think of it like adding a small amount of high-quality chocolate to a basic sauce. It changes everything.
Nine times out of ten, tearing and cracking come down to temperature. Cold fondant is stiff and unforgiving, so always microwave it until it is warm and knead it well before you start rolling. If it is still tearing after that, it may need more shortening worked in. Cracking on the cake usually means the buttercream underneath was too soft or the fondant was rolled too thin. Aim for ⅛ inch thickness and make sure your cake is fully chilled before covering.
Wrap your fondant tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a zip-lock bag, and store it at room temperature. Do not refrigerate it. The moisture in the fridge will make it sticky and affect the texture. Stored properly, LMF will keep for several months. Before using it again, microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds and knead it well until it is warm and stretchy.
Always use gel food coloring, not liquid. Liquid coloring adds too much moisture and can make your fondant sticky or pocked with tiny holes. For light pastel colors, you can knead the color in after the fondant is made. For deep or dark colors like red or black, add the gel color during the mixing process while the marshmallows are still warm. This gives the color time to distribute evenly and prevents you from overworking the fondant trying to knead in a large amount of color later.
Yes, you can make LMF by hand, but it is a workout. Mix the melted marshmallows and shortening together in a large bowl, then add the powdered sugar gradually and knead it in with your hands. Make sure your hands are coated in vegetable shortening throughout the process. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes of kneading to get the same smooth, stretchy result you would get from a mixer.
Yes! My friend Danette developed a version called DKF (Danette's Kosher Fondant) that uses marshmallow fluff instead of regular marshmallows, making it gelatin-free and kosher. It works just as well as LMF and follows a nearly identical process.
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Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 32 oz powdered sugar sifted (also called icing sugar, confectionary sugar)
- 16 oz marshmallows WinCo, Hy-Top, Aldi, and Campfire brands work best
- 20 oz Wilton fondant Satin Ice fondant will also work
- 2 tablespoon warm water For dark colors, use 1 tablespoon warm water and 1 tablespoon food color gel
- 4 oz vegetable shortening Also called white vegetable fat, trex, copha
Instructions
How to make fondant
- Sift the powdered sugar and set aside in a large bowl.
- Place vegetable shortening in a stand mixer bowl.
- Heat marshmallows for 30 seconds in the microwave on high (or on stove top). Stir with spoon.
- Place marshmallows back into microwave and heat for another 30 seconds (or on stove top). Stir with spoon.
- Heat marshmallows (last time!) for 30 seconds in the microwave (or on stove top).Marshmallows should be ooey-gooey at this point and ready to be added to the mixer bowl. Pour your water on top of the marshmallows to get them to release from the sides of the bowl. Pour into bowl with vegetable shortening
- Turn stand mixer on lowest setting (setting 1 on Kitchenaid stand mixers) with dough hook attachmentBegin adding in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Don't stop mixing until it's sticking to the sides of the bowl and looks smooth. Add in another cup of powdered sugar.
- Pull fondant off the dough hook attachment by putting vegetable shortening on your fingers and pulling it off the hook.
- Take the soft mixture out of the bowl and put it into the large bowl with the rest of the powdered sugar.
- Warm the Wilton fondant in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and add to the large bowl with the powdered sugar and marshmallow mix.
- Knead until powdered sugar, marshmallows and Wilton fondant is mostly incorporated. You may not use all of the powdered sugar depending on your climate and that is completely fine.
- Pull fondant like taffy until it is stretchy and smooth. If there are still rough spots or it's tearing, put everything back in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to make it really hot and pull like taffy with shortening on your hands until it pulls without breaking
- Store in a zip-lock bag at room temperature. Fondant will keep for months in a zip-lock bag. To use again, reheat and knead well until stretchy before each use. You can add color as desired but for dark colors, you should add them during the mixing process or you could get a sticky mess.
Video
Notes
- To store: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a zip-lock bag at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. LMF keeps for several months stored this way.
