Raspberry Marshmallows
Fluffy and tart, these naturally bright pink marshmallows are bursting with raspberry flavor thanks to fresh puree and some freeze dried berries.
Homemade marshmallows are absolutely, always worth the effort. Store-bought marshmallows (even the ‘gourmet’ ones!) use a ton of sugar and preservatives to keep the marshmallows good for a long shelf life. They are rather disappointing as they are overly sweet and quite firm and dry. On the other hand, homemade, with the right ingredients and right ratios, are super soft, springy and nobody in their right mind would choose store-bought after trying these.
These raspberry marshmallows are exploding with raspberry flavor as they use two different types of berries to drive the flavor home. This recipe does it without compromising the sought-after bouncy texture of a good homemade mallow.
Getting that flavor into a raspberry marshmallow
The ‘safe’ way of making flavored mallows is to use an extract or oil – something that will lend a lot of flavor without compromising the structure of a soft, fluffy mallow. I personally love a real, authentic and fresh fruit taste.
So to get there, I begin by using raspberry juice like I did in these apple cider mallows. In those I simply replaced all the water I use in my basic marshmallows with cider, it was an easy swap and the result is fabulous. “Raspberry juice” isn’t as easy of a swap but we can make raspberry puree from the berries.
To really zero in on that berry flavor I also use freeze dried raspberries which are intensely flavorful, but because it’s so fine and light, it won’t affect the texture. The result is a potent raspberry flavor.
Why using frozen raspberries is best for this recipe
Freeze dried raspberries and frozen are what we’ll use here – not fresh! This is important; both freeze dried and frozen are harvested when the fruit is in season and the berry flavor is at it’s best and when incorporated into a large amount of sugar and air, we don’t want the berry taste to get lost. The gelatin taste which is usually detectable in a basic marshmallow is hidden underneath the punch of berry. The good news is that using these two ingredients makes the mallows do-able year round!
How to make marshmallows at home
You’ll make two mixtures: one with the gelatin and flavorings and the other with the sugars. The first sets while the second cooks until the candy stage (right when it hits ‘hard-ball’). Then you’ll whip them together until the liquid becomes a giant marshmallow fluff. It will need to rest to firm up and then you’ll cut and dust them in powdered sugar. That’s it!
Key points
- Getting the sugar to hard ball: this is at 250 F and you’ll need a candy thermometer to confirm the temperature. An instant read thermometer can be used too.
- Ensuring the mixture has whipped long enough. This takes at least 7-10 minutes and you want to go long enough to ensure enough air has been incorporated so it doesn’t set thick.
Also, use a DEEP POT for the sugar if using honey, it’ll cause the sugar to boil up quite high and can make a mess if the pan is too shallow.
Questions you might have when making Raspberry Marshmallows
How much gelatin is in 4 packets? What can I substitute it with?
In the US gelatin is usually sold by Knox, it comes in a box with 4 packets for a total of 1 oz or 28g, and it is readily available at most grocery stores. A possible vegan substitute would be agar powder, it does set the mallows firmer than gelatin and you would use half the amount called for in this recipe. I gather that agar also needs to be ‘activated’ over heat before its used but I don’t know enough to tell you how.
How do I know when the sugar is done boiling?
Use a candy or instant read thermometer, it should read 250 F.
Where do I find freeze dried raspberries?
Most grocery stores have them near the nuts or dried fruits. Amazon also has tons of options. If you cannot find them, I’d say don’t make these marshmallows as the flavor with just the puree won’t be enough.
How do I know when the fluff is done whipping?
It will look ‘fluffy’ and be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Can I make these with strawberries instead? Strawberry Marshmallows!
Absolutely!
How should I store homemade marshmallows?
In an airtight container at room temperature.
Why use organic powdered sugar for the coating?
Organic powdered sugar is usually made with tapioca starch (not corn starch – check the label!) which melts on the tongue. Corn starch needs to be heated to melt and gives the mallows a weird taste.
Special ingredients:
- Gelatin
- Freeze Dried Raspberries
- Sumac, if desired
Tools you’ll need:
- A stand mixer
- A thermometer, candy or instant read
- An 8×8” or 13×9” pan
How should I eat these Raspberry Marshmallows?
You can eat them exactly as they are, no other steps needed. But also, these taste wonderful toasted. They don’t hold up well under a broiler or over a grill but if you use a kitchen torch they get all warm and silky. It’ll make your house smell like cotton candy. I also liked them dropped in warm milk or coffee. Or you know, do both (see below).
Recipe for Raspberry Marshmallows
Raspberry Marshmallows
Ingredients
For the sugar mixture:
- 440g or 2 cups granulated sugar
- 187g corn syrup or honey
- 145g water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the gelatin mixture:
- 130g raspberry puree (about half a cup) from about 2 cups thawed frozen raspberries, seeds removed
- 34g freeze dried raspberries processed into a powder and sifted to remove seeds
- 4 packets gelatin 1 oz or 28g
- 85g water 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Organic powdered sugar for dusting
Method
- Prepare the raspberries. For the freeze dried, process them in a food processor or blender until you have a fine powder. Sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds. You can use all of the powder in the marshmallow or you can save some to mix with the powdered sugar used for dusting. Keep the dusting airtight if doing early because it'll clump if left open.
- For the frozen raspberries, blend until pureed and press through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
- In a bowl, whisk together the raspberry puree, water, vanilla and raspberry powder. Add the gelatin and whisk to combine. Set aside to stiffen.
- In a deep pot, clip a candy thermometer and combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Cook over medium high heat until temperature registers 250 F. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Prepare a 13 x 9” pan and a rubber spatula by spraying with a flavorless oil.
