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 1/2 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 1/2 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- 2/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2/3 cup Bocha Sweet
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I’ve made these a few times in the past and now doing Christmas baking so had to make them again. I remember feeling intimidated making them the first time and again this time because I haven’t made them in a long time. However, I found them really easy to make, just follow the instructions. Melting some Lily’s chocolate as I can’t find any unsweetened chocolate with nothing but chocolate in it. I’ll mix that with some marshmallows and create a keto chocolate confetti. Fun to have something that looks like the full sugar version.
I can’t wait to make these for my diabetic hubby on Sunday! I’ll review after that too.
??? Can the gooey stage be used to make Rice Krispie Treats?
TYIA
I haven’t tried (since I don’t eat Rice Krispies), but I think it should work.
Any other sweetener that I can use besides the swerve and Boca sweet?. I used stevia and allulose and it didn’t work out.
You really need the right sweeteners for this. Sorry!
I made this recipe and they turned out beautifully and tasted delicious, however, after I left them out to dry overnight, they were wet the next day. Is there anything I can do to salvage them? Could they still be used in recipes?
What sweetener did you use? That can have a big impact on whether they dry out properly or not…
Any substitutions for Bocha Sweet? Can find it in my area.
Xylitol! That’s basically what BochaSweet is… sadly, they were doing a little sketchy marketing for a while and trying to say it wasn’t xylitol. Turns out that it is.
Do you know if these will melt in order to incorporate them with ingredients in other recipes and, afterwards, be gooey? I’m extremely interested in knowing and am hopeful. Thank you for your guidance!
Here comes the alternate sweetener question, LOL: Has anyone tried this with xylitol? I’m trying to use xylitol as my primary sweetener when ever possible for dental reasons. Thanks, you marshmallow peeps!
It’s worth a try! 🙂 BochaSweet is xylitol so I know you can use at least partly xylitol.
I have read all the comments. 2 people asked if they could be toasted. I never saw you answer the question. Can they be toasted and do they hold up?
can I use this for a sweet potato recipe? like to meet these marshmallows on top? thanks
I don’t eat sweet potatoes so I’ve never tried this on the top of such a pie. Sounds like you will need to experiment.
These are better than store-bought marshmallows.
So glad you think so!
Can these be used to make healthier rice crispy treats for my kids?
I can’t have xylitol. what can I use instead?
Try allulose!
I can’t use the birch xylitol, but I can use the Bocha Sweet sweetener. I think It is made from Japanese pumpkin. I don’t know if it would work for you or not. When I first started purchasing Bocha Sweet they were not listing it as xylitol
I just love these. I’ve made them several times. I put them in your fudge, and I make your chocolate ice cream into rocky road. What I haven’t tried is toasting them. Will they act like a regular marshmallow at all?
I just made this butdis not fluff up and has a more yellow color due.to the vanilla extract. I only used erythritol as did not have BochaSweet. do you know why it did not fluff up?
It’s hard to say without being in your kitchen. What gelatin did you use?
Growing up in the Southern US, we always made marshmallow fudge at the holidays. It was so creamy and delicious! Is it possible to make marshmallow fudge using these keto marshmallows?
I honestly haven’t tried… you could have some fun experimenting!
I see that Bocha Sweet is Xylitol. I have another brand of Xylitol that I haven’t even used yet (I don’t remember what I bought it for!). Could I use that instead of the Bocha Sweet brand? I’m a marshmallow-aholic and I have been missing them so much, so I want to try this recipe. Thanks.
That should work!
Bocha Sweet is not Xylitol. Its (Japanese) Kabocha.
Says right on the back, pet safe.
It says on the back of the Bocha sweet bag Kobocha extract[Xylitol]
It is xylitol