What do s’mores, hot chocolate, and rice krispy treats have in common?
Marshmallows!
With winter drawing near and the temperatures dropping, it’s finally that time of year that makes you want to warm up by a bonfire or curl up in a blanket with a big mug of hot chocolate. And we don’t know about you, but we can’t have a bonfire without s’mores, or hot chocolate without marshmallows! If you feel the same way, this blog post is just for you. We’re sharing several homemade marshmallow recipes so you can make your very own marshmallows at home.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with buying marshmallows at the store. But if you’re looking for something new to try with your child, this is a great choice. It gets them in the kitchen, practicing basic skills like measuring and counting, and the best part is they get to enjoy their very own marshmallows at the end. Plus, no baking required!
Hot chocolate tastes even better when you know it’s topped with homemade marshmallows.
What’s in a Marshmallow?
You’ll find a lot of marshmallow recipes online, some of which are very complicated. But the simplest recipes include five basic ingredients:
- Gelatin
- Water
- Honey or maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Salt
The gelatin gives the marshmallow its squishy texture. The water activates the gelatin. The honey, vanilla, and salt work together to create a delicious flavor.
How to Make Marshmallows
Making marshmallows is about as simple as its ingredients. Here are the basic steps.
Bloom the gelatin. You do this by combining the gelatin with warm water and letting it sit for a few minutes.
Boil other ingredients. While the gelatin is blooming, you’ll warm up water, honey, and salt on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil.
Mix ingredients. Next you’ll add the honey mixture to the bloomed gelatin and mix together on high until peaks form. You can add vanilla at this point.
Let marshmallows cool. This is the hardest part of the whole process…waiting for your marshmallows to firm up so you can enjoy them! They should set for a minimum of four hours.
Homemade Marshmallow Recipes
Now that you know the basic process of making marshmallows, it’s time to give them a try! Here are several recipes to choose from. Pick whichever one you think looks easiest or best! The versions below are similar but vary slightly.
Alton Brown’s Marshmallow Recipe