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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Hi Carolyn. I noticed a discrepancy between the video Swerve used and the recipe on the website. The video shows you used granular swerve, but the website recipe says powdered swerve. Which is correct?
Works just fine with both.
I’ve never been a marshmallow lover, but this sounds so fun! Do you have a way to make marshmallow fluff? Like what comes from a jar? My daughter makes a fruit dip made with a jar of Marshmallow fluff and 8 oz cream cheese. It literally is addicting! I’m trying to figure out a way to make that. So far, all I’ve come up with is your sweetened condensed milk and the cream cheese. I haven’t made it yet, but it sounds good, especially with your Graham crackers and some strawberries dipped in it.
also interested in this info. I love fruit dip! although fruit is not keto for those who follow a keto only lifestyle. 😉
I just purchased an expensive bag of monkfruit/erythritol sweetener. can I use that in place of the Boca Sweet?
That will only replace the Swerve, not the BochaSweet. You can use it but you may find your marshmallows get a little tougher as they sit.
Love these, can they be toasted? Do the sweeteners hold up?
Yummy! I saw this recipe on Highfalutin’ Low Carb, and it got me thinking about making a keto Divinity for the holiday. Do you think if I whipped up some egg whites in place of the gelatin mix, then poured the syrup in and whipped it, I could make a divinity?
I just saw Wes’ video where he made your marshmallows. I’ve made these before. All of your recipes are just the best!
Carolyn: just a question out of curiosity… Could a little powdered stevia be subbed for Swerve? I’m one of those who can’t stand the “minty” aftertaste of erythritol. Just wondering if maybe stevia might work. Hopefully, you’ve created a nice sweeting blend with the Bocha & Swerve that the minty aftertaste won’t be as noticeable.
I am really not sure how well it will work… I suspect you will have a tasty experiment on your hands.
With xylitol being deadly to animals, I don’t keep it in my pantry. Is there anything else I could substute for the second aweetener?
You can just use more Swerve but they might recrystallize.
At what point are you adding the bloomed gelatin? Am I missing it….I don’t see it in the instructions.
You aren’t adding it. It’s already in the mixing bowl, as stated in step 2: “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.”
Bocha sweet is just xylitol correct?
no bocha sweet and xylitol are different sweeteners as well as allulose, they all don’t recrystallize like swerve does so they keep baked goods soft, they are all interchangeable just be aware that xylitol is deadly to pets, very deadly
in the video, she actually suggested allulose OR BochaSweet, so you can use Allulose for the second sweetener.
These are wonderful. But, as you state in the recipe, use a STAND mixer! I just about burned out my hand mixer making these so sadly won’t be able to make them again until I have a stand mixer. But they are awesome!
It definitely helps when you have to beat them that long!
Now that swerve has added chicory root fiber and other non clean keto ingredients, im avoiding using their products. Is there a substitute that would work, like pyure?
There is nothing “unclean” about chicory root. It’s simply a prebiotic fiber. Not sure where you are getting that. In addition, Swerve always contained oligosaccharides in it… and chicory root is an oligosaccharide. They just happen to now be naming the specific one. So I stand by using Swerve. 🙂
This is outstanding, and I want to know have you tried this with rice crispy treats? I already make crispy treats that people seem to go bonkers over I would love to be able to make them in a way that’s not as unhealthy. Even if I had to half the amount of sugar that is in it, I would be a happy camper. Do you have any tips if so?
I don’t use rice crispies so no, I haven’t tried that. sorry.
I’ve made cereal bars using Magic Spoon cereal and butter, just like the krispies treats recipe… FANTASTIC!!!
Amazing. They set up so fast with the ceiling fan and AC on high. Trying not to eat them all so I can see what the texture is like after sitting out for a day. Can’t imagine they’d be better! Dying to try other flavors. I’d love to make chocolate, strawberry, lemon, orange..you know like those colored ones they used to make 🙂
☺️
Almond extract!
Just made these and they look delish. The warm marshmallow reminded me of Fluff.
Wow! Okay, so the first time I tried making these I substituted monk fruit sweetener for Bocha sweet. Not good. Waaaay too sweet and grainy. I decided to be patient and ordered the Bocha Sweet online. All I can say is this recipe is fluffy and smooth (not grainy) and tastes exactly like commercial marshmallows.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Great to hear!