An easy recipe for raspberry and vanilla homemade marshmallows, which are as light and fluffy as a cloud! Perfect for your Valentine! 
Homemade marshmallows are a joy to eat. Light, soft and fluffy without a hint of chewiness they are poles apart from their chewy, rubbery mass produced poor relations Mine are so soft and pillowly I want to make a giant one and sleep on it, I am sure it would guarantee a good night’s sleep.
If you love good quality homemade marshmallows there are more and more people making them, in a variety of flavours, but at about £1 a piece it in an expensive indulgence, and making your own is so much cheaper, and certainly far more satisfying.
Marshmallows are remarkably simple to make, with three main ingredients – sugar, syrup and gelatine – you can also use egg white, but having experimented I far prefer egg free marshmallows – I find them softer and creamier. You do need two pieces of specialist equipment – a stand mixer, and an accurate sugar thermometer, I use my trusty Thermapen®, with its ultra clear display, quick reading and long probe so I can stay well away from the hot sticky sugar syrup.
As well as being ideal for candy making where the temperature of the sugar syrup is crucial, the Thermapen® is also idea for checking that meat and poultry is properly cooked and for jam and jelly making – I also used it the other day to check the temperature of my slow cooker, which I now use as a Sous Vide. Read my full Thermapen® review here, but the main reasons that I am super impressed with the Thermapen® are:-
- Takes a reading in less than 3 seconds
- The display is backlit in dim light
- The display rotates so it is easily readable whichever way up, and in whichever hand you are holding it
- The probe is easy to clean
- It takes a standard AAA battery (but with a 3000 hour life the battery will probably never need replacing) and the Thermapen® switches itself off after a few seconds when you put it down.
- It measures temperatures between -49.9C to 299.9C
The Thermapen® is available in 10 bright colours for £60 and will last you a lifetime.
To make the marshmallow you pour the hot sugar syrup over dissolved gelatine and whisk and whisk and whisk at high speed until the mixture suddenly expands and becomes thick and sticky. I’d really not want to make it with an electric hand whisk, I do not think most have the strength or staying power.
Marshmallow is sticky, sticky, sticky and then even more sticky, be prepared to have a shower and wash your hair after making them (so speaks the voice of experience). Obviously sugar syrup is hot and sticky and burns, keep children and pets out of the kitchen when making these.
I’ve found that the best way to cut the slab of fresh marshmallow up is to use a pair sharp kitchen scissors with some cooking oil rubbed into the blades. Simply cut the block into strips, then into pieces before dusting all the sticky surfaces with a mixture of cornflour and icing sugar.
- Two sachets powdered gelatine about 20g
- 120 ml warm water
- 440 g sugar
- 100 g golden or corn syrup
- 200 ml water
- A dab of pink food colouring
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
- 2 tbs cornflour
- 2 tbs icing sugar
- 1 tbs freeze dried raspberries optional
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Pour the 120ml warm water into a small pan and sprinkle the gelatine over, gently stir and set to one side to allow the gelatine to swell or “bloom”.
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Place the sugar, syrup and remaining 200ml or water into a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the syrup is at 120C. As it approaches this temperature the bubbles will become smaller and the mixture will start to darken.
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Whilst the sugar is heating, line a baking pan (about 30 x 20cm) with oiled cling film.
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If needed, warm the gelatine gently to fully dissolve it, then add it to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on a low speed with the whisk to prevent it from setting.
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Once the sugar syrup has reached 120C increase the speed of the mixer to maximum and carefully pour the syrup over the gelatine. Whisk. The mix will puff up and after 5 – 10 minutes bubble gum like strands form. Whisk in the food colouring and vanilla.
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Pour into the prepared pan and leave at room temperature, covered with another sheet of oiled clingfilm for 2 hours until set.
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Mix the cornflour, icing sugar and raspberry pieces (if using) and liberally dust a board with it, turn the set block of marshmallow out, teasing the cling film from it. With a pair of oiled kitchen scissors cut the marshmallow into cubes dusting each freshly cut surface with the cornflour mix as you go. I found the cutting was the hardest part of the process, the marshmallow is fairly forgiving and robust so you can pull it around a fair bit.
