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Homemade Marshmallow Recipe

Homemade marshmallows are so easy to make! All you need is sugar, corn syrup, honey, water, gelatin, salt, and flavoring! Homemade marshmallows are light, fluffy and just melt in your mouth. You'll never go back to buying marshmallows after you taste these!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 16 marshmallows
Calories 214kcal
Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Candy Thermometer
  • Stand mixer with the whisk attachment
  • 9"x9"x2" square pan (Width x Length x Height) You can use a 9"x13" pan as well, but your marshmallows will be much shorter.
  • Bench scraper or long knife for cutting

Ingredients

  • 21 grams unflavored gelatin (3 packs) I use knox gelatin powder, you can use agar agar to make them vegan but it won't have the same texture.
  • 4 ounces cold water (½ cup) for the gelatin
  • 6 ounces corn syrup (¾ cup) or honey, golden syrup or maple syrup
  • 2 ounces honey (¼ cup) or corn syrup
  • 12 ounces granulated sugar (2 cups)
  • 4 ounces water (½ cup) for the sugar syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 whole vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces canola oil (½ cup) for brushing utensils
  • 4 ounces powdered sugar (¼ cup) for dusting
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • You have to move quickly with marshmallows, as they set up very fast. Pre-measure all your ingredients, scrap your vanilla bean. Also have your candy thermometer, mixer and tools ready to go.
  • Cut the 1st piece of parchment paper to be 9"x13" and the 2nd to be 9"x 20". The longer piece is going to fold on top of the marshmallows later on.
    Line the pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper going in opposite directions.
    Oil the parchment paper as well. If you don't oil your pan and parchment paper, the marshmallows will stick.
  • Add the gelatin and cold water to the bowl of your stand mixer and let it absorb for 15 minutes while you make your sugar syrup.
  • Add the corn syrup, honey, sugar and water to a medium sauce pan. Stir together to combine, then turn the heat on to medium-high. Don't mix it again. Cover the mixture with a lid and let the condensation gather for 5 minutes to wash down the sides of the pot and dissolve any rogue grains of sugar.
  • Remoce the lid and reduce the heat to medium. Carefully attach your candy thermometer. Continue heating but do not stir! Heat until it reaches 240°F (115°C).
    Do not be alarmed if your mixture is staying at 225°F for a while, it will remain here while the water is evaporating from the sugar syrup. Once steam stops rising, the temperature of the syrup will rise quickly.
  • Once it reaches 240°F, carefully remove the pan from the heat and take off your candy thermometer.
    Turn your mixer on medium and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the mixer. Aim the stream so it goes between the whisk and the side of the bowl. If you pour onto the whisk you'll end up with hard bits of sugar in your marshmallows.
    Add in the vanilla and salt.
  • Turn your mixer up to high and whip for 8-10 minutes. When the mixer bowl is slightly warm to the touch, not hot or cold, it's done. Once it's done, move very quickly as the marshmallows will start to set up almost immediately.
  • Grease a spatula (and your hand) with canola oil and pour the marshmallow fluff into your prepared pan. This can be challenging, it helps to have a 2nd person to hold the bowl while you scoop out the marshmallow fluff.
    Then oil your hands or spatula again and spread the fluff out to the sides of the pan. It will be very sticky. Cover with the long end of the oiled parchment and smooth to the edges with your hands.
  • Let sit at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight. The longer you let them rest, the easier they will be to cut.
  • Once set up, lift the sides of the parchment paper to remove the marshmallows from the pan. Then peel off the top layer of parchment paper and dust the top with powdered sugar. Dust your surface with powdered sugar as well, remove the bottom parchment paper from your marshmallows and place the square on your prepared surface. You really can't have too much powdered sugar, it will help prevent sticking.
  • Coat your bench scraper, knife or scissors with a layer of canola oil to help prevent sticking. I found that a 10" long bench scraper worked best for cutting marshmallows.
    Cut your marshmallows into 2" squares (or whatever size you prefer).
    Coat each marshmallow in more powdered sugar and store at room temperature in an airtight container. They can last for months!
  • I highly recommend toasting them to use in s'mores or dipping some in chocolate to use in a cup of hot cocoa.
  • Leave your cut marshmallows at room temp for 24-48 hours to dry out a bit. Store in an air tight bag or freeze.

Video

Notes

  1. It is important to measure all of your ingredients by weight instead of converting to cups. A kitchen scale is very easy to use, just place a bowl on top, hit tare and pour in the ingredient. Check out my blog post on how to use a scale for more information. 
  2. You MUST use a thermometer when making marshmallows
  3. Do not stir your sugar syrup while it's heating up, that could lead to crystallization. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1marshmallow | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 44mg | Sugar: 39g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg