Vanilla Marshmallows
These big pillowy Vanilla Marshmallows will absolutely melt in your mouth. Eat them as a snack or drop one into your favorite cup of hot cocoa. They are easy to make & simply delicious!
Nothing beats a homemade marshmallow when you’re wanting to add a touch of pillowy sweetness to your favorite cup of hot cocoa and the season is here for hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows. These Vanilla Marshmallows are so pillowy and soft, and they start melting into a creamy blissful white cloud, the minute you add them to a hot cup of cocoa.
If you’ve ever tasted a homemade marshmallow you already know that there’s no turning back to those store-bought marshmallows. There’s simply no comparison.
If you think that making homemade marshmallows is difficult you’re wrong. They are super easy to make, and after you make your first batch, you’ll be wanting to make them in every flavor and color of the rainbow.
There are four steps to making delicious homemade marshmallows:
- Bloom
- Syrup
- Mallowing
- Classic coating
In the pictures below, I’ll show you each one of the easy steps to making these delicious marshmallows.
The bloom and syrup
The bloom – The bloom is the simple process of mixing the gelatin with some water and activating it. The top left picture shows the dry gelatin before it gets mixed with water. The bottom left picture shows what happens after the gelatin is mixed with water and allowed to activate or bloom.
The syrup – The picture on the right shows making the simple syrup. This is the process of simply bringing water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil and cooking to a soft ball stage. This step does two things. It dissolves the sugar, so you don’t end up with grainy textured marshmallows and it allows you to determine how spongy and soft you want your marshmallows to be. Cooking the mixture until it reaches a soft ball stage, allows the marshmallows to set up and be stable but not too stiff or firm.
The Mallowing
The mallowing – The mallowing is the simple process of adding the syrup mixture to the gelatin mixture and beating it until it mallows. In other words, it triples in volume and turns into this blissful pillowy stuff that when left to rest, turns into marshmallows.
The top left picture shows the mixture after adding the syrup to the gelatin mixture and beating if for 2 to 3 minutes.
The bottom left picture shows the mixture after beating it for a few more minutes until it’s doubled in volume.
The picture on the right shows the mixture after beating it on high speed until it’s almost tripled in volume. This is when the pure vanilla extract gets added.
The Coati
The classic coating is simply a mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch. Once the mallow mixture gets spread into a dish, it gets dusted with the classic coating. This keeps the marshmallows from becoming sticky.
Now that you see how easy it is to make these delectable pillowy soft marshmallows, go make some. You’ll be glad you did!
Check out these other delicious marshmallow recipes…
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Vanilla Marshmallows
- Prep Time: 25 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Cook
Description
These Vanilla Marshmallows are pillowy soft and flavored with pure vanilla extract. They are perfect in hot chocolate or by simply eating as a sweet indulgence.
Ingredients
For the Bloom
- 4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin, (about 1 2/3 one-ounce packets)
- 1/2 cup cold water
For the Syrup
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Mallowing
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup classic coating
For the Classic Coating
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch
Instructions
Coat an 8 by 8 baking pan or dish lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
For the Bloom
- Whisk together the water and gelatin in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside. It needs to set for at least five minutes to allow the gelatin to soften.
For the Syrup
- Add 1/4 cup of the corn syrup to the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside while cooking the simple syrup.
- Meantime, add the remaining 1/4 cup of corn syrup, the sugar, water, and salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage) and remove from heat.
- Meantime, place the bowl of gelatin and water in a microwave and heat for 30 seconds to soften the mixture. Add the mixture to the corn syrup in the stand mixer bowl. Turn the mixer on low and allow it to continue running on low while you’re waiting for the syrup mixture to reaches 240 degrees.
For the Mallowing
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowing pour the hot syrup into the mixing bowl. Turn mixer to medium speed and mix for 5 minutes. Turn mixer to medium high speed and mix for an additional 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix on highest speed for 2 minutes.
- Spread the mallow mixture into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread it into the corners. Liberally dust the top of the mallow mixture with the classic coating. Allow the mallow mixture to rest in a cool dry place for at least 6 hours.
- Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan. Invert the marshmallow slab onto a counter or piece of parchment paper. Sift some of the classic coating over the top. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into desired shapes. Dip any sticky edges in more of the classic coating. Shake off any excess coating.
- Store marshmallows in an airtight container for up to one week.
For the Classic Coating
- Whisk the powdered sugar and cornstarch together in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container. Use as needed for dusting marshmallows.
Recipe adapted from the book Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever
Notes
- Yield equals 24 if cut into 1 1/2 inch marshmallows.