When I told some friends that I was making marshmallows, their first reaction was ‘I’ve never even considered that you could make those at home!’ and honestly, they’re really not that hard! If you’ve got a bit of unflavored gelatin, some sugar, a bit of corn syrup, vanilla, and some water, you’re all set!
I had expected the hardest part of this whole adventure to be dealing with the fluffy, sticky marshmallow mixture. Turns out, as long as you use some baking spray on any utensil you’re using, it’s not bad at all! However, finding unflavored gelatin was a whole other story. Somehow every store was out of stock?? I called so many stores and finally found one Food Lion that had some!
From there it was smooth sailing. I tested out two different ratios of sugar to corn syrup and it turns out it kinda doesn’t matter! You need at least some corn syrup to act as an insurance policy against your sugar syrup crystalizing, which would ruin your marshmallows. But if you have just a bit vs a lot, it really doesn’t make a huge difference. I think the marshmallows with less corn syrup were a bit softer, but not by much. I’ve included the lower corn syrup recipe below because personally I prefer using less, but you do you!
Another instance of you do you in this recipe: the pan size you want to use. I tested with both an 8×8 and a 9×13, and it works perfectly in either. If you want to make the perfect marshmallows for smores, I suggest using the 8×8 then cut it into 4 square logs. From there, slice the logs so that you get 1/2 inch slices that are perfectly square and ready to go on a graham cracker. If you’re like me and don’t have a space to make a fire, just pop some chocolate and a marshmallow square onto a graham cracker and throw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Top with the other half of the graham cracker, and you’ve got a s’more!
You can definitely stop after the marshmallows have set and call it a day, but I took it a step further and dipped mine in some dark chocolate. It’s so good, I keep snacking on them! I highly recommend it.
Homemade Marshmallows
Homemade marshmallows are so easy and so satisfying! You can use them in all kinds of recipes, or just eat them on their own. Either way, you won't be disappointed!
Ingredients
- 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin, ~7 tsp
- 1 C cold water, divided
- 14.5oz sugar
- 1/4 C corn syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 1/4 C cornstarch
- 1/2 C dark chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 tsp neutral oil (optional)
Instructions
- bloom the gelatin: place 1/2 C water and the gelatin in the bowl of a mixer. stir and set aside
- prep your pan: combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch. spray your chosen pan, either 8x8 for large marshmallows or a 13x9 or 11x14 for mini marshmallows, with baking spray then coat with the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture. set aside the rest of the powdered sugar mixture, you'll use the rest later
- make the sugar syrup: heat remaining water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a pot over medium high heat. cover for the first 3-4 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking until it reaches 240*
- make the marshmallow mixture: once the sugar syrup reaches 240*, turn the mixer on low and drizzle the sugar syrup in the bowl. run the sugar syrup down the inside of the bowl so that it isn't going directly on top of the gelatin, you don't want to burn the gelatin
- once all of the sugar syrup has been introduced to the gelatin, increase mixer to medium speed and allow to whip for 5 minutes. then, increase to high and continue to whip. it should triple in volume by the end of those 10 minutes. in the last minute, add the vanilla
- spray a spatula with baking spray, then use it to transfer the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan. thoroughly sprinkle the top with some of the remaining powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture and let set for 4-6 hours, or overnight
- cut the marshmallows: once the marshmallows are set, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the marshmallows from the pan. turn them out onto a large cutting board, then use a pizza cutter or large, sharp knife to cut the marshmallows into your desired shape
- dip in chocolate: combine the dark chocolate and oil in a small bowl and melt in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time. dip your marshmallows into the chocolate and let set on a tray lined with parchment paper
- enjoy!