How to make healthy marshmallows with honey (easy recipe)

If you’re a health nut like me, you’ll love these healthy homemade marshmallows! I wanted a better option for our hot cocoa and s’mores nights. I was on the search for something without corn syrup or processed sugar but still perfectly soft and roastable. After tweaking this recipe over the past year, I’ve landed on a gut-healthy, 4-ingredient marshmallow that’s simple, sweet, and family-approved.

Making marshmallows from scratch is surprisingly easy, and you’ll feel great knowing exactly what’s going into your treat. Whether you’re topping off a cozy mug of homemade hot cocoa or roasting marshmallows for s’mores, this simple recipe is the perfect healthy swap for store-bought versions.

We love to add these honey marshmallows to our hot cocoa, rice crispy treats, or on some graham crackers with Nutella. When we roast them over a campfire, they cannot withstand the heat as long but still get deliciously crispy!  My family agrees that these healthy marshmallows are better tasting than the store-bought marshmallows. It is a (surprisingly) delicious, sweet treat. 

what makes these healthy marshmallows?

I know using “healthy” as an adjective for “marshmallow” may not seem possible, but it is! When I cook, I tend to use sucanat, molasses, pure maple syrup, or honey in my recipes. These do still affect your blood sugar, but they also bring some nutrients in with them since they are not refined. 

what exactly makes these a healthier alternative?

• Regular marshmallows are made with high fructose corn syrup or other refined sugars. These fluffy marshmallows use honey instead! 
• Making your own marshmallows allows you to use grass-fed bovine gelatin which helps support gut health. 
• There are only 5 ingredients in these marshmallows, 3 of which you probably already have in your kitchen!
• These can be considered paleo marshmallows if you use raw, unfiltered honey or swap it out for maple syrup. 

what is grass-fed beef gelatin? 

This may be an ingredient you have to buy. I get mine from Azure Standard or Thrive Market. Vital Proteins also has one and I am sure you can go to your local health food store to find many other brands. It is usually made from bovine hide of grass-fed cows so it is gluten-free and is packed full of health benefits. It is highly absorbable and rich in collagen and amino acids. This means it’s good for your skin, joints, and gut.

The best part is that beef or bovine (as you may also see it called) gelatin can be used to make homemade jello, puddings, or fruit gummies too. 

ingredients you’ll need to make this healthy marshmallow recipe

These simple ingredients include: 

• 3 ½ tbsp grass-fed gelatin
• ⅔ cup water (divided: half cool, half hot just off the stove)
• 1 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt (a “hearty pinch”)

useful tools to have to create this recipe

• small pot
• stand or hand mixer – to whip up the marshmallow mixture
• large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer – to mix everything together of course! 
• parchment paper – to line your dish with while your marshmallows set
• a square dish – to let your marshmallows set in
• sharp knife or pizza cutter – to cut up your marshmallows
• an airtight container – in case you have any left to store in the fridge

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how to make your own homemade marshmallows

1. Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of the stand mixer (or regular bowl if using a hand electric mixer). Sprinkle gelatin into water and mix on a low speed. If using a stand mixer, make sure to use your whisk attachment. 
2. In your pot, mix together honey, salt, and other 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. 
3. With the mixer turned off, slowly add your honey mixture to the gelatin mixture. Start your mixer on the lowest setting. Then, slowly increase your mixer speed.
4. Whip on high speed for 8-10 minutes until mixture starts to form soft peaks (similar to what you see when whipping egg whites). It will begin to turn white. For best results, be careful not to overwhip or you will end up with more dense marshmallows.
5. Put parchment paper in your square dish.
6. Pour your marshmallow fluff into your prepared pan.
7. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 
8. Cut your marshmallows into whatever size you’d like! We usually do bite sized chunks but cutting them smaller for mini marshmallows is possible too!
9. Store them in your air-tight container in the fridge. 

There you have it! Enjoy them in a delicious cup of homemade hot chocolate this winter. These have quickly become one of my kiddos’ favorite thing to snack on.

you may also like…

• Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch
• Strawberry Sourdough Cake Discard Recipe
• easy roasted pumpkin seeds (made without oil)

Let me know below what you’ll be using these marshmallows for in your home!