Marshmallows

A marshmallow is made from a base mixture containing just 4 ingredients: sugar, glucose syrup, concentrated juice, and gelatine leaves. Concentrated juice may be substituted for water if the flavour you want to give your marshmallows stems from a powder, like liquorice, rather than a liquid, like blackcurrant juice. A marshmallow may taste like anything you wish and can have all kinds of different shapes and sizes, including the popular mini marshmallows.

Our marshmallow recipe offers an easy way to make these tasty treats. Simply follow the outlined steps, read our tips on how to get the temperature of the sugar mixture right, and experiment with the number of days to let the marshmallows dry before you find the consistency perfect. Enjoy them as they are or use them in other baking recipes or in hot chocolate.

There are many ways to enjoy these homemade delights. They can of course be enjoyed as is, but a favourite with many includes toasting them over a campfire and put it between two pieces of graham cracker with a bit of chocolate. This makes the outside toasty and caramelised while the inside becomes warm and gooey. Using a kitchen torch will achieve the same tasty result. They are also delicious in a cup of hot cocoa depending on whether you add flavour to them or not. Just cut them into mini marshmallows and stir them into the hot drink where they can melt slightly and bring a gooey deliciousness to the drink. 

While this type of candy does not go bad in the same sense as most other foods, they do not last forever. Signs that a marshmallow is no longer fit for eating include hardening, smelling stale or off, having melted, tasting off, or being difficult to chew. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature. This way, they will keep for 3-4 weeks.

Marshmallows are also all right to freeze. After preparing them, simply place them in an air-tight container or freezer bag and put them in the freezer. The homemade candy will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. As such, you can prepare any type of marshmallow well in advance. A marshmallow does not freeze solid and as such, you do not need to allow for much time for it to defrost. In general, mini marshmallows will thaw in as little as 10 minutes while bigger ones may need up to an hour.

You can certainly make marshmallow fluff out of your delicious, homemade marshmallows, and the good news is that you need just two ingredients – marshmallows and corn syrup! Simply cut them in small pieces and melt over low heat and add corn syrup when the mixture has begun to be sticky. For every 50 grams of marshmallow, use 1 teaspoon corn syrup. Stir the mixture constantly to avoid burning. In time, it will become smooth and lump-free. If the mixture is not quite smooth enough, try increasing the amount of corn syrup to 1½ teaspoons per 50 grams of marshmallow. When the mixture is smooth, transfer the hot fluff to a storage container. Remember to enjoy the fluff within the first 2 days of making it as it will start to lose its fluffiness quite quickly. It will not spoil but the consistency will chance significantly.