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These Paleo Marshmallows, made with honey and maple syrup, are a surprisingly easy (and impressive) project, and also the very best-tasting marshmallows you’re likely ever to eat. Don’t be intimidated by the homemade element; they’re honestly so rewarding. Below, I offer numerous tips on successfully making them, as well as options for flavoring them.
Not all marshmallows are created equal, and this one is a stand-out! They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and downright delicious.
Why You’ll Love These Paleo Marshmallows
If you’ve fallen for my Homemade Marshmallow Fluff, you already know how dreamy homemade marshmallows can be. These marshmallows take it a step further—with a classic French-style twist by adding egg whites for extra fluffiness.
Don’t Worry…
Don’t worry: the hot sugar syrup cooks them to a safe temperature, so you end up with an irresistibly airy and melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s totally worth every minute in the kitchen!
To be honest, the lack of corn syrup and the use of egg whites truly make this gelatin marshmallow recipe stand out from the rest.
What You’ll Need & Why It Matters
Making marshmallows is basically candy-making, so a little prep goes a long way:
- Equipment Essentials: 1 medium to large heavy-bottomed pot, saucepan, spatulas, a small bowl, Thermapen or candy thermometer, Electric Stand Mixer, Dish (for setting the marshmallows), Parchment Paper, and Pizza Wheel (for cutting marshmallows).
- Key Technique: Don’t stir the sugar, and avoid moving the pot—this helps prevent crystallization, which is crucial when you’re skipping corn syrup.
- Gentle, balanced sweetness: I like using a combo of mild honey and maple syrup—not one flavor dominating the other, but creating a naturally sweet base.
- Gelatin magic: Make sure to let your gelatin “bloom” in cold water before using. When the hot sugar syrup is added later, it melts all ingredients evenly and helps your marshmallows set beautifully.
The Simple Step-by-Step for Homemade Marshmallows (With a Few Extra Tips for Success)
The first thing you need to know about making marshmallows is that you are making candy! You’ll be cooking up a very hot, sugary syrup and then pouring it into beaten egg whites and softened gelatin, whipping them up until the whole mixture has transformed into glossy, stiff peaks. Then you place it in a starch-dusted container and let it set before cutting.
- The size of the pan you use to make the square marshmallows depends on how big you would like your square marshmallows. For a smaller marshmallow square, use a half sheet pan or a 9×13 pan. For larger marshmallows, use an 8″x8″ or a 9″x9″ pan. Alternatively, you can make cylindrical marshmallows, which will require a sheet pan to hold the piped mixture.
- Prepare the containers in which you will set the marshmallows ahead of time. You want to line them with parchment and dust them vigorously with arrowroot or a combination of arrowroot/ powdered sugar. Don’t worry, you won’t be eating all of this, but it is merely to coat the sticky part of the marshmallow, and you shake off any excess starch.
- The bowl and whisk attachment of your electric mixer must be cleaned thoroughly, as any grease in them can prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Use a mild-flavored honey. A strong-flavored honey, or raw honey, will shine through more with a honey flavor (of course). We use a mixture of honey and maple syrup so that one flavor isn’t more dominant and the two together work more as a sweetener as opposed to being a flavor component.
- The added water in the sugar mixture helps the sugar come to a boil without burning. Put the water in the pot first, then the other two sweeteners. Do not stir the pot. Do not move the pot. You run the risk of crystallizing the sugar, mainly because we aren’t using corn syrup.
- Make sure you handle the gelatin properly. You’ll want to let it bloom or hydrate properly, as indicated in the instructions. The hot sugar syrup acts as a means to melt it, allowing the marshmallow cream to incorporate it fully. It will set up after the mixture cools.
- You want your sugar mixture to reach the “soft ball” stage or 235ºF-240ºF. This stage gets its name from the fact that if you put a droplet of cold water into the boiling sugar, it will turn into a soft ball. This hot sugar mixture is what cooks the egg whites, turning them into marshmallows. If you didn’t have a thermometer, you could theoretically test the doneness of the sugar by dropping it in water and watching the reaction, as described above.
Troubleshooting & Pro Tips (Because Candy-Making Is an Art)
There are lumps in the bloomed gelatin; it wasn’t properly bloomed. You can try to remove the lumps of the gelatin, or if there are too many, you should start over with the gelatin process.
If the egg white mixture hasn’t thickened, either the sugar syrup was not the proper temperature, or you haven’t whipped the egg whites long enough, or possibly the bowl had some grease in it. So if it isn’t looking thick and glossy, try whipping longer. And, of course, use a thermometer to ensure the sweetener has boiled long enough.
