Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
Squishy, bouncy homemade pumpkin marshmallows made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
A special treat for your warm autumn/winter drinks: homemade marshmallows made with pumpkin! These have the signature pumpkin spice flavor but the bounce and squishiness of a homemade marshmallow: unmatched by anything store bought. These are fluffier, less sweet and taste ten times better. You can also torch or broil them to make a winter ‘smores’ flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree: Canned pumpkin puree, I used Libby’s.
Pumpkin Spice: If you don’t have it or want to make your own, use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½-1 teaspoon each nutmeg, ginger and cloves (depending on your taste).
Gelatin: this is a big batch so we’ll use four packets of Knox gelatin powder.
Sugar: Fine granulated sugar.
Syrup: Pure maple syrup (not pancake/waffle syrup). You can substitute with a not-strong tasting honey or with corn syrup if you like.
Salt & vanilla: fine sea salt and pure vanilla extract.
How to make Pumpkin Marshmallows
Bloom the gelatin by mixing together the water and pumpkin puree, and then the pumpkin spice and gelatin powder
Set all the sugar syrup ingredients in a pot, whisk and then set over medium high heat
Keep a thermometer nearby, the sugar will get up to 230 fairly quickly but it takes some time to get to 250. If you have a candy thermometer you can clip it on, otherwise check it often.
Stop as soon as the sugar reaches 250 F (firm ball stage) and pour the syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer
Let it cool for 1 minute (no more) then add the gelatin mixture, it should be in one solid mass now
Affix the whisk attachment and start whipping on low, working up to medium speed
While it’s whipping, add the vanilla
The mix will start out a dark liquid and gradually thicken and lighten in color. After about 10 minutes, the fluff will be thick and pulling away from the sides of the bowl
Oil a 13×9 inch baking pan (or a 9×9 inch cake pan for thicker marshmallows) and a rubber spatula
Pour the marshmallow into the pan, scraping up as much as you can from the bowl (it will be very sticky – just do your best!) and then cover it with foil. In the fridge the marshmallows will set in about 2 hours, on the counter they’ll need overnight
Once they are set, whisk together the coating: powdered sugar and pumpkin spice. Rub some of the sugar on the top of the marshmallow then turn it onto the counter (so the sticky side is facing up) and rub the sugar on that too
Oil a chef’s knife and slice the marshmallows. Each one should be dipped into the powdered sugar and coated
Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
Yes you can add chocolate! While the marshmallow fluff is whipping, carefully melt ~200g chocolate (dark, semi-sweet or, my favorite – caramelized white chocolate) by heating it in 15 second increments and stirring. When ⅔ of it has melted, stop heating and just stir until it’s smooth. We’ll add the chocolate in layers so that there’s chocolate in the marshmallow and on top:
Spoon half of the marshmallow fluff into the pan then swirl in half of the chocolate. Spoon the rest of the marshmallow fluff and smooth it out into an even layer then swirl in the remaining chocolate. Proceed as directed in the instructions.
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
Ingredients
Pumpkin Gelatin
- 75 g pumpkin puree
- 85 g cool water
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 packets gelatin
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Maple Sugar Syrup
- 400 g or 2 cups granulated sugar
- 185 g maple syrup
- 160 g cool water
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Pumpkin Spice Coating
- ½ cup powdered sugar preferably made with tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Method
Bloom the gelatin
- Whisk or beat with a fork together the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in a small bowl. Add the water and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the gelatin powder and combine. Set aside, it will firm up in a few minutes.
Candy the sugar
- Set the sugar, maple syrup, water and sea salt in a medium sized pot. Stir to combine. Set over medium to medium high heat and cook until the temperature of the syrup reaches 250 F. This will take 12-20 minutes, depending on how hot the heat is and the material of your pot. Use a candy, instant read or laser thermometer to check on the syrup often.
Whip the marshmallow fluff
- When the temperature reaches 250, immediately pour the hot sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it cool for a minute. Add the bloomed gelatin (it will be in one solid but soft piece by now) and attach the whisk.
- Start the machine on low then work it up to a medium speed. The mix starts out a dark liquid and slowly gets thicker, lighter in color and fluffier. Whip until the fluff is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, after about 10-12 minutes. Taste it - you can add more vanilla or fine sea salt while it’s whipping, if you like.
- Oil a 13 x 9” or a 9x9” cake pan (I use a spray bottle). Once the fluff is done whipping, pour it into the pan, scraping up as much as you can (it is sticky and annoying - just do your best). Smooth the fluff into an even layer. Cover the pan with foil and set on the counter overnight or in the fridge for a few hours, until it is firm.
Slice & coat the marshmallows
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and pumpkin spice. Spread it over the top of the marshmallow to coat. Turn the marshmallow onto the counter, coated side face down, and rub the other side with the powdered sugar.
- Grease a chef’s knife (the oil helps the marshmallow from sticking to the knife) and slice the marshmallows into 1” squares. Dip them in the powdered sugar to coat on all sides.
- Store the marshmallows in an airtight container, they’ll keep for 2 weeks.
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