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{Note from Jessica: Today’s post is shared by my sweet, longtime friend, Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, author of the Recipes to Nourish website. Emily’s blog focuses on gluten-free real food and holistic health. She’s a real foodie, passionate about nourishing home cooking and advocate of “green” living. Her passion and mission are to make healthy and natural living as easy and enjoyable as possible. Stop by her site, Recipes to Nourish, for her latest recipes and natural living tips.}
Marshmallows are so nostalgic.
You mention the word and most people instantly think of hot chocolate or a delicious summertime treat. Can you guess what I’m talking about? S’mores!!!
It’s that time of year. Summer has arrived, school is out, people head to the beach and many set off on camping adventures. With those fun summer plans ahead, you must fit making homemade marshmallows into your to-do list. Campfires and bonfires at the beach are not complete without a good ole s’mores.
Making marshmallows from scratch is pretty simple too! Most people assume homemade marshmallows are super hard to make … but they’re not.
I have been making marshmallows for many years now and I always look forward to it. I love to make all kinds for my family … strawberry flavored, chocolate dipped, cinnamon, lemon, and peppermint. It’s so fun! I get so much joy from making these sweet little mounds of deliciousness. My family doesn’t complain either.
I use grass-fed beef gelatin in these marshmallows. I also use honey instead of the typical corn syrup. Have you read the ingredients on the mainstream packaged marshmallows? “Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate {a whipping aid}, Artificial Flavor and Artificial Color {Blue 1}” … no, thank you. I’ll stick to honey-sweetened, so much healthier than the store-bought kind! They’re GAPS and Paleo-friendly too!
If you’re avoiding processed foods, no worries … you don’t have to miss out on the classic summertime favorite – gooey marshmallows + melted chocolate + crispy graham crackers. So go ahead, make some homemade marshmallows and indulge! Life is too short not to enjoy the little things.
P.S. I use this recipe for paleo cinnamon toast crunch as graham crackers. Instead of cutting them into small pieces, I cut them into larger, graham cracker size pieces. They are DELISH!
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Important Note On Gelatin Types
When it comes to gelatin, you don’t want any old gelatin off the supermarket shelves. You want to look for 100% grass-fed gelatin from healthy animals. Just like other animal products, quality is important.
That is why I recommend Vital Proteins Grass-Fed Gelatin products and Perfect Supplements products exclusively. I have compared these brand with other brands on the market and the quality far surpasses anything else I’ve tried. I am thrilled to be one of their affiliate partners and support such great products and companies.
Perfect Supplements offers a grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen (cold-soluble) right now and has a gelatin (hot-soluble) in the works for 2016. Read my review of their product here or watch the video below. You can order their own products via their own site here or on Amazon here.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallows :: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar Free
Making marshmallows from scratch is pretty simple too! Most people assume homemade marshmallows are super hard to make, but they're really not.
Ingredients
- 1 cup filtered water, divided
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin
- 1 cup light colored honey
- 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 {or larger} pan with unbleached parchment paper in both directions {so you can easily lift up the marshmallows when they are set}.
- In a small bowl, add arrowroot starch. Use 2 tablespoons to evenly distribute over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Assemble your standing mixer with the mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Add 1/2 cup filtered water to the mixing bowl, then sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let this sit as you make the honey mixture.
- In a medium-size sauce pan {with high edges} add 1/2 cup filtered water, honey, vanilla and sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat {if using a candy thermometer, place in the honey mixture}. Stir constantly as the mixture will start to bubble and get foamy the hotter it gets - stirring keeps it from overflowing. Simmer until it reaches 240 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, this will take about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- With the mixer on low, SLOWLY and carefully drizzle the hot honey mixture in a thin continuous stream down the side of the bowl. This should take about 2 minutes, that gives you an idea of how slow you need to pour it. ***Remember the honey mixture is extremely hot, so use caution.***
- Turn the mixer to high and continue beating until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and has increased in volume, about 15 minutes.
- Turn off the mixer and transfer marshmallow fluff to the lined pan. Use a spatula to evenly distribute and smooth the top.
- Dust the top of the marshmallow fluff with the remaining arrowroot starch.
- Let the marshmallows sit at room temperature to set for at least 8 hours, best overnight.
- When marshmallows are set, remove by lifting the parchment paper flaps. Set on a flat surface or large cutting board {the marshmallows should still be on the parchment paper}. Carefully remove the parchment paper from the sides of the marshmallows {it should release easily, just do it slowly}. Use a large chef's knife to cut the marshmallows into desired size. *** See NOTES below for cutting ideas. ***
Notes
Yield: Makes about 25 {1 inch} marshmallows ... I cut the rustic edges off first and cut those strips into mini marshmallows, making about 30-40 mini marshmallows. You can also grease the knife with coconut oil for easier cutting, but I usually forget and don't have any trouble cutting them.
I do not recommend using wildflower honey. It becomes too overpowering and you won't be able to taste the traditional vanilla flavor. I prefer to use lighter-colored honey like clover.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 30Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 0g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered from Nutritionix and we often find their calculations to be slightly inaccurate based on the whole food ingredients we use on this site. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on many factors. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Have you ever made homemade marshmallows? Leave a comment below!
