Campfire Style (Organic) Homemade Marshmallows

By Inger Jun 20, 2021 Cookies & Candies, Desserts & Snacks, Summer 48 Comments

It’s campfire season. What’s more fun than Campfire Style Organic Homemade Marshmallows! Step by step directions for this tasty summer candy!

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It’s gotten easier to eat organic than when I first published this recipe in 2013. But there are always exceptions. And one thing that’s still hard to find is organic marshmallows. But even if you don’t go organic, homemade marshmallows are tasty, fun and perfect for summer!

Why Make Your Own Marshmallows

Now besides cooking organic, there are many reasons to try making marshmallows at home. These include:

Great taste! If you are picky, err have good taste and cringe if someone brings home store brand marshmallows (not naming any names…), natural vanilla homemade marshmallows are made for you!

And what if you want to avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce, like Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate? Or blue 1?

Or if you want to hand select your gelatin, perhaps using organic, or kosher or grass-fed beef gelatin.

Yes, even if you just like doing fun DIY projects once in awhile to see how things work, then homemade marshmallows may be for you.

Ingredient Sourcing for Organic Marshmallows

Now homemade campfire marshmallows can readily be made with non-organic ingredients, so feel free to skip this section if that’s not your goal. But if you do want to go organic the biggest challenges are finding organic corn syrup and gelatin.

I use pork-based GoBio gelatin (not an affiliate link) that I order from Canada. But if I didn’t use a lot of gelatin or wanted to avoid pork, I’d probably go with this gelatin on Amazon which has a similar bloom strength (that is, gelling power) and is from grass-fed beef.

For organic corn syrup, I have been using this product made by Wholesome and it’s always worked well. Because organic regulations forbid using GMO products, going with an organic corn syrup also means you are non-GMO. (See tips and notes below for more on corn syrup in candy). It’s available on Amazon and even at my local health food store.

I make organic sugar in baking all the time, but sometimes it doesn’t perform as well in candy. In these marshmallows, however, the organic sugar worked perfectly.

Step by Step Directions

To start, you spray bottom and sides of a 7 x 9 or 8 x 8 baking pan with non-stick spray., then dust with powdered sugar. If you have parchment paper, line the pan bottom and two sides, then spray and dust again. (The parchment makes removal much easier)

In a large mixing bowl (use a stand mixer if you have it), sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and let stand to soften.

Soften gelatin

In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg white until it holds stiff peaks. Add the vanilla in the last few seconds of beating. If you only have one mixer wash the beaters now.

Beat egg white

In a heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 c water, and salt over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer (this is the one I use) registers 240°F., about 12 minutes.

Boil sugar syrup

Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture into bowl with the gelatin and water. Beat mixture on high speed until white and thick, about 6-10 minutes (a handheld will go longer).

Mixture should hold shape when you stop beating but still be quite soft.

Ready when it holds shape

Add whipped egg white and vanilla mixture to sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and sprinkle a layer of powdered sugar over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to 1 day.

Homemade marshmallow spread in pan

Using the edges of the parchment paper, pull out the hardened marshmallow block (or run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert a cutting board) . Cut the marshmallow into roughly 1-inch cubes. Coat cut edges of marshmallows with additional powdered sugar. The original recipe says marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week, but .

Cutting marshmallows

Notes and Tips

Making homemade organic marshmallows looks harder than it is. The biggest challenge is whipping the mixture to the right thickness. You want something that holds some shape when you lift the beaters but is still pourable/spreadable.

This recipe is based on one from Epicurious My version is half the original amount, and made plenty for 6 people to roast and still have leftovers (which the kids cut smaller for hot chocolate, despite the summer heat).

If you have both a stand mixer and hand mixer, use the hand mixer to beat the egg white and the stand mixer to do the other work. If you only have one you will need to wash between beating the eggs white and beating the sugar mixture.

I used a 9 x 7 pyrex pan for these. The more common 8 x 8 pan would also work well.

Corn syrup is used to prevent crystallization in candy. Many substitutions (e.g. maple syrup) will work if you eat the candy within a day or two, but the candy will turn grainy quickly. I have heard that golden syrup (a Britiish invert sugar) can substitute and I’ll be testing this next holiday season in my homemade caramels. Unfortunately, golden syrup is probably harder to get than organic corn syrup but could be helpful for corn allergies (stay tuned).

Homemade marshmallow s’more

Many recipes omit the egg white but these are notably fluffier than a recipe I use for molded marshmallows that doesn’t use it.

Done!

And if you really get into marshmallows, check out my homemade Peeps for Easter and mitten and heart shaped hot chocolate marshmallows!