Homemade Marshmallow Cream
Learn how to easily make your own light and airy marshmallow cream! This simple recipe for marshmallow fluff whips up with just a few ingredients for an ultra-fluffy confection perfect for fudge, frosting, fluffernutters, and more!
Marshmallow creme is one of those things that I admittedly take for granted since it is on a shelf in the baking aisle of nearly every grocery store in the United States. However, it’s not readily available in most other parts of the world, and it’s the source of some of the most-asked questions I receive on recipes that include it as an ingredient.
The great news is that you can make your own! Homemade marshmallow creme only requires one saucepan, a mixer, a candy thermometer, and about 20 minutes of time.
What is Marshmallow Cream?
Marshmallow creme is a sugary confection made from corn syrup, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla. This gooey spread is similar in flavor to marshmallows but has a spreadable, semi-solid texture. Unlike marshmallows which have a firm and spongey consistency, marshmallow cream doesn’t firm up because it’s made without gelatin.
The most popular brand of marshmallow creme, Marshmallow Fluff, originated in the early 20th century. Not more than a year after it hit the shelves in 1917 the iconic Fluffernutter Sandwich debuted. It’s a classic New England sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.
Homemade vs. Store-bought
Since this confection is readily available at most supermarkets in the United States, why would you want to make your own instead of just buying it at the store? Here are just a few simple reasons to try making your own.
- Simple ingredients. When you make marshmallow creme at home you know what ingredinets go into the fluff. No added stabilizers for prolonged shelf storage, just a handful of simple ingredients.
- More flavor. Just like homemade marshmallows, the marshmallow cream you make at home has more flavor than the store-bought options.
- Not avaliable everywhere. Marshmallow creme doesn’t seem to be readily avaliable all over the globe and being able to make it at home opens up a whole new set of recipes that call for marshmallow fluff.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cream an also contributes to the gooey texture.
- Corn Syrup: Melted with the sugar, the corn syrup prevents the sugar from crystalizing, keepng it fluffy and light.
- Water: Helps melt the sugar and the corn syrup together.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Egg whites: Whipped to stiff peaks, the egg whites gives the creme a light and fluffy texture.
- Cream of Tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites and traps air in them while they fluff up.
- Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor.
How to Make It
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, you are ready to begin!
- Heat sugars and water (#1): Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-hight heat.
- Boil, stirring occasionally until the mixture reached 240°F on a candy thermometer.
- Whip egg whites (#2) : While the sugar mixture is boiling, add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Beat to soft peaks (#3): Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Note– The egg whites should be ready and waiting when the sugar mixture reached 240°F. If the egg whites reach soft peaks before the sugar mixture reaches its temperature, turn off the mixer.
- Add sugar to egg whites (#4): Once the sugar mixture reached 240°F, turn the mixer speed to low and very slowly drizzle the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl.
- Beat until fluffy: Once all of the syrup has been added, increase the speed to medium-hight and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled substantially, about 7 to 9 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract during the last minute or two of beating.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Uses for Marshmallow Cream
Once you have a batch of homemade marshmallow cream the opportunities are endless! You can begin by simply eating spoonfuls from the bowl or used it in a variety of recipes such as:
- Fruit Dip
- Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
- Six-Layer Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling and Malted Chocolate Frosting
- Homemade Snickers Bars
- Fluffernutter Milkshake
- Pineapple-Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Storing and Freezing Instructions
If you are not planning to use the marshmallow cream immediately, here are some tips for storing and freezing.
- Refrigerate: Keep homemade marshmallow fluff in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Allow to thaw on the counter at room temperature and then re-whip the fluff before using.
Marshmallow Cream FAQs
While they have similar consistencies and flavor there is one notable difference between creme and fluff. Creme contains cream of tartar while fluff does not, making it ideal for use in fudge.
You can make marshmallow cream by melting down marshmallows with corn syrup. I would suggest 2 cups of mini marshmallows with ¼ cup of corn syrup.