Want Even More Gelatin Goodness?
Health Benefits and Gelatin Info
- Get the real scoop on gelatin brands here.
- Learn how to use gelatin for an egg replacement here.
- Find out the amazing health benefits of gelatin here.
Gelatin Recipes (Gluten-Free)
- Strawberry Mint Lemonade Gummies
- Melon Gummies
- Elderberry Gummies with Ginger and Turmeric
- Honey Orange Fruit Snacks
- Strawberry Clouds Dessert
- Vanilla Bean Faux Cheesecake
- Clean and Healthy Homemade Marshmallows
- Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Scones
- Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding
- Coconut Tulsi (Holy Basil) Ice Cream
- Strawberries & Cream Tart
- Creamy Coconut Milk Yogurt (no yogurt maker required)
The Gelatin Secret
For further reading, my friend Sylvie’s book, The Gelatin Secret (affiliate link), is by far the best book out there on the subject.
Gelatin is the superfood that can give you relief from digestive disorders and thousands of people are finding that regular consumption is helping them heal their bodies and live a healthier life.
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Is it possible to make these without gelatin?
Hi Heather – You may be able to sub agar agar, but I have not tried that, so I’m not sure how well it would turn out. If you try it, let us know!
I am soooo happy to have found this recipe…Thanks to Delicious Obsessions for sharing the link. Do we simply substitute other flavors for the vanilla, in order to get the strawberry, etc.?
Also, the picture shows round-ish/tubular-ish shapes. How would one accomplish this?
Hi Georgie – I will see if Emily can swing by and answer your questions, as I am not sure. 🙂
Hi Georgie, strawberry is a bit trickier – not much though, but you actually have to use real strawberries so it changes the recipe a bit. You can swap out the extract though for other flavors like almond or peppermint, etc. To make the rounder marshmallows, we call them mini marshmallows in our home you’ll need a piping bag or a plastic ziplock type bag {you can snip one end of the bag off with scissors to create a homemade piping bag}. You’ll also need long baking trays and parchment paper. Fill the piping bag with the marshmallow mixture. Working quickly make lines of marshmallow on the trays lined with parchment paper – leaving at least a 1/2″ space between the rows. Once they have set for at least 8 hours {best overnight} then you can cut them into pieces. Hope that helps!
Love the ingredients in this recipe! It makes me feel so much better about making treats for my family. Thank you for sharing this Emily!
Don’t they look amazing?! I can’t wait to make them! 🙂
Thanks Raine xo
Could I use maple syrup in place of the honey? 🙂
Hi Steph – I am not sure if that would work in this recipe as maple syrup is not as viscous as the honey. I will see if Emily has ever tried it.
Hi Steph, I have never tried making them with maple syrup. I have seen other recipes that use maple syrup – I’m not sure what those ratios were though. I seem to recall a recipe saying that maple syrup makes marshmallows a bit more stiff. Hope that helps some.
these came out awesome!!
one question–how do I store them and how long will they stay fresh? anyway to freeze?
That’s great to hear Bethany! You can store them in an airtight container on the counter top – room temperature. They should last at least 2 weeks and will dry out a bit more, but they’re still just as delicious. I have never tried freezing them before, so I’m not exactly sure. If you try to freeze them, let us know how they do 🙂
Hi! I made these last night and love them!! Do you mind if I share your link on my blog.
Hi Sarah! Awesome! So glad you guys liked them! Yes, you are welcome to share the link! Thanks for thinking of us! 🙂
Made these with my granddaughters and they were thrilled. Easy and so good. Any ideas on how to adapt this recipe for a cake frosting? Would you just adjust the heat lower? Eager to make a yummy chocolate cake with this as frosting. Thank you so much
Ooooh, so glad they liked it! I love the frosting idea. I am not sure, but I’ll see if Emily has any ideas! 🙂
How fun! So happy you made them with your granddaughters, I loved cooking with my grandma when I was little. That sounds amazing as a frosting with chocolate cake. Yum! Hmmm, I’m not sure a temperature change would matter, although it might not set up enough if the temperature is lower. Are you going for a marshmallow fluff type frosting? I wonder if it would work as is? Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you. You’ve inspired me to play around with the recipe now 🙂
is one batch the equivalent to a regular bag of marshmallows?
Hi Heather – I’m not sure. I will ask Emily and see if I can find out! 🙂
I tried making marshmallows before – EPIC FAIL! LOL!
Uh oh! LOL! Try again! I am confident you will be successful! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
I just made these with maple syrup. I didn’t change the ratio except i didn’t quite fill the cup with maple syrup. Mom says it’s too sweet, so maybe next time, I will use less if it doesn’t harden like the comments already made. I doubled the batch (good thing I have a professional sized Kitchenaid). I did use maple syrup. Last time I tried these, i used a hand mixer and didn’t mix long enough so i had a layer of gummy below the layer of marshmallow in the pan… it seemed like it quadrupled in size.. :). excited for it to set. I know hubby loves marshmallows in his hot chocolate during this season
Hi Nandita! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience with the maple syrup. I’ve never personally made these with maple syrup so it’s nice to hear how it works for you. I agree that mixing it long enough is key to getting everything emulsified and fluffy. Hope you guys enjoy! 🙂