- To reuse: Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and knead well with shortening-coated hands until warm and stretchy before rolling.
- If your fondant is too stiff: Microwave the whole batch for 20 to 30 seconds and pull it like taffy with shortening on your hands until it loosens up.
- If your fondant is too sticky: Knead in a little more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- For dark colors like black or red: Add gel food coloring during the mixing process while the marshmallows are still warm for the most even color distribution.
- Coverage: One batch covers approximately a 10-8-6 inch tiered cake when rolled to ⅛ inch thickness.
Kathy says
I don’t have a dough hook can I just my paddle
The Sugar Geek Show says
Not for this recipe, the fondant will just get stuck on the paddle
Christine says
I’m sure you’ve been asked this a thousand times, but I just remembered that I have some LMF left over from a cake I made about, hmmm, seven months ago.... is it still good?!
The Sugar Geek Show says
As long as it's not dried out and still tastes good, it would still be good to use.
Chloe says
Can glycerine be used to add stretch and pliability to the fondant if necessary or in place of shortening please? Thanks ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You don't need any glycerine, it would be pointless to add it to the already stretchy fondant. The shortening is to keep the fondant moist and from drying out.
Carly says
Hi Liz,
I'm in dire need of some help with the LMF... I made it successfully 6 years ago (so I'm not a total screwup, promise!) but every time I've tried since it's been a horrible mess... including for my own wedding cake, which was only saved by the fact that I painted it gold and that hid all the horrible elephant skinning. I'm making my son's 2nd birthday cake now and I'm just losing my mind trying to get this to work. I've followed your recipe to a T - fresh store-brand marshmallows, I mixed the fully melted marshmallows several minutes in the stand mixer as prescribed, and when I knead everything all together it's simultaneously too sticky and too dry/brittle. Because of the stickiness, I ended up incorporating all of the powdered sugar, but it was still too sticky. I set it aside last night and just tried warming it up in the microwave for a minute and pulling/kneading again, and it's still not coming together. It's too sticky AND it tears like crazy, even after several minutes of taffy pulling.
What can I do to fix this, and what am I doing wrong in the first place? To fix the tearing I'm tempted to add more water/shortening, but to fix the stickiness I'm tempted to add more sugar - obviously these cancel out, so I'm just totally at a loss. Please please help!! I've been scouring the internet for tips and have come up short. I'm just so desperate for this to work because I know how great it can be!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Are you sure you're using 16oz of marshmallows. I don't know why it would be sticky and dry at the same time unless you just aren't mixing it enough? If it's tearing it's too dry. Add an extra tablespoon of water (original recipe) and make sure you let that melted marshmallow and sugar mix on low with the dough hook until smooth. Then scrape out and add in a little more sugar if you need it. Shortening on your hands to work it until smooth.
Carly says
Thanks. Yes, 100% sure I used enough marshmallows, I use my scale for everything. Does this mean I need to toss the batch I already made or can I save it? And to be clear, when you say “not mixing it enough” do you mean with the dough hook after adding 1/2 of the powdered sugar? I mixed it for 4 minutes last time ?
Carly says
Ok. If I was going to have to throw out my batch I did an experiment. Cut it in half, put one ball in the microwave for 45 sec (almost too hot to handle) the loaded it up with ~1/4c shortening as I pulled it for 5+ minutes. It got smooth-ish, but it was also almost unworkably soft and incredibly sticky as soon as the shortening was incorporated. Any ideas? I wanted to add sugar but I thought it would just make it brittle again!!
Rosa says
I made this fondant this week & I LOVE it!!! It seriously came out just beautiful. I made white, red, & then colored some of the white into black, 2 different yellows, brown, mint green, green, & pink. I was intimidated making this recipe & I was stressing a little. I was worried that if it didn’t come out right I would have to last minute go buy Fondx to my local cake supple store which is expensive & end up spending more. I will definitely be using this recipe going forward! It was easy to work with & my toddler tasted it & liked it (I’m a vegetarian so didn’t try it), but I’m gonna try your recipe with the marshmellow fluff. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Tee says
Hello. I need help
I made both white and red fondant following instructions. The white fondant is rather firm and on the dry side. On the other hand the red is very soft and almost sticky. How can I fix them both?
