I have posted homemade marshmallows in the past but I just love these in particular for holiday gifts and I wanted to show you how to make pretty swirled Peppermint marshmallows.
If you have never made homemade marshmallows before, it is really something to try because they are fluffy and oh so delicious! I perfect addition to a gift basket with hot chocolate. This is one of those homemade gifts that is a treat for the kids and for the adults.
To make marshmallows isn’t difficult but it is sticky and they do need several hours to firm up before they are ready to be gifted. I prefer to make these myself with the kids acting in a supervisory role (and possibly a spoon licking role at the end) just because you do need to move pretty quickly and you are dealing with very hot liquid.
Here is my favorite homemade marshmallow recipe. This is based on the super famous recipe from Butter Baked Goods. You can pick up the cookbook filled with yummy recipes, stop by the store in Canada or find their pretty bags of marshmallows in places like Dean & Deluca.
I made about 8 zillion batches of marshmallows and adjusted her original recipe a bit so this is my adaptation for a basic marshmallow- and to make these peppermint-y and swirly just check the additional note below.
Please note it is not hard to make marshmallows and they are absolutely worth it to make yourself. I do want to make sure to note that I try to be totally focused on baking when I make these. If I am distracted or multitasking, I always find the recipe doesn’t turn out quite as well.
- ⅔ cup corn syrup
- 1 cup water (divided)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 packets gelatin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Additional coloring, flavoring, toppings as desired
- Start by adding 3 packets of plain gelatin into a stand mixer bowl.
- Next add ½ cup cold water to the bowl directly on top of the gelatin.
- Let sit for about 3-10 minutes- the gelatin will bubble up a bit and look gross. Don't worry.
- Take a saucepan and add the remaining ½ cup water, sugar and corn syrup.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once it does start to bubble up, allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute.
- If you have a candy thermometer, wait until the sugar mixture hits 240 degrees.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour the mixture into the mixing bowl with the gelatin mixture.
- Turn the mixter onto high speed and whip for 10-15 minutes. The longer it whips the stiffer your marshmallow will be.
- I set a timer for about 12 minutes for mine.
- As that is mixing, take a sheet cookie pan with a lip or a 9x13 casserole dish and butter very well.
- Once your mixture is about 1 minute away from finished- add the vanilla and keep mixing. Do not add it at the start or your mixture might not fluff up properly.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and working very quickly, use a spatula to scrape all the mixture into your prepared pan.
- Take one piece of saran or cling wrap and butter the underside that will touch the marshmallows.
- Put the saran wrap on top of the mixture and allow to set at room temp for a minimum of 3 hours or preferably overnight.
- Once you are ready to cut the mixture, sprinkle a cutting board generously with confectioner's sugar.
- Loosen the marshmallow mixture and flip the pan upside down and press into the confectioner's sugar.
- Sprinkle more confectioner's sugar on top of the mixture and press into the marshmallows.
- Using a sharp knife cut into squares and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container.
For Peppermint flavor, I skip the vanilla and add a very small amount of Mint Extract. This is not Peppermint extract, but rather mint extract. I picked up the JR Watkins brand from Walmart. Be sure to add just a teensy drizzle and stir and taste. The mint is very strong so go very easy and just keep tasting until you are happy.
Once the marshmallows have been poured into your pan, put drops of red food coloring in random spots on the top. Next take a toothpick, skewer or knife and run lines through the dots to create a marble effect. If you find your marshmallow mixture getting firm, you can pop the entire pan into the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften it up enough to get your swirl on.
Here is what your mixing bowl will look like after about 10 minutes of mixing-
And once you spoon it all into a baking dish:
And right after it is in the dish you need to work very quickly to get the red swirls.
And then let sit for about 24 hours at room temp and covered with saran wrap. Lay a piece of parchment out or a cutting board and lightly sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Run a knife along the edge of the dish to loosen the marshmallow mixture and flip it upside down to allow the mixture to plop down on your cutting surface. You might need a spatula to help it out.
Use a sharp knife to cut into squares and place in a Ziplock bag. Will last for about 3 weeks in a tightly closed bag or container.
And a cute gift basket idea:
Just add your marshmallows with a jar of homemade or store bought hot chocolate mix into a cute container and add some spoons and you have a really cute little gift.
I made homemade hot chocolate and added that and a few chocolate chips to a mason jar, popped the marshmallows into a bag and placed them inside this little crate. The crate was unfinished and $3 in the Target Dollar Spot, I stained it darker brown and added some red basket filling and a pretty ribbon and a Jingle bell (again from the Target Dollar Spot).
Super simple and so inexpensive to make!
If you decide to try these out, please come back and let me know what you think!
Here are a few other fun recipes to try:
Copycat Starbucks Hot Chocolate
Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments– fun children’s craft!
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