A few month ago I made homemade marshmallows for the first time. They were fluffy and airy and incredibly easy to make. I used them in some awesome s'mores ice cream sandwiches and was totally smitten with the fact that I could make my own marshmallows from now on. Fast forward to now and I've found my new marshmallow-y obsession: Homemade Marshmallow Creme.
It's smooth, glossy, creamy, and fluffy, and I love it.
Just like marshmallows, Marshmallow Creme is a breeze to make. In fact, I think making Marshmallow Creme might even be easier (which is a little dangerous when you think about it). Whip up some egg whites, make a sugar syrup, combine the two, and whip, whip, whip your way to marshmallow heaven. That's basically the gist of it, for reals. :) And since marshmallow creme doesn't have to "set" like marshmallows do, you can be spooning this stuff into your mouth straight away - I mean, ahem, using it in a recipe. Of course there's a recipe coming up - I always have an ulterior motive. ;)
I think I should mention that I happen to know a marshmallow LOVER who claimed full rights on the marshmallow creme-covered beater, spatula, and spoon once I was done making this stuff. I'm pretty sure that means it gets a huge stamp of approval.
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DIY Marshmallow Creme
This homemade Marshmallow Cream is incredibly easy to make. Plus, it's so perfectly thick, fluffy, creamy, and glossy, you'll wonder why you ever bothered buying it from the store!
- Yield: about 5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup water
- 5 ½ ounces granulated sugar, divided (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 9 ounces light corn syrup (¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the cream of tartar over. Beat, increasing the speed to medium-high, until the eggs starts to get light, airy, and frothy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in ⅞ ounce (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar. Continue to beat until firm (but not stiff) peaks form. Set aside.
- Fit a small saucepan with a candy thermometer, or have a reliable digital thermometer ready nearby. Combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in the saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and then, using a heat-safe spatula, stir very frequently as you cook the syrup mixture to 240°F, maintaining a consistent boil. Once at 240°F, remove from the heat immediately.
- Start the mixer on second speed and slowly pour the syrup in as it mixes until all of the syrup has been added. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl if needed, and then increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 5 minutes. The mixture should have expanded and you should now have a white creme that's able to hold some shape. Add the vanilla, wipe down the bowl and beater, and beat for about 1 more minute, until the mixture is even in color again and has reached the desired consistency of marshmallow creme.
- Store creme in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Adapted From: Kimberly Reiner via Martha Stewart
Karina
I did this recipe last week, and it was really nice, easy and delicious. now I'm going to do it again, thanks for having this place.
Laura
Odd questi0n, but can I bake with this? I want to make Brownies with this swirled in, but I'm afraid it will melt in the heat.
alexandra
I've never tried it, so unfortunately I really can't say for sure. It sounds like an awesome idea though, so if you do try it, I'd love to hear how it goes!
Shane
Can anyone tell me how long this holds up in the refrigerator? Will it eventually separate?
alexandra
At least a month, in my experience. I'm not sure if it will separate if kept longer, but it does seem to lose its structure a bit over time.
androshi
have you found out if the marshmallow creme freezes well?
alexandra
I wish I could say I have, but no. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it works out!
Jessica Liew
Hello what if we don't have a candy thermometer? Oh! And are there any substitutes for corn syrup besides liquid glucose? Thanks! :)
alexandra
If you don't have a candy thermometer and really don't want to invest it one, the best thing you can do is use the cold water test. At 240º, a sugar syrup is at the soft ball stage, which means that if you take a small bit of the syrup and drop it in a bowl of very cold water, it will form a soft ball, but if you lift it out of the water, the ball will flatten in your hands within a few seconds. Check out this page for more information. As far as a substitute for the corn syrup, another liquid sweetener might work, but I haven't tested any others myself for this recipe.
anita
This recipe was so good! Thank you for sharing :)
alexandra
Aww I'm so happy to hear it! Thank you!
Kelly
I made this last night and it's amazing! I added peanut butter to it and piped the homemade fluffernutter into cupcakes. Yum! :)
alexandra
Oooh, I like the sound of that! YUM!
gubidal092
I know some people don't use/don't have access to corn syrup, and you should be able to substitute honey in this recipe with little/no trouble. I've made this substitution with marshmallows that had to set up and they did fine, they only wept a little after several days in the fridge, which shouldn't even be a concern here.
alexandra
Honey, agave, golden syrup, etc. can often be substituted for corn syrup in recipes like this one with success; I know at least one reader has tried making the marshmallow creme with agave and said that it worked well. Thanks for the input for all those who have this question! :)
Renee
Can you use it for baking inside cupcakes?
alexandra
I haven't tried it, but I think it might work! Let me know if you do. :)
Katie Drew
Can you use no calorie sweetner instead of sugar
alexandra
It might work, but I can't really say since I don't use no calorie sweeteners. You would still need to use the corn syrup though, or some other liquid sweetener like agave.
Brenna
Just made this. It turned out pretty awesome! I tried it though before I added the vanilla and I almost liked it better like that. You can really taste the vanilla after you add it. But it was still really good. I ate so much I started to make myself not feel too good from all the sugar.
alexandra
I can understand that since I'm really picky about the amount of vanilla I use when I make regular marshmallows.The good thing about marshmallow recipes is that you can always switch the amount or type of extract you use to make it suit your tastes. So glad you liked it!
Christina
This is the 3rd time I've made this I LOVE it so much. I am using it for my take on a bonbon s'more. I was wondering how long this stuff can be left in the fridge. as I have some left over.
alexandra
Aww I'm so happy to hear it! I've kept it for about a month; it may last longer. It might not stay quite as stiff as it was when first made, but if it looks and smells fine, it should be fine.
Nicole
Can I use like regular corn syrup instead of light?
alexandra
Sure. The difference will be that the marshmallows might have a little bit of a brownish tinge from the darker corn syrup and possibly a bit of richer, molasses-type flavor.
April B
I made this on Saturday and it was so easy and delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
alexandra
I'm so glad! Thanks for letting me know. :)
Susanne
I hope you don't mind but I used the this recipe for part of a blog post I just published. I put a link back to your page on my post and said that the recipe came from you, but didn't even think to check with you first. I hope that it isn't a problem as I absolutely loved this recipe. The blog is here - http://wp.me/p412dl-7N.
alexandra
No problem! I'm happy you liked the recipe enough to share! Thanks so much for letting me know. :)