How to Make Homemade Marshmallows

delicious looking homemade marshmallows dipped in chocolate with crumbled nuts
  • 1-2 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 10-30
What You'll Need
2 Cups white sugar
1/4 Cup corn syrup (light)
1 Cup water, divided in half
Pinch of salt
3 Packets unflavored gelatin
1.5 Teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
9x9 Pan
Dipping chocolate (optional)
Nuts (optional)
What You'll Need
2 Cups white sugar
1/4 Cup corn syrup (light)
1 Cup water, divided in half
Pinch of salt
3 Packets unflavored gelatin
1.5 Teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
9x9 Pan
Dipping chocolate (optional)
Nuts (optional)

To make homemade marshmallows, start by gathering gelatin packets, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Take butter and grease a nine by nine pan and then lightly dust with powdered sugar. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, but make sure to cover the sides as well.

Prep Note: Cooling marshmallows are very sticky, so whether you grease or use parchment paper, make sure every part of the pan is covered. Set the pan aside and begin making your marshmallows.

Flavoring Marshmallows

The basic marshmallow recipe calls for vanilla extract. Using vanilla extract will give you a basic marshmallow flavor. If you want to switch things up — it’s pretty easy. Swap out the vanilla for different extract flavors like orange, peppermint, rum, or lemon. You can also use edible essential oils to flavor the batch of marshmallows. If you’re using essential oils though, it’s best to stick to the mint family. When swapping vanilla for other extracts, use the same measurements. When using mint essential oils, add about 10 drops per batch.

If you want the color to match the flavor, add a few drops of gel food coloring to the mix. Remember that you will whip the final marshmallow mix until it gets airy and fluffy, and the color will become significantly paler than it looks initially. If you want a super-saturated color, you will need to add a lot of food coloring.

homemade chocolate covered marshmallows with nuts

Making Marshmallows

Step One - Mix Gelatin

Combine half a cup of cold water and three packets of gelatin in a bowl and set it aside for five to ten minutes. You will need to mix the two ingredients together, but not much.

Step Two - Heat Sugar

In a pot, combine the rest of the water with the sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil and let them boil for one to two minutes, then lower the heat and simmer while continuously stirring. This mixture will be good to go when the sugar and the liquid dissolve together and the texture is smooth.

Step Three - Flavor and Beat

Take your vanilla, and add it to the mixture. Stir for thirty seconds and take the mixture off the heat. Dump the mixture in a mixing bowl and beat it until it has doubled in size. Once it has doubled in size, let the mixture rest for one minute and then beat for three to five more minutes. The longer you beat it, the lighter and fluffier the final product will be.

Step Four - Chill in a Pan

Once you are done beating the mixture, pour it into the already greased pan and dust the top with powdered sugar. Let the marshmallows set up for six to ten hours. When the marshmallows are ready to cut, dust your knife with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. If your marshmallows are still sticking, use a dusted plastic knife.

Step Five - Dip

If you're going to dip your marshmallows, dip them now. If not, eat them plain, drop them in cocoa, or use them in a tasty batch of Rice Krispy treats.

delicious homemade marshmallows dipped in chocolate with crumbled nuts

Dipping the Marshmallows

After your marshmallows have cooled and set, you can eat them plain or dip them. In order to dip your marshmallows, you will need dipping chocolate. If you want to take this sweet treat to a whole new level, you can also add extras like crushed graham cracker, crushed candy cane, or anything else that pairs well with chocolate and marshmallow.

Lay a sheet of wax paper out on your counter, warm the chocolate on your stove or in the microwave, and begin dipping. If you want to add extras, do so while the chocolate is warm. Set the marshmallows out to cool on the wax paper and let them sit until the chocolate is once again hard. Then store the finished marshmallows in a plastic container in your fridge for up to a week and a half.

More Culinary Creations

Now that you’ve cut your culinary teeth, try out a few more fun creative cooking creations like cooking sweet treats on your BBQ grill, outdoor cooking with the kids, or skip the sweet and head straight for savory with a step by step T Bone steak cooking tutorial.