Simple, no-thermometer method for light, fluffy, homemade marshmallows. Mmmm . . . (Skip to recipe.)
If you’ve never made marshmallows, you’re in for a treat.
A surprisingly easy-to-make, melt-in-your-mouth, I-can’t-believe-you-made-these-yourself! old-fashioned treat.
I should have known when I read the recipe in my mother-in-law Mabel’s cookbook that these marshmallows were a no-fail project. After all, she’s been making them for over 65 years, and was turning out batches of them as special treats for her seven children in a time when wood-burning stoves were the heat source, electric mixers were rare, and candy thermometers were for city folk. My husband’s sister remembers the children sitting in the farmhouse kitchen and passing the bowl from one to another to take turns whipping these marshmallows by hand.
Whew. I am glad we have electric mixers nowadays.
Every homemade marshmallow recipe I could find online or in my cookbooks involved a candy thermometer and getting the syrup to the exact candy-temperature stage, then pouring it carefully in a thin steady stream over the dissolved gelatin while beating. Most recipes involve corn syrup as well as sugar, and some include egg whites. Many of them have alarming lists of all the different reasons why your marshmallows could fail/not set/stay sticky/get gummy/curdly/clumpy/weepy.
Yikes. Marshmallows sounded like a project for the not so faint-of-heart cooks.
Until I found these. An old Canadian prairie recipe. So easy that anyone can make them. Even me. Even you.
make ’em with white sugar for fluffy snow-white cubes
. . . or make ’em with honey for creamy-coloured and delicately flavoured mouthfuls
They turn out wonderfully every time. If you make them with sugar they taste just like the store-bought ones. If you want a slightly healthier, refined-sugar-free option, try them with honey. We love them that way.
Roll the pillowy cubes in icing sugar, or potato starch, or toasted coconut or chopped nuts.
they are quite irresistible when rolled in toasted coconut
Let them melt into lusciousness on top of hot chocolate.
Or just pop them in your mouth and squish the sweet fluffiness with your tongue.
They get swiped by (almost) invisible hands as fast as I can make them.
* * * * *
Kitchen Frau Notes: Mabel’s marshmallow recipe uses 2 packages of gelatin (like Knox brand) and they are soft and fluffy. For the version using honey, I increased the gelatin to 3 packages to compensate for the extra liquid provided by the honey.
For a delicious variation, try these lovely pink Raspberry Honey Marshmallows made with raspberry juice.
Easy Old-Fashioned Homemade Marshmallows
From Mabel Johnson
- 1 cup (240ml) water, divided
- 2 packages gelatin (7 grams each) or 4½ teaspoons loose gelatin powder
- 2 cups (420gms) sugar
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- icing sugar to dust the pan
- icing sugar, *toasted coconut (about 1¾ cup), or **finely chopped toasted pecans (about 1½ cups) to roll the marshmallows in
Sprinkle the gelatin on top of ½ cup (120ml) of the cold water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir lightly with a fork. Let it ‘bloom’ for at least 5 minutes, until it is all moistened and softened. It will be very thick.
Meanwhile, heat the sugar and the remaining ½ cup of water in a medium-sized saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the dissolved gelatin to the sugar syrup, using a spatula to get every bit of gelatin out of the bowl.
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. (It will get foamy and you can’t stir down the bubbles.)
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let sit until lukewarm (about 20 to25 minutes).
Add vanilla and salt, and pour into the bowl of a mixer. Beat with a stand mixer (using the whisk attachment) on high speed until thick and tripled in volume – about 7 to 8 minutes, or with a rotary hand mixer, which will take a bit longer – maybe 10 minutes.
While it is beating, prepare a 9 x 13″ (23x33cm) pan, by lightly greasing it and dusting it with icing sugar. Tip the pan over and knock out any excess icing sugar.
When the marshmallow mixture has finished whipping, scrape it into the prepared pan, and use a wet spatula to smooth the top.
Allow to set until cold, about 4 hours (or less if placed in the fridge) or up to overnight.
Cut into squares with a knife dipped in water between each cut. If the top of the marshmallow mixture has dried out too much to stick well to the coconut, wet your fingers and smooth a thin slick of water over the top to moisten it again.
