Cotton Candy Marshmallows
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A recipe and instructions for making pastel-colored cotton candy marshmallows (candy floss marshmallows, fairy floss marshmallows) that taste just like the real thing! Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cotton candy marshmallows will stay fresh for weeks.
What Inspired These Cotton Candy Marshmallows?
Cotton candy, candy floss, fairy floss, spun sugar. No matter what you call it, you’ll recognize this pillowy, pastel-colored confection as a staple at carnivals, circuses, festivals, fairs, amusement parks, beach boardwalks, and children’s birthday parties. Almost overwhelmingly sweet, it dissolves on the tongue for an instant sugar rush. (Although what cotton candy tastes like remains the source of some debate. Is it berries? Is it vanilla? Just plain sugar?) I’m a big fan of the traditional pink-and-blue variety, as well as grown-up versions, like the maple cotton candy sold in Canada and New England.
Comprised mostly of sugar, along with food dye and flavoring, this classic confection resembles clouds of soft cotton. It’s made by heating sugar until it melts into a syrup. Then it’s spun centrifugally at rapid speed, and quickly cooled to form fine, stiff strands. The kind sold at fairs and festivals utilizes an electric cotton candy machine to spin the liquid sugar, but you can try a simplified version of this technique at home with just a pan of hot sugar, a bowl, and a metal fork.
Although I enjoy the flavor and the and instant headrush of classic cotton candy, one of the things I don’t like about this super-sweet treat is that it doesn’t last very long. As soon as the sugar draws moisture, the pillowy-soft clouds turn sticky and dense. So in this cotton candy marshmallow recipe, I’ve created a confection that looks, smells, and tastes like the traditional carnival treat, but lasts far longer.
Key Ingredients
- Unflavored Gelatin – I developed this recipe using powdered gelatin, such as Knox. To substitute sheets or leaves, see my post on how to convert gelatin sheets to powder.
- Sugars – Cooked into a syrup, granulated sugar forms the base for the marshmallow fluff, while an invert sugar such as corn syrup helps to prevent crystallization. See these guides for my recommended sugar and syrup substitutions.
- Flavor and Color – I tested this recipe with the LorAnn Oils brand of cotton candy flavoring. For tinting the marshmallow fluff I used Chefmaster’s Neon Brite Pink and Neon Brite Blue, to represent the colors of a classic cone of cotton candy. If you’d like, you can experiment with different pastels, like pale yellow, light purple, or mint green. But remember that we eat with our eyes, so the more your marshmallows look like cotton candy, the more they’ll remind your friends and family of the classic carnival treat.
- Confectioner’s Sugar and Potato Starch – A combination of confectioner’s sugar and potato starch create the soft white coating that prevents the finished marshmallows from sticking together. If you can’t find potato starch, replace it with an equal amount of cornflour/cornstarch. Do not use straight cornstarch or potato starch, or your marshmallow coating will have an unpleasant taste—you need sweetness from the sugar.
Important Tips, Tools, and Variations
- Make successful swirls. To create the swirls of pink and blue, use an oiled flexible rubber spatula to scoop alternating dollops of pink and blue marshmallow fluff into your prepared tin. After adding all of the marshmallow, tap the tin firmly on countertop to settle the contents and meld the two colors together. And remember that the scooping step will be sticky and messy. Do not waste time cleaning up or trying to keep things tidy. Scoop the marshmallow quickly and worry about the mess later. Otherwise it will begin to cool, and the colors won’t adhere to one another.
- Have your digital thermometer at the ready. You must use a digital thermometer to take the temperature of the sugar syrup. As with hard candy, lollipops, and homemade caramel, the cooking temperatures here are key. My go-to is this Taylor digital thermometer. If you try to eyeball it, you might find yourself with undercooked or overcooked sugar, which means that your marshmallows won’t set properly.
- Cook in a stock pot. A heavy-bottomed, metal stock pot works best. Do not use a pan with nonstick coating. The high heats required to cook sugar can damage or discolor nonstick coatings. Stick with stainless steel instead.
- Cut cute shapes. I cut my marshmallows into cubes using a sharp, well-oiled chef’s knife. If you want to get creative, you can use a metal cookie cutter to cut shapes, like stars or hearts. Or even little cones of cotton candy!
- Use lots and lots of nonstick spray. Spray the tin, the parchment, the spatula, and your chef’s knife. This will make removal and slicing so much easier, and prevent the marshmallow from sticking to your tools.
Cotton Candy Marshmallows
- Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield8x8-inch tin 1x
Pastel-colored cotton candy marshmallows that taste just like the real thing!
Ingredients
Marshmallows:
Nonstick spray, for greasing tin and knife
240 milliliters water (1 cup), divided
20 grams powdered gelatin (2 tablespoons)
400 grams granulated sugar (2 cups)
170 grams corn syrup (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring, or to taste
Pink gel food coloring (I used Neon Brite Pink)
Blue gel food coloring (I used Neon Brite Blue)
Coating:
50 grams confectioner’s sugar (1/3 cup)
50 grams potato starch (1/3 cup)
Instructions
Marshmallows:
Line an 8 x 8-inch square tin with parchment in a criss-cross pattern, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray generously with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Pour 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) water into a large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the water. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, remaining water, and fine sea salt. Bring mixture to a boil and boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240° F (116° C) on a digital thermometer.
Carefully pour hot syrup over gelatin mixture. Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken. Mix in the cotton candy flavoring.
Continue mixing until mixture thickens and begins to resemble marshmallow fluff.
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop half of the marshmallow mixture into a second large bowl. To the first bowl, add 2-3 drops blue gel food coloring. Mix on high speed until very thick and voluminous, about 3 minutes more.
Repeat with the second bowl and the pink gel food coloring.
Scoop alternating dollops of pink and blue marshmallow into prepared tin, continuing until you’ve used all of the marshmallow fluff.* Tap tin firmly on countertop to settle.
Loosely cover tin with a well-oiled sheet of foil. Set aside and allow marshmallow to set until firm, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Cutting and Coating:
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and potato starch.
Cover a large chopping board with a sheet of parchment, and dust generously with potato starch mixture. Turn marshmallow slab out onto dusted surface. Peel away parchment, then sift top of slab with more of the powder.
With a well-oiled chef’s knife, cut the slab into squares.
Toss the cut marshmallows in additional powder, coating all sides evenly.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Do not refrigerate.
Notes
*This step will be sticky and messy! Don’t waste time cleaning up—you want to scoop the marshmallow as quickly as possible, or it will begin to set in the bowl.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Setting Time: 4 hours
- Category: Candy and Confectionery
- Method: Stovetop
Other Marshmallow Recipes You Might Enjoy
Sparkly Star Marshmallows
Blueberry Marshmallows
Heart-Shaped Strawberry Marshmallows
Cookies and Cream Marshmallows
Rosewater Marshmallows
Watermelon Marshmallows
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
