Healthy Marshmallows {Marshmallows Without Corn Syrup}
Learn how easy it is to make honey-sweetened Healthy Marshmallows. They are perfect for gifts, roasting, baking, or in a cozy cup of cocoa. Marshmallows without corn syrup are the perfect allergy-friendly treat.
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It all started with a garage sale. I found an ancient candy thermometer for $5.
Try these homemade marshmallows in this Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge recipe, Addicting Smores Bark, or Nordy Bars.
What ingredients are in Healthy Marshmallows?
These homemade candies are rocking:
- honey
- a pinch of salt
- unflavored gelatin
- vanilla (try making homemade vanilla extract)
Are Marshmallows Gluten-Free?
Yes, you bet they are! No gluten, flour, or grains of any kind are in these.
#1 Success Tip For the Best Homemade Marshmallows
Have everything prepared before you start the honey mixture on the stove. Once the honey and water are heated up and ready to go you need to start mixing everything right away.
How to Make Homemade Healthy Marshmallows
*You’ll find a printable version of this recipe with measurements at the bottom of the post.
You’re going to start by combining water, salt, and honey in a medium-sized pot over medium heat without stirring (see printable recipe card for exact measurements). Pro tip: don’t pick a huge saucepan because you won’t be able to get an accurate temperature reading in a shallow syrup. But you’ll also need something deep enough where the syrup won’t boil over as it heats.
While the honey is heating up, you’re going to add more water to the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle gelatin over the top of that. Again, you’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card below! Place a whisk attachment on the stand mixer.
When the honey mixture has reached 230 degrees F (check with a candy thermometer for exact temps), turn your stand mixer to the lowest setting and slowly pour the honey into the bowl of the stand mixer. Add your vanilla extract.
Slowly increase the speed of your stand mixture every few minutes until the last few minutes the mixer is going at the highest speed.
After two minutes:
After six minutes:
After eight minutes:
After 10 minutes:
Pour the mixture into a buttered 9×13 baking dish.
And now…you wait. Keep them uncovered for 6-12 hours at room temperature.
How to Know When Paleo Marshmallows are Done Mixing?
How to Cut Honey Marshmallows
How Do You Keep Homemade Marshmallows From Sticking Together?
How Long Are Homemade Marshmallows Good For?
They will keep at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Pro tips/recipe notes
- If they are too firm or chewy it means your honey mixture was too hot when it was added to the gelatin in the stand mixer.
- If they seem a bit soggy even after they have dried, it is because everything was not mixed at a high enough speed for long enough.
Can You Freeze Homemade Marshmallows?
Yes! Dust them with powdered sugar prior to freezing.
More Recipes Like This:
- Check out all these Pantry Staples You Can Make Yourself
- Mocha Frosting
- Honey Simple Syrup
- How to Make Brown Sugar
- Homemade Peppermint Extract
Making this recipe or others?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sustainablecooks. I can't wait to see your take on it!
Learn how easy it is to make honey-sweetened Healthy Marshmallows. Paleo marshmallows without corn syrup are the perfect allergy-friendly treat.
- 2/3 cup + 1/2 cup of water
- 1 1/4 cup honey
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 6 tbsp unflavored gelatin (the equivalent of 3 small packets)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pour 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of a stand mixer, and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for five minutes.
- Place 2/3 cup of water in a large pot. Add the honey and salt, and cook without stirring until the temp reaches 230 degrees.
Using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, slowly pour the hot liquid mixture in and mix on low. Add the vanilla.
Slowly increase your mixer speed (I have a Kitchen Aid and I upped it from "stir" to a "3", and then after a few minutes to a "5", then up to a "7"), and mix for a total of 10-15 minutes.
While it's mixing, butter a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the thickened mixture in, and push it down with your hands. Leave it uncovered for 12 hours.
After at least 12 hours, remove the solid marshmallow rectangle and cut through it using kitchen shears to create your individual marshmallows.
Inspired by The Homemade Pantry.
If marshmallows are too firm or chewy it means your honey mixture was too hot when it was added to the gelatin in the stand mixer.
If the marshmallows seem a bit soggy even after they have dried, it is because everything was not mixed at a high enough speed for long enough.
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Wow amazing tutorial! These are delicious! I subbed honey for maple syrup and they are “better than the store ones” according to my 4 year old who is hanging off me all day asking for more. Only problem I am having is they are sweating a lot. I put powdered sugar on them…could this be what’s causing the sweating? I was thinking of getting tapioca flour today to try to dry them out a bit. Still delicious but wet. Any tips for future batches?
I also only used 4 packs/tbsp of gelatin as that was all that was in the box I bought. Could this be the cause? They seem to be a perfect texture though…just sweating on the outside (even before I put the powdered sugar on but much worse once I added the sugar)
Amy, so glad you and the 4-year-old are enjoying them!
