Homemade Marshmallows: Fluffy, Sweet Perfection Made from Scratch

There’s something magical about homemade marshmallows that store-bought versions simply cannot replicate. These pillowy clouds of sweetness are lighter, more flavorful, and infinitely more satisfying than anything you’ll find in a plastic bag at the grocery store. Whether you’re planning to float them in hot chocolate, toast them over a campfire, or simply enjoy them as a sweet treat, making marshmallows from scratch is surprisingly achievable and absolutely worth the effort.

The beauty of homemade marshmallows extends beyond taste. You control every ingredient, can customize the size and shape to your preference, and create something truly special for gift-giving or holiday entertaining. Plus, watching plain ingredients transform into fluffy, glossy marshmallows through the magic of chemistry and whipping is genuinely entertaining.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
Resting Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
Total Time: 4 hours 42 minutes
Yield: 32 large marshmallows (or countless mini ones)
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

The Science Behind Marshmallow Making

Before we dive into the recipe, understanding the science helps ensure success. Marshmallows are essentially a foam—air bubbles trapped in a sugar syrup that’s been stabilized by gelatin. The gelatin provides structure, allowing the whipped mixture to hold its shape even after it sets. The sugar syrup, when heated to the precise temperature, creates the right consistency for trapping those air bubbles.

This is why temperature control is crucial in marshmallow making. Too hot, and you’ll break down the gelatin’s structure. Too cool, and the syrup won’t incorporate properly, leading to a grainy texture. It’s candy-making chemistry at its finest.

Essential Ingredients and Their Roles

Unflavored Gelatin (5 packets, about ¼ ounce each)

Gelatin is the structural backbone of marshmallows. It provides the elastic network that traps air bubbles and gives marshmallows their characteristic springy texture. Allowing the gelatin to fully hydrate (or “bloom”) in cold water before use is critical—this ensures it dissolves completely without leaving any gritty lumps in your finished marshmallows.

Ice-Cold Water (1¾ cups, divided)

Water serves two purposes: it hydrates the gelatin and forms the base of your sugar syrup. Using ice-cold water for the gelatin helps it bloom properly without prematurely dissolving.

Granulated Sugar (3½ cups / 700g)

The primary sweetener and structure-builder. As the sugar syrup cooks, it undergoes chemical changes that create the perfect consistency for marshmallow making.

Light Corn Syrup (1⅔ cups / 568g)

Corn syrup prevents crystallization in the sugar syrup, ensuring your marshmallows have a smooth, creamy texture rather than a grainy one. It also contributes to the characteristic chewiness. While some recipes substitute other syrups, corn syrup provides the most reliable results for traditional marshmallow texture.

Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon)

Adds the classic marshmallow flavor we all know and love. Pure vanilla extract provides the best flavor, though you can experiment with other extracts for variation.

Dusting Powder (Confectioners’ Sugar and Cornstarch)

The mixture of confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch prevents the sticky marshmallows from adhering to each other and makes them easier to handle. This coating is what gives store-bought marshmallows their powdery exterior.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Marshmallows

Preparing the Gelatin Base

Begin by adding your unflavored gelatin to the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour 1 cup of ice-cold water over the gelatin and whisk it together briefly. Attach the bowl to your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, but don’t turn it on yet. Let this mixture sit undisturbed for a few minutes. During this time, you’ll observe the gelatin absorbing water, swelling, and forming what candy makers call a “bloom.” This hydrated gelatin will dissolve smoothly into the hot syrup later, ensuring no lumps in your final product.

Creating the Sugar Syrup

While your gelatin blooms, prepare the sugar syrup. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the remaining ¾ cup of cold water, all of the granulated sugar, and the corn syrup. Place the pot over high heat.

Stir constantly during the initial heating phase. Your goal is to dissolve every single sugar crystal before the mixture comes to a boil. As you stir, watch the sugar dissolve—the mixture will transition from opaque and grainy to clear and smooth. This typically takes 3-5 minutes.

Once all the sugar has completely dissolved, stop stirring. This is crucial. Continuing to stir at this point can cause crystallization, which will ruin your marshmallows. Simply let the syrup bubble away undisturbed until it reaches 252°F on a candy thermometer. This temperature is known as the “hard ball stage” in candy making.

The Critical Cooling Period

When your syrup reaches 252°F, remove the pot from the heat immediately. Now comes an important but often overlooked step: allow the syrup to cool to 212°F. This cooling period, which takes about 15-20 minutes, is essential for two reasons.

First, if you pour syrup that’s too hot directly onto the gelatin, the high temperature will break down the gelatin’s protein structure, resulting in marshmallows that won’t set properly and will be flat and runny. Second, syrup that hasn’t cooled enough won’t blend smoothly with the gelatin, creating an uneven, lumpy texture.

You can speed this cooling slightly by placing the pot in a cool water bath, but be careful not to get any water in your syrup. Patience here pays off enormously in the final product.

The Whipping Magic

Once your syrup has cooled to 212°F, it’s time for the transformation. Turn your stand mixer on to low speed. Very carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the blooming gelatin. The mixture will sizzle and steam—this is normal and expected.

