The quickest and easiest way to make a giant mess in the kitchen?
Make marshmallows.
I promise… there will be cornstarch, powdered sugar, hot pans and sticky bowls everywhere.
You might even get lucky and find marshmallow goo in your hair later.
Bonus.
Despite the mess and the marshmallow hair, I’m pretty stoked.
Have you made marshmallows before?
They’re so freaking fluffy!
Way more fun and fluffy than the store bought variety.
Next time I make marshmallows… I’m making a pillow sized version. For my sleeps. What could go wrong?
I flavored these little pillows with honey and vanilla bean.
As you can imagine… the vanilla bean is just perfect in fluffy marshmallows. I also quite enjoy the black specks that fancy vanilla beans provide.
The honey is a subtle addition but totally delicious.
The honey really comes through when the marshmallows are toasted or melted into hot chocolate.
Marshmallows are a good idea. Totally worth the mess.
And the sticky hair.
And the multiple dirty dishes.
And the powdered sugar hard marks on your jeans.
And the cornstarch all over your kitten.
And the sticky coffee table.
Toasted honey. That’s nice.
Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
adapted from Epicurious and Smitten Kitchen
makes about 2 dozen marshmallows
1 cup cold water, divided
3 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
half of a vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and reserved
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and powdered sugar. Spray a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat with the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture. Set both aside.
Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment. Pour the three gelatin packs over the cold water and let sit for about 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, honey, corn syrup, salt and the remaining cold water to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer the the side of the pan and bring mixture up to 240 degrees F. There’s no need to stir the mixture, just let it get hot hot hot!
When the sugar is heated to 240 degrees F, turn the mixer with the gelatin and water on low speed. Carefully stream the hot sugar mixture into the bowl and the whisk moves. Be careful onto to pour into the whisk and spatter the hot sugar all over the sides of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer until you’ve added all of the hot sugar mixture. Beat on high for several minutes until a thick, fluffy, white marshmallow batter has formed… about 8 minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract and vanilla bean and beat for another 2 minutes.
Spread the marshmallow mixture into prepared pan and smooth with a clean, wet spatula to prevent sticking. Top marshmallow with corn starch and powdered sugar mixture and let set and rest for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
When set, remove marshmallow from the pan and place on a large cutting board coated with cornstarch and powdered sugar, Use a pizza cutter, coated with non-stick cooking spray to slice marshmallows. Once sliced, toss the cut marshmallows in the cornstarch and powdered sugar and store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Yummy!
Shiny Bikes (@BR3NDA)
“3 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin”
Is this 3/4 of an ounce?
or 3 and 1/4 ounces.
Sorry – i have never used ounces. Do you have a standard 1/4 ounce packet in your country? Or do you mean you have standard 3 1/4 ounce packets??
Next i need to find out what an ounce is :-S
joythebaker
Sorry for the confusion. I the states we have 1/4-ounce packages of gelatin. So total you’ll use 3/4 ounces of gelatin.
travis
I just made your recipe very easy. thanks
retro sweets
I love marshmallow, I have never thought of making them myself but I will now! Thsnk you for this,
Travis
Any ideas on making these things vegan? Agar? Arrowroot?
Shaw Girl
I made these for our vacation to the mountains this weekend! It was a little sticky and some may have gotten into my fiance’s beard, but they are totally worth it. We’ll be using them in s’mores tonight! Thanks Joy!
Brenda
thank you. i made these last night, and added some pink colouring too
Brenda
oh, and i can’t find vanilla bean, so i used vanilla paste
Sam B
I have been making homemade marshmallows for many years. Nothing compares! The stickey gooeyness and texture makes my heart race…
I have always lined my dish with foil and lightly oiled everything to help with clean up. You can also add small amounts of paste food coloring to tint them. Looking forward to trying your recipe.
michellj
i made these last night and topped half of these with stripes of rainbow sprinkles.. making them rainbow marshmallers. adn the other half got dunked in chocolate. it was a good night.
Emily
Is it a biggie if I can’t use vanilla bean?
joythebaker
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract will be juuuust fine.
Katy Vella Pace
Your blog lightens the spirit. Thankyou for sharing your joie de vivre.
I always learn something from you, I doubt I would have ever learned about Cinespia.
It is on my list of life experiences not to be missed.
Do you have a recipe for vegan marshmallows?
