Call me crazy but these little bundles of sweetness bring me such joy, especially when they are melting in my morning cup of tea!!

My morning routine these days has been adding a perfectly (imperfect) homemade marshmallow to my cup of hot tea while I sit by the Christmas tree, sipping away and scrolling through my emails for the day (okay, maybe scrolling through Instagram). It’s the little moments like these that start my day off with a smile.

I’m happy to share this recipe with all of you as homemade marshmallows are lots of fun to make. If you’re like me you will probably like eating them more than making them, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back to the store bought marshmallows.

Marshmallows make great gifts at this time of year too. You can pair them with graham crackers, chocolate and even a few roasting sticks for a cute homemade S’more package. A jar of your very own homemade hot chocolate powder, topped with fluffy marshmallows or a mug filled with marshmallows and a gift card to a favourite coffee shop is a nice change from traditional gifts. You get the idea, have fun and make a special edible gift for your friends this year!

There is lots of talk about how making marshmallows is easy and fun to make with the kids. Yes, homemade marshmallows are fairly simple but there are a few tips that make the process much easier and you do have to remember you are working with very hot liquid that is not safe for kids to handle.

Here are my tips on homemade marshmallows to keep the process easy and safe:

Read through the entire recipe before you start and have all your ingredients ready and measured. Timing is important when making marshmallows.
You need a good stand mixer and the whisk attachment- a hand held mixer is not a good idea!
A candy thermometer is very helpful, I use a digital thermometer. This stage should only be done by an adult.
It’s best to let the marshmallows set overnight. Be patient!
You don’t have to use cornstarch but I find it helps more than just using icing sugar to coat the marshmallows.
I like to line my baking pan with parchment paper leaving lots hanging over the pan. This way I can easily lift out the marshmallow and use the parchment paper as my work area as it’s already covered in icing sugar and cornstarch.
Between each cut, clean your knife as you cut the marshmallows. You can grease your knife as well with coconut oil.
Store marshmallows, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper and not touching, in an airtight container. They will last a very, very long time. You can also freeze homemade marshmallows!
When gifting marshmallows make sure all edges have air dried so they don’t stick together once you package them.

I hope these little clouds of air bring your morning coffee as much joy as it does for me. 🙂

Homemade Marshmallows

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Once you’ve had a homemade marshmallow there is no going back! They are like puffs of light airy clouds dusted in sugar. Read the blog post for tips and tricks on making the perfect marshmallow. Recipe adapted from Canadian Living.

Author: Alie Romano
Prep Time: 24 hours
Total Time: 24 hours
Yield: 36–40 pieces 1x
Category: Candy
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
2 pkg (7g each) unflavoured gelatine (or 4 1/2 teaspoons)
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup icing sugar (for dusting and coating marshmallows)
1/3 cup cornstarch (for dusting and coating marshmallows)

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Instructions

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and dust the paper with icing sugar and cornstarch, set aside.
In a medium-large saucepan bring granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water and corn syrup to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil without stirring (you can brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water if you need to). Boil until a candy thermometer reaches 260˚F (125˚C), or until hard-ball stage (when 1 teaspoon of the syrup dropped into cold water forms into a hard ball), approx. 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
While syrup is boiling, in a small sauce pan sprinkle gelatine over 1/2 cup of cold water, let stand for 5 minutes.Then over low heat, melt gelatine stirring until clear (3-5 minutes). Whisk into hot sugar syrup (be careful as mixture will bubble).
In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites with salt until foamy and stiff. With the mixer running, gradually and very carefully pour gelatine mixture into egg whites. Beat on high until increased in volume and cool, about 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Immediately pour into prepared pan, scraping down the sides. Smooth the top of the marshmallow fluff. Dust the top with icing sugar and cornstarch. Let stand, uncovered for 6 hours or overnight (until firm).
Remove pan and peel parchment paper back. Using a sharp large knife slice into squares (you may need to grease the knife or keep cleaning it as you go). In a ziplock bag, add the rest of the icing sugar and cornstarch together. Add one marshmallow in the bag at a time and shake to cover the entire marshmallow. Place marshmallow on a piece of parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the marshmallows, leaving one inch between. Let set another hour until all sides have dried.

Notes

For storing, store in an air tight container, making sure marshmallows don’t touch (if they are not set they will stick together).
If you find your marshmallows are damp, put them back into your zip lock bag with the cornstarch and icing sugar and re-coat.
You can freeze marshmallows!