I did not know that typical store-bought marshmallows had food coloring in them until I had children and started looking for such things. They often contain blue dye to get "the right color white," which feels a little insane to me.
Homemade marshmallows are not only dye-free, but you can make them entirely without processed sugar as well. We use honey in our recipe because it works great and honestly tastes delicious. It gives a kind of caramel/browned butter depth to the marshmallows, and once I had them I knew I'd never go back. Who knew marshmallows could be flavorful? Not to mention the texture is so silky and bouncy.
Notes
- Sugar Substitute: If you don't have honey or aren't keen on using it, you can just substitute the cup of honey for a cup of regular sugar. You can even combine them if you want and do half and half, or any other combination so long as the total amount is the same. You can even substitute maple syrup directly for the honey and make maple marshmallows! You definitely need those floating in your hot apple cider.
- Gelatin: As long as it's unflavored, powdered gelatin, you can't really go wrong. But if you want to add a boost of real nutrients to your marshmallows, you can go for a bovine gelatin to add some protein.
- Flavor Variation: If you want to get creative, you can swap out the vanilla extract for any other flavor of extract you might want to try. Try peppermint, lemon, or coconut.
Storage
Store your marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze them for 6-8 months!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Grace Says:
To save yourself a bit of time and effort, soak all your dishes from marshmallow making in water as soon as you can. The sugar will dissolve and you won't be left trying to scrub marshmallow stickiness off your bowl and utensils.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 3 Tbl gelatin powder
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup water (for gelatin)
- ¼ cup water (for honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar + 1 Tbl cornstarch (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with parchment paper. I like to cut the parchment downward in the corners of my pan to make it lay nicer.
- In the bowl of your mixer, gently combine the gelatin powder and ½ cup water. Set aside to bloom. Ensure you have the whisk attachment ready.3 Tbl gelatin powder, ½ cup water
- In a medium-large saucepan, combine the honey, ¼ cup water, and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and allow to remain at a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes. If you have a temperature probe, temp to see that the temperature has reached 240℉, or the "soft ball" stage of candy making. Then turn off the heat.1 cup honey, ¼ cup water, 1 pinch salt
- Quickly bring the hot honey mixture over to your mixer, and turn it on low. Slowly pour a steady stream of the honey mixture into the gelatin, until it's all combined. Ensure you're going slowly, and use a splash shield if you have one. Molten sugar splatter is not a fun time. Gradually increase the speed until you're able to safely beat the marshmallows on medium-high.
- While the marshmallows are mixing, add the vanilla. Then continue to beat until it reaches the consistency of a thick cream, like marshmallow fluff. It should be thick enough that when you pull the whisk out of the mixture, it will leave drip ribbons on the top that slowly sink back in.1 teaspoon vanilla
- Once it's thick, pour the marshmallow cream into the parchment-lined pan. It will begin to get sticky and solid quickly, so don't let it sit in the bowl for more than a minute or so. Set aside, and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours. After they're completely solid, lift the marshmallow slab out of the pan using the parchment paper. Then use a hot knife (run under hot water for a moment) or cookie cutters to cut out your marshmallows. You can then coat them lightly in the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture to keep them from being unreasonably sticky.¼ cup powdered sugar + 1 Tbl cornstarch
- You can store the marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 2 months, or freeze them for 6-8 months.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!