Have you ever wondered how to make marshmallows? I am not talking about those rather dry shop bought options. I mean real homemade marshmallows. If you have never had them, you are in for such a treat. The soft, fluffy texture and sweet flavour is too good to resist. Even if you think you don’t like them, give them a go. Trust me, homemade marshmallows are a world away from shop bought. The texture is just so different. A word of warning, it is almost impossible to stop at one…
I know marshmallows have a reputation for being sickly sweet and cloying. However, that really isn’t the case with homemade marshmallows. They are light, springy and sweet - but not overpoweringly so. Plus you can play around with the flavours. Chocolate marshmallows, salted caramel, coffee.. The list goes on and I have created a deliciously fruity raspberry option using a homemade raspberry purée. But you can experiment with different fruits!
All sorts of berries work really well. You can use frozen (I always have some in my freezer so I can whip up my frozen berries with hot white chocolate sauce). Alternatively, use a shop bought purée. Strawberry Red and Funkin have some great flavours. The passion fruit one is ideal if you like my white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake. There is also a rich cocoa option which is ideal if you prefer more intense flavours. Then we have the classic plain marshmallow. Although you can add a couple of drops of vanilla extract for a subtle vanilla flavour. Yum!
Once you have finished making your homemade marshmallows, there are SO many ways to enjoy them. Obviously they are delicious on top of a rich and creamy mug of hot chocolate! However, you can also pop them into pretty bags and give them as a homemade gift. They are also ideal as a dinner party petit four with a cup of coffee. Alternatively, sandwich between two biscuits with a square of chocolate and turn into a gooey s’more…
Why you will love this Marshmallows recipe:
- They are so much better than shop bought marshmallows. Imagine beautifully sweet, soft and light bites of deliciousness.
- They are versatile. Enjoy getting creative and adding your own flavours.
- They are the perfect homemade gift. Plus, you can make ahead up to 3 weeks in advance.
- They can be used in so many ways. Think gooey s’mores, rich hot chocolate, indulgent rocky road or as a petit four.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down
Raspberries - you can use fresh or frozen raspberries. These add a delicious fruity flavour to the marshmallows.
Caster sugar - this brings sweetness to the raspberry purée. You may need to adjust depending on how sweet your raspberries are. Make sure you taste before chilling.
Vegetable oil - a light, but thorough, coating of vegetable oil ensures the flavoured cornflour sticks to the tupperware. You can use any flavourless oil. Sunflower or rapeseed also work well.
Cornflour - a mixture of icing sugar and cornstarch helps stop the marshmallows from sticking to everything.
Cocoa powder - make sure you use the unsweetened variety (and definitely not hot chocolate powder!). This brings a rich chocolatey flavour to the cocoa marshmallows. Ideal for balancing out the sweet flavour.
Icing sugar - this adds sweetness to the cornflour coating. You can use vanilla icing sugar for a delicious vanilla flavour.
Powdered gelatine - this allows the marshmallow mixture to set, ready to be cut into perfect cubes.
Liquid glucose - this is the secret ingredient to the perfect homemade marshmallows. It helps create the perfect soft and bouncy texture.
Caster sugar - this forms the basis of the sugar syrup. You can use golden caster sugar for a darker marshmallow. Granulated sugar also works well.
Water - this is used to dissolve the gelatine and create the sugar syrup.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Fruit: you can swap the raspberries for all sorts of berries. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries all make delicious marshmallows. If you don’t want to make your own purée, you can use a shop bought one. Strawberry Red and Funkin have some great flavours. Mango marshmallows anyone?
- Liquid glucose: you can swap for golden syrup or runny honey which will also add flavour.
- Vanilla: you can flavour the plain bowl with vanilla to make vanilla marshmallows. Simply mix in a little vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Just avoid vanilla essence as this is artificial and will give the marshmallows a synthetic taste.
- Food colouring: you can make different coloured marshmallows by adding a couple of drops of food colouring. Ideal if making for themed parties or to match a colour scheme.
Directions:
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Begin by making the raspberry purée: tip the raspberries into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and a splash of water.
TWO: Place over a low-medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened.
THREE: Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl remove the seeds. Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge to firm up.
FOUR: Next, prep the containers: you will need 3 tupperware containers roughly about 20 x 12 cm - smaller will mean you get thicker marshmallows and vice versa. Brush each container with vegetable oil and set aside.
