Make your own Marshmallow Fluff at home with a few simple ingredients. Perfect as a filling but works great as a simple frosting too!
I made marshmallow fluff for a recent baking project. I could have easily bought this from the store, but I wanted to try and make my own to see how it would turn out.
I’m actually glad I did as the store-bought marshmallow fluff can actually be very runny and not easy to work with.
How to Make Marshmallow Fluff
If you’ve made an Italian meringue/buttercream before, the process is very similar.
You’re basically pouring boiling sugar into whipped egg whites, a process that I am slowly getting more and more comfortable with. Molten hot sugar is intimidating! Be extra careful with it when you’re making this recipe.
Aside from molten sugar, the process was simple and the marshmallow fluff turned out PERFECT! The most difficult part was not devouring the whole thing straight out of the mixer bowl with a spoon.
If you’re not into boiling sugar (I don’t blame you) you can make this recipe for 7 minute frosting instead. It’s very similar except that it uses a Swiss meringue technique instead of an Italian meringue-like we have here. It’s slightly less stable/thick, but should work just fine.
I’ve used this Marshmallow fluff recipe a few times now and I love it. I often make more than I need and freeze any excess to be used at a later time (usually in Rice Krispie treats).
Tips for making this homemade Marshmallow Fluff :
- For an easier but slightly less stable version you can make 7 minute frosting instead.
- Make sure all of your equipment is grease-free. If there is even a speck of grease (or egg yolk) the meringue will not whip up. I wipe everything down with lemon juice before adding the egg whites.
- You will need a thermometer to make this. My favorite is from Thermapen.
- Use caution when making the sugar as it will be very hot!! You’ll want to pour it very carefully, and slowly into your partly whipped egg whites. The sweet spot for this is getting the stream right between the whisk and the sides of the bowl, so the syrup doesn’t get splashed around by the whisk.
- The spread can be rewhipped by hand if it becomes flat or you can put it back on the mixer to re-whip.
- If you have excess fluff left over, you can freeze it in an airtight container to use at a later date. I recommend using it in Rice Krispie treats!
- I do not recommend using store-bought marshmallow fluff in place of homemade if the recipe calls for it. The store-bought stuff can be very runny and will totally ruin your dessert!
Where to use Marshmallow Fluff:
- S’mores Cake
- S’mores Cookie Cups
- Fluffernutter Cookie Cups
- Hot Chocolate Cake
- Sweet Potato Cake
- Peanut Butter S’mores Cookies
Homemade Marshmallow Fluff
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup corn syrup or honey
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
- Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
- Wipe down your mixer bowl, whisk, etc with lemon juice or vinegar to ensure they are completely grease free.*
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks. Approx 3-4mins.
- When the whites are ready, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.**
- Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. The whites will deflate at first, but they will thicken and fluff up.
- Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fluffy.
- Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled completely.
- Use right away as a frosting or filling or transfer into an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.***
Notes
** The sweet spot for this is getting the stream right between the whisk and the sides of the bowl, so the syrup doesn’t get splashed by the whisk.
*** The spread may need to be re-whipped to fluff it up again.
Originally published on Jan 20, 2015
J says
Worked perfectly and with the most gorgeous sheen!
Olivia says
Hi J! So glad you loved it 🙂
Brenda says
This recipe worked beautifully! The cookies turned out stunning! The only changes I made was using peanut butter instead of normal butter and it still worked wonderfully!
Olivia says
Hi Brenda! I don’t think this is the correct post you’re commenting on but I’m glad you liked the cookies! 🙂
Christina says
Can i add food coloring to this? Not sure if gel would be a fat that would deflate it?
Olivia says
Hi Christina! I’ve actually never tried to color it so I can’t say for sure. I don’t think the gels have any fat though so it should be fine!
Sarah-Ann Quesnel says
How long can you freeze it for? I made a double batch and it ended up way too much for my cake recipe 🙂
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Sarah-Ann! It will freeze for months. At least 2-3. Be sure to store it in something non-plastic and grease free.
Kristal says
I just tried and while “whip until the fluff has cooled completely” has just deflated it…and it’s still warm and definitely not 6C worth. I wiped everything down with vinegar beforehand so I know it’s not a grease thing…sad 🙁 Would rewhipping tomorrow before using help, or is it just a goner?
