Homemade sugar free marshmallows are easy to make and so fun to eat. These keto friendly treats are perfect in hot chocolate and delicious on their own. And they are almost completely carb free! You’re going to love this keto marshmallow recipe.
Why, why, WHY haven’t I tried homemade marshmallows before? Seriously kicking myself. Hard. Ouch! That hurt.
No really, I am absolutely astonished at how easy it is to make sugar free marshmallows, and I can’t believe I waited this long to try my hand at it. Especially since so many of you have been asking me for a recipe for a very long time.
The truth is that I don’t like marshmallows all that much. Let me rephrase that. I don’t like conventional marshmallows all that much and I never have. I find them way too sweet and lacking in any flavor. And the packaged sugar free marshmallows on the market are kind of scary.
Maltitol, and sorbitol, and sucralose, oh my! Causing you to run to the toilet multiple times after eating. I am not kidding.
Don’t go there. Just don’t.
But now you don’t have to, because this homemade marshmallow recipe will blow your mind. It’s so easy to make and I have to say, the results are absolutely wonderful. And delicious!. I love them, my kids love them, and I even put them into a fudge I was taking to a Christmas party. It was met with enthusiastic approval by all who tried it.
Seriously, I am just so excited about this. It opens up a whole new world of delicious keto desserts, and I have lots of plans for these homemade marshmallows.
Homemade Marshmallow Recipe Inspiration
I don’t know what inspired me to finally give marshmallows a go but once I made up my mind, I did a fair bit of recipe research. I honestly had little to no idea what marshmallows were even made of, besides copious amounts of sugar.
Turns out that many conventional marshmallows are made with both sugar and corn syrup, which clearly isn’t an option for those of us on a keto diet. But I did come across several recipes that were corn syrup-free. This is the regular marshmallow recipe I decided to follow, in terms of the overall method method. Her instructions were clearly written and easy to comprehend.
Once I realized that marshmallows are basically just gelatin, water, and sweetener, I was eager to try them. I’ve seen some keto recipes that use egg whites and I didn’t want to go that route so I took my chances on the gelatin only version.
However, I did a couple of things differently. I used a bit more gelatin and quite a bit less sweetener than the recipe called for. Conventional marshmallow recipes call for 2 cups of sugar and I used what amounted to 1 1/3 cup of sweetener.
And it worked like a charm! Hooray! I think I liked them so much more than regular marshmallows because they are less tooth-achingly sweet.
How To Make Sugar Free Marshmallows
I’ve made these several times already and I learned a few things along the way. So I figured I’d pass these tips on to you.
- Combine the gelatin and half of the water and let it “bloom”. Grassfed gelatin brands like Great Lakes or Vital Proteins doesn’t need blooming the way regular gelatin does but in this recipe, it actually helps to allow the gelatin to combine properly with the syrup.
- Also remember that gelatin and collagen are NOT the same thing. Collagen will not work in this recipe because it does not have the gelling powder of gelatin.
- You need a combination of sweeteners for the “sugar” syrup. Erythritol based sweeteners such as Swerve will recrystallize if used on their own. And sweeteners like Bocha Sweet or allulose will leave you with a goopy mess that may not firm up properly. So using them in combination is best. I used half Swerve Confectioner’s and half Bocha Sweet. Although I haven’t tried it, you can probably use allulose or xylitol in place of the Bocha Sweet.
- Use a stand mixer for whipping the mixture. This allows you to pour the syrup slowly into the gelatin as you whip. It also needs whipping on medium high speed for quite some time so a stand mixer means you don’t wear out your arms!
- Work quickly once your mixture is thick and white. Very quickly pour it into the prepared pan and spread it. If you wait too long, it starts setting and you will get a lumpy glob that you can’t spread or smooth out.
- I learned this the hard way. The second time I made them, I waited too long, thinking that the mixture needed to be like whipped cream or egg whites and stand at stiff peaks. I ended up with a glob that I had to re-warm to spread out.
- You CAN actually save it if this happens. I simply re-warmed the whole thing by putting the pan in a 300F oven. Once it began to melt again, I could spread it out more easily.
- Even if you line your pan with parchment, grease the parchment. It will help a lot when you go to get the marshmallows out of the pan and cut them up. The bottom will be quite greasy but it dries out overnight.
- Conventional marshmallow recipes tell you to dust them with cornstarch and powdered sweetener. But I found that if I just left them exposed to the air overnight, they firmed up and dried out enough so that the surface was no longer tacky at all.
- Use whatever flavoring or extract you desire. The peppermint was fabulous but I’ve also made them with vanilla and it was delicious too.