Katy Vella Pace
Coldstream (North Okanagan)
BC
Alice
I made these before christmas and made little packages with homemade hot chocolate powder and a few of these babies. Everybody loved them! This was the first time I made marshmallows and I was so so so pleased! Thanks heaps dear Joy!
Rachel
Is it possible to use vanilla bean paste to make these lovely marshmallows? I don’t have any beans but I have paste and would love to make them!!
joythebaker
vanilla bean paste would totally work.
Jennifer H
Just made these. Oh my, what fantastic little cubes of fluffy white goodness! Well worth the mess and a great gift to friends! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe.
SoMD Baker
Joy, I just made your recipe. Super easy. Worked out really well, and the honey adds just the right amount of . . . different. . . they’re great! This reminds me of Lady Baltimore frosting. Sidenote: liking marshmallow fluff out of a balloon whisk is very hard!
MelanieMH
Hot damn!
The interweb is going crazy with marshmallow making!*L*
I just made some as well!
I love the idea of actual vanilla bean…fab! :)
Michelle from GA
I love making homemade marshmallows. The first time I made them and brought them in to the office everyone flipped. No one knew you could make them.
If you like honey vanilla you should try Caramel Baileys marshmallows. Use your normal marshmallow recipe but during the mixing time, after they are fluffy but about a minute before they are done pour in half a shot glass of Caramel Baileys. You will die and be immediately swept off your feet. An added plus, men love them!
Meg
Yes! I’ve been looking for something to help me show up my co-worker who brought in homemade fudge that he made with his wife (clearly when I make fudge there’s not a respectable enough amount left at the finish line to bring anywhere). But this I can manage!
Trevor
You just gave me an idea – make homemade fudge and then make a marshmallow topping and cut them out together – yumdelish!
retro sweets
Marshmallow pillow? I’m sure they’re very nice to sleep on. :) Anyway, I love the detail of the table cloth. Is it a heirloom? Uhm, maybe on Saturday I’ll make a mess in my kitchen too.
Emily
I love that you said “for my sleeps.” That’s totally how I say it, too. Oh, and the marshmallows look ridiculous, can’t wait to try them.
Somaya
Oh wow! Those look really nice and yummy. I’ll be home alone soon so no one will notice a mess in the kitchen…
Sarah
These are so yummy! My sister and I tackled these yesterday afternoon (it is a great 2 person project!) and they turned out wonderfully. Thank you for the recipe!
Bren
fantastic… i have 5 long vanilla pods here i need to break into. great inspiration…
charlotte s
looks amazing! i wish i had the ingredients to make these right away- a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows sounds beyond awesome- but since there’s a storm going on outside- it will have to wait!
Denise
You are a crack up! Looks like I’ll be up to my elbows next week in ewey gooey fabulousness!!!!
Sticky is as sticky does…….it’s all one big great adventure!
Thanking you!
Pat
Joy, oh Joy! Could Agave be substituted for the honey? Two diabetics I know would love to be able to consume some mallows. Thank you and Happy Chocolate drinking.
Kareene
This is one recipe I’m sure I’ll probably never make, even though I KNOW these are better than the
store-bought ones… but just the fact that it’s so sticky to make… just the fact that melting industrial marshmallows is a painful job, because yes, it even gets in your hair… nop. Not for me…
Sorry, I stop being adventurous here….
But I sure did enjoy reading this blog and some comments ! : p
Keep on taking awesome pics as usual ! I love your food pics !
Sarah D
First thought: WHAT!?
Second thought: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!
Kelsey
Hi Joy,
Are there any substitutes for the gelatin? I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat gelatin but your marshes look soooo tasty! Thanks!
Geni
HEAVEN! I made marshmallows for the first time a few months back for a hot cocoa cake and now I am hooked! They are so different than the yucky store bought ones. This recipe looks lick your finger, spatula and hair (remember the bits stuck in the hair) good! :)
Dajda
I had no idea you could make marshmallows instead of buying them! I’ll definitely give it a try the next time I feel like making a lot of sticky mess. :)
Karen
This look super yummy! I was thinking of substituting maple syrup for the honey, as I just purchased Vermont Maple Syrup at the Union Square Farmers Market in NYC. What do you think?
Anna
My daughter, in Seatlle, makes marshmallows with my granddaughter all the time. She’s said over and over, “Mom, you have got to try this; you’ll never go back”. It’s looking like it’s time! They look devine.
Ashleigh
Thanks, Joy! This recipe look delish and easy enough. I tried to make marshmallows last Christmas that turned into an epic fail. My ladies and I will give these a try on our next baking day.