FIVE: For the marshmallows: place the gelatine into a large heatproof bowl (ideally the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one). Add the 2 tablespoon cold water and mix well. Set aside.
SIX: Next, add the glucose syrup and caster sugar to a large saucepan. Pour in 150ml water and place over a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved in the water. Once the mix begins to simmer, stop stirring.
SEVEN: Continue to heat over a medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan, until the sugar syrup reaches 115C (use a jam thermometer to check). At this stage the liquid should be clear and bubbling. Handle the pan carefully as it will be extremely hot.
EIGHT: Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully drizzle the sugar syrup into the gelatine whilst whisking with an electric whisk. You will find this easiest if you use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
NINE: Once all has been added, whisk on medium-high speed for a further 12-14 minutes - or until you have a thick, white meringue-like texture.
TEN: Divide the mixture equally into 3 bowls. Mix the raspberry purée though one. Sieve the cocoa powder into another. Leave the third bowl plain.
ELEVEN: Spoon the mixtures into their respective flavoured containers and smooth over the top using a spatula or palette knife. Leave to set for at least 2 hours.
TWELVE: Set out your cornflour-dusted baking trays (one with the cocoa-cornflour, the other with the icing sugar-cornflour). Tip the marshmallows onto the respective trays. Dust a large sharp knife with icing-sugar cornflour then cut the marshmallow into equal-sized cubes. Toss to coat each one in the icing-sugar cornflour. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips:
- Preparing the container: homemade marshmallows are very sticky. You have been warned! That means you do need to make sure you grease your container very well. The same applies with adding the cornflour dusting. Equally, before storing, make sure they are liberally coated. Otherwise they will stick together.
- Different sized marshmallows: one of the (many) great things about homemade marshmallows is you can make whatever size you like. Use larger tupperware containers for shallower marshmallows. Alternatively, use narrower tupperware containers for deeper marshmallows. Once set, you can choose how big or small to make your marshmallow cubes or rectangles.
- Bright and colourful: shop bought marshmallows are usually pink and white. Although any fruit purée will add colour to your marshmallows, you don’t have to keep plain ones white. Simply add a couple of drops of food colouring while whisking to create whatever colour you wish.
- Dust the knife: before cutting the marshmallows, dust the knife with the cornflour-icing sugar mix. This will help you create clean, neat cubes of marshmallow.
- Keep cool and dry: homemade marshmallows will keep for up to 3 weeks in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. If you can resist them that is! However, if they get wet they will become sticky so avoid contact with water. Unless you are melting into a rich hot chocolate…
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many ways to enjoy your homemade marshmallows. They are delicious on their own for a sweet treat. I also love serving them as a petit four at dinner parties. You can also pop into cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give them as a homemade gift. Perfect for Christmas and birthdays! Alternatively, make mini ones and sprinkle on top of a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Yum!
However, you can also use homemade marshmallows in lots of easy desserts and bakes. Try sandwiching them between two biscuits with some dark chocolate to create the very best s’mores. The raspberry marshmallows are particularly tasty like this. Alternatively, make smaller marshmallows and add them to a rocky road or fridge cake. If you want to turn them into a show-stopping dessert, try a Mississippi mud pie. Simply google ‘marshmallow Mississippi mud pie’ to find some incredibly easy versions.
The perfect homemade marshmallow contains sugar, cornflour, gelatine and air. Some recipes add egg whites, but I don’t think they are necessary. Although they make for even softer marshmallows, they won’t last as well. Plus, not adding egg whites means that groups with compromised immune systems (young children, the elderly and pregnant women) can still enjoy the most delicious marshmallows.
You can then add all sorts of ingredients to create delicious flavours. In this case, fruit purée and cocoa powder. Vanilla extract is lovely too. I have seen recipes for tiramisu marshmallows which sound incredible. You know how much I love a twist on tiramisu - just look at my brownie tiramisu cheesecake with malted whipped cream! You can also add food colouring if you want brightly coloured marshmallows. Then you just need cornflour and icing sugar to coat (and stop them sticking together).
How are real marshmallows made?
Although you might think making your own marshmallows is complicated, it really isn’t. I promise you, the recipe is actually pretty straight-forward. You start by dissolving gelatine in water. Then you make a sugar syrup. Once the sugar syrup reaches 115C, you slowly pour it over the gelatine while whisking at high speed. This creates little air pockets in the sugar syrup - a bit like when whipping cream. The result? A light and fluffy marshmallow-like mix. This is then tipped into a container dusted with icing sugar and cornflour and left to set. Personally, I think that is the hardest part!