Olivia says
Hi Kristal! Hmm, strange that it deflated… did it go totally runny? Is it possible some peck of something got in while it was mixing (maybe from the underside of the mixer??)
Kristal Y says
Not totally runny but it definitely did not get it’s volume back, which was too bad. I did wipe things down with vinegar before, so I wouldn’t think anything got in?
But everyone was still impressed with homemade “fluff,” so I’ll take it. Haha.
Krysta says
Yum! Came out great. Thank you!
Olivia says
So happy you liked it, Krysta! 🙂
Bonnie says
This is my favorite frosting that my mom makes(and I’m 60+)! She puts it on a homemade dark chocolate cake, we call it an inside out ding ding cake. Sometimes she sprinkles it with a heavy coating of coconut. It’s definitely best the day It’s made but still good a few days later. My mom is in her 80’s and still makes it. No fear of boiling sugar here!
Olivia says
Hi Bonnie! That’s so great to hear 🙂 So good on a chocolate cake!!
Mel says
Hi Olivia! how long will this remain stable?
Olivia says
Hi Mel! How are you planning on using it? As long as it doesn’t come into contact with any grease it should stay fluffy. If it’s used as a frosting on a cake it will eventually soften but torching it will help.
Perry says
Should we check with a thermometer that the whites reached 160 degree’s. if it didn’t reach 160 can we double boil it and then rewhip it?
Olivia says
Hi Perry! No you shouldn’t need to check the temp of the whites once you’ve added the boiling sugar.
simmy says
I decided to make 3 servings can u say how much water an vanilla extract to use in tbsp. or tsp. Can I use vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract . Can skip cream of tartar because none in hand. I like this recipe looking forward to make it to decorate a cake
Olivia says
Hi Simmy! There is a converter in my recipe where you can get the measurements for 3x the amount. Here they are:
1 cup water
2 ¼ cup granulated sugar
2 ¼ cup corn syrup or honey
9 large egg whites room temperature
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
3 tsp vanilla extract
Make sure your mixer is large enough to handle whipping 9 egg whites as that is a lot.
Carmen Joa says
Can I add cocoa powder?
Olivia says
Hi Carmen! Yes, I would gently fold it in at the end and be sure to sift it.
Dia says
Since I have a kitchen scale at home, I was able to half the recipe. I don’t use white sugar and so I never have any on hand, neither do I use corn syrup. I used 255g honey, 40 mL water and 53g of egg whites. I read that the cream of tartar is optional and so I left that out since I don’t use it. I got so worried that the whites wouldn’t fluff back up after adding in the hot honey mixture, but they did!!! To get the marshmallow flavour I used 3/4 tsp of Dr. Oetker’s vanilla sugar. The results are amazing and I can’t wait to use this marshmallow fluff in peanut butter crispy rice treats!
Thank you so much liv!
Olivia says
Hi Dia! Good to know the recipe worked well halved. Sometimes that can be tricky if there aren’t enough ingredients in the bowl. So glad you loved it 🙂
Erika says
My son can’t have cream of tartar due to allergies. Do you think I could substitute something else for it? Maybe baking powder that doesn’t have cream of tarter? Would it be a problem if I omitted the vanilla (also an allergy)?
Olivia says
Hi Erika! The CoT is not required, it just helps stabilize the egg whites. You can leave it out. Do not use baking powder instead. You can also leave out the vanilla but the fluff won’t have much flavour then other than tasting like sugar.
Tatiana says
Hi Liv, I try this delish recipe 3 times, 1st time was perfect but the 2nd and 3rd I am getting trouble to get a nice slim stream while pouring the boiled sugar into the mixing bowl, it comes into big parts (if that makes sense) like too tick, do you think this is because I am using glucose instead of honey? Or because it is too hot (overheated maybe) not sure! Thank you!!!
Olivia says
Hi Tatiana! Are you using a thermometer to check the temperature? The sugar syrup will thicken as it cools but may also get thick if it’s overcooked.
Cadie says
Hi! Just wondering how much you need to make a batch of rice krispie treats? Would you use the same amount by weight? Thanks for sharing your technique and helpful photos!
Olivia says
Hi Cadie! I’m actually not sure, It depends on how big the batch is 😉 I would just make a batch of the fluff and then add enough to the RK to get the consistency you like. You can freeze any leftovers.