Strawberry Marshmallow Hearts
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A strawberry marshmallow hearts recipe made with freeze-dried strawberries, strawberry flavoring, gelatin, and granulated sugar. Featuring a pretty pink color, these homemade strawberry marshmallows are ideal for Valentine’s Day. They’re easy to make, and with no sharp knives required, even kids can help with the cutting, and with tossing the marshmallows in the powdery coating!
Why Do I Love These Strawberry Marshmallow Hearts?
In case you haven’t noticed, I really enjoy making marshmallows. Fruity marshmallows, boozy marshmallows…there are just so many possibilities. I love the way that a few simple ingredients (basically just gelatin, sugar, corn syrup and water) can transform into these delightfully squishy confections. And these strawberry marshmallows work especially well Valentine’s Day, or for a bridal shower, baby shower, or wedding. I’ve flavored each heart with freeze-dried strawberries and a little bit of strawberry flavoring, and added a few drops of pink gel food coloring for the cutest, sweetest V-Day treat!
Strawberry Marshmallow Ingredients
- Gelatin – I test most of my recipes with powdered gelatin, such as Knox. If you prefer to work with sheets or leaves of gelatin, please refer to this post for leaf-to-powder conversions, and other helpful tips.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar makes the sweet marshmallow base. You can replace it with another grainy white sugar (such as superfine or caster) but measure by weight (not volume) for the most accurate results.
- Corn Syrup – An invert sugar prevents the marshmallows from crystallizing. I test most of my homemade marshmallow recipes with Golden Barrel, but you can also use Light Karo Syrup, or liquid glucose.
- Strawberry Flavoring – I tested this recipe with LorAnn Oils strawberry flavoring. I prefer a brand such as LorAnn which is specifically developed for candymaking, so you only need a small amount. If using a less potent, supermarket-purchased extract, you’ll want to increase the amount. I suggest adding the extract gradually, and tasting your marshmallow mixture along the way to make sure the strawberry flavor is strong enough, without being overpowering.
- Pink Gel Food Coloring – I like Chefmaster’s Neon Brite Pink gel food coloring for tinting pink marshmallows.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries – Crushed freeze-dried strawberries work best. (Do not use whole freeze-dried strawberries—if they arrive whole, use a kitchen mallet to crush each berry into smaller pieces.) Save the rest of the bag for a batch of strawberry muffins or to make homemade strawberry sugar. Do not use fresh or frozen berries, which contain too much moisture; also avoid dried berries, which will make the marshmallows chewy and difficult to cut.
- Sugar and Starch – Potato starch and confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) create the powdery coating that prevents the marshmallows from sticking together. If you can’t find potato starch, use cornflour (cornstarch) instead.
Tips and Tricks
- Pay attention to temperature. Do not attempt this recipe without a candy thermometer. My go-to is this Taylor digital thermometer, but any good-quality candy thermometer will work. If your sugar syrup is too cold or too hot, your marshmallows will not set properly.
- Use plenty of oil or cooking spray. Spray your tin, your spatula, and your knife–trust me, it will make your life so much easier. If you cover your tin of marshmallow overnight, be sure to spray the foil or clingfilm/plastic wrap you use to cover the slab. Otherwise, the marshmallow will stick to the plastic, making it impossible to remove.
- Line the tin. Line the tin with parchment in a criss-cross pattern, creating “handles” that make it easy to transfer it to the cutting board. Not enough parchment, and your marshmallow will stick to the pan.
- Make and gift. Because they ship well (no breakage or spoilage!) and are free from gluten, nuts, eggs, and dairy, homemade marshmallows make a reasonably allergy-friendly treat. Just double-check the packaging on all of your ingredients for potential allergens. Also, remember that most gelatins are made from fish, pork, or beef, so marshmallows are not vegan.
Strawberry Marshmallow Hearts
- Total Time30-40 minutes (+ overnight resting time)
- Yield1 8x8-inch slab (about 28-30 1 1/2-inch hearts) 1x
A sweet and simple homemade strawberry marshmallow recipe, cut into miniature hearts.
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)
160 grams corn syrup (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon strawberry flavoring
Pink gel food coloring
15 grams freeze-dried strawberries, crushed (1/4 cup)
Coating:
50 grams potato starch* (1/3 cup)
50 grams confectioner’s sugar (1/3 cup)
Instructions
Line an 8×8-inch square tin with parchment, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray generously with nonstick spray.
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 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 to a boil and boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240° F (116° C) on a candy thermometer.
Carefully pour hot syrup over gelatin. Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Add strawberry flavoring and pink food coloring and continue mixing on high speed until very thick and voluminous, about 8-9 minutes more. Add crushed freeze-dried strawberries and mix on low for 15-30 seconds, or until just incorporated into the marshmallow.
With an oiled rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow into prepared tin.
Loosely cover with a well-oiled sheet of aluminum foil. Allow to set at room temperature until firm, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Cutting and Coating:
In a small bowl, whisk potato starch and icing sugar.
Generously dust a large chopping board with the powder. Lifting by the parchment, transfer marshmallow slab onto dusted work surface. Coat top of slab with more of the powder.
With a well-oiled metal cutter, cut the marshmallow slab into hearts.***
Toss cut marshmallows in additional powder, coating all sides evenly.
Store strawberry marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Notes
*If you can’t find potato starch, cornstarch/cornflour makes a good substitute.
**I used heart cutters to cut my marshmallows. If you do not have a heart cutter, you can use another shape, or use a sharp, oiled knife to cut the marshmallow slab into squares instead.
- Category: Candy and Confectionery
- Method: Stovetop
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Homemade marshmallows do not require refrigeration and will keep well at room temperature for about a month. Store in an airtight container or large sealed food storage bag. And because marshmallows will keep well at room temperature for a month or longer, so they’re also ideal for including in care packages or shipping to out-of-town friends and family.
To package for gifting: I like to package homemade marshmallows in cello bags (these heart print bags are super sweet!) tied with a festive bow, or place in a cute Valentine’s Day mug, and gift alongside homemade hot cocoa mix.
Other Valentine’s Day Recipes You Might Enjoy
Champagne Marshmallows
Strawberry Peppermint Patties
Ruby Chocolate Ganache
Sparkling Rosé Chocolate Truffles
Sweet Watermelon Lollipops
Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials
Valentine’s Day Rice Krispie Treats
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!
These are so cute for Valentine’s Day!