Edith-Nicole
Okay so obviously the marshmallows look heavenly and you’ve inspired me in a way that other food-bloggers who’ve described homemade marshmallows have failed to do. But, more importantly, where did you get your beautiful green ceramic baking dish and that super cool tree-stump-slice of a cutting board or serving platter or whatever it is?
Sarah
aw, I was hoping there was some miracle substitute for gelatin, which my veggie daughter won’t eat. Is there a way to make them vegetarian? Otherwise they look incredible!!!!!
Jill
Try using agar-agar. It’s made from seaweed and used as a gelatin replacer in all sorts of foods. It can be found in most Asian or health food markets.
Stephanie
agar-agar can also be found online here
http://www.bulkfoods.com/search_results.asp?txtsearchParamTxt=agar&txtsearchParamCat=ALL&btnSearch.x=0&btnSearch.y=0&txtsearchParamType=ALL&iLevel=1&txtsearchParamMan=ALL&txtsearchParamVen=ALL&txtFromSearch=fromSearch
hope this helps you.
Aimee
How far in advance can you make these puppies and they’ll stay fresh? I’m making hot cocoa baskets this year for my friends and family and they’ll be a perfect addition!
Lauren
Oh my. I wonder if I could convince my brother to make these, without him eating them all. I adore homemade marshmallows :).
Trevor
Joy Joy Joy,
I think this looks like a wonderful adventure! So fluffy, so comfy. There’s not many marshmallows in Peru, neither is there corn syrup readily available so, I can not try this recipe unfortunately… but I’ll remember it for when I get back home!!!
Trev
Mary
I so need to make these but I don’t have a stand mixer. Do you think a hand mixer would be just as effective??
Katie (The Boston Marathoner)
Also – I love (love) the color of your baking dish… awesome green!
Amy T
Joy,
Can you substitute agave for the honey? And if so, what would be the amount.
Thanks!
Callie Feyen
“For my sleeps.” Best line in the blogosphere today as far as I’m concerned. I can’t stop giggling.
L'Orange
Those look dreamy! I wish I had the patience to try making my own. I usually buy them from Cupcakes in Jars. They make delicious soft marshmallows. Hmmm. I may have to try my hand at it. Yours look fantastic.
Melinda
Among other reasons, I especially love my husband because he makes marshmallows at Christmastime. Can’t wait to try this variation; we’ve made them with cocoa and with peppermint extract before. These look sublime.
araugh
These marshmallows look fantastic! A perfect thing to add to the Christmas baking list, and they don’t look hard to make at all! This is sure to become a favorite!
laura @ a little barefoot
i’ve been meaning to try home made marshmallows for ages. could you make them with a bit of cocoa powder for chocolate marshmallows?
Marisa
I want a marshmallow pillow too! And I promise I won’t mind a sticky mess in my hair..
Katie (The Boston Marathoner)
These look phenomenal.
Dina
Those look seriously yummy. Maybe this weekend…
Chrissy
Yum!! I’ve made marshmallows the past two years … last year I added freshly grated cinnamon to one batch and I loved the result! This year I will definitely have to try these! They will make a wonderful gift for teachers!! Any ideas on how to make chocolate marshmallows???
dana828
Making marshmallows is a favorite kitchen activity here! Sometimes plain, sometimes peppermint…but will have to try these honey ones next! Last year we made marshmallow and homemade graham crackers, and packaged them up with chocolate bars to make s’mores kits for the kids’ teachers for Christmas. :)
N-yaz
Are these marshmallows better then the store bought version?
joythebaker
seriously?
Kristen
I’ve been wanting to attempt marshmallows for quite some time now. Yours look tasty!
linda
guess the clean up is worth it…these mallows look delish!
Sasha @ Global Table Adventure
Oh wow. You sold me… except for the mess. I wonder if I could get my cat to lick up the counters? :P
Jaclyn
I’ve wanted to make marshmallows for so long! I’m always afraid that I will just end up with a destroyed pan with white goo though. These look delicious, I might have to sacrifice a pan just to make them
Alicia
Ooooh! I have never made my own marshmallows, but I love the idea of adding honey and vanilla bean. I’m glad to hear they’re worth the mess… HA!
Kaitlin With Honey
I think it is SO COOL that you make your own marshmallows!
Nicole @ The Dirty Oven
Just yummy…yummy and sticky and lovely! The marshmallows probably would tame my curls!