Roll the marshmallow cubes in either the icing sugar, toasted coconut, or chopped nuts. Shake off excess if using icing sugar. Press down firmly into the coconut or nuts if using them, so they stick to the marshmallows.
Place on a rack and allow to air dry for 3 to 4 hours, then store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 70 marshmallows.
rolling the marshmallows in coconut
*If using coconut to roll the marshmallows in, toast it first by heating it in a skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly once it starts to brown, since it can burn easily. Toast to the depth of brown you’d like it.
**To toast pecans, place them on a cookie sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, until they are fragrant and golden. Chop very finely so they stick to the marshmallows.
Easy Honey Marshmallows
- 1 cup (240ml) water, divided
- 3 packages gelatin (7 grams each) or 2 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon loose gelatin powder
- 1 cup (240ml) liquid honey
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- potato starch or other starch to dust the pan
- potato starch or other starch, *toasted coconut (about 1¾ cup), or **finely chopped toasted pecans (about 1½ cups) to roll the marshmallows in
Make recipe as above, replacing the sugar with the honey.
To keep the marshmallows refined-sugar-free, roll them in potato starch or other starch, toasted coconut, or finely chopped nuts, and use starch to dust the pan.
they taste yummy rolled in finely chopped toasted pecans, too
Guten Appetit!
You might also like:
Healthy Fudge with a Wicked Alias
Chocolate Walnut Cookie Dough Balls
the marshmallows were a hit with chocolate fondue for our dinner party dessert
Good morning …. at least it is here in Dubai. Thanks for getting back to me ….. but I left things to late to get organized. Thanks again. Will be in touch. Sandy
Trying to get the Super Bowl but can not get telivision or Internet coverage.
Oh, lucky you – Dubai sounds so wonderful just about now! Have a great trip – would love to hear all about your amazing adventures when you get back!
Margaret, this is an awesome article. Thank-you for recreating Mom’s recipe with a honey version, I’m definitely going to have to try them this way.
I just loved your story, June, of you kids sitting in the kitchen and passing the bowl around to whip the marshmallows. I could visualize it in my mind – all that hard work beating the dickens out of the mixture till it finally got fluffy, and the anticipation of the delicious treat to come (which was probably devoured in a very short time when it had to be divided so many ways!). I’m sure it tasted so much better after all that elbow grease! We forget how easy everything is now! It’s a treasure to have these great recipes.
How long does it take to beat by hand? Can you share more tips from your story on passing the work around the family? We don’t have a beater…
I think you might find it rewarding to beat these by hand, then! I think the time would depend on how vigorously the whisking was done. I’m guessing it might take up to twice as long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes, but if the job is shared by a few willing hands – it might even be fun! My mother-in-law says she mostly made these marshmallows for Christmas – they were a special treat. And with seven kids, the whisking was a fun holiday group activity (no electronic gaming to distract the work crew!)
Yes, it’s a lovely story, with the addition of a great sounding marshmallow recipe which I will try. I won’t make them by hand though 😉 You could make this a great game, who can whisk the longest and the winner gets to lick the bowl 🙂
I’m afraid I’d have the bowl licked clean before I ever finished whisking. 🙂 Thank goodness for the ease and convenience of electric mixers!
Thanks for this recipe. I would like to try this with my children on Valentines Day using valentines themed cookie cutters. Do you think if I were to spread the mixture on a cookie sheet to make them thinner that it would work with the cutters? We will dip them in chocolate and add sprinkles and coconut to the tops and maybe add caramel to some to make Samoa marshmallows 😋
Absolutely. They work wonderfully that way. Your kids will have fun helping you with these. I’ve done a blog post on a Valentine’s version where I made them thinnner. Happy marshmallowing! https://www.kitchenfrau.com/cooking-with-kids-raspberry-honey-marshmallows-and-instant-cocoa-gifts/
Wow never knew this was possible. I’m trying it tomorrow to take to work Tuesday so I can get happy people points. Love getting your blog, take care.
Thanks, Lori. I was so thrilled to learn this, too, and can’t believe how simple it is. I hope you get lots of “happy people points!” 🙂 (Love that.) My crew loves the coconut ones the very best and they disappear within hours of me making them, even when it’s only Raymond and Andreas here to sneak them. Happy Cooking!
Not only fun, but you never cease to surprise me. I have always wanted a good recipe for making marshmallows. Wow, you have them all! Thank you.
You’re so welcome! This one is definitely a well-tested recipe from Raymond’s family, and I’m lucky to be able to pass it on. Those old recipes have sure stood the test of time, and were made when people had none of the fancy appliances of today. I love those kinds of recipes the best!
Margaret, the marshmallows look so good. I had no idea how to make them, love the idea of using honey.
I will have to tell the Europeans about making marshmallows, they can not get them as easy as we can. But they sure can make them.
Thanks, Elsa. And they’re fun to make, too! Marshmallows really are quite a North American thing, aren’t they? I remember my uncle taking bags of them back to Germany when he visited when I was a kid. Luckily, with a few ingredients, a person can be eating marshmallows in no time with Mabel’s recipe!
Margaret, just like you, I’ve seen those fancy marshmallow recipes floating around . . . and also been scared off by the “steady stream” and everything else complicated. But it’s a good thing I waited — because now I can just go straight to trying your recipe. I love your idea of using honey instead of sugar, too.
Thanks, Stephanie. I think the old ways are sometimes the best, aren’t they? Things weren’t so complicated, and people had to be ingenious to make things work with what they had. Hope you have fun making them!
Hi again, so I made the marshmallows and took them to work, and drum roll
got 10 out of 10 from the radiologist and everyone loved them, Many many happy people points and I told them all to sign up to your blog so hoping you got lots of new followers. Take care, oh ya its a chilly 9.5 degrees here C. I always try to let you Alberta people and Mom, who loves it a lot, know how our winter is going in Lotus land.
bye for now
You made me chuckle! Glad the marshmallows got you those Happy People Points! (And thanks for spreading the word! 🙂 )
As for your 9.5 degrees – that should be illegal! I’m sure that deep, deep down you must be missing the feel of air so cold it hurts to breathe, and roads like treacherous skating rinks, and bundling up in 100 pounds of snow gear to walk half a block – come on, you know you miss it! (Tee-hee)
While searching and searching, I came across this recipe, which seemed almost too easy… Just finished making and testing these fluffy little clouds — they came out perfectly! Delicious and melt-in-your-mouth good. Perhaps a given but, much better than store-bought. Thank you so much for such a simple and beautiful recipe. Will be writing this one down to save.
Aw, thanks, Marla. I, too, was so thrilled with how simple these marshmallows were to make when I first found them in my mother-in-law’s family recipe book. My husband remembers them as a special treat at Christmas and other holidays. I’ve been making them often lately, and have made a raspberry version that was a real hit, too. https://www.kitchenfrau.com/cooking-with-kids-raspberry-honey-marshmallows-and-instant-cocoa-gifts/
Thanks for visiting my site. Wishing you ‘sweet’ times in the kitchen!
I just made these today – I didn’t have unflavoured gelatin so had to use raspberry jelly powder but they still turned out perfectly. Rolled them in cocoa powder to cut down the sweetness a bit and they’re lovely – so glad I found this recipe! Cheers!
Andrea – UK
I am delighted to hear that your adaptation with the jelly powder worked, too. And chocolate and raspberries are such a lovely combination – brilliant thinking! So glad you enjoyed them. It’s such fun to hear that the recipe is being made across the ocean. Food bridges the distances so easily, doesn’t it? Happy cooking!
Hello…i would like to do different flavors of the marshmallow, like, coffee, chocolate etc. How should I proceed please?
The best way to do it is to mix the amount of instant coffee or unsweetened cocoa powder that you’d like, right into the water and sugar that you boil together to make a coffee or chocolate-flavoured syrup, or use cold, strong brewed coffee instead of the water called for in the recipe. I hope you enjoy them – wishing you fun in the kitchen!
Thank you for the recipe! I just wanted to make sure that it’s the paddle attachment on the mixer and not the whisk? Thanks!
Hi Mabel, you actually need to use the whisk attachment for the mixer in order to get the gelatin beaten nice and fluffy. Hope you have fun with it! 🙂
I made these today with gingerbread tea instead of water. They are setting now. Can hardly wait to devour them! Thank you!
What a brilliant idea for getting holiday flavour into the marshmallows! Now you’re making me hungry to try that, too!
