Be the talk of the campfire with these homemade marshmallows in your S’mores this summer! These easy-to-make marshmallows take just 20 minutes plus set-up time to create fluffy marshmallows for your next summer adventure.
Prepare the GelatinCombine all three packets of gelatin with 1/2 cup of the cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. [See Note 3] Have the whisk attachment ready and waiting.
Prepare the Sugar:Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cold water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Place over medium- high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan. Continue to cook sugars until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (soft ball), approximately 7 to 8 minutes. When the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the bowl with the gelatin mixture. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping.
Prepare the pan: Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch (3-qt) metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use. Note: For mini marshmallows, use a rimmed sheet pan or for jumbo marshmallows, use a 8-inch square baking pan.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight to set-up.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel or knife dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. I do this in a zip-top bag and shake it vigorously. The bag also serves as my air-tight storage container.
Store in an airtight container (or zip-top bag) for up to a month.
Notes
Unflavored gelatin is usually sold on the baking aisle or near the flavored gelatine mixes. We use the Knox brand unflavored gelatine. Each packet contains 0.25 ounces of gelatine which is about 2 1/2 teaspoons.
For flavored marshmallows, omit the pure vanilla extract and replace with an equal amount of the flavor extract of your choice.
A hand mixer can be used but this mix takes a long time to whip and gets pretty thick which could cause a smaller hand mixer to overheat.
Nutritional information is based on cutting 32 marshmallows from the average 13x9-inch (3-qt) baking pan.