Did someone say Tiramisu Marshmallows and Salted Sesame Marshmallows? Well, that’s me. I’m someone. These are the kinds of homemade marshmallows you should be making, and they aren’t just for a glass of hot chocolate. Homemade marshmallows aren’t that difficult to make at all, and after you make them once, you’ll be using them for all sorts of things!
Think of them as making a meringue, you just add gelatin, sugars and water together and whip to get stiff peaks. There is a bit more cooking of the sugars involved, but the gelatin makes it so stable, that there’s way less delicateness in this recipe compared to a meringue. It’s a fun way to make a holiday dessert, and make it your own!
Table of contents
How to make homemade marshmallows
Homemade marshmallows are actually surprisingly easy to make, you just need to melt down granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup and a bit of water, hard boil that for a few minutes. In the base of a stand mixer, you’ll want to combine three packets of unflavored gelatin (you can find it at most grocery stores!) and 1/4 cup of water.
When the sugars have cooked down, they don’t need to cool at all. They are fully ready to mix.
It ends up looking like a meringue, where it turns into stiff peaks in no time!
What flavors to add to homemade marshmallows
From there you can play with the shape and flavoring of your homemade marshmallows. It is important to note that you can’t add too much liquid flavoring, or that will upset the marshmallow texture. I like to play it safe with either a bit of vanilla extract, or a swooping in a nut butter or tahini. In this recipe I’ve made two variations of marshmallow: Tiramisu and Salted Sesame. You can find out how to make both below:
For Salted Sesame Marshmallows:
Add another half teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the marshmallow mixture during the last minute of beating. Portion the marshmallow mixture into the baking dish, but dot tahini all over the top. Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the tahini into the marshmallow. Instead of sprinkling cornstarch, sprinkle a generous layer of toasted sesame seeds on top. Add a sprinkle of flaky salt before letting the marshmallow set.
For Tiramisu Marshmallows:
During the last two minutes of mixing, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of bourbon, and 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds. Add the marshmallow mixture to the baking dish, and after dusting the top with cornstarch, use a sieve to add another dusting of cocoa powder. Let it set and slice as normal.
How to shape and mold homemade marshmallows
I like to mold my marshmallows either in an 8×8 baking dish, so you can cut big, fluffy squares, or in a muffin tin, so they are circular and will fit perfectly into your mugs!
Just be careful with how you line the tins. You want to make sure that they are properly lined with either cornstarch or rice flour so that it’s not a sticky mess when you pull out the marshmallows.
And that’s everything for these Homemade Marshmallows!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Homemade Marshmallows
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 8 by 8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 21 grams 3 packets unflavored gelatin
- 178 grams cool water 3/4 cup, divided
- 400 grams granulated sugar 2 cups
- 200 grams light corn syrup 2/3 cup
- 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Cornstarch or rice flour for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the gelatin and 1/4 cup (60g) of cool water. Mix.
- Set a medium pan over medium heat. Add the sguar, corn syrup and remaining 1/2 cup (118g) of water. Bring this to a boil and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes.
- Pour the hot sugar into the stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to whip on medium high speed. Mix for 8-10 minutes, or until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy. Add the salt during the last minute of mixing.
- Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper is fitted. Spray a very light layer of nonstick spray on the paper, and then dust liberally with the cornstarch. Anything that doesn't have a layer of cornstarch on it will end up hopelessly stuck to the marshmallow.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the baking pan, dust the top with a light sprinkle of cornstarch then let it set for at least 4 hours.
- When the marshmallow is set and firm, use a sharp knife to cut it into 16 pieces. Dust all the edges in cornstarch before storing, so they don't stick together.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three weeks. See notes for flavor modifications!
Hi Justine- when you dust the pan, are you dusting the bottom of the pan before putting the parchment paper in? Or dusting the parchment paper before pouring the batter inside? Hoping to avoid a sticky mess… thanks for this cute gift idea!
Hello! I dust after. I use a touch of butter to seal the parchment paper to the pan on all the edges so that it lays flat, then I sprinkle the cornstarch/rice flour all over. I hope this helps!
Hi Justine – do you have any suggestions on how to pack these as gifts so they look cute but also don’t go stale? I’m thinking 2-3 marshmallows per recipient and giving alongside some hot cocoa mix
Hi! I like to give the Tiramisu Marshmallows with the Coffee & Cardamom Hot Chocolate (coffee on coffee!) and I like to give the Salted Sesame Marshmallows with the Cinnamon & Spice Hot Chocolate. When portioning the marshmallows as a gift, I like to dust them in rice flour or cornstarch right after I slice them, and then add them to either a small jar or a nice plastic bag (with a bow!) That should give you plenty of room for 2-3 marshmallows per bag, but you can scale it up or down as you prefer. I hope this helps, and happy holidays!
Thanks so much!!
I can’t use corn syrup. Is there an alternative?
Hello! I’ve had some people use maple syrup, but when I tested it the marshmallows didn’t firm up into as sliceable of a texture, so I do want to add that caveat. But it is a possible sub if you can’t digest corn products!
Is it possible to make this without a stand mixer?
Hi Carrie! So since these do need to be whipped to stiff peaks, so I’d recommend an electric mixer if you can swing it. But you can do it by hand with a whisk, it just takes a lot of arm power!
Hey Justine, is it possible to make this recipe if I don’t have a stand mixer and just mix by hand? Thank you!
Hi Bethany! Ok so, these do need to be whipped to stiff peaks, so I’d recommend an electric mixer if you can swing it. But you can do it by hand with a whisk, it just takes a lot of arm power!
Thanks for sharing such a fun recipe. I made the salted tahini and ended up brewing a crazy strong earl gray and chilling it to substitute for the water and make Earl Grey Marshmallows. Turned out sticky and delicious!
Hi! Is it possible to make this with out an electric mixer? Thank you!
Hi there! These do need to be whipped to stiff peaks, so I’d recommend an electric mixer if you can swing it. But you can do it by hand with a whisk, it just takes a lot of arm power!
Justine,
You add coffee grounds to your Tiramisu Marshmallows. Coffee grounds? or Instant coffee? Please help!
Yes! If you don’t like the idea, you can opt for instant espresso, but that melts into the marshmallow and makes them light brown, where I like flecks of coffee bean in there instead!
Could I use dark corn syrup?
I haven’t personally tested it that way and am worried about how it will impact the texture and color of the marshmallow, but if you try it and like it please report back!