Emilie in MN
Ok, I never comment on blogs (except for giveaways), but I must tell you Joy, I have been obsessed for a while (read 18 months) with the idea of making marshmallows. I make candy often, so it wasn’t the fear factor holding me back. Honestly? I didn’t know what to do with plain marshmallows after I made them. This recipe would change that completely. Thank you.
Alex S
I have been making marshmallows for years… superfun!
I toss mine in potato starch instead of cornstarch… it seems to be a better stabilizer. I also never find a need to wait overnight to chop them up. within an hour they are in little bags and ready to be gifted!
(PS, Joy, re-read the post, I think some of the formatting and words got jumbled… especially after the syrup is heated… )
Lauren @ Crave. Indulge. Satisfy.
Yum yum yum! What a great flavor combination, definitely worth the mess for such a sweet result!
Susan
Hi Joy: Just discovered your blog through a friend. My son is allergic to eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, so I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipes, especially vegan. Love your photos! You could just post pics of that kitten all day and get almost as many hits. Anyway, thanks for sharing your joyful baking.
Jill
Gelatin isn’t vegan – it’s made from boiled animal bones and hooves. Try agar-agar (found in most health food and Asian stores.)
michelle
I’ve never had home-made marshmallows. Must change that.
Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen
These marshmallows look dreamy! I love how homemade they look–cute! When I was a kid I was in love with those crunchy marshmallows that came in the swiss miss packs. Gross.
mendomama
Homemade marshmallows are such an indulgence…these look manageable and delicious (despite the threat of a combusting kitchen mess!). My last attempt was 6 years ago with a Martha Stewart recipe for red striped peppermint marshmallows…it got ugly…looked like a bloody mess (and this is not British slang!). We all got a bit disgusted at the thought of actually consuming the fleshy (oops, I meant fluffy!) red-streaked globs not to mention our red stained lips and mouths…here’s hoping this is a more palatable and pleasurable experience!!! Thanks for the great holiday recipe…just in time for winter break with my son!
Nikki @ The Tolerant Vegan
I bet your kitty loved playing in this mess! They look delicious!
Immodesty Blaize
Those look yum! Is it possible to replace the corn syrup with regular light syrup or will that mess up the texture?
Lisa R.
Joy, I’ve been looking for a vanilla marshmallow recipe for forever. So thanks. :)
I made homemade marshmallows for the first time right before Halloween. I did orange, (with orange zest….Mmmmm) and covered in orange sugar. They were delicious, and very fitting for Halloween. I was shocked at how long they last, like 3 weeks or something…that’s pretty good. We were eating them forever, and gave to some family kids for Halloween. Fun!
Mellybrown
How I love making marshmallows! Adding some raspberry puree or pumpkin puree is also quite lovely. I always end up with the sticky hair and ribbons of it all over my face, and wouldn’t you know that is always the time that someone stops by unexpectedly.
Gen
I’ve never made marshmallow before, but I love them in the fireplace!
Linda
I love making marshmallows. Perfect for gifts. I have a recipe for home made coco mix. I fill a quart jar with coco mix and cello bag with the marshmallows. Everyone loves to get it. I will share my recipe if anyone wants it. Hint: Scissors work great to cut the marshmallows. I have a regular old pair of Frisks that are dedicated to my cooking tasks. I use them to cut pizza too. They work GREAT!! Just wash and keep with my utensils.
Amy @ Serve At Once
Joy. You’re so awesome.
sharon
Oh girl, I’ve made marshmallows before. I was obsessed with the idea for awhile but I think I’ve been scarred for life. The sticky got EVERYWHERE.
Kocinera
Wow.
This recipe has been bookmarked. I’ve got plans for this recipe. Wintertime + uber-decadent hot chocolate + homemade marshmallows = eternal bliss.
I’m pretty sure that’s how it goes. :D
C. Michele
Are you kidding me!?
Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cooler. I just ordered a HUGE amount of organic vanilla beans and have been trying to decide what to do with them.
Score.
anne
if i wasn’t planning on making christmas cookies this weekend, i’d totally be making marshmellows… though now i think i know what i’m doing next weekend :)
Dragon Fruit
this seriously looks AMAZING!!! I just keep thinking about homemade hot cocoa and piling these on top. yumm! going to make this A.S.A.P. :) :)
Natalia - a side of simple
Oh yum! I’ve never made marshmallows before but being that it’s “let’s have a fire in the fireplace” weather where I am, it’s the perfect excuse to roast some tasty goodness :)
Nancy
At Easter time make egg mold by pressing real eggs into a pan filled with flour or powdered sugar/cornstarch, then carefully fill the impression with warm marshmallow. After they set up, you can dust off the powdery stuff and dip them in chocolate!
sarah
When I was younger my mom make marshmallows after we read one of the ramona quimby books and they talk about eating marshmallows. My mom wasn’t impressed with them and I personally don’t remember them being all that good either. I do love to make adventurous things though so maybe I will have to one up my mama on this one!
