Homemade Maple Marshmallows

Jan 04, 2023

Confused about why I’m sending out recipes on Substack? Click here to read the backstory.

It is my firmly held belief that you’ve never really tried a marshmallow until you’ve tried a homemade marshmallow.

Marshmallows should be simple. In essence, they’re just little cubes of gelatin, sugar, and water. One of the major problems with store-bought marshmallows is that the gelatin is often omitted from the recipe entirely, or greatly reduced, and replaced with corn starch.

The problem with this is that gelatin is what makes marshmallows worth eating! Gelatin is derived from the collagen of animals (generally cows, chickens or fish), and is a high-protein, low carbohydrate, flavorless powder that becomes gelatinous in texture when combined with liquid. Corn starch, on the other hand, is a highly processed filler, void of nutrition, and contains four and a half times the amount of carbohydrates as gelatin.

Take a look at the two nutrition labels below. The first is for a generic “normal” package of store-bought marshmallows, and the second is for a generic vegan package.

Vegan or not, both are essentially the same - worthless cubes of sugary corn starch with artificial colors and fillers.

In doing a bit of research, I was able to find a few brands that sell high-quality packaged marshmallows that contain only gelatin and sugar as the main ingredients, but they’re pretty pricey. Also, the quality of the gelatin matters. Since gelatin is derived from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals, it’s important to know the source of the gelatin that’s being used, and most companies who sell packaged marshmallows don’t disclose this information.

For the cost of one bag of the highest quality packaged marshmallows I could find, I calculated that I could make about six batches of homemade marshmallows for the same price. One homemade marshmallow costs about 11 cents, whereas one high-quality packaged marshmallow costs 75 cents. In addition to the cost savings, when I make these at home, I can also customize the ingredients however I want, and ensure I am consuming the highest quality gelatin.

I’ve been using Vital Farms’ gelatin for years, and it never disappoints. If you’re thinking of purchasing some, you can also use it to make homemade jell-o, gummies, panna cotta, and any other gelatinous food you can think of. I highly recommend Vital Farms' collagen as well, which you can add to smoothies, beverages, etc. as a flavorless protein powder. Unlike gelatin, collagen doesn’t become thick and gelatinous, it just dissolves, so it’s easy to hide in beverages or soft foods. In addition to being high in protein, both gelatin and collagen have also been shown to be beneficial for supporting the health of hair, skin, nails, and our digestive systems.

The only tool you need to make these homemade marshmallows is an electric hand-held mixer, or a stand mixer. I’m always surprised to learn how many people don’t have electric hand-held mixers, because I use mine all the time, especially for making homemade whipped cream, which similar to marshmallows, far outpaces its store-bought equivalent. Here is some information about how many different things you can do with an electric mixer. You don’t need anything fancy when it comes to these, the cheapest one will do the trick!

A cooking thermometer like this one is also helpful for this recipe, but it’s not entirely necessary.

Once you’ve finished making the marshmallows, you can use them in place of packaged marshmallows in any recipe, including in s’mores, or melted on top of roasted sweet potatoes or hot chocolate. You can also eat them on their own as a tasty, melt-in-your-mouth, gut-healthy treat.