Frugal Foreigner From Scratch: Homemade Marshmallows

I did it! I finally made homemade marshmallows!  And they are soooo good.  Not only did I make marshmallows, I also made chocolate peppermint marshmallows.  And I made them with no power in my kitchen, because India’s fun like that.  I took the mixer into the dining room to mix it after cooking.

By the time I got around to making these, I had three recipes for homemade marshmallows bookmarked, but the one I ended up using came from Our Best Bites.  She gives very detailed directions and tips, along with lots of photos.

I didn’t take any pictures while I was making the marshmallows, so if you want to try homemade marshmallows yourself, be sure to check out Our Best Bites. If those directions look really overwhelming, here is my simplified version. You DO need a candy thermometer for this, but I did not have a stand mixer and my hand mixer held out.

Homemade Marshmallows Recipe

Grease a 9×13 pan, or line with wax paper, and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

Mix in a mixing bowl:
3 packets unflavored gelatin (8 teaspoons)
1/2 cup. water

Mix in a medium saucepan:
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Once the sugar is dissolved, cook on medium heat until the temperature reaches 245 degrees.

Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Be very careful not to burn yourself! Beat for about 10 minutes until the mixture is fluffy, white, and thick.

For regular marshmallows, stir in:
1 teaspoon vanilla

For chocolate peppermint marshmallows, stir in:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoons cocoa

Pour the marshmallow batter into prepared pan. Let rest 1 hour, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. After the marshmallows have set – at least four hours or overnight – you can cut them with a pizza cutter or scissors. Then, dip the cut edges in more powdered sugar.

I didn’t have a problem with the marshmallows sticking to the pan, and I didn’t have to “spread” the batter in the pan.

Yum! My kids love these, too, luckily, since the recipe makes a lot.  They will keep for a couple weeks in a sealed container.

See more Frugal Foreigner From Scratch recipes, or find out what we’re doing in India, where there are no marshmallows.