Linnea
Whoa! These are served at a fancy dancy restaurant that I work at.. and I’ve always been very impressed that we made them ourselves.. NOW when I leave the restaurant, I can cook them myself! Love! Thanks Joy!
jk scaglione
Fact. I have never, ever in my enter over 40 decades of living thought to make marshmallows!
You go girls! Maybe it’s the sticky……?
homegrown countrygirl
I totally want to eat those odd shaped edge pieces… but you probably already ate them yourself… darn.
Rachel
Haha, I had the same thought. If I make these marshmallows for my belly dance studio’s bake sale, then I can have the edge pieces :-D
J
My heart almost stopped – I WANT THOSE so bad but I don’t know that I want to make them so much as I want someone to FEED them to me throughout the day….
sheila @ Elements
You’re right, Joy…it’s totally worth the sticky bowls and marshmallow in the hair! Been a while since I made them, but seeing your pictures is getting me in the mood to make another batch. :)
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
That’s it – I have GOT to try marshmallows this season! This is such a wonderful and unique recipe, Joy. Thanks for sharing. Also, I’m having a cookies and cookbook giveaway today that you should enter!
Drew
Why I am so mystified by marshmallows… I’ve made them twice. I wind up with a good yummy product, but I always want to slather them in chocolate or caramel. Let’s just be honest, they always wind up a sticky gooey mess… Joy help! How do I get those yummy marshmallows inside chocolate and caramel (but mostly I’m concerned about caramel, maybe both but caramel first)!
Tatiyana
I LOVE marshmallows!!! We have a stash hidden up in the cupboard for when those emergency cravings hit:) I’m still a little scared to do homemade marshmallows, the last time I tried, I was in a professional kitchen that had a cleaning crew (aka the cooks) come through when I was done, but maybe I can convince my boyfriend to be the cleaning crew for this one.
vesta
THe first thing I made with the KitchenAid mixer I got last year for Christmas was marshmallows! They are so easy and really delicious! I will be trying this recipe soon. :)
Lindsey
I just made marshmallows for the first time last night! This sounds like a great variation! I’ll have to try it.
Maggie
I’m scared of any recipe that involves a candy thermometer…but these look pretty darn delicious.
Maria Trader
I made marshmallows a few times last winter and they were a hit! Your flavors sound very nice :)
Jennifer
On Sunday I was out for dinner with a friend who ordered a Smores cheesecake for dessert. It had homemade marshmallows on it and I said, “I really have to figure out how to make homemade marshmallows.”
Were you sitting at the next table or something? How else were you able to read my mind? Can’t wait to try these!
Jade @ No Longer 25
These do look messy but also very very yummy and totally worth the mess. I always thought making marshmallows was really tricky but seeing how good they look I’m inspired to try them.
Christy
Those look delicious. You have inspired me, I will make these soon.
Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer
How did you know? I was just saying last night I wanted to try making marshmallows this year!
Diana
Where can i find vanilla bean in a store? Is it with the spices? Or do i have to go to a specialty store?
Verelle
This has Christmas gift written all over it! Thanks for the great idea!
Nancy
Homemade marshmallows are the best:) Any way to make a vegetarian version substituting the gelatin with something else?
Sally
I can tell you that Vegegel doesn’t work as it doesn’t set if you whisk it. I ended up with pink sugary goo that was kind of tasty but not really marshmallows :-(
Rachel
You reminded me that I want to make marshmallows for my holiday party this weekend. I think I am going to try sprinkling little pieces of candy cane on top. A few years ago I made marshmallows and used cookie cutters to cut them into snowflakes a la the cover of Martha Stewart Living the previous year. People were truly amazed and it wasn’t that difficult… although verrrrrrrry sticky! Thanks for sharing.
p.s. onto –> not to
trish
oh do i ever feel your pain! i made pumpkin marshmallows last year and nearly went nuts!
Emily
Yumtastic! These look amazing. There are just times when the kitchen explodes in order to get such yummy results…its totally worth it!
