How to Make Homemade Marshmallows (without corn syrup)

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Homemade marshmallows that are healthier use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality, grass-fed gelatin. They’re gluten-free, corn-free and paleo-friendly. The perfect sweet treat for the holidays or any time of year.

Healthier homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin. They're also paleo friendly.

Homemade Marshmallows

Tis the season for marshmallows, isn’t it? There’s something about cooler weather and seasonal changes that send a signal to my brain to start whipping up homemade marshmallows.

If you’ve never made homemade marshmallows before you’re in for a treat, because these are healthy homemade marshmallows.

Well, healthy in the sense that they don’t use nasty ingredients like corn syrup or questionable supermarket gelatin. But let’s be honest, there’s still a cup of sugar in these babies so I definitely wouldn’t eat them with abandon. Just consider them a much better (and tastier!) option than anything you can buy in the store.

What are marshmallows made of?

Homemade marshmallows rely on two main ingredients – gelatin and sugar. And when it comes to gelatin, I always use Vital Proteins because their gelatin is pasture-raised, grass-fed, non-GMO and gluten-free.

Gelatin, similar to collagen (which I’ve talked about before) has many health benefits…assuming you’re using a high-quality product. So the more I can sneak gelatin into a recipe, like these homemade marshmallows, a panna cotta or coconut yogurt recipe, all the better.

In terms of sugar for this recipe, you need one cup of honey, maple syrup or a mix of both. In the video below you’ll see I use a full cup of honey, but I probably prefer a 50/50 split. Unfortunately, I’d just used up all my maple syrup on another recipe, so honey it was!

In terms of preventing stickiness, traditional homemade marshmallows use a combination of powdered sugar and corn starch to dust the outside. But in this recipe I’m using a combination of organic powdered sugar and arrowroot powder. You could also use all arrowroot powder or all organic powdered sugar, it’s up to you.

Healthier homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin. They're also paleo friendly.

Healthier homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin. They're also paleo friendly.

Tips for Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade marshmallows are easy to make, but I do have a few tips if you’re a marshmallow newbie.

First, when you heat your sugar/water mixture you can stir it for the first minute, but then don’t stir it again. Stirring actually promotes bubbles and can cause it to boil over. And speaking of boiling over, do keep a close eye on it because if it gets too hot it most definitely will boil over.

You’ll heat the sugar to 240 degrees fahrenheit (the “soft ball” stage), but I find that for some reason it gets up to 220 degrees quickly, then takes a bit longer to nudge up to 240. Don’t worry, that’s normal.

Second, once you’re beating your marshmallow fluff be careful not to over-beat it, which allows it to cool too much. As soon as it starts to cool it almost immediately turns into a taffy-like consistency…which means you may be eating marshmallow fluff straight from the bowl (as you won’t get it out).

In the video below I probably let my marshmallow fluff go about a minute longer than I should have (the perils of video multi-tasking), so it’s a bit thicker than normal. Either way, it’s gonna be super tacky, so make sure you have a hand towel near by. You’ll definitely get your fingers all sticky and if you’re anything like me, probably get marshmallow on your body somehow (and in your hair). It’s a talent.

And lastly, because these marshmallows have fresh ingredients and no preservatives they’re best eaten within a day or two. Just keep them in a sealed container on the counter (and don’t refrigerate them).

Healthier homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin. They're also paleo friendly.

How to make homemade marshmallows // These healthy, paleo-friendly marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin.

Alright, now that you’re all healthy homemade marshmallow experts, what are you going to do with these beauties? I’ve got so many leftovers from making this video that I’m gonna whip up my red wine hot chocolate. Because red wine, chocolate and marshmallows sound like a fab combo, don’t you think? Enjoy!

PS – this is the same marshmallow recipe that’s used for my Salted S’Mores Bites.

Healthier homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin. They're also paleo friendly.

Watch my video and learn how to make marshmallows

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These healthy, paleo-friendly homemade marshmallows use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality gelatin.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows

4.90 from 37 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 35 marshmallows
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Homemade marshmallows are a delicious treat! I use honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup and high-quality, grass-fed gelatin for a paleo friendly marshmallow recipe. Watch the video above to see how easy it is to make homemade marshmallows!

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Pour 1/2 cup of water into the bowl of a stand mixer (remove the beaters for now) and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow the gelatin to bloom for at least 10 minutes.
  • While the gelatin is blooming, add the remaining 1/2 cup water, honey and salt to a small pot with a candy thermometer. Heat on medium-high and stir the mixture for the first minute only, keeping a close eye that it doesn't boil over (*stirring later in the process may contribute to the sugar mixture boiling over). Cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees fahrenheit (the "soft ball" stage). This should take approximately 12-15 minutes.
  • Turn the stand mixer on low to break up the gelatin and slowly and carefully pour the sugar mixture on top. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture has tripled in size, resembles marshmallow fluff and is cool to the touch. This should take approximately 8-10 minutes. In the last minute, add the vanilla bean or vanilla extract.
  • While the marshmallow is beating, line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Stir the powdered sugar and arrowroot powder together in a separate bowl and sprinkle onto the parchment paper.
  • Pour the marshmallow onto the pan and quickly flatten the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle some powdered sugar mix on top and allow to set a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the parchment paper from the marshmallow, then invert the marshmallow onto a cutting board, dusted with more powdered sugar mix.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut the marshmallow into squares. Add more powdered sugar mix as necessary to prevent sticking.
  • Eat the marshmallows immediately or place in a storage container for 1-2 days.

