Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows (Style Me Pretty Living)

Marshmallows and hot chocolate are a wintertime must. And with this homemade version from Sinclair and Moore and Matthew Land Studios , those little store-bought marshmallows are about to get blown out of the water. This fluffy, scrumptious treat is surprisingly simple to make. And don’t be scared by the 4 hour prep-time; that’s just the marshmallows taking a little break to cool so you can do other things like wrap gifts and get that hot chocolate ready.

From Steve Moore… I have learned a few things along the way that might be helpful to pass along.

1. Read through all of the instructions before starting and gather all of your supplies.

2. Don’t be intimidated by a candy thermometer, and don’t try and replace it with a meat thermometer. Not the same thing. You need a candy thermometer (they don’t have to be expensive) so that you can regulate the temperature so the sugar doesn’t get too hot. All you do with a candy thermometer is clip it to the side of the pan and turn it on. Watch the temperature of your sugar syrup rise and then pull it off the stove at the appropriate time. Easy.

3. Spray your pan very lightly with cooking spray before lining with parchment paper. This helps the paper to stick to the pan and not float all over the place.

4. Do not oversaturate your pan and parchment paper with cooking spray. Too much spray creates a yellow mess on your marshmallows. This happened to me. Lightly spray means to lightly spray. Trust me.

5. Tap the pan gently after covering the cooking spray with the powdered sugar/corn starch coating. You do not want excessive amounts of this sugary coating to remain in the pan. Tapping the pan and removing the excess powder will give you a cleaner and smoother marshmallow.

6. Use scissors to cut your marshmallows. I tried a knife and a pizza cutter. Both of those tools created a hot mess. Scissors were fast and easy.

7. Make sure to lightly dab your freshly cut edges in the powdered sugar/ cornstarch mixture as you go. The marshmallows can dry out quickly and become crusty if you do not coat as you go.

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Erin LepperdVanilla Marshmallows
prep time
4 Hour/s 40 Minute/s cook time
12 Minute/s total time
4 Hour/s 52 Minute/s
Serves 0Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water
1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick spray

Instructions

Pour 1/2 cup of the ice cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and place over medium high heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook for another 7 to 8 minutes without stirring. When the mixture reaches 240 degrees F immediately remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer onto the lowest setting and, while running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to the highest setting. Continue to whip for 13 minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and white. Turn off the mixer, add the vanilla, and then whip again for 2 additional minutes.
While the mixture is whipping, prepare the pans as follows: Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a spatula to spread evenly. Dust the top with some of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using scissors. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining powdered sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks

Photography: Matthew Land Studios | Design And Styling: Sinclair And Moore