The resulting product will be sweeter than traditional marshmallow creme so you might need to adjust any additional sweeteners you plan to use depending upon what you are planning to do with the marshmallow cream.
They are not the same. Marshmallow cream is made without gelatin and will not firm up over time. Marshmallows that have been melted down, on the other hand, will firm back up unless you add something to them to help keep them more fluid (like adding butter to make rice krispie treats).
If You Loved This Marshmallow Creme, Try These Recipes Next:
Whether you’re baking with it or using it to create the ultimate Fluffernutter sandwich, a batch of homemade marshmallow creme will definitely serve you well.
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Homemade Marshmallow Cream
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (156 g) light corn syrup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- Pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cream of tartar
- 1½ teaspoons (7 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- While the sugar mixture is boiling, add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. The egg whites should be ready and waiting when the sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees F. If the egg whites reach soft peaks before the sugar mixture reaches its temperature, turn off the mixer.
- Once the sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees F, turn the mixer speed to low and very slowly drizzle the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl. Once all of the syrup has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled substantially, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the vanilla extract during the last minute or two of beating.
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Equipment: Stand Mixer / Candy Thermometer
- Storing: Keep homemade marshmallow fluff in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Allow to thaw on the counter at room temperature and then re-whip the fluff before using.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
So delicious and easy to make!! I could eat it all with a spoon!😊
I love Russell Stover’s cream chocolates like their coconut creams. I think it has more of a marshmallow texture than say Mounds. Do you know if I can make a coconut cream center for chocolates with this recipe? If so do I just add coconut extract with coconut flakes? Thanks
This recipe was so easy and it turned out absolutely delicious. So much more flavor than store bought.
I’d like to add fruit flavors and use it in chocolate covered S’mores decorated for Christmas. Is there a way to do this? Would I be better using dehydrated fruits and turning in to a powder?
I would love to add a ripple of this in my homemade chocolate almond ice cream! What is the texture like when frozen? Is it chewy or does is solidify to a hard texture?
Question: Is this thick enough to be spread on graham crackers for easy smores?
Can I make rice crispy treats with this recipe?
Delish! And…so easy!
This is so tasty!! I started making it years ago and have never purchased it again. It turnsEd out perfect the first time and every time since. I highly recommend it. Oh, try her white bread recipe too!!! Best there is.
Hi cream of tartar is not available where I live, what can I use as a substitute in this recipe?
It’s also not widely available where I live (Israel) so today I am trying with a little baking powder which is supposed to have cream of tartar in it.
Hi everyone. I live in Ireland and I can buy the yummy fluff in a jar however I wanted to try this recipe to top ice cream (also your recipe) . I replaced the corn syrup for Lyles Golden syrup as corn syrup isn’t available. The result is delicious. Thank you Michelle.
I never tried this marshmallow cream recipe but l tried my husband’s Aunts recipe which he always raved about. Bad news, it was not at all edible to frost his birthday cake, good news, I now know how to make drywall. Lol
Hi, corn syrup is not easily available in my part of the world. Would golden syrup work? I’ve seen another recipe for marshmallow creme with sugar instead of corn syrup – would sugar work as a substitute in this recipe. I want to make the snickers cake with it.
Thank you
Yup. Came here the say the same. No marshmallow creme, no corn syrup, no golden syrup where I am in Europe (well ok, sometimes in the import section, but it’s crazy expensive and not reliably available).
Yes Vandana. I used Lyles Golden syrup with great results. I’m comparing it to the jar of fluff as we can’t get corn syrup here.
Hi, made it perfectly the first time – so much of it and so yummy! Second and third times came out ok but just a wee bit of the sugar/water/corn syrup mixture converted to hard crystals after pouring into whipped egg whites. Any way to avoid that?
Fantastic, be careful not to pour the mixture into your mixer to fast.
Do you happen to know the yield conversion for this? In other words, is this the approximate amount of one 7-oz jar (for when I’m using it I’m recipes that call for a jar of fluff)?