The marshmallows are too sticky to work with: Use more starch! Marshmallows are incredibly sticky, and you need to coat them with enough starch to handle them. You can always dust off the starch after you have finished cutting them, but be aware that if there isn’t enough starch on them before you store them, they could end up a sticky mess. Therefore, go heavy-handed with the starch.
The marshmallows are very wet: The batter was likely under-whipped.
Storage (Spoiler: They won’t last long)
Once cut, let your marshmallows dry out for 6 hours or overnight. Store them in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature—but honestly, that’s optimistic; they will probably be gone sooner!
If they start to get moist, simply toss them in more arrowroot or powdered sugar and rebatch.
Flavor Ideas to Make Them Even More Fun
The possibilities are endless as to what you can add to the marshmallow cream mixture before you set, or even what you coat the marshmallows in at the end to flavor them. We tried out a few different add-ins to flavor the marshmallows. Get creative by folding in flavor bombs after the final whip and before they set:
- Freeze-Dried Fruit: We tried strawberries, but bet any freeze-dried fruit will work well here. Start with 1/4 cup of crushed, freeze-dried fruit and add more to taste.
- Matcha Powder: About 1-2 tablespoons
- Espresso Powder: Start with a teaspoon and add more if needed
- Cinnamon: Start with two teaspoons and add more if needed.
- Cocoa: Add about 1-2 tablespoons
- Hot Chocolate Powder: add 1-2 tablespoons
- Dried Ginger or Turmeric: Start with 2 teaspoons for a batch
- Mint Extract (a few drops) and Chocolate Chips
Instead of coating with arrowroot powder, try adding a sprinkle with:
- Shredded Coconut
- Crushed Nuts
- Cocoa
If you like this How To recipe, check out these others:
- How to Make Maple Kettle Corn
- How to Make Marshmallow Fluff
- How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
- How to Make Oatmeal (The BEST Method!)
How to Make Marshmallows (Paleo)
Ingredients
- Coconut oil spray or equivalent
- Arrowroot starch or a combination of arrowroot and organic powdered sugar if not strict paleo
- 2 egg whites 60g
- ⅓ cup + ½ cup water divided
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- pinch fine sea salt
- 2 tablepoons gelatin
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional add-ins see post
Instructions
- To make square marshmallows: prepare a container for the marshmallows (see note). Lightly spray the container and then line it with two strips of parchment that fit the container to create a sling. Generously dust the container with arrowroot (or combo arrowroot and powdered sugar). Alternatively, to make traditional cylindrical marshmallows: line a sheet tray with parchment and generously dust with arrowroot. Set aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl for an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, add egg whites.
- In a large pot add ⅓ cup water, honey and maple syrup, in that order, being careful not to get any of the mixture on the sides of the pot. Turn the heat to medium and let the sugar mixture cook undisturbed.
- Meanwhile prepare gelatin: Add ½ cup water to a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and mix to moisten the gelatin. Let bloom (or hydrate) for at least 5 minutes. Once bloomed, add to the egg white mixture and briefly whip until the mixture is homogenized and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- When the the sugar syrup has reached 240°F, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, or until it has stopped bubbling, about 1 minute.
- Then very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites bowl, hitting the side of the bowl if possible, in a thin, steady stream.
- Once all of the syrup is in, increase the speed and continue to whip for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy and the mixing bowl is mostly cooled.
- Add in vanilla extract and whip for one one more minute. If you are adding in any optional add-ins, add them now.
- For square marshmallows: Working quickly pour mixture into the prepared container and smooth over. Dust generously with more arrowroot and let set for at least 4 hours until cutting. To cut remove from the container and cut with a pizza cutter that is greased with coconut oil. Dust again all the cut sides with more arrowroot, shaking off excess. For cylindrical marshmallows: Fill a piping bag with a large circular tip (or simply cut a piping bag) with the marshmallow mixture and pipe it in lines the length of the sheet tray until all the mixture is gone. Dust generously with arrowroot. Let set for 4 hours at room temperature. Cut with a pizza cutter that is greased with coconut oil into cyridrical shapes. Dust more with arrowroot, shaking off the excess before storing.
- Let the cut marshmallows dry out for at least 6 hours before storing in an air tight container or bag. Store for up to 1 week.
Where do you add the pinch of salt?
Can you use all maple syrup instead of honey/ maple combo? Thanks!
OK These are AMAZING!!!! Mine are still setting but I can’t stop sneaking bites. Taste so much better than store-bought and no high fructose corn syrup or carrageenan!! Thanks so much for sharing.
What brand of gelatin do you use?
Vital Proteins!!