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Homemade Marshmallows

Better than bagged store bought marshmallows are much healthier for you as you get to control the ingredients within them with zero additives or preservatives.
Print Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 2 packets of Knox gelatin
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 cups organic raw cane sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Method
 

  1. Pour gelatin in a bowl with 1/4 cup of cold water and mix together well. Let the gelatin "bloom" for about 10 minutes.
  2. Line your 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and spray a fine coat of cooking spray (I like organic olive oil spray) and set to the side.
  3. In a large sauce pan, combine 1 cup of water with 2 cups of can sugar and dissolve over low heat for a few minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add the bloomed gelatin to the sauce pan and stir until fully dissolved. As soon as you see gelatin dissolved, STOP stirring!
  5. Increase heat to medium and bring to a low boil. Boil mixture for 15 minutes without stirring at all. Set a timer and stand with the sauce pan. You'll need to monitor it to adjust the temperature to keep the boil low but steady.
  6. When the 15 mins is up, pour the sauce pan mixture into your standing mixer with the whisk attachment. CAUTION: mixture is very hot and steaming so be careful when adding it the mixing bowl!
  7. Mix on a 4 if using a KitchenAid mixer or medium speed for 2 mins. Set a timer.
  8. Next, add your vanilla extract and increase the speed to 8 or a KitchenAid or high for about 10 minutes. You'll notice the mixture just about double in size.
  9. YOU'LL WANT TO WORK QUICKLY FOR THIS PART: pour the whipped mixture into your baking dish and smooth with a silicone spatula.
  10. Allow your marshmallows to set up for at least 2 hours.
  11. When ready to cut the marshmallows into shape, mix powdered sugar and cornstarch into a bowl and sprinkle cutting board liberally with it. Put marshmallows on the board and sprinkle the top of the mallows too.
  12. Using a large knife that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray, cut your marshmallows however thick and wide you'd like them.
  13. Sprinkle more sugar/starch mix on your cutting board and dip all sides of each mallow into it. This helps cut down on the super sticky factor.

Notes

I used an 8x8 dish instead of 9x9 for this recipe. This did make my marshmallows thicker which I decided would benefit from a 4 hour set up time vs. 2 hours.
These marshmallows were great for us on an evening we prepared them turned out to be too windy for a bonfire. We ended up making our s'mores inside with the toaster oven.
The next day our marshmallows had a firmer consistency which I find better in a marshmallow for roasting.
Stores well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
More recipes at www.johnsonhomenc.com