Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade Marshmallows made from gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract are sweet, fluffy, and incredibly EASY to make!

We love making desserts in this kitchen, especially when they pair with our homemade toppings like Easy Whipped Cream, Homemade Cool Whip, and Chocolate Ganache!

Homemade Marshmallows
HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Homemade Marshmallows are soft, chewy, and the PERFECT rainy day project to make with the kids. These are made from gelatin, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla, but you can add any flavor you’d like. Try adding a small amount of maple syrup for flavoring, or give them a caramel layer in the middle.

Some recipes call for making a meringue with egg whites, but I like to stick with simple sugar and corn syrup for a no-fail recipe. It’s common for this marshmallow recipe to be pretty sticky, so make sure to have extra powdered sugar on hand. You can use these to make s’mores, hot chocolate, or just eat them by themselves!

HOW DO YOU STORE MARSHMALLOWS?

Store homemade marshmallows in an airtight container on the counter for up to a month. I recommend layering them with parchment paper, just in case they stick together. These will last for 3-4 weeks at room temperature.

CAN MARSHMALLOWS BE FROZEN AND DEFROSTED?

Marshmallows can definitely be frozen, and it’s a great way to keep them fresh for longer. Place them in a sealable bag, removing as much air as possible. Wrap the bag in tinfoil, and freeze. They’ll last in the freezer for 3-4 months.

MORE RECIPES USING MARSHMALLOWS

Easy Marshmallows

HOW DO YOU FIX STICKY MARSHMALLOWS?

Place the marshmallows in a plastic bag along with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar. Shake the bag until marshmallows are coated and no longer sticking together. Add more or less sugar as needed.

TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

  • Make this with brown sugar for a darker colored marshmallow with a more molasses type flavor.
  • Dip your homemade marshmallows in chocolate and roll in graham cracker crumbs for a s’mores version!
  • You can leave out the corn syrup and replace it with granulated sugar, but the marshmallows may be more difficult to make because the corn syrup helps keep the sugar from crystallizing.
  • If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use an electric beater and a large bowl.
  • Dust your knife with confectioner’s sugar when you’re cutting the squares to prevent the marshmallows from sticking.
  • If you want to make softer marshmallows (or something more like marshmallow fluff) just use 1-2 packets of gelatin instead of 3.
  • This marshmallow recipe calls for a candy thermometer. Don’t skip this step, as sugar will behave differently once it reaches different temperatures.
  • Use jello instead of unflavored gelatin for fun flavors! Or substitute the vanilla extract with other flavors, like lemon, peppermint, or rum extract. Peppermint marshmallows are the perfect thing to serve on top of hot chocolate.
  • If you run low on powdered sugar, you can grease the pan with shortening to make sure the marshmallows don’t stick.

Easy Homemade Marshmallows

Pin this recipe now to remember it later

Pin Recipe
5 from 8 votes
Print

Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade Marshmallows made from gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract are sweet, fluffy, and incredibly EASY to make!
Course Dessert
Cuisine French Inspired
Keyword homemade marshmallows
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 1 day
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 servings
Calories 95 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

  • 3 packets gelatin unflavored (1/4 ounce packets)
  • 1 cup cold water divided
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Add the gelatin and 1/2 cup water to your stand mixer.
  2. To a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer add the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water on medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the temperature comes to 240 degrees.
  3. Turn off the heat then turn the stand mixer on low speed and slowly start adding the hot sugar mixture until it begins to cool down (about 1-2 minutes).

  4. Raise the speed of the mixer to high speed and continue mixing for another 10-12 minutes then add in the vanilla.

  5. Dust half the powdered sugar into a 9x13 baking dish then pour the marshmallows into the dish and with a spatula smooth the top, then dust the remaining two tablespoons of powdered sugar over the top and let it sit for 24 hours untouched to firm up before flipping the baking pan over and slicing into squares.

Recipe Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Marshmallows
Amount Per Serving
Calories 95
% Daily Value*
Sodium 21mg1%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Sugar 24g27%
Calcium 2mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Homemade Marshmallows

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

Categories

Leave a comment & rating

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. I made these when the kids where teasing for smores. They turned out great. My husband said the batter tasted like fluff but after sitting overnight they tasted like marshmallows. However, I will not be directing friends and family to this website. There are way to many adds. Loading takes forever and scrolling is difficult with all of the ads trying to load.

    1. Hi Samantha, I’m so glad the marshmallows worked out great for you. I am sorry you are unhappy with the ads. They are my only source of income because I don’t do sponsored content hardly ever. I actually run less ads than other sites because I have an aversion for them too, but I have a lot of costs associated with the site and I need to be able to afford to run the site for my family too. Stay safe and healthy. <3

  2. Hello

    how do i prevent the marshmallows turning sort of wet please as i made them for a party and after a while they seemed to have absorbed all the confectioners sugar?

  3. The first time I made these, they turned out wonderful. I made another batch last night and as soon as I added the vanilla and mint flavoring, it bound up and started crawling up the whip and became extremely gummy. I was luck to get half if it in the pan. Checked the texture tonight and it is very gummy. Flavor is awesome, but the texture is more chewy than the last. I whipped it for 10 minutes, do ya think that was too long?