Shanna
I make marshmallows every year at Christmas time. They are the BEST!! Store bought taste like nothing these are so amazing. I have made them dipped in chocolate and then graham cracker crumbs for a “Smore’s bite” before – SO WORTH THE MESS!!! And this year I am dipping them in dark chocolate and crushed candy cane pieces – totally perfect for plopping one or two in hot cocoa!!
Love your blog I am a huge fan!!
Lorinda
This sounds like a tasty adventure!
Caroline
I find making marshmallows almost magical. They turn from this hot liquid into pure fluff. These sound delightful, I’ve only made plain vanilla ones before.
My goo was on the back of my hand, which then got on my shirt, the railing, and yes, my hair. The gift that keeps on giving, for sure.
Emily
Oh man, my sister made homemade marshmallows about a year ago and I’m getting a craving now just thinking about them.SO GOOD! Personally I’m a little afraid of the mess and stickiness, though… I’m pretty sure this is the recipe where she said the trick was to realize you were going to have to lose a little of the marshmallow goodness to the side of your bowl. If you try to scrape it all out things just turn bad.
PaulaMc
*bowing* I’m not worthy….I’m not worthy…
Half Assed Kitchen
And no eggs! Yay!
Heather (Heather's Dish)
my goal is to make homemade marshmallows by the end of this year! yours look gorgeous!
Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
How cool! I’ve seen a few tutorials on marshmallow-making before, but I’ve never attempted them. These look so fun and tasty. And I can completely related to the kitchen mess/sugar-in-your-hair situation: with holiday baking season upon us, I don’t think my kitchen counter has seen an evening without being covered in sugar, flour, and other baking goods :)
julie @ rosy + tart
I’ve never been a big marshmallow fan but if making them involves getting all gooey and destroying the kitchen, count me in!
Missy
I rarely post, but come here every day. I just wanted to brag and say that I have actually made marshmallows before. My friends all called me a freak – “You can buy those in the store, ya know”…. but I did it. I MADE FREAKIN MARSHMALLOWS! Screw my friends.
You and me Joy. We’re the real deal when it comes to marshmallows. :)
(PS – I love your blog. word.)
selina
Holy Moly woman it is literally like you read my mind! I have been dreaming about making mashmallows for weeeks!! do you think it is possible to make it without a stand mixer? i havent been lucky enough to get one of them yet! :(
Sally
I’ve made marshmallows using a mechanical hand whisk! The whisk almost didn’t survive, and the two of us took it in turns since our arms were getting tired by the end, but it was worth it :-)
Angela
YUM!! That mess is tame compared to mine, though. My first, second and third tries produced sticky floors, doors, counters, dog, self, kids. Not to mention the multiple hand prints on my jeans and two on either side of my t-shirt. It was worth it, though. I heart making my own marshmallows.
HappyWhenNotHungry
How creative! These look soo gooey and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
heather @ chiknpastry
I LOVE making marshmallows!! i’ve made mexican chocolate, grapefruit, raspberry, mint, orange, but never vanilla bean. a must do!
Katrina
This is a recipe I’ve always wanted to try! Thanks so much!!
Emily
I made marshmallows 2 years ago….tons of fun making that much of a mess…not so much fun cleaning it up tho. I used a vanilla that my friend had brought back from Mexico for me. You know the tanning oil Hawaiian Tropic? Well…that’s what this vanilla tastes/smells like…it is one of my favorite smells, but in marshmallows it is kinda different…not bad, just different. I’ve wanted to try them again with almond extract or maybe peppermint extract…yummy!!
the blissful baker
i’m not a huge fan of plain marshmallows, but when they are toasted, or sandwiched between two graham crackers and piece of chocolate, they are AWESOME! your marshmallow will definitely be making an appearance in my kitchen soon!
Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
After your first hoomemade marshmallow, you are spoiled for life. True fact.
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
P.S. three words. Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes!!!
Isabel
Ohmygosh! These look super amazing and delicious. I’ve never thought about making my own marshmallows until I moved to Amsterdam and found out that they don’t have them here! Except for in the fancy ex-pat store where they cost about 10 euros. You’re recipe sounds awesome, can’t wait to try it! :)
Jennifer @ Licious Food
I have been meaning to try marshmallow’s for some time … it’s on my to do list. I think the mess is what is stopping me; crazy since I love making messes? However after reading your post, I think I am ready to brave the mess since homemade marshmallows would be stellar with some homemade hot cocoa!
