How to Make Homemade Marshmallows (without corn syrup)
126 Comments
Updated Oct 22, 2019
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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.
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.
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).
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.
Watch my video and learn how to make marshmallows
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How to Make Homemade Marshmallows
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup water, divided
- 3 tbsp gelatin
- 1 cup honey, or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
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
- I have a separate video showing you how to make powdered sugar (at home!) in your Vitamix. It's super easy.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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.
Can these be frozen?
Hi Christy – I would not recommend that. They’ll likely become really sticky when you thaw.
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
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!
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?
Happy you love the marshmallows, Kaitlin! Yes, I just store them in a sealed container on the counter.
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!!
Amazing! I’m glad these homemade marshmallows are a hit, Melanie.
Can these marshmallows be roasted after for allergy friendly kiddo who would love to roast marshmallows with everyone else????
Yep, they sure can! Hope you enjoy them.
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!
Hi Susu – I’m so glad your marshmallows turned out perfectly!
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?
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!
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!
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!
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!
Hey! These taste great, but mine turned out a little wet. What do you think I did wrong? Thank you!
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!
Hi Frankie – Glad you love this marshmallow recipe! I haven’t tried make rice krispie treats yet, but I’ll keep that in mind!
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- A
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!
Hi Wendy – I’m glad your marshmallows turned out perfectly!