Homemade Marshmallows

They're fluffy, they're soft, they're straight from the heavens: homemade marshmallows just can't be beat. Once you make this yourself, going back to the bagged stuff will be a difficult decision fraught with inner struggle: do you want convenience, or do you want the best of the best?

Equipment you'll need

It might sound intimidating, but making marshmallows at home is super easy and super fun. Keep a can of cooking spray nearby because things will get sticky! You'll need to use it on your spatulas, your pan of choice, and your knife. If you want smaller or less lofty pieces of marshmallow, go with a wider pan like a half sheet pan. We like ours super tall and fluffy, so we're using an 8" square pan to yield perfect 1 1/2" cubes of marshmallow.

Two pieces of equipment that you'll need to make this process a breeze are a candy thermometer and a stand mixer. To make this confection, we'll be heating our syrup to 245°F before streaming and whisking it into the bloomed gelatin. While not impossible to do with a hand mixer—some recipes even call for just whisking by hand—a stand mixer will provide control over how gradually you add in your hot 245° syrup and prevent any accidental spillage. For the fluffiest marshmallows, the mixture will be whisked at a high speed for maximum aeration, so a stand mixer will also result in less bicep soreness! 

The syrup

For our syrup, we're using water, granulated sugar, and light corn syrup. Corn syrup is an inverted sugar syrup that is necessary here to ensure your marshmallows are super soft, fluffy, and creamy to the bite. It also stalls staling by acting as a stabilizer and helping the marshmallows retain more moisture as time passes—don't skip it! 

Begin by adding water to your pot, then slowly pour in the sugar to avoid splashing. Wait until all the sugar has been soaked by the water, then add in corn syrup. Adding the ingredients in this order prevents crystallization in your syrup by eliminating the need to stir the solution as it boils—less agitation means smoother marshmallows. On a medium heat, boil your syrup until it hits the soft ball stage, between 240° and 245°—the hotter the syrup goes, the stiffer the marshmallow will become.

The gelatin

Too much heat can kill the thickening power of gelatin, which means your mixer should be running on a medium-low speed as you begin to pour in your hot syrup. Constant agitation will cool the syrup with steady aeration, dissolving the gelatin into the mixture without too much harm. Increase the mixer to a high speed once the syrup is all in until the marshmallow fluff has tripled in size. At this point, you can use the fluff as is or pat it into your prepared pan to let it set into marshmallows overnight.

A word to our vegetarian and vegan friends: gelatin is an animal-based product, which means marshmallows are not a vegetarian food. While some alternative recipes do call for agar agar to be used in place of gelatin, the results are just not quite the same: the mouthfeel is less silky, the texture not as spongy.

The flavoring

We're using vanilla extract for a classic flavor profile, but you can use whatever extracts you'd like: peppermint extract for that wintertime vibe, a splash of rosewater for a delicate, floral fragrance for a Valentine's day treat. Use between 1 and 2 teaspoons of liquid flavorings, and add in the final minute of mixing.

If you've made these sweet, pillowy clouds, leave a rating and let us know in the comments down below how you liked it! For ideas on what to make with your perfect marshmallows, check out these 60+ s'mores desserts!