Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Vanilla bean marshmallows made with a cooked sugar syrup, plus gelatin, vanilla bean paste, corn syrup, and a pinch of sea salt. This easy, eggless homemade marshmallow recipe serves as a great base for color and flavor add-ins, so you can customize your marshmallows any way you’d like.

Key Ingredients

• Gelatin – I tested these marshmallows with leaf gelatin, but you can just as easily use powdered gelatin (such as Knox) which is more readily available in US supermarkets. Refer to my post about gelatin conversions to learn more about the differences between gelatin leaves and powder, and how to make marshmallows using either one.
• Potato Starch and Confectioner’s Sugar – Potato starch and confectioner’s sugar make the signature powdery coating that you see and feel on store-bought marshmallows. (Don’t skip it! Without the powdery coating, your marshmallows will stick together.) If you aren’t able to find potato starch, you can use cornstarch (cornflour) instead. Do not use straight cornstarch or potato starch, or the coating will taste too bitter.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – Because vanilla is the key flavor in these marshmallows, it’s important to start with a premium product. Use a good-quality vanilla bean paste (Nielsen Massey, Taylor & Colledge, and Simply Organic make my favorites) or the scrapings of two vanilla pods. I don’t recommend using vanilla extract for this recipe, and definitely don’t use imitation vanilla flavoring—these simply don’t pack the same punch (or the signature brown speckles!) as real vanilla beans.

Helpful Tips and Variations

• Double up the vanilla. While I don’t recommend replacing the vanilla bean paste with extract, you can certainly use both! Add a tablespoon of good-quality vanilla extract to the marshmallow fluff to emphasize the vanilla flavor.
• Use a candy thermometer. My personal recommendation is this Taylor digital thermometer, but any good-quality candy thermometer will work. Temperature is crucial in candymaking. If your sugar syrup is too cold or too hot, your marshmallows will not set properly.
• Cut the slab into fun shapes. You can cut squares with a sharp chef’s knife. Or, use a metal cookie cutter to cut the slab into hearts, stars, spooky Halloween ghosts, or any other shape you’d like. Remember not to go too small with your cutter, or the marshmallows will look odd and shapeless. Opt for a 1-inch cutter or larger.
• Go heavy on the nonstick spray. Generously coat your tin, your spatula, your knife, and anything else that comes in contact with the marshmallows. This prevents everything from sticking together. If using a decorative cookie cutter rather than a knife, generously spray that, too.
• Add color. Add 2-3 drops of gel food coloring to make colorful marshmallows themed for holidays, weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, school dances, pep rallies, or other events.
• Build your own flavor creation. This vanilla bean marshmallow recipe serves as a good base for layering in other flavors. Mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of your favorite flavor extract or oil, or experiment with add-ins like nuts, crushed cookies, or miniature chocolate chips. 

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Basic Vanilla Marshmallows

Recipe by becky

• Total Time30 hours (+ resting time)
• Yield36 marshmallows 1x

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A classic vanilla bean marshmallow made with leaf gelatin.

Ingredients

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Canola oil or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing tin and knife
120 milliliters cold water (1/2 cup), plus more for soaking gelatin leaves
8 sheets silver grade gelatin
400 grams granulated sugar (2 cups)
160 grams corn syrup or liquid glucose (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or the scrapings of 2 vanilla pods

Coating:

50 grams potato starch (1/3 cup)
50 grams confectioner’s sugar (1/3 cup)

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Instructions

Marshmallows:

Line an 8×8-inch square tin with parchment, and spray generously with nonstick spray.

Fill a bowl with cold water. Add leaf gelatin, and set aside to soak.*

Meanwhile combine granulated sugar, corn syrup or liquid glucose, remaining 120 milliliters water, and fine sea salt in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240° F (116° C) on a candy thermometer.

When sugar syrup nears 240° F, remove the soaked gelatin from the water and squeeze to drain. Add gelatin blob to a large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Carefully pour hot sugar syrup over gelatin. Mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Add vanilla bean paste and continue mixing on high speed until very thick and voluminous, about 8-9 minutes more.

With an oiled spatula, scrape marshmallow fluff 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 together potato starch and icing sugar. Generously dust a large chopping board with the powder.

Turn marshmallow slab out onto dusted surface. Carefully peel away the parchment, then sift top of slab with more of the powder.

With a well-oiled chef’s knife, cut the slab into squares. I usually cut 6×6 rows, for 36 generously-sized marshmallows.

Toss cut marshmallows in additional powder, coating all sides evenly.

Store homemade vanilla bean marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

 

Equipment

silver leaf gelatin

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corn syrup

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potato starch

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Notes

*I find it helpful to cut the sheets of leaf gelatin into small pieces, as they can otherwise be difficult to soak unless you have a very large bowl. Check to make sure that none of the sheets are sticking together, and that they’re all completely submerged in the cold water.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Resting Time: 4 hours
• Category: Candy and Confectionery
• Method: Stovetop

Other Homemade Marshmallow Recipes You Might Enjoy

Strawberry Marshmallows
Prosecco Marshmallows
Red Wine Marshmallows
Rosewater Marshmallows
Blueberry 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!