It’s time for marshmallows! Seriously. It’s time for hot cocoa and spiced lattes. The perfect top to these delicious hot treats? Whipped cream seems obvious, of course. But what about a big, pillowy peppermint marshmallow? Oh yes. And if you can’t find any in the store (or want something a little more special) than you’re in luck because here is a fool proof peppermint marshmallow recipe for you!
Since making these over the weekend, I now have a huge ziplock bag of them sitting on my kitchen counter. I have plans to gift as many as possible. This morning I stared at the bag trying to decide if it was okay to add one of these to my morning coffee or not. I also think these would be amazing dipped in chocolate, like these. Then they’d be a great after dinner treat.
Peppermint Marshmallows, makes around two dozen.
1 cup cold water
3 envelopes plain gelatin powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
red food coloring (optional)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1/2 cup of the water with the gelatin. Just pour the gelatin over the top of the water and let that sit while you do the next steps.
In a medium sized pot combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup and salt over medium heat. Stir until dissolved. Turn the heat up and allow the mixture to reach 240°F. It is best to use a candy thermometer for this. Once the mixture reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat.
Turn your mixer (with the gelatin water) on low. If your mixer came with a splash guard, here’s a good time to use it. 🙂 Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer while it’s running. Pour in the peppermint extract. Now turn the speed up to medium/high and beat for about 6 minutes until the batter looks white and fluffy, like marshmallow cream.
In an 8×8 square pan, spray a thin coat of nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Add a couple drops of red food coloring if using. Pour a thin layer of marshmallow cream over the bottom of the pan. Use the edge of a knife to swirl the food coloring around. Pour the remaining marshmallow cream in, add a couple more dots of red food coloring and use your knife to swirl again over the top. Now sprinkle on some powdered sugar, cover and allow to set overnight.
The next day, plop the marshmallows out onto a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to slice into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Here’s a quick video tutorial if you want to see exactly how to make homemade marshmallows:
These are truly delicious, so I highly recommend giving them a try. Also, if any of you know a good resource for finding a vegan-friendly alternative to gelatin, I’d love to hear it. I’ve been wanting to give vegan marshmallows a try for some time now. 🙂 Enjoy! xo. Emma
Peppermint Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 envelopes plain gelatin powder
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- red food coloring optional
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1/2 cup of the water with the gelatin. Just pour the gelatin over the top of the water and let that sit while you do the next steps.
- In a medium sized pot combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup and salt over medium heat. Stir until dissolved. Turn the heat up and allow the mixture to reach 240°F. It is best to use a candy thermometer for this. Once the mixture reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat.
- Turn your mixer (with the gelatin water) on low. If your mixer came with a splash guard, here's a good time to use it. ? Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer while it's running. Pour in the peppermint extract. Now turn the speed up to medium/high and beat for about 6 minutes until the batter looks white and fluffy, like marshmallow cream.
- In an 8×8 square pan, spray a thin coat of nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Add a couple drops of red food coloring if using. Pour a thin layer of marshmallow cream over the bottom of the pan. Use the edge of a knife to swirl the food coloring around. Pour the remaining marshmallow cream in, add a couple more dots of red food coloring and use your knife to swirl again over the top. Now sprinkle on some powdered sugar, cover and allow to set overnight.
- The next day, plop the marshmallows out onto a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to slice into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Credits // Author and Photography by: Emma Chapman
96 Comments
What a great idea!!!
xoxo ~Shari
http://www.pinkblotmom.com
These sound so good and perfect for hot chocolate! So yummy.
Carlee
http://thelittlesloth.blogspot.com/
When you let them set – are they setting at room temp or in a fridge?
For a vegan version, you might be able to substitute agar-agar or carageenan for the gelatin. I’m going to have to try that since I am vegan and these look amaaazing!
What can I use instead of corn syrup? Great idea anyway;)
These would make a great Christmas gift – put in a mason jar with a pretty ribbon and you’re set!
According to the internet, this is THE vegan marshmallow recipe! http://veganmarshmallows.blogspot.com/2009/04/vegan-marshmallow-recipe.html
awesome idea – would make a great gift for coworkers!
I LOVE making homemade marshmallows at this time of year, but even when I cover them in powdered sugar they remain super sticky instead of being coated on the outside like store bought marshmallows. Or, they end up tearing and coming out ugly shapes when I try to cut them. It’s fine, but messy. Any suggestions for preventing either or both of these from happening?
Oh my gosh these are rad!! Would love to hand these out to friends for the holiday, thanks guys! <3 xoxo
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrownofCreationShop
These look and sound just so so scrummy! x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
I’ve never made marshmallows before but these look great.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
What a great recipe! I can’t wait to try this out myself!
Such beautiful pictures! I’m craving a peppermint hot chocolate now, yum 🙂
I would love to see a vegan marshmallow recipe, yet all the recipes I have seen use carrageenan as a substitute for the gelatin. With a simple google search many studies come up questioning the safety of this ingredient. Can’t wait to see if anyone finds another alternative!