One more little note: If you care to dip them in chocolate or put them in fudge, freeze them for a few hours first. They won’t freeze rock hard but it does allow you to dip them or combine them with warm chocolate, without having them melt into goo.
I have yet to try roasting them. But just you wait until next summer!
Ready for the best sugar free marshmallow recipe?
Homemade sugar free marshmallows are easy to make and so fun to eat. These keto friendly treats are perfect in hot chocolate and delicious on their own. And they are almost completely carb free!
- 1 cup water , divided
- 2 1/2 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- 2/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2/3 cup Bocha Sweet (or xylitol or allulose)
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp peppermint extract (or vanilla extract)
Line an 8x8 pan with parchment or waxed paper and lightly grease the paper.
Attach the whisk attachment to a stand mixer. Pour half of the water into the bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let stand while preparing the syrup.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining water, the sweeteners, the cream of tartar, and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sweeteners.
Using a candy thermometer or an instant read thermometer, bring the mixture to 237F to 240F. Remove from heat.
Turn the stand mixer on low and slowly pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl. Once all of the syrup is mixed in, add the extract. Turn the stand mixer to medium high and beat until the mixture is lukewarm, thickened and white. This can take 5 to 15 minutes.
Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Let set for 4 to 6 hours, until the top is no longer tacky to the touch.
Flip out onto a cutting board and cut to the desired size. Dust with powdered sweetener, if desired. Let sit for a day exposed to the air to dry out a bit, then store in a covered container.
You really need the combination of two sweeteners here. One should be erythritol based, like Swerve or Lakanto. The other should be one of three possibilities: Bocha Sweet, Xylitol, or allulose.
JenS says
You’re fantastic! Thank you!
I’ve seen a few of these recipes online and wanted to try, but worried how it would turn out or how hard it would be. However, I trust your recipes, especially when it comes to desserts. So, thanks and Merry Christmas!
Carolyn says
I am so glad to hear it, Jen. Let me know what you think!
Hookedonketo says
I was going to say the same thing. 😉
Amanda says
Thank you so much for creating a marshmallow recipe. I have missed them so much. I think I might have to make these today. Also I made your gingerbread yesterday and the whole family approves. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Carolyn says
You’re welcome. Hope you like them!
Molly says
Carolyn you saved me again!!! I was trying to figure out how to manage without marshmallows and you timely shared your recipe. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Yay! Hope you love them.
Ilana says
OMG! This is going to happen at my house either today or tomorrow. My daughter will be so excited! Who am I kidding…I’m so excited!!!!
Carolyn says
Let me know what you think!
Becky Hardin says
This!!! Love love love! Marshmallows are a must in hot cocoa. Can’t wait to try your recipe. A healthier for you optio.
Linda says
As I was reading your recipe about buttering the parchment paper, I remembered something Alice Medrich does for her brownie recipes to make them easier to get out of the pan and cut them. She lines the pan with foil. Then you lift the foil out by the edges. You can unfold the foil and just cut straight across. Use a cake server or spatula to lift the marshmallows from the foil. You can butter the foil to make that easier. I’ve used that technique for lemon bars, too. Here’s a link to her instructions on Foof 52: https://food52.com/blog/7716-the-case-for-lining-brownie-pans
I want to make this one, but my peppermint flavoring is in transit. Marshmallows are one of the things I miss. So, as soon as my peppermint gets here, I’m doing it.
Jen S says
Hey!! Look into the health problems from cooking and baking on foil. That’s the reason for using parchment paper a lot now, too avoid consuming aluminum.
Toni says
These homemade marshmallows are really the best! A new staple in our hot chocolate this winter!
Karen says
Oh YASSS. I make peppermint marshmallows all the time during the Christmas season and have longed for some keto/lc ones! You are a Rock Star! I am so excited to try these. As usual with your recipes, I have everything in my pantry to make them right now ! Wooot. I also make gingerbread marshmallows – which are fabulous…. hint, hint. They are made with molasses, so might be a bit of a challenge. (I am ever-so-subtly laying down the gauntlet!) HA.
Carolyn says
Ooh, I definitely need to try Gingerbread!
Karen says
YAY! Even if it takes until next year (because – almost at the end of gingerbread season), I know they will be worth the wait. =))
Becky says
Saw this recipe today and had to make them. I didn’t read closely enough and used Granular Swerve instead of Powdered. But, they seem to look like the right texture (I’ve made other Keto/LC marshmallows) so I think they’ll be fine. The magic started happening at the 10 minute mark when I was whipping them. They turned white and started getting nice and fluffy. It took 13 minutes to get to the right texture. Cannot wait to try these!!! Thanks for another great recipe.
