If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow, you are in for a real treat— the texture, the bounce! They are nothing like store bought (which is a good thing!). And because these are made with only maple syrup (there’s no corn syrup and no cane sugar), the flavor is wonderfully maple-y and so delicious. The maple flavor really comes through in a lovely way, and paired with a little vanilla they have incredible flavor!
If candy-making is new to you, this is a great project to get your feet wet. Homemade marshmallows are actually pretty quick and really easy to make! Let me show you how!
Watch the video for how to make homemade maple marshmallows!
What can you do with homemade maple marshmallows?
Hot cocoa! These are the very best marshmallow for topping a mug of hot cocoa. Here’s my Hot Chocolate Recipe (made with pasture-raised A2/A2 milk powder) if you need it!
Roasting, toasting, and s’more-ing! Yes, you can toast these marshmallows over a flame, however… if you intend to do that, leave them out at room temperature in the open air for at least two days. Otherwise they will be too soft and fall right off the stick.
Baking and recipes! My very favorite use for these homemade maple marshmallows is in my Chocolate Fluffernutter Peanut Clusters recipe! This is simply little marshmallows and salted peanuts in chocolate. Incredibly simple and soooo good! I’m sure these would be fantastic in other baking or dessert recipes as well.
Just eat them! These are so good that they really could be a stand alone snack. Have a marshmallow and a handful of chocolate chips to satisfy your sweet tooth.
What Ingredients are used to make Maple Marshmallows?
Maple Syrup: Real maple syrup, of course. You can use darker grade, which has a more robust maple flavor and is what I usually prefer, or lighter grade. Both are great. Here’s a great brand –> Maple Syrup.
Gelatin: It’s hat makes the marshmallows soft and squishy! I always get a grass-fed or pasture-raised gelatin, like Great Lakes or Vital Proteins— both work well. Here’s a great brand –> Gelatin.
Arrowroot Starch or Powdered Sugar: This is for coating the marshmallows when they’re done. Here’s a good brand –> Arrowroot.
Vanilla: If ever there were a time where a vanilla bean will shine, this is it. You can use vanilla paste, a whole bean, or just vanilla extract. Here’s what I use –> Vanilla Bean Paste.
How do you store homemade maple marshmallows?
The marshmallows will keep at room temperature for about a week, usually a little longer if you leave them to dry on the counter for a day or so before putting them into an air-tight container. If you intend to keep them longer than a week, they store really well in the freezer!
Homemade Maple Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
- 1 1/4 cups maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, vanilla extract, or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- arrowroot starch or powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper goes up all sides of the pan. Sprinkle the parchment lightly with arrowroot starch, or powdered sugar.
- In the bowl of your stand mixture place 1/2 cup cold water. Sprinkle the gelatin over top of the water so that it hydrates or “blooms.” Stir it until there are no pockets of dry powder. You will need the whisk attachment, and it’s best to get that set up now too.
- Place the other 1/2 cup water in a 2-quart saucepan, along with the maple syrup, and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat so that the mixture boils moderately. AND DO NOT STIR IT. Any agitation of the sugar can cause it to crystallize. Keep a watchful eye, as it can boil over in just seconds! If it threatens to do this, turn the heat down.
- Continue boiling until it reaches 242°F, which will take 15-20 minutes. The bubbles of the boiling sugar will start to change texture when it’s getting close. Once you hit the target temperature, turn off the heat.
- Work quickly but safely. Turn the mixer on low, and then slowly start to stream the syrup into the bowl of the mixer and onto the gelatin. Try not to get the syrup on the side of the bowl, or the whisk… but right down to the bottom of the bowl where the bowl starts to curve up.
- Once the syrup is in, turn the mixer up to medium for about 30-60 seconds until the mixture starts to turn lighter in color. Stop and add the vanilla now.
- Turn the mixer on medium-high to finish it. It will take between 5-10 minutes for the mixture to turn into marshmallow, and knowing when it’s done is a bit of an art. Whip it too little and it won’t set, whip it too much and it will harden right in your bowl.
- The marshmallow is ready when it has about tripled in size, is cool to the touch, and when it just holds a bit of a shape when drizzled from the whisk into the bowl.
- Once this happens, work quickly! You have about 30 seconds to scrape the marshmallow from the bowl into your prepared pan before it sets. Jiggle the pan and tap it on the counter to help the marshmallow settle.
- Allow the marshmallow to sit at room temperature for about 4 hours before attempting to cut them into squares.
- Remove the marshmallow from the pan using the parchment handles, and place it onto a cutting board. Sprinkle the top with more starch (which will prevent your knife from sticking), and then use your sharpest knife to cut the marshmallows into 2-inch squares.
- After the marshmallows are cut, dust them again with starch or powdered sugar. Use just as much as it takes to make the cut sides no longer sticky, you don’t want gobs of starch on the them! I often give them a toss in a colander at the end to get excess starch off.
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Crystal. I love growing, cooking, and preserving, and we hope to inspire you to do the same!
You can get to know me better over on Instagram where I share a lot of our day to day lives, including what we’re cooking and eating, what the chickens are up to, and how the gardens and orchards are producing.
My YouTube channel is where I share more in-depth tutorials on topics like gardening and orchard care and preserving.
My book, Freeze Fresh, teaches you how to preserve over 50 different fruits and vegetables. I share my time-tested preparation techniques that ensure color, texture, and flavor are retained in the freezer. From familiar favorites like apples, corn, potatoes, and peas to surprises like lettuce, avocado, and citrus fruit. There are over 100 recipes that freeze well, such as Blueberry Maple Pancake Sauce, Pickled Sliced Beets, Mango Chutney, and Honey Butter Carrot Mash–as well as delicious ways to cook the frozen food after thawing, including Tart Cherry Oatmeal Bars, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and Blueberry-Matcha Latte Smoothie.
DISCLOSURE
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Looks delicious!!!!