Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Marshmallow Snowflakes 4.1 (85) Up your hot cocoa game with these sweet snowflakes. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Servings: 20 to 25 Yield: 100 Jump to recipe The holidays are the perfect time to turn something ordinary into something a touch more special—case in point: these homemade snowflake marshmallows. You might think homemade marshmallows are enough and you'd be right, but we like to take things a step further. We use cookie cutters to cut the marshmallow into adorable snowflake shapes. You can float them on top of a mug of hot chocolate or pack them into gift bags to give as holiday presents. Either way, your friends and family will feel pampered while you will know how easy marshmallows are to make at home. These unique treats require just a few ingredients—and some patience to wait while they set. You’ll never go back to store-bought again. 20 Easy Candy Recipes Perfect for Beginners Ingredients for Making Marshmallows Making candy at home might seem intimidating but marshmallows are a great place to start. You only need these six ingredients. The hardest part is waiting for the marshmallows to set before you can eat them. Gelatin: It's used for two main reasons. The first is structure. When gelatin is combined with a liquid (in this case water) the amino acids in the collagen protein are activated, forming a sort of gel-like substance that helps stabilize the marshmallow mixture. The second is texture: Gelatin, in combination with sugar, is what gives marshmallows their pillowy, spongy texture. Pro tip: be sure to use unflavored gelatin. Sugar: It might seem obvious, but this is where all the sweetness comes from! Use regular granulated sugar for the best texture. Corn syrup: We use a combination of granulated sugar and corn syrup in this snowflake marshmallow recipe. Corn syrup is an inverted sugar, and inverted sugar is sweeter, but it also retains moisture better. Salt: Even sweet recipes need a touch of salt to bring out the best from the other ingredients. Vanilla extract: Since this is a straightforward marshmallow recipe, we keep things simple by flavoring the mixture with a splash of good vanilla extract. Cooking spray: Does this even count as an ingredient? Maybe not, but it’s still crucial to this recipe. Working with marshmallows is a sticky business, but by spraying the baking sheet, parchment paper, and cookie cutter you’re working with, it makes things a whole lot less messy. 5 Tips for Marshmallow Success Ready your ingredients: Before you do anything, make sure you have all of your ingredients measured out and your tools prepped. You’re working with boiling sugar here, so you don’t want to be caught off guard. Use a candy thermometer: Candy is an exact science, so even the most professional chefs will have a hard time eyeballing it. You want to take the sugar syrup to exactly 238 degrees Fahrenheit, also known as the soft-ball stage. So make your life easier and invest in a candy thermometer if you don’t already have one. Keep an eye on the sugar: Things happen quickly when you’re working with sugar—and just a few degrees can make a difference. Don’t let this scare you, simply stick by the stove and keep a close watch over the pot. Don’t over or under-beat: Once the gelatin is dissolved and the syrup is at the right temperature, it’s time to combine them and whip them in a stand mixer. You’re looking for a mixture with thick, glossy peaks that just about triples in volume. This takes some time, so be patient. If you under-mix, the marshmallows won’t set fully; over-mix and the texture will be tough rather than soft and spongy.Keep the cookie cutter greased: Since marshmallows are so sticky, we recommend liberal use of cooking spray. As soon as you notice that the cutouts are pulling and sticking to the cookie cutter, coat it with another layer of spray. Get creative: Marshmallow snowflakes are just the tip of the iceberg. Use your most festive cookie cutters to create other shapes, like stars and snowmen. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Prep pan and bloom gelatin: Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Spray parchment; set aside. Pour 1/3 cup cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle with gelatin; let mixture soften, about 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Cook sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water to soft-ball stage: Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cover; bring to a boil. Remove lid; cook, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Whisk gelatin mixture in mixer, add sugar syrup and beat: With mixer on low speed, whisk gelatin mixture, and slowly pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering). Gradually raise speed to high; beat until mixture is thick, white, and has almost tripled in volume, about 12 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat 30 seconds to combine. Credit: Brie Goldman Pour into baking sheet, smooth, and let stand: Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; smooth with an offset spatula. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Credit: Brie Goldman Cut out snowflake shapes: Coat a 1- or 2-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. Cut out as many individual marshmallows as possible; coat cutter with more spray as needed. Use marshmallows immediately or store in an airtight container. Credit: Brie Goldman Storing Marshmallow Snowflakes You can store the whole pan of marshmallows, uncut, or the individual marshmallows at room temperature. Just place them in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week. If you’re stacking marshmallows in their storage container, place a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers to keep them from sticking to one another. Flavor Variations Everyone loves a good old-fashioned vanilla marshmallow. Once you get familiar with this recipe, feel free to experiment with other flavor profiles: Peppermint: For holiday gifting, peppermint is an obvious (and delicious) choice. Substitute the vanilla for ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract. For even more minty flavor, you can press one sticky side of each cut marshmallow into crushed peppermint candies. Citrus: A splash of lemon or orange extract will go a long way to add some fresh citrus flavor to the marshmallow mixture. You can also add some grated zest from fresh citrus (1 tablespoon or so) to the granulated sugar, mixing it in with your fingertips, before boiling the sugar syrup. Espresso: Marshmallows aren’t just for kids. Give them a caffeinated kick by adding a spoonful of instant espresso powder with the sugar. For any of these flavor variations, you can add a few drops of gel-paste food coloring to the marshmallow mixture that match the flavor. For instance, add some pink or red for peppermint, yellow or orange for citrus, and brown for espresso. More Marshmallow Recipes to Try: Homemade Marshmallows Homemade Candy-Cane Marshmallows Vanilla Marshmallows Marshmallow for Piping Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to decorvow.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.