Carolyn says
Yay! Let me know how they turn out!
Becky says
OMGosh!!! Soooooo good! I can’t even tell you how happy these made me. After the full drying process they had such a great texture! Of the various marshmallow recipes I’ve tried, these are the closest I’ve ever come to store bought marshmallows, which I used to love. Even though I used the granular Swerve instead of powdered, and I used Allulose for my 2nd sweetener, they seemed to turn out just fine. I was beyond thrilled with these. Thanks again for all of your wonderful recipes!
Carolyn says
Fantastic! Thanks for the feedback, that helps.
Patricia says
Hi Carolyn, do you think these marshmallows would work for making Rice Krispie bars? If so how many do you think it would take? Thank you.
Carolyn says
I am not sure but i think it would work. Make them and then basically melt them down again.
Alainna says
You can just add the cereal straight to it rather than melt them again. We’re using this for our Cornflake bars. Add butter after the syrup is beaten We love your recipes Carolyn! We do Keto and Modified Atkins for health reasons around our house. A lot of your recipes have been our favorites.
Carolyn says
Cool thanks!
Stacie A Hamilton says
I’ve never even thought to make my own marshmallows. I think I need to make a private stash of these though.
Jennifer says
I love these marshmallows because I can eat as many as I want because they’re sugar-free!
Tara says
Do you think that a sweetener that is erythritol and monkfruit would work for this? Lakanto has been my sweetener of choice for a while, and that’s what theirs is a blend of, but the powdered Lakanto is a 2:1 sugar replacement, so I’m not sure how that would affect it either.
Carolyn says
No, I am sorry. I am pretty clear in the blog post that you need an erythritol based sweetener (like Lakanto) AND a sweetener like Bocha Sweet or xylitol.
Susan-Rae says
Does this Boca Sweet truest have no aftertaste? I haven’t found a sweeter yet that doesn’t taste strange to me. Even the Swerve So I am desperate. And dying for marshmallows. Just orders some Boca from their website as it seems impossible to find locally or on Amazon.
Carolyn says
Many people have no aftertaste with it. I can’t guarantee you that, though.
Jocelyn says
My sugar free hot cocoa needs these marshmallows for sure!!! I can’t wait to try these!!!
Carol Dyer says
Where can I buy the Bocca Sweetener?
Carolyn says
If they are out on Amazon, then you need to try their website.
Elaine says
So no corn syrup. Sukrin has a fiber syrup. Is there a reason you didn’t use that in place of corn syrup?
Carolyn says
Yup. Because that spikes my blood sugar (as it does with most people’s) and I think I proved with this recipe that any kind of syrup is utterly unnecessary.
Karla Strömberg says
Hi, what can I use instead cremor? I can’t find it in Sweden. This will be a challenge because there are another brands here but I will try it and we will see what happen
Merry Christmas or Godjul in Swedish!! I am ur fan
Carolyn says
Hi Karla, instead of what? I am not quite sure what you are referring to! Have a wonderful holiday.
Karla says
Sorry I meant cream of tartar, dumb keyboard lol
Carolyn says
Oh! Okay… you can probably skip it but it does aid in whipping air bubbles into a recipe like this.
Katie Clark says
Would this work in silicon molds? Like the ones used for gummies….
Carolyn says
You would need to grease them very well to make sure the marshmallows release properly.
Roberta says
Unfortunately, in my country Bocha sweet and allulose are not allowed yet, so I can’t find them, and xylitol spikes my BG sky-high and causes me GI issues… so I’d really need to find an alternative sweetener to combine with the erythritol… I was thinking about a blend of stevia and erythritol, but you’ve already excluded lakanto as a blend of erythritol and monk fruit, so I suppose it wouldn’t work properly. What about adding just monk fruit extract?
Carolyn says
Sorry, I am pretty clear in the blog post. You can try all erythritol or a combo of erythritol and stevia or monk fruit but I simply cannot guarantee your end results. I have no control over what is available in your country or not.
Kari says
I follow THM- can I make these and add them to my sweet potato casserole at the end of baking?
Marianne says
Not that there will be any left when I make this, but how long can I store this? Thank you for your recipes.
Carolyn says
I’ve kept them on my counter for up to a week or so. They have nothing in them that “spoils”.
IttefaqSalt says
These marshmallows look super delicious. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Lynne says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Can’t wait to try.