Holy moly, these sound amazing- beautiful, too! I love homemade marshmallows. These would be dangerous for me to make!
-Becca
http://ladyfaceblog.blogspot.com
Such a great idea! Delicious and looks so beautiful too!
Wanna try it! X
http://www.carolinabin.com
amazing idea! 2 of my favourite things combined!
xx
I’m thinking about attempting marshmallows for the first time this holiday.
Also, Mary Janes Farm sells a vegan gelatin alternative called ChillOver Powder.
It’s made with a sea vegetable.
I use agar-agar for vegan versions of jello, marshmallows, and gummy candy. The only thing to keep in mind (especially with jello), is that agar-agar is a little denser when it sets so you won’t get the jiggly jello thing going on. These peppermint mallows look Ah-Mazing though. I’ll def be giving them a try :)…vegan of course!
They look fantastic! I made blue ones once, think I have to try this as well. 🙂
Oooh thank you!
These marshmallows sound amazing!! Do you know for how long I can store them? xx
omg these look amazing!! I need these in my hot chocolate asap! : )
http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/
The red swirl makes them look so pretty! I don’t think I’ve ever tried peppermint marshmallows, but I do love hot chocolate with a peppermint kick. homemade is always better than store bought.
M.
Great recipe & it looks delicious!
I’ve asked for a sugar thermometer for Christmas so I can finally learn how to make marshmallows… my favourite sweet treat 🙂
I’ve had good luck with letting them sit longer, a day or more, and then rolling in the powdered sugar. also, thicker marshmallows cut into cubes a little easier for me as well.
I did this last year with peppermint, and then did another batch with vanilla bean and gifted with jars of cocoa, people loved them and it was so easy! Two batches of marshmallows was enough for all of the smaller gifts that I needed to give, plus leftovers for me!
These look so delicious!
These are delightful! What a marvelous idea! And they’re so darn pretty! 🙂
http://sometimesgracefully.com
It looks so lovely!! Really want to try it myself
WOAH I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD MAKE MARSHMALLOWS!
http://talisatalksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/christmas-gift-guide-for-him.html
Oh goodness. Those look fantastic!!
what a cool idea!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
I’ve always wanted to try making marshmallows. These look so delicious, I might have to do it! Thank you for another great post.
What a great idea! who doesn’t love hot chocolate and marshmallows? 🙂
So could I just use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer…I am lacking that glorious device. And sorry if you have already answered that question…I am at work and just taking a moment to glance.
I love making marshmallows! They’re not nearly as complicated as people seem to think and soo much better than the mass-produced ones you can get in the shops. Thanks for reminding me to make some for the holidays 🙂
That looks so good! Can’t wait to try it out 😀
http://imaniqbal.blogspot.com/
Oh dear God, these are BEAUTIFUL! Definitely making them for my holiday party next week 🙂
I was thinking the same thing—to give a little bag of these along with a jar of hot-chocolate!
These sound FABULOUS
The bit of food coloring you added makes them extra special!
Oh this is so so cute! Definitely want to give homemade marshmallows a try!
xo, Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
No way! This looks so delicious. I particularly love the swirl through it.
Christine
Ooh these look amazing! Perfect for Christmas 🙂
They’re so beautiful with the red food colouring. I would be seriously tempted to make a candy cane coloured red and green mix!
This sound so goood! xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.com
Love this idea!!!! And I’m a big hot coco fan but where the heck do I get a candy thermometer????
Looks incredibly yummy!!! Drool
http://Www.babyandabirkin.com
Mmm yum!
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
My husband would love these! He’s obsessed with peppermint. I buy him his own box of mini candy canes every winter. These would be a really cute gift!
You have to add in a bit of cornstarch. 2/3 cups powdered sugar and 1/3 cup cornstarch. They won’t be sticky at all!! ?
Yummm these look SO good! I love marshmallow… how would lemon marshmallow taste? Sounds too risky!
Rosie x | Every Word Handwritten
These look delicious! I’ve always wanted to make them, but never had the guts to whip up hot sticky sugar in a bowl.
http://poshpurpose.blogspot.com
Such a great idea! Peppermint marshmallows are so expensive at the cookware shops around but so delicious! Cannot wait to give these a try! – Leith
http://outsidelanddiaires.blogspot.com
yumm – I’d love to make these for my coworkers for the holidays! great idea!
http://6000milestohome.blogspot.com
I have been under the impression that making homemade marshmallows is way to hard, but you’ve inspired me to give them a try!
Do i need to grease the pan or put down parchment paper before pouring in the marshmallow cream in it?
This looks amazing! I was thinking of making Candy Cane hot chocolate but this looks even better 🙂
Those look amazing! I would love to try it.
Christen
feathers and ash
If you are using a non stick style of pan generously sprinkling with powdered sugar should do the trick. You can also spray on a light coat of non stick cooking spray before dusting with powdered sugar for extra security. 🙂 Good luck!
-Emma
Progress shots would be SUPER helpful.
