Homemade Marshmallow Recipe- No Corn Syrup!

Who doesn’t love pillowy marshmallows that turn to sugary goo when melted on a smore or on top of a hot chocolate?! It’s super convenient to grab a packet from the shop but what if I told you you could make these at home from just a few ingredients? My Homemade Marshmallow Recipe doesn’t contain any corn syrup or additives like a lot of manufactured marshmallows.

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Do I need any special equipment?

I would highly recommend a food thermometer when making these marshmallows from scratch. It allows an accurate reading of the sugar temperature which is really important when making marshmallows. It’s a relatively inexpensive kitchen gadget that is super handy to have if you bake at home regularly. You can make these marshmallows without it by testing to see if the sugar is ready yet using cold water. The sugar in this recipe is taken to a hard ball stage, more about the hard ball stage below.

You’re also going to need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. The marshmallows need to be whisked on high for at least 8-10 minutes so it’s not possible by hand.

Do I need any special ingredients?

In my recipe for Homemade Marshmallows, I don’t use corn syrup. I have seen a lot of US based recipes that use this ingredient. I live in Ireland and as far as I am aware, corn syrup is not sold anywhere in EU. Personally, I prefer to use Lyle’s Golden Syrup in my recipe. It does produce a slightly off white, more yellowy kind of colour so if you wanted to keep them super white you can substitute for glucose or honey.

This recipe also calls for gelatin. I used Dr Oetker’s Gelatin Powder when making my homemade marshmallows(and when making my goat yoghurt pannacotta, recipe here). Usually I prefer to work with gelatin sheets but with Ireland currently in a lockdown I am limited with what shops are open. I picked the gelatin powder up from the local shop and it worked perfectly. This does mean these are not suitable for vegetarians unfortunately. I am currently recipe testing a vegan marshmallow using agar agar and aquafaba(chickpea juice) so hopefully I can provide a vegan alternative soon!

How far do I cook the sugar?

Admittedly, this is the trickiest and most time consuming part. With or without a food thermometer it always takes some time, at least 10-12 minutes. Make sure to regularly swirl the sugar in the pan, every minute or so to prevent burning. You’re looking for the sugar to reach a hard ball stage. Hard ball stage means that the sugar has reached a temperature of 121-130°c or 250-266°f. If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can test this by dropping a tiny amount of sugar into cold water. If it forms a hard ball in the water, it has reached this stage.

How do I prepare a baking tin for these?

I use a small square baking tin like this one, found on Amazon. It’s a perfect size for this recipe. You’re going to grease the tin lightly and line it with baking parchment. Next you’ll mix together the icing sugar and cornflour and sieve a layer of it onto the paper. This will help prevent the marshmallow from sticking to the bottom. You will use this sugar cornflour mix to top the marshmallow with another layer and to toss the set and cut marshmallows in later.

How do I store the marshmallows?

Store these marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not put these in the fridge. As this recipe contains egg whites, these are best eaten within 3-5 days of making. I have read in various places that you can freeze marshmallows for up to 3 months but I have never tried this, they never stick around long enough for me to try!