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.
So I put fluff on some cookies I made and left them in room temperature, the next day the fluff was everywhere! Would this work as like a coverup for the fluff so it at least won’t keep sticking and dripping? I need them to harden up or something – without just freezing or refrigerating them. Can you help?
I am not sure if that would help Meg. It could depend on the temperature the cookies are stored at, or how this fluff sits on the other fluff. Maybe another reader will have a suggestion.
This also make great chocolate cake frosting and in place if white sugar, use brown and frosting color is beige. Or put food color in white frosting.
That sounds like a great idea Joann! Thanks for sharing.
Its easy To pour into a container
Can you use Thus marshmallow fluff on a cake. I made it and i want to use it on a cake.
Many readers have frosted cakes with this marshmallow fluff recipe! Enjoy Carol!
Great recipe! It’s much smoother and not as granular as the store stuff. The hardest part was getting it into the bottles to store!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe Linda! Yes, the wider the mouth of the jar, the better for this fluffy goodness!
I can’t find Marshallow fluff can you help please
Hi Dorothy,
Here is a recipe for how to make it:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/homemade-marshmallow-fluff/
I have been trying for a few days different receipes, I just cant seem to get it quite right, not sure what i am doing wrong, I had to make my own syrup (sugar, water) this was extremely sticky oh my… but I cant seem to get the egg whites to look like yours, so the last batch i made this am using your receipe, I first made my glucose syrup, then cooled it slightly but it wasnt cold, then made your mix of sugar, water, syrup, but I may have burnt it slightly does taste caramelly, Im not sure why one has to cook the syrup one just made twice seems crazy, any way added it to my eggs, but it doesnt look like yours, thick and smooth and hint of caramel taste, I cant believe that this is so hard to make, but I did try the others come out almost runny but thick, so I used them in hot chocolate. so im not quite sure what to do to fix my dillemma anyway I will keep trying.
That’s “golden” and “biscuits” in fifth paragraph.
Got to love the touchpad!
Definitely an ancient post at this point, but just a few shares that a future reader may find useful.
Very similar to King Arthur Flour’s formula for marshmallow creme, except 3/4 C sugar is used in that one, which is a bit more. Some online recipes go overboard with sugar amounts per one egg white.
For anyone interested in the standard sugar ratio, 1/4 C or 48 – 50g sugar per one egg white provides an average sweet taste, but with the addition of syrup, a bit less is more than adequate.
Golden syrup, like light non-HFCS, is an invert syrup, and is not necessary, but helps for those who may be less careful when cooking syrup, to prevent a grainy/crystallized consistency.
Golde syrup lends a wonderful flavor and is also easy to make, as well, and is used in Chinese moon cookies, but oh so good on everything from waffles to pancakes to bidcuits.
Temperature, not more sugar, provides stability. Swabbing the bowl with a wedge of fresh lemon also works if cream of tartar is unavailable.
Marshmallow creme is a base for Italian meringue, cooked to 240° F or 115.55° C.
While Swiss meringue uses a similar process, it is cooked to only 160° F – 165° F or 71.11° C, a bit less stable than Italian meringue, but cooked enough to kill any bacteria in eggs.
Although many advocate refrigeration once creme is whipped, texture is best if stored in a cool, dry area. If in a hot climate, however, chilling may be the only option.
Separation usually occurs if not whipped until bowl is completely cool and/or temperature was too low when adding hot syrup mixture to egg whites, but is not an indication it is past its shelf-life. Just rewhip.
Although egg shells are the usual source of samonella, some eggs crack such that a bit of yolk or white comes into contact with outer shell. Therefore, cooking is a safe bet to potentially destroy any harmful bacteria that may come in contact with yolks or whites from shell.
A fresh egg white should whip to 6 – 8 times its volume. Therefore, one egg white should yield ~1 C or 85g fluff.
Much more could be stated regarding an older egg white vs. fresh egg white in terms of volume, but two excellent sources are the Incredible Egg website (National Egg Board), as well as Harold McGee, food science author and columnist of “On Food and Cooking” and “The Curious Cook,” respectively.
Finally, for anyone wishing to sub creme for marshmallows in kripsie treats, use ~3½ C marshmallow creme per every 5 – 6 C rice cereal.
Wow! That is a lot of information! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. It’s always interesting to read and learn more about the recipes and the ingredients. I’m glad you are enjoying my page!
Thank you for all that information! I’m exactly the “future reader” you had in mind 2 years ago when commenting on an already “ancient post”… i can only hope you’re still out there posting things like this in more comment sections i will eventually come across. Thanks again, I’m off to try to this recipe :)
Thank for the info, this is the only source of fault finding for MM cream. I have been getting separation every time! I will try whipping it until cooler.
Loved, loved this recipe, It came out perfect all I can say is YUM! Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Jan! I’m so happy you loved it.
I plan to top hot cocoa with this recipe. Can’t wait!
I hope you love it Lynn!
Could I substitute Maple syrup for the corn syrup – the real stuff, not pancake syrup?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried this with maple syrup so I can’t say for sure, please let us know how it turns out for you if you do try it.
This is an excellent Recipe! However, my husband is allergic to corn, so I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which is a sugar cane syrup. Has a very rich flavor, about the same level of sweetness, a bit more expensive but works great and can be used to substitute for corn syrup in any recipe. If you wanted a flavor twist, use maple syrup.
Just did it with the golden sirup and turned out awesome. Not as stringy as the original. Kinda stuff and smooth and way better in flavour than the original. I will use in in cupcakes jemmas richer brownie recipe now. I hope it works there too…
Thank you for sharing your experience!
There is “sugar” listed and “granulated sugar” what is the difference? Also what is golden syrup?
Each sugar refers to granulated sugar and corn syrup is the same as Karo syrup. Hope that helps.
Hi,
Your recipe mentions 2 tablespoons of sugar & 2/3 cup of granulated sugar. Are they both the granulated sugar? Or 2 different types?
Thanks!
Both are granulated sugar. Thanks Charity!
How much does this recipe make ?
This makes about 1 ¾ cups.
How long does this keep?
It will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge.
I’m not rich enough to afford a stand mixer, can you use a hand beater?
You sure can! This recipe does take a little while of mixing but you can certainly use a hand mixer.
Hi Holly,
I’m not familiar with golden corn syrup. Is this the same as a product such as Lyle’s golden syrup? Or is it just light Karo syrup? Thanks!
Light Karo is perfect in this recipe.
Lyle’s Golden is sugar cane syrup, tastes way better than corn syrup (more like liquid brown sugar) and often works as a superior tasting substitute for corn syrup. I would try it and see. Some US grocery stores are finally starting to carry it, but mostly I have seen it in Great Britain.
Just made this earlier today to use in a homemade chocolate peanut butter fudge recipe. Had absolutely no problem. It came out great! Tastes light and fluffy even though it is thick and sticky. Taste so much better than store bought and not as cloyingly sweet. Was easier making this than it was trying to get it in a mason jar lol!
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s definitely sticky :)
Sounds really good. I’ve never made it and was wondering how you would use it.
You could use this to make rice Krispy treats, fudge, smores, and frosting.
What’s that fudge recipe please?