Are you sure each pack was a TBSP?
The sweating…I haven’t experienced it but let’s troubleshoot it a bit. What is the temp in your house (I always make these in winter)? How are they being stored? Were they enclosed in an air-tight container when they were still warm?
Thanks for the speedy reply! Wow!
Our house is air conditioned so quite cool. I had them setting overnight uncovered. The top was not sweaty after setting but the bottom of the brick was moist when I removed it from the pan before cutting. After cutting them into cubes I transferred them into a plastic freezer zip lock bag and kept them on my counter.
I don’t have a candy thermometer so guessed based off of my meat thermometer being maxed out for an extra 10 minutes. Maybe I didn’t hear it enough?
I measured the gelatin packs and they were 1 TBSP each so maybe it’s being short the 2 extra TBSP.
Again, they are still a great consistency just glossy/sweaty. When cut with teeth the middle isn’t wet so it’s only after sitting a bit. They are still amazing. Right now I have them uncovered in a mixing bowl hoping to dry them out a bit while I hide my time til I get the the store to get tapioca flour to coat them with. Hopefully that’ll dry them out a bit.
I’m thinking it’s a combo of not enough gelatin leaving excess moisture and then the powdered sugar mixing with the excess moisture left over from not enough gelatin making them extra slimy…? Sort of like iced marshmallows…could be a lot worse haha
Yes, there are worse things in life than iced marshmallows! 🙂
I think the lower amount of gelatin plus the temp of the liquid are the likely culprits here. I know when I make Almond Roca, the weather has to be just right, and if I don’t heat the liquids to the exact right temperature, it becomes taffy instead of toffee. Again, first world problems, but still.
I might store them in the fridge and see what happens.
Ahh ok then! Time to order a candy thermometer and get some more gelatin cause we can’t go back to store bought after these <3
Thanks so much!
The good news is that candy thermometers are super affordable! And now you can make Almond Roca during the holidays. Win win.
Ok, update. I got a candy thermometer and used 3 TBSP of collagen gelatin. Turned out PERFECTLY!! I am thinking the amount of gelatin was not the issue. I think it was the temperature. I did not boil the mixture as much as I had to to get it to finally reach 240 (my meat one that I used first only goes to 220 and then I was just guessing).
Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!!
I did 1/2 C honey, 1/2 Maple syrup-soo delicious!
Yassssss! That’s great news! Thanks so much for following up to let me know. 🙂
The girls loved them!
going to have to try this!
I make rice krispie treats almost daily. The gremlins love them and I rarely make cookies. (I’m lazy) does anyone know if these mallows will work for that?
I made them with homemade marshmallows, and they worked great! They weren’t as sweet as normal treats made with store-bought marshmallows, but they were delicious!
You could probably make this even cheaper. Marshmallows were originally made by boiling the roots of marsh-mallow plants. You then strained the resulting viscous liquid out and whipped the sugar into it.
You can do the same with a relative of this plant, common mallow, (aka cheeseweed) only you boil the seed pods instead of the roots. Common mallow is easy to find because it grows like a weed in people’s yards.
Presto! Now you don’t have to buy gelatin and it’s vegan!
My only question is – are they puffy and squishy like the store bought kind. It kinda looks like a brick that Jack is hacking away at.
BTW, you have beautiful teeth!
Jaye
Totally puffy and squishy! It’s a dense brick when it’s 1 piece, but they felt like normal marshmallows after I cut them.
Thanks! I can thank my dad’s genetics, and my Sonicare. ;-D
OMG! Can’t stop laughing! The comment before this is about your boobs after years of nursing… then this comment asks you if they are puffy and squishy like the store bought kind.
I don’t have a stand mixer. Do you think a handheld electric whisk would work?
I would say as long as it has adjustable speeds that should be fine. Wear comfy shoes because you’ll be standing there for awhile. 🙂
Nice…two things came to mind as I read this:
1) I like your writing style. Seriously, how many blogs can you read “(insert fart noise here)”
2) I like that you allow your son to “play” with a knife. A lot of kids I come across have no appreciation for knives or firearms because their parents did everything they could to keep them away.
One of my favorite sources for good, basic recipes, and especially sweets, are simply old cookbooks. If you can find ones from the 40’s or earlier there are some great, basic recipes that aren’t too hard to guesstimate substitutions. In my opinion a lot of newer cookbooks just try to reinvent the wheel.
LOL, I write like I talk IRL, so just picture me actually making that fart noise when you read my writing!
It is a kid’s knife (dull and doesn’t have a pointed tip), but I agree that things are out there that are dangerous for kids. We can teach them how to properly use them, or we can just take them to the ER when they screw around with them and hurt themselves!