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday
I’ve always wanted to make marshmallows. Especially to bring camping because how gourmet would that be?
…plus I’d probably be less likely to eat a 1 kg bag of homemade marshmallows around the campfire.
Not that I’ve done that with the store variety or anything.
http://bit.ly/gJHem9
The Blue-Eyed Bakers
Oooh yes please! We are excellent mess makers. And marshmallow lovers. These would just be perfect in a big glass of hot chocolate!
Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet
Love the vanilla bean in these. Every year I say I am going to make marshmellows and now it has become a tradition. Everyone is still waiting for marshmellows!
Andrea
I attempted Martha Stewart’s recipe a couple years ago. The first go through was a semi-disaster! I ended up with a bowl full of marshmallow fluff (bonus) but no marshmallows (fail). The second time around they worked. And everything I owned was sticky.
Meghan
I have not tried my hand at making marshmallows, but am planning on it over my Christmas break!! I always say that I’m not baking or cooking until I am wearing it!!
Thanks for the great recipes!! I use your website often for my baking!
Stop and say “Hello”.
-Meghan Rae
http://www.thefashionistafoodie.blogspot.com
Jen-
Oh oh….lets dip ’em half way into some chocolate! Mmmmm.
Rebecca
I have never made marshmallows… until now :) HOOK ME UP ! Slip these puppies into some sweet potatoes, bake them and call it a day. yesss.
Aimee Shugarman
Your description of the “mess” and cleanup scares me. How about you just send me some of YOUR marshmallows :)
Betsy Gluten Freedom
That looks so fun! I bet you could do some cool variations with that recipe too.
Jessica
Awesome! I made marshmallows once and I agree that it’s totally worth the mess. They taste soooo good and so much better than store bought ones that you’d think they were a different food. As an aside, when I told people I made my own marshmallows someone actually said, “don’t you need a factory to make marshmallows?” LOL
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie
I have always wanted to make marshmallows! I think I will give this recipe a try!
Patty
I’ve made marshmallow once, and it killed my hand mixer… literally smoke was coming out of the motor. :X
jonquil
such luscious pics to go along with a wonderful recipe!
April
I too, have made marshmallows before (coffee flavored) and you’re right, they are the quickest way to make your kitchen into a huge mess. I don’t care for marshmallows. Not really. But having seen your Honey Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, well, I may change my mind.
Pattypro
One of the first things I made with my KitchenAid mixer, upon its arrival last year, was marshmallows. Lots of batches ensued from there, including green, mint, chocolate topped shamrocks for St. Paddy’s Day and chicken “peeps” for Easter! (I tried pumpkin ones this Fall, but the flavor was off.) My hubby isn’t a huge fan of store-bought marshmallows, but he can’t stay out of my homemade ones.
Lucia
I thought that marshmellows could only be bought, but here you are, making sticky sweety vanilla ones, and here I am thinking about sticky sweety vanilla brown hair and my screaming mum. I’ll definitely try!
kristy lynn
those look TO DIE FOR!
andrea
we have a corn allergy in our house so we make them with home made powdered sugar, potato starch & Lyle’s Golden Syrup. They turn out great! Will have to try the vanilla bean & honey combo! Sounds yummy!
jenna laughs
Loved this post. “For my sleeps… what could go wrong?” Hysterical!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Oh these do sound divine! I’d love them in some cocoa.
karen d
Hey Joy, I think your marshmallows look and sound great. I own a company named Daybreak Farms, and I make Gourmet Marshmallows in approx. 20 flavors. Since Monday, I have made almost 2000 marshmallows. My website is http://www.daybreakfarmstore.com. I would love it if you would take a look and pick out the flavor you would like to try and I will send you a FREE bag. ( I won the leather purse from Copper Peace, so consider this a thank you!) My email is karenday01@yahoo.com. Look forward to hearing from you!
peachkins
marshmallows–already on my list of to dos…
Estela @ Weekly Bite
I’ve always thought of marshmallows as cute food. They’re just so cute!
Can’t wait to try this!
Lauren at KeepItSweet
i’ve never made marshmallows before! your flavors sound great
Liz @ Blog is the New Black
These look awesome! Never tried making my own marshmallows. Just noticed the festive header!
