How to Make Homemade Marshmallows

I have made my own marshmallows - about 30 years ago. It was kind of fun, but we never did it again and it did taste a lot like the kind you buy. So much so that it is not really worth doing unless you are a marshmallow nut.

This was the topic of a recent Good Eats episode. In it, AB not only shows how to make marshmallows, but also "Peeps" and mini-mallows. Check it out.

Definitely worth it! So much better than store bought and you can make them in any flavor you want!

I was going to suggest "Good Eats" as well. Love that Show.

I've attempted to make vegan marshmallows (as gelatin is made from boiled hooves, ligaments, and tendons - - ewww!) using agar agar as a gelatin substitute. Agar agar is an aquatic plant based substance. Unfortunately I didn't let it dissolve enough so the marshmallows did not turn out (they were very flat and off colour).

That said, regardless of what type you're making, they are a PAIN. You have to heat the mixture up to the 'hard ball' stage (around 120 degrees celsius I believe) and watch a candy thermometer carefully.

They're amazing if they turn out though. If you eat gelatin, it's probably worth your while to buy store-bought ones... if you're a vegetarian like me and don't want to pay $7 bag (much less *find them*), making them is the way to go.

My daughter has a Martha Stewart recipe for home-made marshmallows. They are totally wonderful -- so much better than store bought. And then if you melt some chocolate and drizzle it on them, or dip them into it, it is heaven on earth!

I may have to make some on my own. I got some from my mom (in her yearly tin of fudge and cookies) and it was fairly heinous.

I have used the following recipe

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/106/Marshmallows

They turned out great and we made a bunch of them chocolate covered and gave baggies of them as present toppers. Making your own looks much nicer when chocolate coated instead of the typical store bought cylinders.

It is not worth the effort if you don't use a recipe that includes eggwhites.

The texture is luscious with eggwhites, not just squishy. And no harder to make. Storebought just barely compare to good homemade.

Do they melt up like store bought... to use in rice crispie treats and such?

Beware trying this - we've made peppermint-flavored marshmallows in the past (which are really good, by the way), but where we live we have pretty high humidity (cold winter fog keeps it around 85-100%). Humidity is the death of marshmallows, especially home-made, due to the high sugar content (and as Alton Brown would tell you, sugar is hygroscopic). They basically never set up and end up more the consistency of marshmallow fluff...

Good luck!

-e

Totally worth it to make your own. I make my own hot cocoa mix and marshmallows for holiday gifts. People go crazy for them and they are 10 times better than store bought (and 10 times cheaper than the Whole Foods "handmade" ones).

Hooves are what makes it yummiest.

No not hooves, tendons DUH!

Yes Yes Yes. They are delicious and if you have any kind of experience making candy/fudge etc you will find them really easy. I used to do them as a kid with my grandmother.

I'm a vegetarian and make rice krispie bars using Marshamallow fluff instead of marshmallows.

I never thought people were so into marshmallows!

Homemade marshmallows are way yummier but mostly a foolproof way to impress people (they'll think you're magic). I don't have a candy thermometer (yet), but use my electric wok with the temp gauge set to approximate the temp required. Then you let it whip in your mixer for fifteen minutes and by the time your dough (small, unassuming, snot-like) ends up huge and white and fluffy, you'll begin to think you're magic too.

17 comments on homemade marshmellows? They must be good.

There's a recipe for homemade peppermint marshmallows here: http://bakingbites.com/2007/12/peppermint-marshmallows/

Homemade is definitely better - you will never buy storebought again. I first made them about a year ago, and have made 6 or so batches since then - vanilla (basic recipe), peppermint, cinnamon and irish cream flavored. They are fairly easy and inexpensive to make, if a little time consuming and just slightly messy - but the mess and the wait is worth it.

hi - I have tried the martha stewart receipe ... I live in a really humid climate. Any way to combat the humidity (ie cook longer, turn your air way down etc?). tips? and has anyone tried it with maple syrup as a substitute for the corn syrup and if so did it turn out?