The Sugar Geek Show says
The white is probably just a little dry. You can get your hands wet and knead that water into the fondant to make it a little less dry. Next time don't add in all the sugar. The red fondant is softer because of the added food coloring. You can add more powdered sugar into the fondant
Martha says
Hi Liz
I think you're great and it's awesome that you freely share your awesome recipe. I actually have made it several times and the last time I made it, it came out really dry. Am going to try to use different marshmallows to see if the walmart brand that i recently used just changed. Does it matter which size marshmallows, just as long as it's a total of 1 lb? Thanks again, you're awesome!
The Sugar Geek Show says
It doesn't matter the size as long as they are moist and not dried out. The marshmallows are the main ingredient so if they are off then the fondant will be off
Sorcha Bee says
Professional badass over here! LOL, half kidding. I've worked in bakeries since I was nineteen decorating cakes. For the last year have been pushing myself at a huge wholesale facility in Portland to turn a decade of messing around into a career as an artisan decorator and pastry chef. I found myself this morning staring at ten ounces of Wilton fondant (read: not enough) and a tight deadline and *finally* got around to trying this recipe. It's been on my to do list for ages. The bag of marshmallows was staring me down, and I thanked my lucky stars I brought some SMBC home from work so I could use the last bag powdered sugar on my self for fondant. Anyway, long story short you saved my butt and I am totally converted. Why did it take me so long to try this recipe? Beautiful results. Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes and joining your website at some point. You're an inspiration! <3
The Sugar Geek Show says
Glad I could help a fellow Portlander out <3
Candice Gilkison says
I'm a self taught homebaker and used to hate working with fondant. Elephant skin and tearing ALWAYS happened and I felt defeated. I saw your recipe and omg it's amazing! I covered my cake and didnt have those issues nor did i feel like i wasted a ton of the fondant. If I could give this a million stars i would. LMF is the only fondant I'll ever use! Thank you so much for sharing and for making fondant less scary! I love all your work!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Aww thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked this fondant recipe!
Ms K says
When do I add the food coloring??
The Sugar Geek Show says
It depends on what color you are making. If it's a light color you can add it after you make it and color as needed, if it's a dark color check out my black, purple or red fondant tutorial
Tiffany says
What quart size stand mixer did you use??? I want to try this. But I don’t have a mixer so I’d have to buy one.
The Sugar Geek Show says
The smallest size, its a 4.5 quart
Nora says
Hello Sugargeek,
l have a question concerning the LMF, l always use your lmf for my cakes but the last two times l did, despite all l did, the fondant was tearing and breakeing when l lift to cover the cake. l would like to know what would have happened.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sometimes when that happens to me, the marshmallows I have used are a little old and that can cause the marshmallows to be dry
Nicole Kasal says
Recipe was easy and color was spot on (used americolor royal blue). However when I got to the stretching like taffy stage it would break. Tried heating up a few times and it would seem to do the trick but never fully there. I sealed it in a ziplock in case it's okay or fixable? I was remaking for my sons birthday Sunday. I have time for a backup plan! Thanks. Oh the premade fondant I used was the sunny side up brand from hobby lobby if that makes a difference
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, the type of fondant that you add in can make a huge difference.
Ness says
Hi, Could I use dark coloring powder while mixing fondant without dissolving the powder first
The Sugar Geek Show says
I haven't ever tried that before but I would think it might be a little speckled
Debra Hawthorne says
I am baking cookies and using the fondant to cover them. Can I use a letter stamper on this fondant? Will the letters be sharp and clear? Thank you!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Most definitely
Debra Hawthorne says
Thank you. My icing (your recipe) was perfect and the cookies were iced and stamped beautifully .