NewYork City Girl Expat in Tokyo
Oh they sure do look super… I always get things on me, and sometimes in my hair too.. it wouldn’t be baking if that didn’t happen, and surely it wouldn’t be fun then…
Super pictures to boot!
stef
I find that making marshmallows is best way to use the left-over egg whites I have from making ice-cream. It’s even better when I put it in the ice-cream.
ama
I made marshmallows for the first time last week. For Christmas presents I’m doing homemade hot-cocoa mix with homemade marshmallows… But, these marshmallows look like they’ll blow my previous recipe out of the water! It’s a good thing one batch of mallows is NEVER enough! :)
Wei-Wei
Ohhhh snap. That last shot of the burnt marshmallow just killed me.
Lorren
I was looking at these, considering making them, and then the TV starts making marshmallows at me too. IT’S A SIGN. I sense homemade marshmallows in my future.
Junglewife
Yes! I just made my first “Christmas” batch yesterday. I am sure that they will be gone in a day or two! I used Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, and added a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste for those lovely little flecks! I live in a remote part of Indonesia, and we can’t get marshmallows here (or a lot of other things for that matter!) so I make my own out of necessity. They sure are delicious, though!
Ravenous Rowie
Those look fabulous! Your flavor combo is making me drool on my keyboard! I’ve never attempted homemade marshmallows, but these sound like they’re worth the mess!
Jessica @ bake me away!
haha! My sister and I made marshmallows as part of gifts last year, so I totally know what you mean by the mess. The pan of them feels so soft! Honey and vanilla bean sounds dreamy.
Emalee
What if I don’t have a stand mixer with a whisk attachment? can I whisk it by hand? I LOVE marshmallows and definitely want to make these!
laura
never thought to make then myself
Mama Maria
Toasted marshmallow = Total bliss…
Madelyn
hi joy, i just discovered your blog and i can’t stop reading! your style of writing is so fun and addictive! i like this post so much i read it again and again just for laughs :)
Rose
I’ve been wanting to make marshmallows ever since I saw Alton Brown make his… Its the main reason I have been begging my boyfriend, mom, dad, brothers, sister and my 1 year old niece for a Kitchen Aide… I’m sure one day I’ll get it so that I can finally make them! Yours look amazing!!!
Stephanie
I love the mop or broom leaning against the wall in that last photo… kinda underscores what you said about the mess! I’ve never made marshmallows yet but really want to. The picture of that toasted one is what totally sold me… gelatin is now on my grocery list.
Sara Tea
Vanilla and honey? That sounds wonderful. I had my first go at making homemade marshmallows the other night at work and was advised to make a 10x batch of this martha stewart recipe. I had a vat of hot sticky sugar, and made somewhere around 400 marshmallows. SCARY.
Seisha
Hello Joy,
I am a vegetarian and I really really miss marshmallows.
Do you know of an ingredient that could properly replace the gelatin?
Thank you :)
– Seisha
Emma
Hey Seisha, you could use Agar Flakes, a natural setting agent :)
Don’t know how easy they are to find, depends on where you are really. Other than that, you can sometimes buy ‘vegetarian’ gellatine . . . don’t know how that works but it does exist!
P.S Joy – loving the honey addition, i’ll be trying that next time i’m near a kitchen! :)
xxx
Julie
My vegan friend uses agar… I think I said that right. I believe it comes from seaweed (but doesn’t taste like it). She buys hers online – but your grocery store may carry it.. Good luck!
Abbey
Many kosher gelatins are vegetarian. I believe Lieber’s unflavored is vegetarian (may want to read the ingrediants though). You can also use agar-agar (powdered) in the same amounts as gelatin. I can’t remember the rest, but PETA has gelatin alternatives and how to use them on their website.
Abbey
Whoops…ingredients not ingrediANTS :)
Rachel
Hi Seisha
You can buy vegetarian gelatin, but it’s usually around $40 a pop. That’s a heavy price to pay for marshmallows! Peta have a page on gelatin substitutes here, although I’m not sure which would be best for marshmallows – a bit of trial and error may be the way forward.
http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/gelatin-alternatives.aspx
Alternatively, there’s a vegan/veggie marshamallow recipe here without vegetarian gelatin which works.
http://eggandmeatfree.com/vegan-marshmallows.html
Hope that helps!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat)
I’ve never made marshmallows before but I really need to. The good quality ones at the store are mighty expensive.
Laura
I agree! The honey and vanilla combination sounds divine! I’m way intimidated by making marshmallows, though. They’re so finicky….
Amy
Mmmmmm.. Delicous home-made marshmallows! I would totally steal the pillow sized marshmallow from you!
The Boob Nazi
These look SOOO good.