These homemade gluten-free marshmallows are made without corn syrup. They are simple to make and ready for all the gluten-free s'mores and topping cups of hot chocolate.
Around our house, these gluten-free marshmallows are a year-round treat because our girls love them. It doesn't matter if we are roasting them around the fire pit in the summer or tossing them into some homemade hot cocoa around the holidays. I will even find little ones sticking their hands in the jar just to eat one as a snack.
These marshmallows are easy to make; they are a melt-in-your-mouth and surprise everyone when you say you made them yourself, an old-fashioned kind of treat.
Are marshmallows gluten-free?
Not always. Yes, there are some brands of marshmallows that are gluten-free. I personally love the Dandies brand when I buy them. Jet-puffed by Kraft is also gluten-free, as well as the Walmart brand ones. Always check the labeling to see if your brand of marshmallows is gluten-free.
If you look at the ingredient list more, you will see that most of those brands use corn syrup as the first ingredient, which is gluten-free, but sometimes you just want a marshmallow without corn syrup.
I get that it can be kind of intimidating to think about making your own. Trust me, though; if you have never made homemade marshmallows yourself, you are in a huge treat with this recipe.
Ingredients to make gluten-free marshmallows
- Unflavored Gelatin
- Water
- Sugar
- Honey
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Arrowroot Starch for dusting
Can you make marshmallows without gelatin?
Yes, you can make marshmallows without gelatin. You can replace the gelatin in a one-to-one ratio with agar-agar. If you are going to be using agar flakes, you will need about three times the amount of gelatin.
How to make marshmallows without corn syrup?
These marshmallows are easy to make, just like my caramels without corn syrup.
Step 1. Bloom the gelatin
Step 2. Create a simple syrup.
Step 3. Dissolve the gelatin.
Step 4. Whip until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 5. Spread out the marshmallows, let dry and enjoy!
Tips for making the best gluten-free marshmallows.
- Cook the simple syrup long enough - Since we are making these sugar and honey marshmallows, you want to make sure that your mixture cooks to about 240 degrees before adding the gelatin.
- Do NOT skimp on the beating time – You want to make sure you are getting as much air into the marshmallow mixture as you can. This will help your finished product have a light and fluffy marshmallow texture, which we all love.
- Let it cool – I know it’s hard to wait a few minutes once you have your marshmallows made to not wanting to eat them. Trust me, though, they are worth the wait.
What is the best way to store homemade marshmallows?
Store these honey marshmallows in a container or Ziploc bag at room temperature. Do not place them in the fridge or freezer; they will get hard and sweat once you remove them.
How long do homemade marshmallows last?
These homemade gluten-free marshmallows don't have corn syrup or other preservatives in them, but they still last about two to three weeks at room temperature.
Can you change the flavor of homemade marshmallows?
Yes, you can easily add more flavor to these gluten-free marshmallows.
- Strawberry marshmallows - Add in about ¼ of a cup of freeze-dried strawberries before mixing.
- Chocolate marshmallows - Add ⅛ cup of cocoa powder when mixing.
- Mint chocolate marshmallows - Change the vanilla extract to mint, and a few drops of green food coloring when mixing. Right before your marshmallow is done, add in about ¼ of a cup of mini chocolate chips.
- Birthday cake marshmallows - Reduce the vanilla extract by half and add the remaining almond extract and a few drops of pink food coloring when mixing. Before the marshmallow is done, add about ¼ of a cup of rainbow sprinkles.
How do you use homemade marshmallows?
- You can just eat them, cause they are delicious!
- Top a warm mug of hot chocolate with a fresh marshmallow. Trust me, do it! I always have these in a container on my hot chocolate bar around the holidays.
- You can pair them with your favorite chocolate and some gluten-free graham crackers for an extra delicious s'more.
- You can even get fancy with them and dip them in chocolate for some chocolate-covered marshmallows. They make the perfect little gluten-free holiday dessert to share.
More gluten-free candy recipes you'll love
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Marshmallows without Corn Syrup
Equipment
- Candy Thermometor
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ Cups Water
- 3 Teaspoons Powdered Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 ½ Cups Sugar
- ½ Cup Honey
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1-2 Cups Arrowroot Starch You can also do half arrowroot and half powdered sugar mixture for dusting.
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix ¾ c of the water with the gelatin and allow it to bloom.1 ¾ Cups Water, 3 Teaspoons Powdered Unflavored Gelatin
- Place the sugar, honey, and the remaining 1 cup of water into a pot and stir until the sugar is moist. Be careful not to get the sugar on the walls of the pot.1 ¾ Cups Water, 1 ½ Cups Sugar, ½ Cup Honey
- Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar syrup starts to come to a boil, let the mixture cook about 10-15 minutes or until the temperature reaches about 240 degrees.
- Once the sugar and honey mixture reaches 240 degrees, remove it from the heat and stir in the gelatin until it is completely dissolved.3 Teaspoons Powdered Unflavored Gelatin
- Transfer the sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or bowl if you are using a hand-mixer) and add the vanilla and salt.1 Teaspoon Vanilla, ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- Start whisking the sugar mixture on low and gradually increase the speed. Let the marshmallows continue until it triples in size and looks like marshmallow fluff.
- While the marshmallow is being whipped, lightly grease or line with parchment paper and dust an 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish with the starch.1-2 Cups Arrowroot Starch
- Once the marshmallows look like marshmallow fluff; scoop and spread out the marshmallows into the baking dish and lighty dust the top with more starch.
- Allow the marshmallows to cool uncovered for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Once the marshmallows have solidified cut them into desired shapes and dust the edges with more starch to remove any excess stickiness from being cut.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Keep stored at room temperature in the fridge or freezer they will get hard and then become sticky as they come back to room temperature.
- Use a half and half mixture of arrowroot starch and powdered sugar if you prefer.
- Cook the simple syrup long enough - Since we making these sugar and honey marshmallows you want to make sure that your mixture cooks to about 240 degrees before adding the gelatin.
- Do NOT skimp on the beating time – You want to make sure you are getting a lot of air into the marshmallow mixture as you can. This will help your finished product have a light and fluffy marshmallow texture, which we all love.
- Let it cool – I know it’s hard to wait a few minutes once you have your marshmallows made to not wanting to eat them. Trust me though, they are worth the wait.
Yes, you can make marshmallows without gelatin. You can replace the gelatin in a one-to-one ratio with agar-agar. If you are going to be using agar flakes, you will need about three times the amount of gelatin. Can you change the flavor of homemade marshmallows?
Yes, you can easily add more flavor to these gluten-free marshmallows.
- Strawberry marshmallows - Add in about ¼ of a cup of freeze-dried strawberries before mixing.
- Chocolate marshmallows - Add ⅛ cup of cocoa powder when mixing.
- Mint chocolate marshmallows - Change the vanilla extract to mint, and a few drops of green food coloring when mixing. Right before your marshmallow is done, add in about ¼ of a cup of mini chocolate chips.
- Birthday cake marshmallows - Reduce the vanilla extract by half and add the remaining about with almond extract and a few drops of pink food coloring when mixing. Before the marshmallow is done, add about ¼ of a cup of rainbow sprinkles.
Kathryn Stone says
What does let it bloom mean?
Jennifer says
Hi What is meant by a marshmallow whipping line?
Sara Vaughn says
I've updated the recipe card to fix the error and be more clear.