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
S says
Honey gives it a different flavor. Make sure it goes with what you are using it on. Very sweet. Turned out beautifully.
Olivia says
So happy you liked it! 🙂
Iris Alba says
Wow this was by far the easiest Best explained recipe and the fluff turned out gorgeous 😍 thank you for sharing and mostly thank you for keeping the pin short and to the point. The lengthy novels I have to scroll through to get a simple recipe on Pinterest drive me nuts!
Olivia says
Hi Iris! Thank you for the great feedback! I’m so happy to hear the fluff turned out well for you.
Katelynn says
Hey I was wondering if this can be refrigerated?
Olivia says
Hi Katelynn! It should be fine to refrigerate, but don’t store it in a plastic container — ideally glass.
Natalie says
Hello 🙂
I’ve made the recipe and it works great! The only problem is, when I’ve stored it for a couple of weeks it has become grainy? What have I done wrong? Hoping you can help. Many Thanks Nat x
Olivia says
Hi Natalie! How did you store it? I find that if it’s stored in a plastic container it can turn soupy (though I haven’t known it to turn grainy myself). I find glass containers work best as plastic has a tendency to retain grease no matter how well it’s cleaned.
Natalie says
Hi Olivia,
Thanks so much for the reply. I’ve actually stored it in a couple of different things. The first time i stored it in the fridge in a glass jar and then this second time in a sealed plastic piping bag in the pantry. Both times it had lost it’s fluffyness but I was able to re-whip no problem, but it had very fine grain in both which wasn’t there when I’d placed it in the container? So confused.
Thank you
Olivia says
So bizarre that it got grainy! I can see it needing rewhipping but the graininess has me puzzled.
Juju says
Natalie and Olivia, graininess can occur if the sugar syrup is overcooked past 240° F.
If living above sea level (high altitude), lower temp by 1° F for every 500 ft above.
This applies to anything involving syrups and/or candy-making.
Also, you may want to ensure that thermometer being used is accurate.
If no thermomter, syrup is at right stage/temp when a drop balls in a bit of water, or when it coats a spoon without being runny.
However, if eyeballing is tricky, go with an accurate thermometer.
Hope this helps!
Olivia says
Hi Juju! Thanks so much for this info! Very helpful. Appreciate you taking the time 🙂
Lolli Mora says
Hello,
I’d like to use this recipe for Rice Krispies like you mentioned. But I’m curious if they’ll set up like using store bought marshmallows, or do I need to add something extra?
Olivia says
Hi Lolli! I think as long as you don’t use too much of the fluff it should be fine 🙂
Kendall says
Hello! I will be competing in a baking competition next Monday and I was wondering if I could make this the day before the competition. I have 20 minutes to just fill and decorate 24 cupcakes (everything must be prepared beforehand so that filling and decorating is all that’s left to do) and they will be judged by some local pastry chefs as well as by my peers. I really want to use a marshmallow cream frosting so I can toast it! I have read everywhere that you have to use this kind of frosting immediately after its made, but I don’t have the time. I am so worried that it will deflate or go super sticky. Would it be feasible to still use this type of frosting or should I scrap this idea and do something else? Any advice?? I would greatly appreciate it!!
Olivia says
Hi Kendall! Sorry for the delayed reply. This should be fine to make in advance, but be sure to store it in an airtight (non-plastic) container.
Kizzie says
Hi Liv,
Thank you for this fun recipe! I am excited to try it! I can no longer have corn, so I love the honey alternative…have you tried it with honey before? How does it taste? We are having company on Sunday and I would love to use this recipe to make a Mississippi Mud Cake, but I want to make sure the recipe still tastes good with honey. What do you think?
Olivia says
Hi Kizzie! I haven’t tried it with honey myself, but I think it would taste delicious. The honey wouldn’t be super strong a flavour, just a hint of it.
Jill Cooper says
Just wondering, my nougat recipe calls for marshmallow fluff. I have used store bought fluff and it worked but do you think I can use your recipe to make nougat?
Olivia says
Hi Jill! Yes, this recipe should work fine for nougat. It will be a bit stiffer than the store-bought stuff though.
Laurel says
I love this recipe and use it as alot. Do you think i could flavour it and colour it?
Olivia says
Hi Laurel! Yes for sure, add those at the very end.
Marjoleine says
Hi Liv, i you mentioned a few times that the fluff should be toasted. What do you mean by that? Should I also do that if I use the fluff a a filling layer in a chocolate cake?
Olivia says
Hi Marjoleine! You don’t have to toast it if using as a filling (see here: https://livforcake.com/hot-chocolate-cake/), but often it is toasted with a kitchen torch like seen here: https://livforcake.com/smores-cake/
Kristen Haddock says
I believe this is just the recipe I’ve been loooking for but I have a few questions. I’m making around 300 Smore’s macarons and am wondering if this can be easily piped and does it freeze somewhat solid? This last part is important. I’m wanting to make these ahead of time and freeze them. Store bought fluff doesn’t freeze and my previously assembled and frozen macarons slipped and were a mess.