Hi Margaret,
Such a lovely , easy recipe. I did have a problem with the last stage though. The volume somehow was not as much as it should have been. They turned out a bit dense… Any ideas as to what went wrong?
Love from India,
Nola
Hi Nola, how cool to hear from someone on the other side of the world! Too bad the marshmallows didn’t turn out as fluffy as they could have. I wonder if the gelatin mixture had gotten too cold, or maybe it should have been beaten for a longer time? I wonder if maybe the gelatin you can get in India is a different strength than what we get here – maybe you need to use a bit more (like maybe an extra package)? Those are all just guesses, since I haven’t had that problem here. I hope one of those works for you if you try them again. Best of luck to you. I’ll think of you making marshmallows in the sunshine, since we are receiving our first winter snowfall here, and it’s getting colder by the day…brrrrr.
Hehehe! Well, it’s winter here too. North India has it’s share of cold days too. No snowfall in my city. We got smog, dust, vehicular exhaust and other exciting stuff in our skies. Who needs snow, right? 😉
Will def. try it again. I guess the mixture got too cold before I whipped it up.
Keep you posted about my next attempt.
Love n warm hugs
thxs for the recipe! i have made it before with corn syrup and normal white sugar. was looking for a healthier option. just made it great cant wait til tomorrow! honey does give a slight sour taste… all good cause hopefully is better for u.
You’re so welcome! Honey does have a bit of a tang to it – but if you like it, like we do, then it’s a good thing. Hope you enjoy the marshmallows – a sweet treat always makes the day better! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m not a cooking connoisseur and don’t have too many cooking tools like a cooking/candy thermometer. But I made these just now and I was worried that the syrup wouldn’t thicken but they fluffed up after 10 minutes with my old hand mixer! I’m really happy to know I can continue to make these at home without having to spend extra on upgrading my cooking technology, so thank you again!
I have a question about the honey version though. I have it setting right now but the leftovers I tasted from the bowl were quite sweet. If I wanted to reduce the amount of honey next time to make it less sweet, would the recipe still work and still fluff up? And would I need to readjust the amount of gelatin to go with it?
Hi Karen – so glad to know you liked the marshmallows! You know, I think they might work fine reducing the honey – I probably would keep the gelatin amount the same, and try reducing the honey by a quarter cup first. If that works, then you could even try reducing it more the next time. I’d love to hear how they turn out for you with the reduced honey, and I’m sure other readers would too. Thanks so much for commenting! Happy experimenting!
I broke my Candy thermometer a few months ago so had been avoiding marshmallows till I replaced it, till I found your very good and straightforward marshmallow recipe yesterday. The results were well received and children and adults loved them. Just one question how long do you leave the mixture at a rolling boil. The marshmallow did set but was very soft ,which people liked, just wondering if I boiled the sugar for longer would they have been firmer?
Thanks Mairead
Ireland
Hi Mairead, how nice to hear from across the ocean! I’m guessing your world is already bright and green with spring there! I’ve never boiled the syrup any longer than just bringing it to a rolling boil, since I’m worried that boiling it too long might break down the gelatin, and this way has always worked for me. However, if you’d like stiffer marshmallows, I’d suggest adding another package or two of gelatin (our packages here contain 2¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin). I have made it with one extra package and the marshmallows were somewhat stiffer, so adding two packages should make them even stiffer (though I myself haven’t tried adding two packages, so can’t say for sure). This gelatin mixture will be VERY stiff, then, when soaked in the water, but will all dissolve again when you add it to the hot sugar syrup. Good luck with that, and happy Spring to you!
Thanks for your reply, I will experiment with gelatine, to see if I can make it slightly firmer. It is always green here in Ireland save for a very rare snow day, but it is coming into late spring so getting greener and greener now the trees are starting to leaf.
I’ve stumbled upon this recipe, I’m pretty glad I did! I added pink colour and raspberry flavour. I’ve just put it in the fridge to set overnight, hopefully it will turn out good. It looked like the picture so I was amazed I’d managed that lol. Easier than any other recipe I’ve seen!
I love how easy this recipe is, too. And it always turns out for me, so yours should be fine too, if it got nice and fluffy while beating. It’s such fun to eat these soft, squishy marshmallows 🙂 So glad you had fun making them!
