Once you make your own marshmallows it will be hard to ever go back to store-bought! I’ll share how to make homemade marshmallows with only a few ingredients. It’s easier than you might think. Add them to holiday gifts, dip in chocolate, or enjoy as a snack!

Speaking of marshmallows—have you tried our hot chocolate bombs filled with mini freeze-dried marshmallows? They are the most popular recipe on the site right now. So fun and mesmerizing to watch! We also have a snowman hot chocolate bomb.

Watch our step by step video!

Homemade marshmallows are a fun holiday tradition. It’s one of those things that I only feel like making at certain times of the year. Like homemade toffee. It’s easy to make, but I generally only make it during the holidays! I love that you can customize them by making a few simple adjustments.

We first made these in 2009 after seeing Alton Brown do it. He’s the master of food science and we love his recipes. We’ve tweaked a few things here and there over the years, but the process is basically the same.

My favorite way to enjoy homemade marshmallows is dipped in chocolate. You can also flavor them by adding a bit of extract. Want different colors? You can do that too by adding food coloring!

Homemade Marshmallow Ingredients

unflavored gelatin
water
sugar
corn syrup
salt

How To Make Marshmallows

The process is simple, but there are two things that you will absolutely need:

stand mixer: you can use an electric hand mixer, but just remember that you are beating the marshmallow whip for 15 minutes—that could get tedious.
candy thermometer: this is an absolute must. When making homemade toffee I can get away without using a thermometer because you just set a timer and watch for the toffee to turn color. That isn’t the case when working with a clear syrup like this recipe. You need to let the mixture simmer until it reaches 245 degrees. That’s easy to do with the help of a thermometer. One that clips onto your pan makes it even easier, but you can use one that you hold like I did.

Instructions

You’ll begin by mixing 3 packets of unflavored gelatin with ice water. Set that aside.
Heat sugar, water, salt, and corn syrup until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let the mixture simmer until it reaches 245 degrees. Depending on your stove, pan, etc. this could take 8-10 minutes. Just keep an eye on the mixture and stir occasionally.
Add the gelatin mixture (that will look like a gelatinous blob) and hot syrup mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Be careful not to splash as you pour the hot mixture into the stand mixer bowl.
Beat on med-high speed for 13 minutes.
Add vanilla and beat another minute or two.
At this point, you’ll have a bowl of warm marshmallow fluff. YUMMY. It is also VERY sticky.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Lift the pan and rotate around until the entire pan is covered then turn over and dump out excess sugar. We’ll use it later.
Spoon marshmallow mixture into the pan. Spray a spatula with nonstick spray and smooth the mixture until it is evenly distributed. It won’t be perfectly smooth and that’s fine.
Let the pan sit out for 30-60 minutes to cool then sprinkle or dust a handful of SIFTED powdered sugar over the marshmallows and smooth with your hand to make sure everything is coated.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. Alton suggests at least 4 hours. I usually make these in the afternoon, let them sit all night, and cut them into shapes in the morning.
Remove marshmallows from the pan and cut into shapes using cookie cutters or a pizza cutter.
Roll the marshmallows in powdered sugar and tap off excess. This prevents the sides from being sticky after you sliced them with the pizza cutter.

Homemade Marshmallow Gift Idea

Grab a packet of your favorite hot chocolate mix (I like this brand and Starbucks) and tuck it inside a disposable beverage cup (with lid).

Add a bag of homemade marshmallows and tie with a ribbon. Tuck everything inside the cup and add the lid!

How To Flavor Or Color Marshmallows

Towards the end of the mixing process, we added 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. If you’d prefer a different flavor of marshmallows you can add a teaspoon or two of your favorite flavoring. Vanilla is mild so adding 2 teaspoons is a safe bet, start with 1/2 teaspoon of more potent flavors like mint.

Add a few drops of food coloring to tint your marshmallows before the mixing process ends.

How To Store Marshmallows

These can be stored in an airtight container or in plastic bags for at least a week.