Peppermint marshmallows are great with hot chocolate or for gift-giving during the holidays! It’s December, and my house is overflowing with Peppermint Marshmallows! I adore making homemade marshmallows. It’s such an easy confection to make – seriously, you wouldn’t believe how many friends and neighbors that I’ve impressed when I gifted them with homemade marshmallows. But then I tell them how simple it is to make fantastic homemade marshmallows that taste infinitely better than store-bought ones, and they are truly blown away! I’ve shared several marshmallow recipes over the years like these classic vanilla marshmallows, chocolate marshmallows, butterscotch marshmallows (and butterscotch swirled marshmallows!), tahini marshmallows, and orange blossom marshmallows. Now let’s add to that this holiday classic – peppermint marshmallows. I’m constantly surprised by how most people think marshmallows are too complicated to make, but that’s just not true. I’ve even met someone who thought marshmallows grew on trees, true story. I shared a detailed post on how to make classic homemade marshmallows with plenty of troubleshooting tips, so make sure to check it out if you’re new to this delicious game. Making homemade peppermint marshmallows is just as easy as making classic vanilla marshmallows. Instead of vanilla flavoring, you simply add peppermint extract to get the peppermint flavor, and then fold in some red coloring to get the beautiful red swirls. The one piece of advice I’d give you about making homemade marshmallows is to invest in a sugar thermometer. It makes the whole process incredibly easier. BUT if you’re craving for peppermint marshmallows right now, and you don’t have a sugar thermometer, no worries. You can still make perfect homemade marshmallows by checking the sugar syrup stage using a small bowl or saucer of water. I’ve explained this trick in detail in my classic homemade marshmallows post, so I won’t describe it here, but I’ll provide the instructions in the recipe below. I’ve given several tips here to help you make perfect, foolproof homemade peppermint marshmallows. These tips will help,
Prevent crystallized sugar syrup Give you the option of not using corn syrup Guarantee delicious, fluffy, springy, soft as pillows peppermint marshmallows!
Preventing sugar syrup crystallization
One of the main problems that people encounter when making homemade marshmallows is that the sugar syrup starts to crystallize as it cooks and heats up. This is especially true if you’re not using corn syrup. Here’s the trick I use to prevent this – Once the sugar granules have dissolved in the boiling sugar syrup (swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar, don’t stir), I close the saucepan with a lid and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. The water that evaporates then condenses on the bottom side of the lid and drips back into the saucepan along the sides, washing away any undissolved sugar crystals. So you no longer have to brush the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water. This technique works like a charm every time. I do use corn syrup in this recipe, but you can substitute the corn syrup with agave syrup or leave it out. Just make sure to read this classic homemade marshmallows post here, to find out how to make marshmallows without corn syrup, and then you can add the peppermint extract during the final minute of whipping.
I also prefer to measure the gelatin, rather than relying on the pre-packaged gelatin packets. Here’s why.
There’s a slight difference in the weight of gelatin in each packet between brands (Knox vs other store brands). And even though most people assume each packet has 1 tbsp of gelatin, in reality it’s a little less than that. Whether you’re using gelatin packets or loose gelatin, weighing ensures that you use the same amount of gelatin every time.
Always remember to bloom the gelatin before using. Blooming gelatin involves soaking the powder in water and allowing the gelatin to soak up all the moisture and swell up. This makes it easier to dissolve the gelatin as it’s whisked with the hot sugar syrup. When the sugar syrup reaches the right temperature, add it in a steady, slow stream into the bloomed gelatin in a mixer bowl. I usually whisk the gelatin and sugar syrup for about 10 minutes, starting at medium-high speed and ending at high. Look at the marshmallow and feel the warmth of the bowl while it’s being whisked to get an idea of when to stop whisking. If you over-whisk, you can end up with stiff and dry marshmallow, and if it isn’t whisked enough, the marshmallow will weep while it’s resting.
What to look for when whisking marshmallow
Look for a white, fluffy marshmallow mixture that has tripled in volume from the initial amount of sugar syrup. The bowl should only be slightly warm, and the marshmallow mixture not too stringy. A slightly warm marshmallow mixture is easier to handle, especially when you’re folding in red coloring to create those beautiful red swirls in these homemade peppermint marshmallows. Plus, it makes it easier to pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smoothen the surface. You can choose to color the whole marshmallow mixture with a little red coloring to make the whole thing colored gorgeous red/pink, or use green coloring for a minty green color. OR, like I did here, you can add a few drops of red gel coloring and fold it into the mixture to get lovely red swirls instead. Cut the marshmallows into whatever shape you like. I prefer to cut them into 25 square pieces, but the large ones pictured in this post (16 pieces) are perfect for hot chocolate and gift giving!
Can I cut these peppermint marshmallows into other shapes with a cookie cutter?
Yep! Instead of an 8 x 8 inch pan, you can use a 9 x 13 inch pan or a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan and spread the marshmallow base in the larger pan, so that you get a thinner marshmallow base. Then rub some butter or shortening on the cookie cutters and cut the marshmallow into the shapes you like. You can simply coat the marshmallows with the dusting mix, or you can even dip one half of the peppermint marshmallows in chocolate. Sprinkle some crushed peppermint candy canes on the chocolate too while you’re at it! 🙂 I like my peppermint marshmallows plain, so I can enjoy them with hot chocolate! Seriously, there’s nothing like a soft, springy, fluffy peppermint marshmallow in your hot chocolate on a cold, wintry day! I also have a few delicious and decadent hot chocolate recipes to pair with these peppermint marshmallows – peanut butter hot chocolate, dairy free bourbon hot chocolate, Parisian hot chocolate, rocky road hot chocolate, and this delightful rum and peppermint white hot chocolate! I guarantee you will LOVE making marshmallows once you give them a try. They are deceptively simple to make and far better than any store-bought kind. If you liked this homemade peppermint marshmallows recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
