Homemade Marshmallow Recipe (A Better-For-You Holiday Treat)

Our go-to homemade marshmallow recipe made us wonder why we ever bought marshmallows from the store—so now we’re sharing it with you!

Marshmallows bring such sweet memories of hot cocoa on cold nights and sticky fingers around the campfire. That is, until you flip over the bag to glimpse the ingredient list like we did. After that not-so-sweet realization, we decided to start experimenting with homemade versions.

Eventually, we struck gold…which brings us to this post. 

We’re not here to say you should never buy marshmallows again or that treats need to be perfectly clean to be enjoyed. We’re big believers in balance, but we also love learning how to make things at home for better ingredient control and flexibility. 

It helps that DIY marshmallows happen to be a ton of fun to make! So today, we’re sharing our favorite homemade marshmallow recipe, along with some creative ways to enjoy them. If you don’t have the ingredients just yet, bookmark this page so you can come back to it later. 

Why Store-Bought Marshmallows Aren’t Our First Choice

Most store-bought marshmallows rely on a short list of ingredients that do a lot of heavy lifting: corn syrup, refined sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives to extend shelf life. From a science perspective, we get it. From a crunchy perspective, it’s not exactly what we’re looking for.

There are cleaner marshmallows without corn syrup on the market (like Dandies and Hearthy Foods), and we love that those options exist. The downside is that they can be harder to find at mainstream grocery stores and usually come with a price tag that’s two to five times higher than other marshmallows.

Making marshmallows at home has become our favorite middle ground. When you DIY them, you get to decide your marshmallow ingredients, skip the corn syrup, and create something that feels like a treat but not a compromise. Plus, once you realize how fluffy and fresh homemade marshmallows are, it’s hard to go back.

Here’s Why Homemade Marshmallows Are Worth It

Honesty time: we thought marshmallows were way more complicated than they actually are. It all felt very science-y and intimidating, but once we tried it for ourselves, we couldn’t believe we had put it off for so long. Now, we look forward to making our own marshmallows for everything from hot chocolate nights to holiday gifts. 

Here’s why we keep coming back to homemade:

• Ingredient control. You know exactly what’s going into your marshmallows (and what’s not).
• Dietary flexibility. This recipe works with organic cane sugar and natural sweeteners like honey or agave, depending on your preference. 
• More wholesome. Making marshmallows at home means avoiding the artificial fillers in store-bought versions, while keeping the treat just as satisfying.
• Cost-effective. Especially compared to specialty brands, homemade marshmallows stretch your dollar way further.
• Totally doable. Candy-making sounds intimidating, but once you understand the steps, it’s surprisingly approachable.
• Holiday-level cozy. Making marshmallows with the kids is such a fun winter tradition, and a great technology-free activity when you need a break from the screens.

Homemade Marshmallow Recipe (Marilee’s Go-To)

This is the homemade marshmallow recipe we come back to again and again. It creates soft, fluffy marshmallows with that classic texture, without relying on corn syrup. 

Ready to learn how to make homemade marshmallows? These steps are straightforward and the results are consistently good (which is always a win when you’re trying something new).

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Marshmallow Mixture:

• 2 cups white sugar (increase to 2½ cups if you’re not using honey or agave)
• ½ teaspoon white vinegar
• ⅓ cup raw honey or agave
• ½ cup water (for the sugar syrup; increase to ⅔ cup if you’re not using honey or agave)
• ½ cup water (to bloom the gelatin)
• 2½ packets unflavored gelatin (about 6 teaspoons total)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (We like a slightly heavier hand here to balance the sweetness)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Dusting Powder:

• ½ cup cornstarch, sifted
• ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

(This combination keeps the marshmallows from sticking and makes them easy to handle and store. If you want to skip the sugar and only use cornstarch for dusting, that works just as well!)

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows: Step-by-Step

1. Bloom the gelatin. Add the water to your mixer bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Stir gently to make sure everything is saturated, then let it sit for at least 10 minutes. 

2. Prep the pan. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch pan with grass-fed butter or solid coconut oil. You can also line the pan with parchment paper if you prefer.

3. Make the sugar syrup. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, and agave or honey. Stir gently just until moistened. Heat over medium to medium-high until the mixture begins to simmer. Once it boils, cover the pan and reduce heat. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes to dissolve any sugar crystals, then uncover.

4. Heat to the right temperature. Continue heating the syrup, gently swirling occasionally. You’re aiming for 240-245°F. Your climate plays a role, so don’t stress about hitting a perfect number—anywhere in that range works. When it reaches temperature, remove from heat and let the bubbles settle.

5. Whip the marshmallow mixture. With the bloomed gelatin in your mixer and the whisk attachment on, mix on medium speed. Add the salt, then slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whisk for 5-8 minutes. The mixture will triple in size, turn bright white, and look like thick, glossy meringue. Add the vanilla and whisk for another minute or two.

6. Spread and set. Scrape the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan and smooth it evenly. Dust generously with the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Let the marshmallows set at room temperature for at least 6 hours. 

7. Cut, store, clean up. Turn the set marshmallow slab onto a dusted surface and cut into squares. Lightly grease your knife or scissors for cleaner cuts. Toss the pieces in more dusting powder and store in an airtight container. Make sure they’re exposed to as little air as possible, and you can store them indefinitely. Then, all that’s left is cleanup! 

How We Love to Enjoy Homemade Marshmallows

It’s time for our favorite part… This is where homemade marshmallows really won us over. Once you’ve made a batch at home, they stop being a “special occasion” ingredient and start showing up in all the everyday ways you enjoy indulgent treats at home. 

We’ll never get tired of dropping a marshmallow into a steamy mug of hot cocoa or stacking it into a gooey s’more. DIY marshmallows make our favorite nostalgic sweets even better, but we’ve also loved experimenting with different uses and figuring out what feels worth the effort.

Here are some fun ways to enjoy marshmallows that you might not have thought of: 

• Homemade marshmallow fluff. If you’ve ever wondered how to make marshmallow fluff, you’re already most of the way there. Gently melt your marshmallows for a delicious spread you can add to peanut butter sandwiches or fold into baking recipes. 
• Rice crispy treats. We love making homemade rice crispy treats with our leftover marshmallows! In our experience, we’ve found that it makes them softer, less sticky, and more flavorful. 
• Bake them into desserts. Have you ever tried rocky road cookies? Once you do, you’ll never turn back. Try folding marshmallows into cookie dough or brownie batter for little pockets of melty goodness. 
• Marshmallow pops. Add a stick, dip in chocolate, and coat them with colorful sprinkles. Kids always have fun decorating their marshmallows, and it’s great for gifting! 

A Sweeter Way to Enjoy the Little Things

Making marshmallows at home started as curiosity and turned into one of those super-satisfying habits that stuck. This homemade marshmallow recipe is such a rewarding activity, especially when you involve your children in the fun to help them understand what goes into their food.

For us, this is just one example of choosing a crunchier, more intentional approach when we can. We love learning how small choices can add up in big ways—whether that’s what we put on our skin or what we make in our kitchens. For more recipes, nontoxic tips, and skincare advice, head to The Sudsy Scoop and explore our other blog posts. 

Have you tried making marshmallows at home, or is there another treat you’ve been curious to DIY? Leave a comment and let us know!