After about 30 seconds of mixing on low speed to ensure everything is combined, increase the speed to high. Now the magic begins. Over the next 11-13 minutes, your mixer will incorporate thousands of tiny air bubbles into the mixture. You’ll watch it transform from a thin, translucent liquid into a thick, opaque, glossy white cloud. The mixture should roughly double in volume during this whipping process.

When the mixture has become very thick, holds stiff peaks, and looks like marshmallow fluff, add your vanilla extract and mix just until combined.

Two Methods: Regular or Mini Marshmallows

For Regular-Sized Marshmallows

Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar with ¼ cup cornstarch—this is your dusting powder.

Dust the prepared pan liberally with about half of this mixture, making sure to coat the bottom and sides evenly. The coating prevents sticking and makes removal much easier.

Pour your marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Work quickly, as it begins to set fairly rapidly. Use a spatula that’s been sprayed with cooking spray to spread the mixture evenly to all corners. For an ultra-smooth top surface, place a sheet of parchment paper over the marshmallow and gently press it flat with your hands.

Dust the top with more of the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Now comes the hardest part: waiting. Let the marshmallows sit uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, though overnight is even better.

When fully set, turn the slab out onto a cutting board. Using a pizza cutter (the absolute best tool for this job) that’s been dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture, cut the marshmallows into your desired sizes. Squares are traditional, but feel free to use cookie cutters for festive shapes.

Once cut, toss each marshmallow in the remaining confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mixture, ensuring all cut edges are coated. This prevents them from sticking together during storage.

For Miniature Marshmallows

If you prefer smaller marshmallows perfect for hot chocolate, the process differs slightly. While your marshmallow mixture is whipping, prepare your baking sheets. Line them with parchment paper, spray with nonstick spray, and dust with the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mixture.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip with the marshmallow mixture. Pipe long strips onto your prepared sheets, leaving space between each strip. Work efficiently, as the mixture begins setting quickly.

Dust the tops of your piped strips with more of the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Let them rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once set, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture to cut each strip into small pieces. Roll each piece in the sugar mixture to coat all sides.

Making Marshmallows Without a Candy Thermometer

While a candy thermometer makes this recipe significantly easier, you can make marshmallows without one—it just requires practice and attention. Here’s how:

Heat your syrup as directed. Once the sugar dissolves, periodically test the consistency by dipping a spoon into the mixture and watching how it drips off. At the correct temperature (252°F, or hard ball stage), the syrup will form thin, brittle threads that snap easily when cool.

You can also use the traditional “cold water test.” Drop a small amount of syrup into a glass of very cold water. At the hard ball stage, it should form a firm ball that holds its shape but remains pliable.

The cooling period to 212°F is trickier without a thermometer. Look for the mixture to begin thickening noticeably and the bubbling to slow. If in doubt, err on the side of waiting longer rather than rushing.

Storage and Shelf Life

Properly stored homemade marshmallows keep beautifully for up to three weeks at room temperature. The key is preventing them from sticking together or drying out.

Store your marshmallows in an airtight container, layering them with parchment paper if you’re stacking them. Keep them at room temperature away from direct heat or sunlight. They’ll gradually firm up slightly over the first few days, developing the perfect texture.

Avoid refrigerating marshmallows, as this can make them sticky and compromises their texture.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Marshmallows Won’t Set: This usually means the sugar syrup wasn’t cooked to high enough temperature, or it was added to the gelatin while too hot, breaking down the protein structure.

Grainy Texture: Either the gelatin wasn’t fully bloomed before mixing, or sugar crystals formed in your syrup (usually from stirring after the sugar dissolved).

Marshmallows Are Sticky: Make sure you’re using enough of the dusting powder and that every cut surface is well-coated.

Mixture Won’t Thicken During Whipping: Your gelatin may not have bloomed properly, or the syrup temperature was off. Make sure to whip for the full 11-13 minutes.

Creative Variations

Once you’ve mastered basic marshmallows, the variations are endless:

• Flavor Variations: Replace vanilla with peppermint, almond, or citrus extracts
• Color: Add food coloring to the mixture before spreading
• Swirls: Drizzle fruit purees or chocolate into the pan and swirl
• Coatings: Roll finished marshmallows in cocoa powder, cinnamon sugar, or crushed cookies
• Chocolate-Dipped: Dip finished marshmallows in melted chocolate for an extra-special treat

Why Homemade Marshmallows Are Worth the Effort

Making marshmallows from scratch requires patience, precision, and a bit of practice, but the rewards are substantial. The flavor is incomparably fresh and pure. The texture is lighter and more delicate than commercial versions. And there’s genuine satisfaction in creating something that seems so magical and complex from such simple ingredients.

Whether you’re making them for s’mores, hot chocolate, rice crispy treats, or simply to enjoy on their own, homemade marshmallows transform from a common pantry staple into something special and gift-worthy. Once you’ve tasted truly fresh marshmallows, it’s hard to go back to the store-bought variety.

So gather your ingredients, clear your schedule for a fun kitchen project, and prepare to be amazed at what you can create with just sugar, gelatin, and a bit of culinary magic.