Homemade Marshmallows without Corn Syrup (How to Make)

❤️Why you will love this recipe

• The recipe uses simple ingredients and only requires 4 main ingredients (sugar, gelatin, cornstarch and vanilla extract. There is no corn syrup or other additives and preservatives.
• This makes a great recipe for fluffy homemade marshmallows.
• You get to learn how to make your own marshmallows and will never have to resort to store-bought marshmallows again.
• You can enjoy the treats on their own, or add them to your cup of hot cocoa or hot chocolate or even add them as topping for your ice cream.

📋Ingredients

• Granulated sugar - this will be cooked into a sugar syrup and sweetens the marshmallows. Any non-white sugar like brown sugar will not be suitable as it may leave your marshmallows with a tinge of brown color.
• Unflavored gelatin powder - powder form will dissolve quicker, and is hence recommended over flakes.
• Hot water - use filtered water.
• Vanilla extract - adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the marshmallows.
• Powdered sugar (icing sugar or confectioners sugar) - this is mixed with cornstarch and used to line the mold to prevent the marshmallow mix from sticking to the mold and your hands. Sift before using to break any lumps.
• Cornstarch - added to the powdered sugar and is used to dust the mold. Sift before using to break any lumps.

🧾Substitution and Variations

• Granulated sugar can be substituted with coarse sugar, however, it is better to use granulated sugar as it is finer and will dissolve quicker when making the sugar syrup.
• Vanilla extract can be replaced with any other extract you prefer.
• Coloring is optional, but then again, if you are planning on matching your homemade marshmallows with the flavoring you’ve added to it, tinting your marshmallows in a matching food coloring can make a whole lot of difference too.

Making the marshmallows (without corn syrup)

1. The process of making homemade marshmallows starts by preparing the molds. It is normally poured into a large dish and then cut up into small pieces once it has set. Any dish is fine for marshmallows, and I often only use my cake tin. An important point to note in preparing the pan or mold is to make sure it is really well-greased and lined. Any odorless vegetable oil (or cooking spray) can be used to grease your mold. Butter is generally not advisable as it will leave yellow marks on your marshmallows. Line the mold with parchment paper and then grease it again. And right before pouring the marshmallow mixture into it, dust it with cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture. Making marshmallows can be a really sticky affair so you need to really do this step properly to avoid all the mess.
2. Next is the gelatin powder. Measure it into your mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer.
3. Add in half of the hot water and stir to mix.
4. And while waiting for the gelatin to bloom and dissolve, measure the sugar into a medium saucepan and add the remaining hot water to it.
5. Heat the sugar and water mixture on low to medium heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
6. Once it has all dissolved, remove the spoon and let it simmer on low heat until it reaches a soft ball stage or between 235 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit or between 112 to 116 degrees Celsius on a candy thermometer (sugar thermometer). It is important that you do not stir the syrup at this stage to prevent sugar crystallization.

Mixing the syrup and gelatin

1. Once the hot syrup is ready, pour it into the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin mixture it is completely dissolved in the hot sugar solution.
2. The next step is whipping up the homemade marshmallow solution. Let the mixture cool down for about 2 minutes, and then whisk it (with a whisk attachment) until it becomes thick and foamy (like whipped egg whites and sugar). This would take a good 12 to 15 minutes on medium-high speed.
3. The marshmallow is done when it has increased in volume and has reached a soft peak stage. The peaks will be very soft and they don’t stand stiff. Add vanilla and mix for another minute.
4. To set the homemade marshmallow, pour it into the prepared tin and leave it in a cool place overnight to set completely. 

Cutting the marshmallows

1. If you had greased your tin or mold well, removing the marshmallow block from it and paper lining should be an easy process.
2. To cut the homemade marshmallows, use a sharp knife. Grease your knife well and dust it with the icing sugar-cornstarch dusting. Keep dusting the knife after each slicing to avoid the marshmallow from sticking to the knife.
3. Lift the marshmallow block off the tin and place it on a large cutting board. Peel off the sides. Dust the top of the marshmallows generously with the icing sugar-cornstarch dusting. Cut the marshmallows into about 1-inch squares, dusting the knife often.
4. Toss the cut marshmallows into more icing sugar – cornstarch mixture mix until they are all well coated. You can put them into a container and gently shake the container to dust the cut marshmallows. Keep them in an airtight container. 

🍽️Serving & storage

• These marshmallows can be kept at room temperature for a good 2 to 3 weeks or longer. Store them in an air-tight container, in a dry place.

💡Expert Tips

• Making homemade marshmallows can be quite a sticky affair. However, this can be easily managed with proper greasing of the molds (tins used to pour the marshmallow mixture into) and the knife that is used to cut the marshmallows.
• Also, dusting the homemade marshmallows well with sugar-cornstarch mix will ensure the marshmallows do not stick to one another after cutting.
• The gelatin I use in this homemade recipe is the powdered one and it's unflavored. And because of this, it sometimes has a pretty strong smell, so the flavoring is quite important. Plain vanilla extract is sufficient to make homemade vanilla marshmallows, but if you want something fancier, you can use any fruit extracts, or coffee extract or anything else that suits your liking.
• Since there is no corn syrup in the recipe, it is important that you do not stir the syrup once the sugar has all dissolved. Let the syrup simmer on low heat until it reaches the soft ball stage. Stirring at this stage can cause sugar crystallization in your syrup.

💭FAQs