This recipe I developed to go along with my delicious homemade chocolate honey graham crackers after dreaming of souped-up, gourmet s’mores treats. These incredible homemade marshmallows put store-bought versions to shame, and will satisfy even the most critical marshmallow skeptics.
Though they require 6-8 (very long) hours to set, these classic kids cereal-inspired treats cook up in a short amount of time. Once I purchased the proper equipment, whipping these marshmallows up became a breeze and I make them all the time nowadays!
Because these marshmallows keep so well for weeks, I always keep them around in my pantry to add into my coffee, hot cocoa, or to grab as a snack!
Nothing is more charming as a gift than a beautiful handmade assortment of marshmallows. They are a novel, light, and charming sweet treat that everybody loves… and I mean EVERYBODY!
Check out the end of the recipe for some fun flavor adjustments you can try out! There are so many different ways you can mix up these homemade marshmallows with exciting flavors!
Before you get started
- Gather your equipment and ingredients so that you have them ready to go when it’s time to start cooking!
Suggested Equipment & Appliances
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer + large mixing bowl
- Candy thermometer
- 9” x 9” square baking pan
- Medium saucepan
- Spatula
- Small mixing bowl
Recipe Yield and Cook Time
- Recipe Yield: 24 marshmallows
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Setting Time: 6-8 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 (0.25 ounce) packets unflavored gelatin (about 6 teaspoons total)
- 1 ½ cups granulated (white) sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 1 cup cold water, divided in half
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Grease a 9” x 9” square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and confectioner’s (powdered) sugar. Dust the greased baking pan on all sides with some of the powder combination and set aside the remainder for later.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, add in ½ cup of cold water then sprinkle the 3 gelatin packets over the water in an even layer. Let this stand for 10-15 minutes or until the gelatin fully blooms.
- While the gelatin is blooming, combine the remaining ½ cup cold water, the granulated (white) sugar, light corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the saucepan to medium-high heat and cook covered for about 3 minutes or until the mixture begins simmering around the edges.
- Uncover the saucepan and continue cooking the mixture without stirring until it reaches 240℉ (measure the temperature using a candy thermometer.) This should take between 8- 10 minutes, and you should immediately remove the saucepan from the hot burner once it reaches the desired temperature.
- With an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer running on low speed, beat the bloomed gelatin while slowly adding in the hot syrup mixture. For best results, pour the syrup down the side of the bowl instead of directly onto the mixer attachment. Once all of the syrup has been added to the bowl, bring the mixer speed up to high and whip the ingredients until the mixture is thick and fluffy. This should take between 12-15 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to the thickened mixture and continue to whip the inside of the bowl for half a minute to incorporate everything. Turn the mixer off and gently remove it from the bowl, trying to take with it as little marshmallow as possible. Don’t wait before starting the next step!
- Quickly pour the whipped marshmallow into the greased baking pan and use an oil-sprayed spatula to gently smooth the fluff into an even, smooth layer.
- Stir 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the bowl with the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Dust the top of the smooth marshmallow layer with some of this mixture and save whatever is left for later.
- Let the marshmallows rest, uncovered, for 6-8 hours at room temperature.
- Once fully set, use a spatula or butter knife to gently loosen the marshmallow sheet from the baking pan. Flip the pan to release the marshmallow sheet from the pan and onto a cutting board. Dust the bottom (now the top) side of the sheet with the saved sugar-cinnamon-cornstarch mixture and cut the sheet into 24 individual squares using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Once the individual mallows are cut, you can drop them into a bowl with the remaining sugar-cornstarch mixture to dust the fresh-cut edges.
Tips and Tricks
- If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these homemade marshmallows will keep well for up to 2 full weeks!
- Also, they will keep almost indefinitely if stored airtight in the freezer. My best guess is that they will stay alright for up to 6 months.
- For cinnamon spiced marshmallows, add ½ teaspoon of nutmeg to the marshmallows when adding the ground cinnamon right before the end.
- For a boozy twist on these awesome homemade marshmallows, skip the ground cinnamon and vanilla extract and instead add 1 tablespoon of Bourbon, Rum, Kahlua, or coconut Malibu!
- Alternatively, you can skip the cinnamon and vanilla extract and opt for peppermint, orange, lemon, or almond extract!
- Chocolate spiced marshmallows are a delicious adaptation of this recipe and can be made by adding ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in with the vanilla extract and cinnamon.
- These are fantastic marshmallows to melt into your morning coffee or hot cocoa!