For more recipes using the super accurate Thermapen try:
- Camilla’s Rocky Road
- Claire’s Apple & Rosehip Jelly
- Kevin’s Mint Aero Baked Cheesecake
- Bintu’s Perfect Roast Pork
This recipe for Raspberry and Vanilla Homemade Marshmallows was commissioned by Thermapen®. All options our own.
Love the addition of dried raspberries. They are hard to find but I love them. Homemade marshmallows are the best!
The raspberries are just perfect as the tartness offsets the marshmallow perfectly.
My daughter is obsessed with marshmallows and she is going to LOVE this pink version. BTW that Thermapen looks awesome… is it only available in Europe?
Hi Oriana I am not sure if it available out of Europe – I’ll ask the supplier.
Always saying I need to try homemade marshmallows but always worried about getting precise temps…Thermapen looks like it worked great for you!!
The Thermapen is essential for getting the sugar syrup to the right temperature. Such a good gadget.
They look soooooooo pretty and especially love that baby pink color. I always wanted to make marshmallow at home and your recipe is really easy too.
As long as you have a stand mixer and an accurate thermometer it is super simple. I love homemade marshmallows.
These look fab Helen, what a lovely gift they would make. I have a ThermaPen too and love it – so super-accurate, and really easy to use. It has transformed my baking – I just pop it into bread to find out whether its cooked through, takes out all the guesswork! I’m intrigued to try your marshmallows using vege-gel instead of gelatine – I had a bit of a disaster with my last attempt (using eggs), but this recipe would probably work much better. Will let you know how it goes!
What a good idea to use the Thermapen for bread. I’ve had no luck with marshmallows and vege-gel at all, with or without eggs.
I need one of those thermometer pen things! My marmalade turned to toffee yesterday.
You absolutely do Lynn, they are so useful.
I have to say I am not a fan of marshmallows, but you make these look so inviting, such beautiful images too Helen. Maybe I could be persuaded… I bet a thermapen is just brilliant for tempering chocolate too.
Homemade ones are just so different Ceri, poles apart from the shop ones.
These look AMAZING!! I love making my own marshmallow but to add raspberry in them is just wonderful!! Definitely to try this for my next batch!
The tartness of the raspberry nicely balances the sweetness.
These look amazing Helen and if I was making my own marshmallows I would definitely be using one of these.
I think my husband would love this recipe – he is marshmallow obsessed.
I adore homemade marshmallows, a massive one only has about 15g of sugar, which for a sweet is not really that much.
I had never thought of making my own marshmallows before. What a great idea! The temperature probe looks much easier than my trad bulb one.
The Thermapen is super, it gives a reading so quickly, and is so easy to clean too.
What a lovely treat for sitting and watching TV. A little touch of luxury to brighten up an evening.
They are rather moreish!
That Thermapen looks very useful for meat as well as confectionary.
It is indeed. Excellent gadget.
Home-made marshmallows sound like a great idea. Could I make chocolate and/or chilli, to go with hot chocolate for when it’s very cold and miserable outside?
I’ve made honey and chilli marshmallows before. they’d be even better dipped in chocolate.
AMAZING! Are they really easy? A Thermapen might just have to be my next gadget. Too bad Christmas has been and gone.
Really that easy! the Thermapen is an essential for the process.
Those are great looking marshmallows, and I love the idea of the flavours. I might try chocolate and raspberry?
Sounds wonderful. I think I’d dip them in chocolate.
Marshmallows are something I really can’t resist. There is something about them that is so addictive, I guess their texture.. so unique!
My mouth was watering when I saw your photo and no, I have never tried making them yet. I am bookmarking your recipe to try soon.
They really are so easy to make so long as you have a good thermometer and a stand mixer.
Bookmarked for my vegan teen with a sweet tooth. So pretty too.
These look like a great gift. A bit different than chocolates!
I like them too much to give them away!
These are so so pretty Helen! I got in such a sticky mess when I made marshmallows that I haven’t bothered making them again. I really must though as they’d be lovely Easter presents for end of term gifting.
The trick is to be very prepared, and to tie your hair back!