This homemade marshmallow fluff recipe is a fun and easy treat to make!
With a hint of vanilla, it’s scoopable and spreadable. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself ‘taste-testing’ it every so often!
It’s the perfect addition to a fluffernutter sandwich and great on ice cream or between cookies.
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Homemade Marshmallow Fluff
- Marshmallow fluff (AKA marshmallow crème) is dippable, spreadable, smooth, and creamy!
- With basic pantry ingredients, marshmallow fluff is easy to make.
- It’s perfect to use as a dip for fruit, a frosting for cupcakes, to swirl in hot chocolate, or to make extra chewy Rice Krispie treats.
First appearing on Martha Stewart in 2007, I first shared this recipe in 2013. It comes from this book by Kimberly Reiner. It’s fluffy, thick, and perfect in every way!
Ingredients for Marshmallow Fluff
Egg Whites are the base, making it fluffy and giving its signature texture. You can use pasteurized egg whites if you’d like.
Cream of Tartar help stabilize the egg whites.
Corn syrup both sweetens and thickens this marshmallow fluff. Light or dark corn syrup work in this recipe; I prefer light for the color.
Granulated Sugar adds sweetness and structure to the marshmallow fluff.
Vanilla Extract is added for flavor (I like clear vanilla extract). Try other extracts to vary the flavor, like almond, maple, coconut, or lemon. You can also add orange or lemon zest.
How to Make Marshmallow Fluff
- Beat whites until foamy per the recipe below. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Boil the corn syrup, water, and sugar until it reaches 248°F.
- Very slowly, pour the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites.
- Beat the marshmallow fluff until thick and glossy.
Serve marshmallow fluff along with fresh fruit kabobs, scoop onto homemade waffles, or mix it into our fantasy fudge recipe!
And most famously, make a fluffernutter! Spread peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) and marshmallow creme on bread like a PB&J. So yummy!
Keep homemade marshmallow fluff in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.
Spreadable Sweets
Did you make this Marshmallow Fluff recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Fit a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until foamy.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until soft peaks form, set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine water, corn syrup, and the remaining sugar.
- Cook over medium-high heat while stirring until the mixture reaches firm ball stage (*see notes) or 248°F on a candy thermometer. This step will take about 10-12 minutes.
- Once the corn syrup mixture reaches firm ball stage, turn the mixer on to medium and in a slow steady stream, pour the sugar syrup mixture into the beaten egg whites in the mixer bowl.
- Once all of the corn syrup mixture has been added, beat on high for 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and beat on high for 1 minute.
- Store in a tightly sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Dip
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This is a recipe my Mo used to ice a very special cake she use to make. Bake a white cake, cool, then between the two layers fill with apricot jam. Ice with the fluff, then add coconut to top and sides….Never lasted longer then a day!
This is a recipe my Mom used to ice a very special cake with. Bake a white cake, cool, then between the two layers fill with apricot jam. Ice with the fluff, then add coconut to top and sides….Never lasted longer then a day!
Reply
That sounds wonderful Patty! Thank you for sharing!
Just put it in a pressure cooker with water 1/2 inch above the can and cook for 35 minutes. No fuss no clean up and no worrying about the water level etc… I even cook 2 cans at once without a problem.
how long will this last in a jar?
I’m sorry! I saw you replying the other person and you said 10 days. Thank you :)
You’re welcome! Enjoy Eva!
Hi Holly
Thank you for sharing this recipe. What I am wanting to know is if I frost a cake with this fluff, will it dry hard if being served the next day? I am scared it will get hard or tacky.
Thank yo so much
Tania
The fluff should not harden however it may get tacky as the marshmallow mixture is quite sticky.
How long does this recipe save? We are down in Australia and this is not easily accessed (as well as corn syrup) I’d like to be able to make some to have on hand. Thanks!!
I’ve kept it about 10 days (but it doesn’t last longer than that in my house).
In Australia also. I know this is an old post but just in case anyone else may want to know, glucose syrup can be used as a substitute.
Take a jar of Marshmallow Cream, a container of Cool Whip and whip in a half of box of strawberry jello for a delicious fruit dip. I have been doing this for years.
That sounds good! I use a jar of marshmallow crime and a bar of cream cheese, stir together until smooth. Makes a great dip for strawberries – especially early in the season when they are not quite at their peak and need a little sweetening.
ACtually, it is EXACTLY the same corn syrup as that “icky, evil, yuckerbooboos High Fructose Corn Syrup” you’ve all been brainwashed into believing “causes (insert dire disease here)”. But hey, who’s counting, right?
Corn syrup (Karo) is actually glucose. High Fructose Corn Syrup has undergone a chemical process converting some of the glucose into fructose (about 50/50).