Thank you in advance for any advice you have. 😊
Olivia says
Hi Kristen! Store bought fluff is notorious for being super soft. I know the MMF freezes well on its own, but I can’t remember if I froze these macarons. What I might recommend is toasting the MMF a bit before sandwiching them — it’s what I should have done anyhow! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Shani says
I made this today to go on top of a lemon pie and to top s’mores dip. It was easy to make, wonderful job on the instructions. I am not in love with the taste. I added powdered sugar because it wasn’t sweet enough and had a slight metallic taste. The powdered sugar helped, its not too sweet but tastes better. I may keep playing around with it to make it to my liking. Overall, the recipe is beautifully written and easy to follow. Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Shani! Thanks for the feedback! I’m so glad you like it. Strange about the metallic taste though… glad the powdered sugar helped with that.
JenP says
That s’mores cake looks beautiful!!
You said in the intro that homemade marshmallow fluff is “similar” to making Italian meringue – but from what I’ve read, it seems to actual be identical. What do you think? I have never made either, yet. I have made “seven minute frosting,” which some people refer to as “marshmallow frosting,” but it definitely does not have the same texture/consistency of marshmallow fluff; my guess is because the sugar is cooked to a much higher temperature for the Italian meringue/marshmallow fluff.
I find it fascinating how many different end results you can get from egg whites and sugar, depending on how much you cook the sugar and when you add it to the eggs and when you whip the eggs! Marshmallow fluff/Italian meringue, meringue pie topping, meringue cookies, Swiss meringue, Perfect Divinity….
Olivia says
Hi Jen! The only real difference is that I don’t put corn syrup in my Italian meringue. The process is identical otherwise. And yes, I agree! So many different variations 🙂
Bree says
Hi! I was wanting to do a raspberry version of the marshmallow fluff to pair with the sweet potato cake. Any idea how I should do that? Should I add raspberries to the syrup before adding to the egg whites? Or just add a separate raspberry simple syrup after all is done?
Olivia says
Hi Bree! I would either use freeze-fried raspberry powder or raspberry jam and fold it into the fluff after it’s all done.
Mandi says
Hi again! I wondered if I could use cartoned egg whites instead of separating the yolks? Is the consistency/texture the same or acceptable for this fluff? Thanks Olivia!
Olivia says
Hi Mandi! I haven’t had success with carton whites myself as they don’t whip up for me. Other’s say they have worked though. I think it might depend on the brand and to make sure they say that it’s strictly egg whites only on the carton. I would still opt for fresh though.
Mandi says
Thanks so much for your reply. I bought come egg whites today. The carton says 100% only egg whites. I might try them to test it out. I also bought more whole eggs just in case. Thanks again for all of your feedback!!
Stephanie says
Ok, question, but first thank you!! My son is beyond excited that I found a s’mores cake recipe! Question is, could maple syrup be used in place of honey or corn syrup?
Olivia says
Hi Stephanie! So excited that you’re going to try the S’mores Cake! I’ve never tried it with maple syrup, but in theory it should work!
Lauren says
Dumb question, how much fluff to use for rice krispy treats?
PS this recipe is amazing! Using it for the butterbeer cake
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! I’m not totally sure… I’ve never actually used it for rkt! 🙁
Laura says
Hello! I made the fluff today and I’m wondering if it turned out right. When it was mixing after drizzling the sugar in it was nice and fluffy, filling my 6qt bowl (I doubled the recipe). I kept the mixer going as instructed, it deflated, but never seemed to fluff up again after continuing to mix for 8 minutes. It does have a glossy appearance, good flavor and seems like the right texture to frost the S’mores Cake (which turned out beautifully!), not too runny. I’m just wondering if I should keep mixing longer to increase its volume. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Laura! The meringue should be quite stiff and spreadable, not runny at all. Strange that it deflated so much — is there a chance some grease got in there somehow? Did you whip it until the bowl was cool to the touch?
Greg says
I ran into the same problem. The egg whites whipped up nicely and it even looked pretty good once I added the sugar. I put in the vanilla and walked away to let it cool and when I came back it was flat. About two cups worth. The pan didn’t seem to be cooling at all so I though maybe the metal whisk attachment was warming it up from friction so I just stopped.
Maybe if I put it back in the mixer it will whip back up?
Patty says
Hey there!
I was wondering if this will hold up in the freezer…in the smore macaroon form?
I’m making the smore macaroons for my wedding, and I will need to freeze them for approx 1 month.
What are your thoughts?
Olivia says
Hi Patty! Yes, it freezes quite well! Though the edges might dry a bit. You could always toast the marshmallow before sandwiching them together 🙂
Joellen says
Once I ice the s’mores cake, can it be refrigerated without the frosting going flat? I am concerned about the effect of humidity on the marshmallow fluff. The cake crumbs tasted magnificent, BTW!
Olivia says
Hi Joellen! I would toast the marshmallow and then refrigerate it. It should be fine for a day or so!
Joel Nussbaum says
Do you think I could substitute bourbon for the 1/3 c water to get a bourbon flavored marshmallow cream?
Olivia says
Hi Joel! I haven’t done so myself, but you can definitely give it a try!! Alternatively you can add some bourbon to the marshmallow fluff once it’s whipped up (in place or addition to the vanilla).