Hi Sarah, It would only be about 2 tablespoons shy of a 7-ounce jar, so I think you could use it interchangeably.
I would use it on ice cream with hot fudge sauce and chopped peanuts.
I found this recipe as well as the homemade hostess cupcake recipe through a search engine. I substituted agave syrup for the corn syrup and the marshmallow cream turned out great! I then made the hostess cupcakes and my family devoured them. Luckily I have enough marshmallow cream to make more cupcakes. Until I make them, I am slathering the cream on graham crackers and topping it with chocolate. I also popped popcorn and stirred marshmallow cream and chocolate chips with that. The possibilities are endless!!! Thanks for the great recipes, I have your website bookmarked now!
For those outside the US/don’t have corn syrup on hand: you can substitute the corn syrup for honey. I’ve actually done this substitution with a marshmallow recipe (not cream — ones that need to set up), and the marshmallows set up fine. They wept a little after a few days in the fridge, but I just rolled them in more powdered sugar and they were delicious either way. So with something like marshmallow fluff, where it doesn’t have to set up, you won’t loose much by substituting honey for corn syrup. For those interested, I use local honey that’s minimally processed.
Hi Michelle! I was wondering if you know whether this can be toasted with a kitchen torch if I use it as a topping? Or will it just melt? Thanks!
Hi Allix, I have actually used this as a topping for sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, and I torched it – turned out beautifully and did not melt!
This is a lot of work for something that I can get at the grocery store for $1.19. Plus, the homemade version is made with the exact same ingredients!
Why make homemade anything when you can buy it cheaper at the store?
Freshly homemade marshmallow cream is just tastier than store-bought!
I have never found a brand of marshmallow cream that uses real vanilla, and real vanilla tastes way better than “vanillin” (which is the fake vanilla used in the store-bought stuff.) Some brands of marshmallow cream also use dried egg whites instead of fresh, various gums and stabilizers which affect the taste and texture, and artificial dyes to make it look “whiter,” which I prefer to avoid. So, I find it worth the work. YMMV.
jhgfdwedfghjkuytr. Sorry! Love your cooking michelle!
can we make this without a candy thermometer?
Hi Nini, You need some type of thermometer because the temperature is important, so either a candy thermometer or some type of instant-read thermometer.
This recipe is simply WOW! Michelle. .. u r a genius :) so simple and so yumm …. loved it !
hi, i am from india and over there we cant actually find marshmallows too easily!
White Chocolate Cookies ‘n’ Cream Fudge is a recipe that i was desperate to make but all the substitutes i can see include marshmallows! any thing else i can put, which would taste the same?
You can make your own marshmallows :) Just omit the peppermint extract for “regular” flavored marshmallows: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/12/05/homemade-peppermint-marshmallows/
Does the creme really need to be kept in the refrigerator? I’m worried about it getting hard, thus being unusable.
Hi Amanda, It does. It won’t get too hard.
Hi Michelle, first off, GREAT site, I will get lost for days checking out all the yumminess you have created! I made this marshmallow creme to use in another recipe that calls for the marshmallow as part of the center filling for the now-defunct Hostess chocolate cupcakes. The creme came out fantastic but wanted to ask if the creme should have thickened up after 3 minutes of mixing? I poured the 240 degree syrup against the side of the bowl in to the egg whites on low speed until all was mixed in and then went to medium high. I ended up mixing for 7 minutes just to be sure but it kept wrapping around the beaters a bit and wonder if it was done sooner? Thank you!
Hi Ryan, The tell is really when the mixture reaches stiff, glossy peaks and has cooled down to room temperature to the touch. That could take less time or more time than the 7 to 9 minutes, depending on the speed of the mixture, size of the bowl, etc.
I just made something similar to this to frost a chocolate cake, though it was called ‘white mountain frosting’. Am I the only one who refers to it under that name?
Great!
Oh no you didn’t!