Print the recipe page! (revised per comments) homemade marshmallows 1
You won’t believe how easy these are to make! Marshmallows are such a fun treat and (without even knowing it) you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. I’ve made two batches here (for comparison), one using my standing mixer and one mixed by hand; it works either way, so even without electricity you could still make them to go with all that hot chocolate you’re storing. Beyond hot chocolate, just wait until you try them made into one of our favorite treats…S’mores Bites!
makes 18-22 marshmallows
Ingredients:
4 tsp. unflavored Knox gelatin (just under 2 envelopes)
1/4 cup cold water
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1/4 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1 TBS vanilla
oil (for greasing the pan)
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
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Tools and Supplies:
Parchment paper
Rotary egg beater
Candy thermometer
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Instructions:
Prepare an 8 x 8 baking dish, lining with parchment paper then brushing with oil.
In a large mixing bowl (or standing mixer) combine the gelatin and 1/4 cup water. Allow to set atleast 20 minutes. In a pot over medium heat combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, honey, salt and vanilla and heat (increasing temperature to medium/high heat) until the syrup reaches 244 degrees (borderline firm ball stage) on the thermometer. Immediately remove syrup from heat and very carefully add to the softened gelatin.
Begin beating the mixture slowly, being careful not to splash (it’s hot!). If using the whisk on an electric mixer, gradually increase the speed to high. Beat for 15 minutes or until thick and tripled in volume. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and allow to set for 3 hours.
Dust a cutting board with 1/2 – 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar. Holding onto the sides of the parchment paper, lift and turn marshmallow out of the pan, flipping it upside down onto the dusted cutting board. Using an oiled knife, cut into bite sized squares and roll the marshmallows into the remaining powdered sugar until they’re well dusted and not sticky anymore. Leftovers may store up to two weeks in an air tight container.
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Brush your dish lined with parchment paper with oil..
Soften the gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water and allow to set for atleast 20 minutes. Heat the syrup.
244° is the magic temperature! Remove from heat immediately and pour into gelatin mixure.
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Using a Standing Mixer:
After allowing it to set for 3 hours, flip it upside down onto a powdered sugared surface and peel off the parchment paper.
Using an oiled knife, cut it into bite sized squares and dust well with powdered sugar.
Voila!
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By hand: using my 13 year old (and a manual egg beater)…
15 minutes of beating. Toward the end your arm is really working to get the job done. You won’t believe how thick it gets!
After all that work, he’s rewarded the marshmallow beater!
Set up and ready to cut. They’re not as fluffy as the mixer beaten batch and they’re chewier when you compare the two, but no one is disappointed by them at least here at my house. They’d still be a welcomed treat even if we had to beat them ourselves to make them.
Marshmallows side by side. The one on the left was made with the electric mixer.
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S’mores Bites
Additional Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
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Instructions:
Pour one cup of the graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of the prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of the chocolate chips. Pour on the marshmallow , top with remaining chocolate chips followed by remaining graham cracker crumbs. Allow to set for three hours. Cut into bites (using an oiled knife) and serve.
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After three hours it’s ready!
Oh my my my. These are so good!
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Notes:
- The rotary egg beater I have is by OXO (here it is on Amazon).
In your list of ingredients it has 1/4 cup of water to be mixed with the sugar and honey. The directions call for 1/2 cup water. Which is the correct amount? I used the 1/2 cup water when I made these. After whipping the marshmallow, mine was stiffer coming out of the mixing bowl than your picture. Do you know what might have caused that? Thank you!
I’m so sorry!! I mis-typed the amount of water in the directions, it should be 1/4 cup. 1/4 cup water is used to make the gelatin and another 1/4 cup is used in the sugar/honey syrup mixture. I’ll fix the post and re-do the printable recipe card (check back on the recipe card in about a week). Sorry about that!
As far as it’s stiffness goes, my best guess is it must have something to do with the extra water in the syrup (??)
Tips for the non-electric folks… use a whisk in the beginning to really get a bunch of air into the mix before it starts to stiffen up and then switch to the hand-beater. Beaters are great for batters and such, but for fluffy stuff like merange and marshmallows they don’t nearly get as much air in as rapidly whisking will. Both give you a great arm workout… so it pays to have helpers or be ambidextrous 😉
That’s a great idea! Thanks!
OMW Meg, you never cease to amaze me! I love it when you do homemade versions of items I wouldn’t have ever thought could be homemade.
🙂 Thanks Chelsea! Plus, you know what’s great about this recipe, the original one I had called for corn syrup but I love that honey works just as well and doesn’t contain the high fructose corn syrup in it. In fact for my “allergy” kids local honey is said to be good for their allergies. Agave also works too (in place of the honey) if you prefer that, although it’s expensive. — Still totally a sweet treat but it’s better made at home.