Stop it. Amazing!
These turned out great! However, my family thinks the flavor was a bit strong–almost medicinal. Next time I think I’ll cut the peppermint extract in half. Thank you for the great recipe. They are very pretty too!
Ooh these sound so good!
^^ I think I might use this recipe http://www.inhabitots.com/how-to-make-homemade-vegan-marshmallows/
if I can get my hands on corn syrup, that is.
great, thank you!
YES… I am definitely going to try these. I help my daughter make a mocha instant coffee mix for her friends for gifts, and these would go nicely with that!
Just an FYI powdered sugar is simply cornstarch & sugar pulverized together.
http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-powdered-sugar-88812
Thanks for the link! I’m going to have to start making my own now!! I think you just have to have a little abundance of cornstarch in the mixture to maintain the integrity of the outside of the marshmallow. With just normal powdered sugar, often it soaks up the powdered sugar. That little extra kick of cornstarch in addition to what’s in the powdered sugar helps keep them from sticking.
Marshmallows are so on trend at the moment. And peppermint such a gorgeous Christmas-y spin on the theme. I know what I’m going to be having Christmas morning…
I’ve never made marshmallows before, but you’ve inspired me to try!
I love making marshmallows! Their surprisingly easy and wayyyyy better than the store-bought kind! The peppermint ones seem perfect for holidays and I love the red food coloring!
xoxo
Taylor
http://www.welcomehometaylor.com
Check out this site, no corn syrup! http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2010/marshmallows.html. I have made several batches and they were wonderful!
Weather could also be a factor if your marshmallows are a little sticky. Try making them on a day when the humidity isn’t up.
Excellent marshmallows. I’m really impressed that you made them yourself.
Oh my! This looks soooo yummy! Feels very christmasy! 🙂
http://andreavytlacilova.com/
I start my Christmas baking yesterday, the kitchen was a mess anyway, so I just had to make marshmallows after see this recipe. Never made them before, it was so simple! They are delicious! They were a immediate family favorite.
I think these would be a great Christmas gift for my grandparents. 🙂
I just made these as my first marshmallow attempt! They are AWESOME! Thank you so much for the recipe and inspiration, I”m making more in just a few minutes!
I love your recipes and always want to make them, but they are a little inconvenient to use because of the format. It would be great if you could make a printable copy of each recipe!
Looks delish!
http://www.lsley-kim.com
These look amazing! I’ll have to make some soon. Thank you for sharing.
– http://www.thescribblingpixie.wordpress.com
Hey! I’m from Italy and sadly we haven’t corn syrup.. What can I use? Maybe honey? And how do I replace the gelatin powder with the gelatin foils?
Thank you!! 🙂
Marta
Wow they look amazing! I need to try to make this! Only I’ll have to sit down first trying to convert your measurements into metric system as I live in Denmark. But anyway – can’t wait to get started <3
A replacement for Corn Syrup maybe Coconut Nectar. I have used this as substitute in many raw vegan dessert recipes 😉
Are they sitting out on the counter overnight or in the fridge? And whats diffent about a candy thermometer than a regular meat thermometer?
Agar agar is the vegan form of gelatin…
My marshmallows would not come close to “pouring”. Taste s good but VERY difficult to put in dish. Any suggestions as to where I went wrong?
This was my first attempt at making marshmallows and i thought it was ridiculously difficult! I ended up with a sticky mess and only got about half of the marshmallows actually out of the mixing bowl and into the pan. So frustrating! Where did I go wrong!?!
Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to share these with friends and family!
Mine came out so sticky. Any ideas to help with that.
I’ve never made marshmallows before, but I am sooo making these. They’d be perfect for Christmas time!
Mine are too sticky to come out of the pan. Any ideas on what I did wrong? I *thought* I followed the recipe, but they’re not budging out of that pan!
Hi Libby,
It’s hard to say without looking at your batch. But, did you dust the entire pan with non stick cooking spray and then powdered sugar before pouring in the batter? I will usually go around the edges of the pan with a knife before removing the marshmallows the next day to a cutting board. And you sometimes have to give them some help on their way out, by gently pulling the marshmallows from the pan. But they should come out pretty easy and spring back into the pan shaped once you’ve pulled them.
Hope that helps!
-Emma
I just made these a couple days ago… My first time ever making marshmallows and it went pretty well. I also had trouble with the stickiness of the marshmallows after letting them set. They stuck to the pan REALLY bad but I was able to get it all out, even though they did not turn out in pretty squares like on ABM. I will have to try the corn starch idea next time. Any other thoughts on what to try?
(They were delicious by the way!!!)
I just finished mine! They are so delicious, I filled a mason jar with them immediately and am giving them as a late Christmas/not-as-late New Years present! The more powdered sugar you use, the better. They won’t be nearly as sticky and will be easier to handle, pop out of the pan, and cut into cubes.
Thanks for such a great recipe! xoxo
I had trouble with that too, but once I gave up on all cooking utensils and just yanked them out with my hands things went much smoother.