You will be astonished at how easy it is to make sugar free marshmallows at home. These keto friendly treats are perfect in hot chocolate and delicious on their own. And they are almost completely carb free!
Seriously, people, please tell me why it took me so long to try making my own keto marshmallows??? I am kicking myself. HARD!
I finally decided to give it a try a few years ago, after many reader requests. And I was utterly dumbfounded by how easy it was. My only regret was that I didn’t try it earlier.
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 most of the packaged sugar free marshmallows on the market are kind of scary. Maltitol, and sorbitol, and sucralose, oh my! Don’t go there. Just don’t.
But now you don’t have to, because this sugar free marshmallow recipe will blow your mind. And you can use them in other wonderful desserts like Keto Rocky Road Fudge or Mississippi Mud Bars.
You need to try this!
Have I mentioned how easy these are to make? Really, quite shockingly easy. The hardest part is waiting for them to dry out properly.
They’re also quite tasty and I like them far better than those made with sugar. They are pillowy and soft, with a balanced sweetness. And they melt slowly and delightfully in a mug of keto hot chocolate.
I did a quite a bit of research when I created this recipe. I honestly hadno idea what marshmallows were even made of, besides copious amounts of sugar. Most of them also have plenty of corn syrup.
I did manage to find a few corn syrup-free recipes, like this one, that I used as a guide. But I did a couple of things differently to make them keto friendly. I used more gelatin and quite a bit less sweetener than the recipe called for.
And it worked like a charm! Hooray! So much better than regular marshmallows, since they aren’t tooth-achingly sweet.
Reader Testimonials
Here’s what readers are saying about my sugar free marshmallow recipe:
“These are amazing and even my kids love them and can’t tell the difference!” — Kiley
“Omg I just made these marshmallows and tasted the spoon after pouring them into the pan, and they’re absolutely amazing! Just like the real thing. Thank you!” — Hannah
“WHAT….. These are AMAZING! They’re already amazing straight out of the mixer (I couldn’t help myself) and are even more incredible when they’ve had time to set! Tomorrow I’ll be making the No-Bake Smores Bars with them! THANK YOU for another home run!” — Elizabeth
“These are a new staple recipe in my house – I couldn’t tell the difference between the full sugar kind. They even brown well when put in fire!” — Christine
Ingredients you need
- Gelatin: I always use good grassfed gelatin in my keto recipes. But Knox gelatin will work as well. It has more gelling power so you need to use less. Try about 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Sweetener: I use two different sweeteners for these marshmallows to give them the right consistency. Powdered Swerve and BochaSweet work well together so that they firm up properly but they don’t become too hard and recrystallize. Some readers have had success using all of one or the other. I do not recommend allulose here as it makes them so soft that they melt away the moment you use them in anything.
- Cream of tartar: This useful baking ingredient is made of tartaric acid. Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites and other whipped recipes such as these keto marshmallows. You can skip it but I do recommend it.
- Pinch salt
- Extract or flavoring: Use vanilla for regular marshmallows. But you can also have fun playing with the flavors here. Peppermint extract is delicious, but caramel extract is tasty too!
Step by Step Directions
1. Prep the pan: Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment or waxed paper and lightly grease the paper.
2. Bloom the gelatin: 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.
3. Make the sweetener “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.
4. Beat until fluffy: 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.
5. Spread in the pan: 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.
6. Let them dry: 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.
Expert tips
I’ve made these keto marshmallows many, many times and I’ve learned a few things along the way. So I figured I’d pass these tips on to you!
Make sure to let the gelatin bloom in water for a few minutes, as it allows the gelatin to combine properly with the hot syrup. Also remember that gelatin and collagen are not the same thing. Collagen does not work in this recipe because it does not have the gelling powder of gelatin.
Erythritol based sweeteners such as Swerve will recrystallize if used on their own. And sweeteners like Bocha Sweet will leave you with a goopy mess that may not firm up properly. So using them in combination is best. I do not recommend allulose for these sugar free marshmallows, as it makes them extra soft and they melt away too easily.
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 one big lump that you can’t spread properly. But you can rewarm the mixture gently until spreadable, if this happens.
Use whatever flavoring or extract you desire. Vanilla is the standard, but peppermint extract or caramel extract are delicious too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Many sugar free marshmallows contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose. Other use maltitol, which can spike blood sugar. However, this recipe is made with natural keto sweeteners, gelatin, water, and a little vanilla extract.
These keto marshmallows have only 0.1g carbs per serving!
Keto marshmallows can keep for weeks and weeks, as there is nothing in them that spoils. You can store them on the counter in a covered container for 2 to 3 weeks. You can also refrigerate or freeze them them for several months. I had a batch in the refrigerator for over 2 months and it was just as good as when I first made them.
Sugar Free Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup water , divided
- 2 ½ tablespoon grassfed gelatin
- ⅔ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ⅔ cup Bocha Sweet
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 inch 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Jocelyn says
My sugar free hot cocoa needs these marshmallows for sure!!! I can’t wait to try these!!!
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.
Cecily Reading says
Susan, I find Alulose has no after flavor, and Xylitol is next, but I think it may give me some gas? Lol. My digestion can not handle Bocha sweetener at all. I saw a similar recipe for marshmallows and she said one could use all allulose (a little denser texture, or all Xylitol, (fluffier). But Allulose is expensive and less sweet.. They may take longer to set up. Good luck! Were all Alchemists in the keto kitchen, but I’m so grateful for leaders like Carolyn to guide us! She is my first choice when searching recipes!
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.
Jennifer says
I love these marshmallows because I can eat as many as I want because they’re sugar-free!
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.
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!
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.
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. =))
ELAINE SMITH says
Did you work out the Gingerbread Marshmellow recipe? I can’t wait to make for my hubby.
Carolyn says
I’d forgotten all about that, to be honest. But I did some strawberry flavoured ones in the summer. I think you could add gingerbread spices into this so easily. Plus maybe a wee bit of molasses (like only a teaspoon) to get the right color.
Toni says
These homemade marshmallows are really the best! A new staple in our hot chocolate this winter!
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.
Drew says
I use these to mix with butter, vanilla , and crushed up pork rinds (the plain kind). Tastes just like a Rice Krispie treat. Thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Oh wow, I am so glad to hear that!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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. ????