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:

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff

4.85 from 53 votes

Make your own Marshmallow Fluff at home with a few simple ingredients!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 6 cups

Calories 228kcal

Author Olivia

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

* If there is even a speck of grease (or egg yolk) the meringue will not whip. I wipe everything down with lemon juice before adding the 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 by the whisk.
*** The spread may need to be re-whipped to fluff it up again.

Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 1gSodium: 54mgPotassium: 68mgSugar: 57gCalcium: 6mg

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Originally published on Jan 20, 2015

Daniel says

March 29, 2023 at 5:18 AM

This stuff is insane. Just like the store bought stuff but better. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was spot on. Once my syrup was incorporated, it took 7 minutes of whipping on high speed, just like the recipe said. I incorporated the vanilla, and whipped for an extra 30 seconds and called it a day. The fluff was cool, not hot.

If you have ever made Italian Meringue, its the exact same process, but with the added light corn syrup. From what I noticed, the syrup mixture on the stovetop heats gradually, so don’t rush it, and make sure your thermometer is not touching the bottom or sides of the pan to get an accurate reading. Also, resist the attempt to stir after the initial stirring, everything will come together nicely.

Just a friendly tip for worry warts like me, if you are nervous about your syrup getting too hot before your meringue reaches soft peaks, you can do what I do:

1. Start whipping the egg whites as soon as you start heating the syrup mixture on the stovetop. My mixer has 6 speeds, and I use speed 4 for this.

2. Oncei I get in between foam and soft peak stage, I turn the mixer to the lowest speed, and leave it alone until the syrup is almost done.

3. When the syrup is almost done, I start whipping at a higher speed again. You honestly don’t even need to reach soft peaks to start pouring your syrup in though, it’s usually just used as a reference point in recipes. Just aim to get somewhere in that ballpark.

Anyways, thanks so much for the recipe Olivia.

How to Make Marshmallow Fluff

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Tips for making this homemade Marshmallow Fluff :

Where to use Marshmallow Fluff: