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“Wait, you did those marshmallows!?” My friend gasped after trying her first bite. “They are so soft and delicious!” If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow before, you’ll be delighted, and these Homemade Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows are the Treat if you’re craving some fall flavors!
Why make marshmallows? First, homemade marshmallows can be used in a variety of desserts, dipped in chocolate for easy homemade sweets, toasted for s’mores, or melted in hot chocolate or coffee.
Second, marshmallows make great gifts. No matter what the occasion, the sight of homemade marshmallows will make your eyes shine with joy. Add a little pumpkin spice, and you’ll see a huge grin, too!
How to make pumpkin spice marshmallows
ingredients
Homemade marshmallows only need a few ingredients. You will need sugar – granulated and powdered, gelatin, water, corn syrup, pumpkin spice, and cornstarch.
The sugar, together with the gelatine, provides sweetness and some structure. The pumpkin spice gives the perfect hint of fall flavor. Cornstarch and powdered sugar prevent the marshmallows from sticking.
Corn syrup provides the rest of the structure, preventing crystallization and helping create that pillowy texture we love in marshmallows!
I always use Karo Syrup because I know I’ll get a smooth texture and balanced sweetness that allows the flavor of my other ingredients to shine through!
Steps to make marshmallows
All the steps are included in the recipe card, of course, but making candy can seem intimidating if you’ve never tried it before. Hopefully this guide will help you with additional tips!
First, start by cleaning your area and gathering your ingredients. Making marshmallows can get a little sticky (haha). Starting with a super clutter-free workspace with all your ingredients at hand makes the process that much easier and neater.
Second, stay in the kitchen when preparing your marshmallow meringue. You need to watch the sugar mixture as it cooks and then keep an eye on the meringue as you whip it. You want to make sure that enough air is whipped into the mixture to maintain texture, but you don’t want to whip long enough to deflate the marshmallows.
Third, don’t make too many substitutions with your ingredients. Making candy is as much chemistry as cooking it, and each ingredient plays an important role not only in flavor but also in texture.
When making marshmallows, I stick to ingredients I know and trust. For example, like many home and professional chefs, I rely on Karo Syrup for its quality and consistent performance. Reliable ingredients give you great results every time!
Corn syrup plays a very important role in this pumpkin spice marshmallow recipe. It inhibits sugar crystallization in the cooking process!
Fourth, use a digital candy thermometer! To make sure it’s accurate, check the temperature in a pot of boiling water. My digital thermometer beeps when it’s nearing my desired finishing temperature, and it helps when life happens while I’m cooking.
Fifth, cooking spray is a must. Use it to evenly coat the pan you pour your marshmallow mixture into to cool and for your cutting tools. I like to use a greased pizza wheel to cut my marshmallows.
Finally, have extra powdered sugar on hand to coat your marshmallows. You should use powdered sugar or a mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch to keep your marshmallows from sticking together.
How do I store Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows?
Once your marshmallows are cut, store them in an airtight container or a ziplock plastic bag. Exposure to air shortens shelf life.
The marshmallows can be kept on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 weeks! Add a little extra powdered sugar to the container to prevent sticking if you are in a humid environment.
Marshmallows can also be frozen! Just make sure they thaw in their airtight container at room temperature. You may need to roll them in a little more powdered sugar to prevent sticking from the moisture introduced during defrosting.
What are the ways to enjoy homemade marshmallows?
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows make delicious desserts and excellent gifts!
Here are some ways my family and friends have enjoyed these marshmallows:
- dipped in chocolate
- melted into hot chocolate or coffee
- with sweet potatoes for a festive autumn dish
- roasted in s’mores
- right out of your pocket!
I hope this unique pumpkin spice recipe inspires your fall baking with Karo Syrup. Karo makes recipes OH SO delicious!
ingredients
marshmallow
3 packets of unflavored gelatin (1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin)
1 cup water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided plus extra as needed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
non-stick spray
instructions
- In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, add 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let the mixture sit while you prepare the simple syrup.
- Combine the other 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan with a lid.
- Cover the sugar mixture and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes to melt the sugar. Then remove the lid and stir gently until all the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
- Cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 245 F. This may take some time, especially towards the end of cooking. If you see sugar crystals forming on the edges of the pan, use a pastry brush dipped in water to break up the crystals.
- Once the sugar mixture has reached temperature, remove from the heat.
- Set the stand mixer to the lowest setting and slowly drizzle in the hot simple syrup. Aim for the space between the whisk and the rim of the bowl.
- When all of the syrup has been added, slowly increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat the marshmallow mixture until stiff peaks form and the bowl is just very slightly warm. This can take between 7 and 13 minutes. Add the pumpkin spice mixture while beating the marshmallow mixture, just about the time soft peaks form.
- While the marshmallows are mixing, lightly spray a 9″ x 11″ skillet* with nonstick spray. Mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle generously over the pan. Agitate to coat the pan well and save the excess coating mixture for later use.
- Once the mixture is fluffy, the whisk will leave a trail as you stir and you’ll get stiff peaks, if you lift the mixer head you’ll stop mixing.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out with an offset spatula sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Sprinkle evenly with a light dusting of the coating mixture and cover with a sheet of parchment paper sprayed with a little non-stick spray.
- Let the marshmallows set at room temperature for 4-6 hours or up to overnight.
- When your marshmallows are set, generously dust a cutting board with the remaining dusting mixture or more powdered sugar.
- Use a butter knife to make sure the marshmallow isn’t sticking to the rim of the pan (it shouldn’t be), and flip it onto the cutting board.
- Spray a pizza wheel with nonstick spray and use it to cut the marshmallows.
- Dust the edges of the marshmallows with powdered sugar, shake off the excess, and store the marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
- Have fun!
Remarks
- The exact yield of the recipe will vary depending on how you cut the marshmallows.
- If you want straight-sided marshmallows, use a straight-sided pan. Otherwise, trim the curved edges of the marshmallows before cutting your squares.
Nutritional Information:
Yield: 48
Serving size: 1
Amount per serving:
Calories: 56total fat: 0gSaturated Fatty Acids: 0gTrans fats: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
These nutritional values are estimates. Exact values will vary based on ingredients, brands, and amounts used.