Erica B says
Wow, Carolyn…these are actually marshmallows! 😄 I am so impressed. I made mine vanilla, using extract and paste together. My sweeteners were a heaping 1/3 cup, actually probably about 1/2 cup, of powdered Lakanto (which is supposed to be twice as sweet as sugar) and 2/3 cup allulose. I used a plastic bowl and my hand mixer, and it took 5-6 minutes for the mixture to turn white and thick. I think the plastic bowl helps it cool a little faster. The flavor and texture are just spot-on! The two sweeteners together taste like sugar, and the sweetness is perfect. I don’t know what impressed me more: how authentic these are, or the fact that the sticky liquid marshmallow cleans up completely with just water because it’s sugar-free. 😄
I’m hiding them from my husband so I can dip them in chocolate and surprise him for Valentine’s Day. (He didn’t want chocolate-covered strawberries this year, can you imagine?) I have no doubt he’ll be thrilled with these. If I weren’t dipping them, I think I’d toss them with just a touch of tapioca starch. It’s a little humid here, so they’re not drying very much.
Thank you so much for this recipe, Carolyn. What a smashing success!
Erica B says
The chocolate-dipped marshmallows are an absolute success! Thank you, Carolyn.
Erica B says
Also, I did toss some of the undipped marshmallows in tapioca starch. They don’t stick to anything and the slightly powdery texture is reminiscent of bagged marshmallows (but delightfully fresher in flavor). It doesn’t take much; 1 T tapioca starch (7 nc) would easily coat a whole batch of marshmallows.
J James says
Will be trying this for the grandkids’ hot chocolate!
I will say, though, that I find that Great Lakes gelatin DOES need to be bloomed. I wouldn’t use any other, but when I have tried using it without blooming it, I end up with un-dissolved clumps, and a poor end product.
Erica B says
Hi J, I’ve found that Great Lakes gelatin dissolves better when liquid is added to it all at once. Rather than slowly sprinkling the gelatin over standing liquid, I put the gelatin in a bowl and pour liquid over it, briefly mix with a fork to combine, and proceed with the recipe. It’s worked in every application so far, whether or not the gelatin is heated.
Erica B says
Hi Carolyn, I had an interesting experience while attempting flavored marshmallows today, and I wonder if you have any input. First I made raspberry marshmallows, in which I used raspberry extract and natural pink and red food colorings, and they worked up just as well as the usual vanilla. So I tried orange marshmallows next, but they did not turn out at all. After I added the orange extract and colorings and began mixing, the frothy texture dissipated immediately, and it just wouldn’t whip into marshmallow. As the gelatin cooled, the mixture did thicken some and turn opaque, but it wouldn’t hold air. Whenever I stopped mixing, the bubbles just rose to the surface and popped rapidly. No marshmallows from this stuff.
I used Nielsen-Massey orange extract and natural yellow, pink, and red food colorings. The only unique ingredients in this batch were the orange extract and the yellow coloring. I thought maybe the coloring had bromelain in it, which breaks down protein and inhibits gelling, but it’s just turmeric in liquid base. The orange extract contains alcohol, orange oil, and water.
I don’t blame the recipe at all, which has worked perfectly multiple times. I’m just really curious about what went wrong, y’know? Any thoughts?
Carolyn says
Interesting! What is your raspberry extract made with? The peppermint extract I use is oil based so I wonder if the alcohol is actually an issue. It shouldn’t be, though, since many marshmallow recipes, which this is based on, use any old extract and don’t have issues.
Erica B says
It’s OliveNation raspberry extract: alcohol, red raspberry concentrate, glycerin, natural raspberry flavors, water. My vanilla has alcohol in it too, so I don’t think it’s that.
Isn’t that the most peculiar thing? My prime suspect right now is the acidity of the orange extract. Not sure what else it could be. Same base recipe, same method, and even less additional liquid in this one than in the raspberry marshmallows, because of less extract. When I have more allulose, I think I’ll try again with another acidic flavoring agent, perhaps some instant espresso dissolved in a tiny bit of water. I could try orange again, but first I want to make sure the salvaging dessert I made with it is edible, just in case. I added more water and gelatin, some clementine Bai, cream, and vanilla, and poured it into a loaf pan to set. Creamsicle gelatin! It did set too, so it’s not the gelatin at fault. Very intriguing…
Erica B says
I now recall that cream of tartar is an acid, though…so I wonder if it’s just too much acid? No idea at this point. 😄
Taylor says
Did you ever try roasting these?
I’m curious as to how it would go!
Carolyn says
I have not…yet! Maybe this summer.
Sarah says
Unfortunately I was a dummy and used granular swerve instead of powdered – so they have a slight grit to them – but goodness they are tasty and pretty close to regular marshmallows! I think they’d be perfect, had I used powdered. I’m going to need to make more tomorrow at the rate my kids are eating them! Thank you!