Lisa's Tips

Nutrition

Serving: 1marshmallow | Calories: 38.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.6g | Protein: 0.5g | Sodium: 18.4mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 8.8g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade marshmallows, how to make marshmallows, marshmallows, paleo marshmallows
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Thank you to Vital Proteins for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post was originally published November 2016, but updated to include new information. 

 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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141 Comments

  1. Fun addition- after they were fully mixed with vanilla added I changed the mixer attachment to the dough hook, threw in a package of puffed quinoa, some dark chocolate chips, and some almond butter, let it set, and had a tasty crispy treat!

  2. These are great. I love being able to give my son a sweet treat that isn’t made from sugar. I’m hoping, though, that they can be stored airtight for 1-2 weeks and not days like the instructions say. Who, other than a large family can get through these in 2 days??5 stars

    1. Hi Jenna – I’m happy you love these homemade marshmallows! And yes, they can be stored a bit longer, they just tend to go a little sticky and soften up. But definitely still edible!

  3. Just made these, exactly as written with maple syrup and they turned out fabulous! They also set up quite quickly for me and were ready to indulge about an hour after making them. Now I’m thinking what variations I can make lol!5 stars

    1. Yay, so happy you loved these marshmallows, Kelly! And yes, have fun with the recipe and making different flavors. :)

      1. I froze mine, and although they were a tad sticky, I recoated them, and also dipped in chocolate, for chocolate covered marshmallows…so freaking good!

  4. Hi does the icing sugar and arrowroot go into the mix? In the video it goes from hot honey mixture being brown to all of a sudden white. A bit confused

    1. Hi Jeff – no, the sugar and arrowroot does not go into the hot honey mix. That turns white all own it’s own when it’s whipped with air. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

  5. Hi there – such a great recipe, just made it with my toddler! Just a quick question, do you let the marshmallows set on the counter or in the refrigerator?5 stars

  6. these are so easy to make and so delicious!!! All my children’s friends ask me to make more of them every time they see me haha! I tried it with the honey and I tried it with the maple syrup, I prefer the maple syrup. Personally, I think it tastes better and has a better consistency. Either way, they are still delicious!!5 stars

      1. I just made these And I don’t know what I did wrong. I heated the maple syrup, water and salt to 240 but it took SO LONG and then as soon as I added it to the gelatin it smelled kinda gross. I stuck with it hoping that wouldn’t taste like that smelled. I do think I mixed them too long as trying to put them in the pan was hard. They wouldn’t spread out so they’re on more of lump in the pan. I don’t think they’ll need long to set up as they seemed to be already, oops. What I tasted from my fingers just didn’t taste good though. Not sure if I somehow burnt the syrup?4 stars

  7. Can these marshmallows be roasted after for allergy friendly kiddo who would love to roast marshmallows with everyone else????

  8. Thank you for this! I just made a double batch and dumped it out on a large piece of parchment and it held up fine once shaped. Would fit a baking tray as a double batch if you need to move it around. I also used agave syrup instead of honey just to see how it tasted, and it’s certainly more neutral than honey, but I would probably prefer maple. My husband said these made the best s’mores he ever had! If you continue rotating them, you can get that blackened crust on them before they fall off lol. Plus, I did cut them rather large to fit a graham cracker square. I may try making these with coffee instead of water next time and add a but of cocoa powder with the vanilla extract! Can’t wait to play around with flavors with these!5 stars

  9. hey! I have gluten and sugar allergies and these are the only ones I am able to find, they look delicious 😋

    but can you make these into smores?

    and one more question! what would happen if you didn’t use a standing mixer? and instead used a whisk?5 stars

    1. Hi Zack – yes, you can make them into s’mores! And you do need to use a standing mixer for this recipe, a whisk is not powerful enough. Enjoy!

  10. Hi! These look great. Could I use a whisk if I don’t have a stand mixer, and a regular meat thermometer instead of a candy one? Thanks!

    1. Hi Jackie – unfortunately, a stand mixer is really needed for this recipe, as well as a candy thermometer. Baking requires quite a bit of precision. Hope you enjoy the marshmallows!

      1. I made these this morning and they are delicious. I could not get them to spread flat like you did though for the life of me. They look crazy 😂. Do you think I over mixed them? How did you get them to not stick to your knife??

      2. Hi Sarah – yeah, that’s probably due to over-mixing. They really do go from spreadable to thick and sticky very quickly if over-mixed. But if they taste good, that’s all that matters, haha! ;)

  11. Hello, thanks for the recipe. The marshmallow consistency turned out great but after I added the sugar it went soggy. Any ideas why? Also is it best to keep out of the fridge? Thanks in advance!4 stars

  12. Been making these for a while now and they are awesome! I was wondering if yiu tried making rice krispie treats with these? I’ve tried to pour the mellows over the cereal and they come out so soggy. I could use some advice if you have any! Thanks for sharing this recipe, we love it!5 stars

    1. Hi Frankie – Glad you love this marshmallow recipe! I haven’t tried make rice krispie treats yet, but I’ll keep that in mind!

    2. Frankie, I used Simple Mills chocolate graham cookies with my left over mallow whip for a rice crispie. They are suppper messy but so delish!

  13. Gonna give you a 5 star rating, even though i havent made it yet, because it looks great!
    Anyway, before i do make it, i have one question. Can i use agar agr instead of gelatin? If so what else would i have to change to make it come out right?
    Thanks- A5 stars

  14. I made these marshmallows and they came out perfect! Thank you Lisa for all your hard-work behind the scenes in order to keep these great recipes coming! I ended up using 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 organic honey, and instead of any arrow root I used powdered Monk Fruit sweetener which worked perfectly!