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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If I don’t have bochasweet can I just use more swerve?
Please read the blog post as I discuss this in detail.
Do you think Truvia alone would work for the sweetener
Please read the blog post as I discuss this in detail!
I don’t have a stand mixer. Will a hand mixer work ?
It will… but it takes longer. Just be prepared to stand there for a bit! 🙂
I don’t have a stand mixer only hand. Do you think the whisk attachment on the hand mixer would still work? I love your recipes and books by the way! I’m not diabetic but prefer eating a low carb diet and my family enjoys most of what I make as well.
Thanks.
You can but it’s likely going to take longer…
I absolutely love this recipe! My husband who is a diabetic loves it too. I just created some thing I thought we could never eat again. Chocolate rice crispy treats with dried no sugar added cranberries! My family is so excited! They’re not perfect but they are dang near close to what you could make with actual sugar. Thank you for all your hard work you have put in to make these recipes available to us. I have several of your cookbooks. You are doing a great service to those who cannot handle sugar and carbs
Fantastic!
could this be used to then melt in a pit with butter to make rice crispy treats, if Magic Spoon comes out with a Rice krispie equivalent cereal? or would I just add the cereal to the mix before spreading it into the pan and letting it set up? basically just adding the magic spoon Rice krispie equivalent to the beaten mixture from the stand mixer?
yes, but… it ends up quite firm to do less of the marshmallows than you would for standard rice crispy treats.
Is there any other sweetener you can use other then bocha?
I’m from Australia and no access to Swerve or Bocha Sweet ????! Do any Aussie readers habe any substitute suggestions? Thanks – my mouth is watering!
Hi Carolyn,
I can’t easily source Bocha Sweet here in Spain. What would you suggest substituting it for?
Thanks for the great recipes!
I am sorry, I’ve given all the possible suggestions in the blog post already.
I have been making sugar free marshmallows for a number of years but never with cream of tartar, so I’ll add that next time. I have made strawberry flavoured & vanilla which are both really yummy. One question – I live in a tropical area in Australia & have always refrigerated my marshmallows due to the heat & high humidity. Would adding cream of tartar help with keeping them “dry”?
Thanks
Hi Anne, I’m from Sydney and wondering what sweetener you use instead of Swerve snd Bocha sweet? I’m sorry to hear about the humidity melting your marshmallows!!! I hope the extra cream of tartar works….!?! Best of luck. Jen
I am honestly not sure but I doubt it. That’s not its purpose.
If using caramel flavouring, when should/could they be sprinkled with flakes of salt to have salted caramel marshmallows?
Good question… before they completely dry so they stick is my suggestions.
Two questions…
What did you use to grease the parchment?
Did you use BEEF gelatin??? The link takes us to Amazon with Beef gelatin.
Thanks Carolyn
Yup, bovine gelatin. I just used coconut oil spray.
When you suggest Swerve and Bocha sweet… those are not readily available in other countries. Can you suggest “normal” alternatives too? like are they erythritol based? Would Xylitol work as well? You only say don’t use allulose, but what about the others?
Just asking because I know there’s a LOT of us out there on some other side of the pond, and we love your recipes! 🙂 thanks x
Xylitol might work but as I haven’t tested it, I am loathe to say so. BochaSweet is similar to xylitol but not exact.
I have tried both erythritol & xylitol (both ground finely) & I haven’t had any issues.
Can you use Knox plain gelatin? I am having a hard time finding grass fed gelatin. It’s 24.00 on Amazon
Yes, you should be able to. I’d use a little less as it has more gelling powder. Maybe 2 tbsp at most?
OK, Carolyn, the Marshmallows look yummy, but have you tried your hand at that Southern delicacy, Divinity? The regular recipe is basically, corn syrup, sugar and egg whites, I just haven’t found a Keto recipe, yet.
I will keep it in mind!
Would subbing a vegetarian-friendly gelatin work in this? Would like to make some if this fudge for Christmas, but one of the kids is vegetarian.
I honestly can’t say, as I’ve never used it. Maybe make a half batch to test?