The above is a very brief outline of how real marshmallows are made. The fun really starts when you begin adding your own flavours. From fruit purées to sweet vanilla, spiced cinnamon to intense coffee… the possibilities are endless!
Yes. It is possible to make vegan marshmallows. Unfortunately, this recipe isn’t vegan as it uses gelatine. For a vegan marshmallow recipe, you need to use agar agar. This comes as a powder but needs to be boiled in a liquid. Although it helps ‘set’ recipes like gelatine, it isn’t a like-for-like swap.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like the sound of these marshmallows, I have lots of other sweet treats to try. My tiramisu coffee and chocolate mochi are ideal to have in the freezer for when you are craving something sweet. Also don’t miss my sfingi doughnuts. They are super quick, easy and utterly delicious. My brownie bites are also a must-try. Irresistibly rich and gooey with a fabulously fudgy centre. So good.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
PrintMarshmallows
These sweet, soft and fluffy homemade marshmallows are utterly delicious. Perfect for a delightful treat or topping a steaming mug of rich hot chocolate.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20 - 25 1x
- Category: Dessert and Cakes
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: French/Global
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the raspberry purée:
- 150g raspberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Splash of water
To prep the containers:
- About 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50g cornflour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 50g icing sugar
For the marshmallows:
- 4 tsp powdered gelatine (12g), plus 2 tablespoon cold water
- 140g liquid glucose
- 230g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Begin by making the raspberry purée: tip the raspberries into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and a splash of water. Place over a low-medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl (or tupperware) to remove the seeds. Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge to firm up.
- Next, prep the containers: you will need 3 tupperwares roughly about 8cm x 10cm. Brush each container with vegetable oil and set aside. You can adjust the size of the containers depending on how tall you want your marshmallows.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon cornflour with the cocoa powder until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining cornflour with the icing sugar. I like to use a sieve for this bit just to make sure they are completely lump free.
- Take one of the oiled containers and tip in the cocoa-cornflour mix, turning to coat the base and all the sides. Tap out any excess onto a non-stick baking tray and reserve for later. Repeat with the other two containers using the icing sugar-cornflour mix. Set aside.
- For the marshmallows: place the gelatine into a large heatproof bowl (ideally the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one). Add the 2 tablespoon cold water and mix well. Set aside.
- Next, add the glucose syrup and caster sugar to a large saucepan. Pour in 150ml water and place over a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved in the water. Once the mix begins to simmer, stop stirring. Continue to heat over a medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan, until the sugar syrup reaches 115C (use a jam thermometer to check). At this stage the liquid should be clear and bubbling. Handle the pan carefully as it will be extremely hot.
- Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully drizzle the sugar syrup into the gelatine whilst whisking with an electric whisk. You will find this easiest if you use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Once all has been added, whisk on medium-high speed for a further 12-14 minutes - or until you have a thick, white meringue-like texture.
- Divide the mixture equally into 3 bowls. Mix the raspberry purée though one. Sieve the cocoa powder into another. Leave the third bowl plain.
- Spoon the mixtures into their respective flavoured containers and smooth over the top using a spatula or palette knife. Leave to set for at least 2 hours.
- Set out your cornflour-dusted baking trays (one with the cocoa-cornflour, the other with the icing sugar-cornflour). Tip the marshmallows onto the respective trays. Dust a large sharp knife with icing-sugar cornflour then cut the marshmallow into equal-sized cubes. Toss to coat each one in the icing-sugar cornflour. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fruit: you can ring the changes and swap the raspberries for all sorts of berries. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries all make delicious marshmallows. If you don’t want to make your own purée, you can use a shop bought one. Strawberry Red and Funkin have some great flavours.
- Size: you can cut the marshmallows into whatever size you like. Sometimes I make jumbo marshmallows, other times I make mini marshmallows. You can also use different sized tupperwares to alter the depth.
- Make ahead: these homemade marshmallows keep well in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 weeks.
- Serving suggestions: homemade marshmallows are delicious as a sweet treat or dinner party petit four. I also love adding them to a warming mug of rich hot chocolate or making gooey s’mores. Alternatively, pop in pretty bags or boxes and give as a homemade gift.
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