- When sugar mixture is done, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Let it cool for a minute then plop the gelatin into the sugar mix and and begin whisking on medium, working up to high speed. Whisk for about 10 minutes. The mallow fluff will be dark and liquid at first and gradually thicken and lighten in color. You’ll know it’s done whipping when it begins to pull away from the sides (at this point you can whip it another minute to be sure it’s done).
- Pour the mallow fluff into the pan and smooth over. Cover with foil and let set at room temperature overnight or in the fridge for a few hours.
- Prepare a workspace with powdered sugar and dump the giant marshmallow onto the surface. Dust the top and sides with powdered sugar and cut into cubes with an oiled knife (you can also use cookie cutters for cute shapes). Dust all sides of cut mallows with the powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container. They keep for 3 weeks.
Did you make this recipe?
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Must just be me but I’m confused by the mix of grams & volumetric measurements. Would it be possible to include the missing cups/tablespoons/etc?
Sam’s marshmallow recipes are the best!
I made these for Eid cookie boxes last year and will definitely be making them again. The bright raspberry flavor of these marshmallows was just so good I didn’t want to give them away. I’ll have to make a double batch next time! I might even add the tiniest dash of rose to them and see how that goes.
These are so delicious! I loved the addition of the sumac to help round out the flavor. The recipe came together quickly and made a generous quantity. They were perfect for valentines day gifts. I highly recommend!
I made these for heart-shaped Galentine’s Day and they came out perfectly! Tart and squishy.
It was my first time making marshmallows, so I read the recipe several times, as well as the tips and comments.
My normal baking pots are average height, so I thought it would be fine with the sugar&honey heating, but as Sam mentioned, it does rise quite high, so I ended up switching to a large pasta pot near the end just to control the mixture better.
So glad Sam mentioned that it looks all dark and liquidity at the start when you add it to the mixture. I looked at that and thought HOW is this going to turn into a light, fluffy marshmallow?! But several minutes later, magic happened!
I realised that I should have taken my guard off my mixer at the start, so I stopped midway to take it off, because it was covered in water droplets from the steam. I used that moment to give the mixture a quick scrape at the bottom, just to incorporate everything.
For the cutting, I sprayed some non-stick spray onto the heart cutter and made sure there was enough icing sugar around it and it cut out perfectly, and then I popped all the cut out hearts into one bowl full of icing, shook them around, and used a sieve to dust off the excess (as Becca K suggested), which was a super quick and easy way to coat all the marshmallows.
Basically, this recipe is fantastic and made a daunting technique MUCH simpler. Thanks, Sam!
Made these for a Christmas party to serve with hot chocolate, and they were incredible. Pretty straightforward recipe and easy to follow! I love the bit of honey flavor with raspberry. Texture was spot on! And they melted beautifully in the hot chocolate. I also got out my propane torch and roasted them a little bit as well… I would say if you are using these for s’mores, expect them to ooze out of your s’more a bit more than your store-bought marshmallow, but I think flavor will make the sticky hands worth it! I had to use my chinois to filter out the seeds in both the freeze-dried raspberries and the puree. My standard, fairly fine-mesh and rounded strainer wasn’t sufficient. I used a vitamix to pulverize the freeze-dried fruit, so I wonder if that made the seeds too small and a food processor would have been the better choice? Either way, if you use the blender, I recommend having a fine chinois (or maybe a tamis?) to really get both a smooth powder and purée.
I know you mentioned using raspberry juice, and I do have a juicer and was thinking that would be much easier than preparing the powder and purée. Are the results as delicious though?
These marshmallows are delightful! I was nervous to make marshmallows for the first time, but of course Sam made the recipe very clear and easy to follow. I especially appreciate the photos of each step. It made it easy to compare and make sure my textures looked similar along the way. I couldn’t get my hands on freeze-dried raspberries so I made strawberries instead- delicious! I can’t wait to try Sam’s other marshmallow recipes now!
We made these for Valentine’s Day and they were a huge hit. Everyone asked for more! The recipe was easy to follow and had an amazing raspberry flavor. We cut them into heart shapes and then drizzled with melted chocolate. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a fruity marshmallow treat or gift.
I made this recipe for Valentine’s Day and I’m so happy with how they turned out! There is intense and juicy raspberry flavor in each bite, and they downright gourmet. The recipe made this process super approachable. The most time-consuming parts were prepping the raspberries and cutting the finished mallows. I used a 13×9 pan for mine and, after trimming the edges, I got 80 mallows at about 1″x1″ each. After cutting them, I had good success dunking each side in the organic powdered sugar, placing them in a large sifter, and giving them a good shake. For me, this helped to get each piece evenly and nicely coated. I can’t wait to try the other marshmallow recipes on the site now!
Hi Becca, I love the idea of a large sifter – gosh that would make this much easier. Must try it. Thank you for your thoughtful review!
These were absolutely delicious – sweet and tangy and berry. And the pink! Absolutely beautiful.
I think the consistency is more gummy-like than store-bought, but it can also be because I didn’t whisk them enough (though I tried to). A tip is to remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl during the mixing process, since at least my kichen aid doesn’t mix quite all of the gelatin-syrup on its own.
Will deffinetly make again with other berries/fruits too!
Ingrid, true they are a bit more dense than my other mallow recipes as the raspberry puree is so thick. Had to balance that with getting that good berry flavor in! So glad you loved the taste
Wow these look absolutely beautiful! I am glad you mentioned agar agar for the vegan substitute! I have that in my pantry 🙂
I can’t wait to try and make these! They looks so fluffy!!!