Food and Recipes Desserts Our Best Homemade Marshmallows Recipe Be the first to rate & review! For smooth slices, dust your knife and the individual marshmallows in powdered sugar between each cut. By Southern Living Editors Updated on February 28, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Yield: 28 marshmallows Linda Pugliese, Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas, Buffy Hargett Miller Ingredients Parchment paper Vegetable cooking spray Powdered sugar 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin 1 cup cold water, divided 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions Line bottom of 7- x 11-inch baking dish with parchment paper; lightly grease with cooking spray. Dust sides and bottom of dish with powdered sugar. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Stir together granulated sugar, next 2 ingredients and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until a candy thermometer registers 240° (about 12 to 15 minutes; lower heat as necessary to prevent mixture from boiling over). Gradually add hot sugar mixture to gelatin mixture, beating at medium-low speed and using whisk attachment. Gradually increase speed to high, and beat 7 minutes or until bottom of bowl is slightly warm and mixture is very thick. Stir in vanilla. Working quickly, spread mixture in prepared dish; smooth with a lightly greased (with cooking spray) offset spatula. Heavily dust mixture with powdered sugar. Let mixture stand, uncovered, in a cool, dry place 8 to 24 hours. (Mixture should be dry enough to release from baking dish.) Cut mixture into 1 1/2-inch squares. Chef's Notes Peppermint Marshmallows: Substitute 1 tsp. peppermint extract for vanilla extract. Prepare recipe as directed through Step 3, adding 4 drops red food coloring gel and swirling into marshmallow mixture, using a lightly greased rubber spatula. Spread in prepared dish, and dot with 6 drops red food coloring gel. Swirl, using a wooden skewer. Proceed with recipe as directed. Bourbon-Caramel Marshmallows: Substitute 2 Tbsp. bourbon for vanilla extract. Prepare recipe as directed through Step 3, adding 2 Tbsp. warm jarred caramel topping and swirling into marshmallow mixture, using a lightly greased rubber spatula. Spread in prepared dish; drizzle with 2 Tbsp. warm jarred caramel topping. Swirl using a wooden skewer. Proceed with recipe as directed. Rate it Print