Hi Margaret. Your marshmallows sound lovely. I have been trying for years to make successful marshmallows with vegetarian gelatine. Do you think it would work with your recipe? When I have tried other recipes, the mixture never increases in volume no matter how much whisking I do. Any tips please?
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry, but I’ve never worked with vegan gelatine, so I’m not sure at all how it would work in this recipe. (I’m not much help, am I?) Wishing you good luck with it, and let me know if it does work 🙂 Happy cooking!
Are these like the old-fashioned ones that roasted over hot coals to a gooey toasty brown if you were careful and made great some-more’s? They came in a box and were firmer than the tasteless air-puffed ones you get in the stores now-a-days. The modern ones just melt or burn instead of toasting. I have a friend who wants to have a campfire party and make some-more’s. I would like to make marshmallows as a Christmas gift for her.
Can they be frozen or refrigerated for longer storage?
Hi Linda, unfortunately these marshmallows don’t toast so well. They melt beautifully in hot chocolate, but also melt off the stick when you try to roast them over a fire. I think you might have to try a recipe using a candy thermometer and boiling sugar syrup if you want to roast them , though I’m not totally sure.
These marshmallows are best for eating and melting into hot chocolate. I’ve never tried freezing them, but have kept them for over two weeks at room temperature in a sealed container, and they were still great, so I think they should keep even longer than that if refrigerated.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Will try the maple one next time but they came out great thanks to your clear directions. We raise our cocoa in a toast to you!
Aw, thanks, Mari. Glad you liked them. Not everyone wants to take the time to make homemade marshmallows, but they are so worth it, aren’t they? Cheers back at ya!
hi margaret! i’m a little late to the comment party i guess, but i was wondering if you’ve ever tried to do an “adult” version of these (made with liquor, flavored with gin, fireball, bourbon, and beer)…i just saw some online but they were quite expensive. i’d like to try making them myself, but i wasn’t sure if/how the liquor would affect the gelatine.
Hi Katrina, that’s a great question! I haven’t tried that yet, but you are on to something. I can imagine a creamy Bailey’s marshmallow – mmmmm, or maybe a spiced rum . . . I should think the gelatin would work with alcohol in the mix, since I’ve made other gelatin/alcohol desserts (we make vodka/fruit juice/gelatin cubes for New Year, and they set fine), but I haven’t specifically tried it with these marshmallows. It might work best to use a couple tablespoons less water to cook with the sugar, then stir in a couple tablespoons of liquor once the whole mixture is cooled slightly.
I’d love to hear how it works if you try it 🙂
Glad I have found this article (and recipe). I have made like 5 recipes of homemade marshmallow(s) and they all need candy thermometer (which I dont have). I am looking forward to give this recipe for my final attempt(s). Why my final? Because if this also doesn’t work, i am giving up and just buy it from the local stores! Lol..no, this is not a threat. Just showing you my frustration. Hope this works. Fingers crossed! Oh, and hello from Indonesia.
Oh forgot. All 5 recipes was wasted. They dont set. I have even for 4 days to set!! And they all claimed “fluffy marshmallow” *sigh*
Hello to you from Canada. I really hope these marshmallows work for you! They have never failed for me. I wonder if the higher humidity in Indonesia would affect the outcome? Our weather here is very dry. Maybe try using 3 packets of gelatin powder, and make sure to keep the marshmallows in the refrigerator as they are setting and store them in the refrigerator afterwards, too. Crossing my fingers for you and wishing you luck!!!!! 🙂
Hello all, I tried this recipe out with my younger siblings, usually we mess up anything we try to make however even though we used too much gelatin and caramel essence instead of vanilla, our marshmallows came out fine! We travel a lot and currently live in Angola, we haven’t had marshmallows in a while, I’ve been searching for quite some time! Highly recommend this recipe, its super easy and you don’t need anything fancy. :D!
Thanks so much, Anikka! Glad to know you liked the marshmallows and that they turned out for you, too! I love hearing from a reader so far away and hope you’re having some great times in the kitchen in your corner of the world. It’s lovely to hear how different experiences with food can unite us. Thanks for stopping by to read my blog! Hugs to you and your family.