It is true that some brands of corn syrup may have HFCS added but if they do, it will be listed on the ingredients label.
How long does this keep stored in the refrigerator?
It will keep about 2 weeks (but it may not last that long ;) )
I stored this in the pantry. It was good for a couple months. We could tell when it was past it’s shelf life as it went from nice and fluffy to pourable.
Hi! I’m living in Italy and I dearly mis USA style marshmallow. Can’t find corn syrup. Can I double the sugar or substitute honey? Had to buy creme of tartar at the pharmacy!
Oh how I LOVE Italy! <3 :)
Here is a Corn Syrup substitute recipe, I have not tried it so if you do try it, please let us know how it works for you!
About how much does this make and can it be doubled? I have six young kids plus I babysit a lot so we go through a jar of fluff fast. Making a big batch would make sense in my house.
I haven’t tried doubling it. This makes about 4 cups
Can this be made with Splenda or any other sweetener?
Can this be used to frost between cake layers and on top ?
Yes it can be used as frosting. Try flavoing it with any other extract you like. Peppermint, cherry, pineapple, whatever your heart desires! You can also color it! I add my coloring just before I add the hot syrup.
Is this a lot like marshmallow cream you buy? I’m wondering if it could be substituted for marshmallows in Rice Krispie treats.
It’s like the marshmallow cream you buy but it’s a bit thicker and tastes so much better!
This is same recipe as divinity isn’t it?
I would love to try this, but I am allergic to eggs. Is there anything that I can substitute for the egg whites??
Just google “Vegan marshmallow fluff recipe” There are some great ones and because it’s vegan no eggs! :)
Yes. I make a Crisco Frosting :
In sauce pan combine : 5 heaping Tbsp. White flour
1 cup Milk
Cook this on top of stove until it thickens. Make sure and keep stirred with a whisk all the time it’s cooking. When done it needs to be Stiff — not liquid—– let cool
When cool , in mixing bowl add :
I whole Crisco stick
Mix with electric mixer real well
Add : 1/12 granulated White Sugar
Beat this until not Grainy. When it has mixed really well add your cooled mixture.
Start slowly mixing and as it gets all mixed up turn your mixer on HIGH until well blended and fluffy add a cap of Vanilla Flavoring and make sure it’s Fluffy. It is now ready to be used between Chocolate cake layers . Hope you enjoy !!!!
Is Karo ok to use for this?
Yes, should work just fine… Karo is a brand name of corn syrup! Enjoy!
Yes, this is basically Italian Meringue. You could also do a Swiss Meringue and it would taste very similar and give anyone with misgivings about the egg whites reaching a safe temperature peace of mind.
I asked my government-vet brother-in-law about salmonella from raw eggs. He says that salmonella poisoning comes from the egg shells and not inside the egg, so if you wash your eggs carefully before you use them, they should be safe.
That’s a great tip Joanne! Thank you for sharing.
Eggs are porous and washing them could allow anything on the outside to enter the egg. I would look this up for more information if this is something you intend on doing.
Scrolling thru the comments to see how this came out.. Very excited to make. Such a well explained recipe too!!. (But I see a comment about washing an egg first. Do not do that. The bacteria will be forced thru the pores..)
I do have a question, I want to fill cupcakes with this.. there was a Hershey mix that was Smores that came w marshmallow fluff that you squeeze into the middle of each cupcake before baking. Can you do that with this stuff??!
Will it be ruined baked inside cake batter?
It would be easier to get the fluff inside like this, and also maybe bake some of that bacteria out..
If anyone knows please lmk
I have never tried baking this recipe before so I can’t say. S’mores cupcakes sounds amazing though, please let us know how it goes!
Kristin: My grandmother makes a Swiss Meringue that I think seems to be about the same. (That IS when you use a hand mixer to beat the icing while it’s in a double boiler, correct?) Keeping the egg whites over the heat for a while makes me much less nervous about food safety!
Do you let the syrup mixture cool? Seems like pouring 248° syrup onto egg whites will just “cook” them.
I did not let the syrup cool. I just made sure I poured it very slowly in a thin stream.
Just be sure your mixer is on when you add the syrup. I make an Italian Meringue Buttercream that uses the same method.
Well, the syrup does cook the egg whites, but you pour it very slowly so it doesn’t make ‘chunky’ cooked eggs. It needs to ‘cook’ the eggs otherwise you would be eating raw eggs.
Thank you so much for sharing!! xoxo I’ve been looking for this!! Thank you again
I think I have a recipe very similar to this where you use honey…I think it was from a cookbook called “The Wheat Book.”