Homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows are light, perfectly fluffed homemade marshmallows infused with cheerful cinnamon-sugar and vanilla bean flavor. Perfect in a cup of hot chocolate or roasted for s’mores!
Store-bought bagged marshmallows are great in a pinch, but the flavor options are lacking. I’ve noticed a few fun flavors here and there, but they can be pricey. Making marshmallows from scratch allows you to add fun, festive flavors and make each batch a little different. For this flavored marshmallow recipe, I added cinnamon and vanilla bean paste to homemade marshmallows, and they are truthfully one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Store-bought marshmallows do not compare when it comes to the volume and fluff you can achieve by making marshmallows from scratch.
These delicious marshmallows are delicious in hot chocolate, festive coffee drinks and warming and cozy cocktails. They’re also great roasted s’mores style and sandwiched in between graham crackers and chocolate. However you use your marshmallows, I can assure you it’s worth making them from scratch.
Ingredients //
If you’ve never made homemade marshmallows, you’ve probably never put too much thought into what a marshmallow is. So what is in a marshmallow exactly?
- Powdered Sugar, Cornstarch & Cinnamon: You’ll mix these ingredients together to add flavor to the marshmallows and prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Unflavored Gelatin: will expand as it blooms, creating a voluminous, fluffy marshmallow.
- Water: You’ll need water to dissolve the gelatin as well as dissolve the sugar.
- Sugar: to sweeten and add density to the marshmallows.
- Light Corn Syrup: This keeps the sugar from crystallizing and becoming gritty, so you end up with a smooth marshmallow.
- Salt: as a flavor enhancer.
- Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean Paste: for warm and cozy cinnamon-vanilla flavor.
- Recommended Equipment: 9″x13″ baking pan, offset spatula, rubber spatula
How to Make // The Steps
Step 1: Prepare the pan.
In a container with a tight-fitting lid, add powdered sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Gently stir to combine. Then, coat a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with a generous dusting of the sugar mixture. Be sure to cover the bottom
and the sides entirely. Set the pan aside. Close the lid of your sugar mixture container and set it aside. You’ll need it again.
Step 2: Make gelatin mixture.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attached, add a half cup of water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water to bloom. Mix. Then, add in the salt, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste. Set the gelatin mixture aside while you make the sugar syrup.
Step 3: Make sugar syrup.
In a medium saucepan, add the remaining water, sugar and corn syrup. Without stirring, cook over medium heat. When the sugar dissolves, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F.
Step 4: Combine gelatin mixture and sugar syrup:
As soon as the syrup reaches temperature, remove the saucepan from the heat. Then, add the sugar syrup to the gelatin mixture by slowly pouring the syrup down the side of the gelatin mixture bowl while mixing on the lowest speed setting.
Step 5: Whip mixture:
Increase the speed to high and whip for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture gains volume and becomes glossy like a marshmallow.
Step 6: Pour in the pan:
Spray an offset spatula and rubber spatula with cooking spray. Use the rubber spatula to scoop the marshmallow out of the mixing bowl into the prepared dish and then smooth the fluffy marshmallow mixture out with the offset spatula. Sift a thick layer of the reserved mixture on top.
Step 7: Let sit overnight:
Leave the pan uncovered at room temperature for at least 6 hours to overnight. When you are ready to cut the giant marshmallow sheet into squares, turn it out onto a cutting board. With a pizza cutter, cut the marshmallow into 1 1/2″ wide strips. Dip the side of each strip into the sugar mixture. Then, cut the strips into about 1″ square. Make sure every marshmallow side is coated in the sugar mixture so they don’t stick together.
Step 8: Store:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips & Tricks //
- Check out this post for vanilla bean marshmallows which include step-by-step photos.
- I like to make marshmallows in disposable foil pans. This project makes a mess; the powdered sugar/cornstarch gets everywhere, but it t is worth it.
- Cinnamon vanilla bean marshmallows make an EXCELLENT gift. I like to make a few batches, put them in airtight containers, and add them to my Christmas gift baskets.
What to do with Homemade Marshmallows
- Hot chocolate: On cold, wintry days, my children consume a lot of steamed hot chocolate., but on a snow day, I make a big pot of hot chocolate and keep it on the stove with a big bowl of fresh marshmallows for them to help themselves too.
- Hot chocolate bar: I like to set out jars of different marshmallow flavors, candy canes, different kinds of chocolate, chocolate shavings -anything that I think will be fun for hot chocolate.
- S’mores: I toasted them over a flame, and I will now only eat them that way. The edges crisped up and caramelized. I sandwiched it with a piece of dark chocolate between a graham cracker and made the best s’more I’ve ever had in my life.
Why are Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows So Good?
- Homemade marshmallows are SO much better than store-bought and are more budget-friendly.
- Cinnamon and vanilla bean are my favorite, but the flavor opportunities are endless.
- They’re great as a whimsical holiday gift.
- They won’t go to waste! These tasty squares are delicious in hot chocolate, drinks, recipes and so much more.
Variations and More Flavor Ideas //
- Colors: Add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture while it’s whipping and make your marshmallows fun pastel hues.
- Shapes: Spray small cookie cutters with cooking oil and use them to cut your marshmallows into different shapes based on the occasion.
- Flavors: To flavor marshmallows with basically any flavor you can imagine, you can use candy oils and extracts.
- Peppermint Patty Marshmallows: Swap the cinnamon for 1/8th of a teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows: Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie flavor oil and pumpkin pie spice.
- Birthday Cake Marshmallows: Swap the cinnamon for about a teaspoon of vanilla extract and coat the marshmallows in rainbow sprinkles.
How to Store and Freezing //
Storing: Marshmallows should always be kept at room temperature. Refrigerating will dry them out quickly, and freezing them destabilizes the ingredients causing the marshmallows to fall flat. They will be fine stored in an airtight container on the countertop for 5 to 7 days.
FAQ
Yes, you can roast homemade marshmallows over an open flame just as you’d package marshmallows. I recommend using a heat-safe tool and toasting them low and slow over a low flame.
Typically, a soft and fluffy marshmallow contains sugar, corn syrup and gelatin.
Temping the sugar syrup is super important. If it isn’t between 240 and 250 degrees F, the marshmallow mixture will not set and be sticky and heavy.
More Marshmallow Recipes //
Snowman Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Toppers
Pretzel Marshmallow Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Surprise Cookies
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 packets unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Combine powdered sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in an airtight container. Generously dust a 9×13 pan with sugar mixture. Making sure to cover the bottom and up the sides. Set aside. You will have leftover sugar for the top and for cutting the next day.
- Pour 1/2 cup water into bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle the gelatin over and mix. Attach the whisk attachment. Add salt, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Let sit while you make the sugar syrup.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, being careful to not stir. When the sugar dissolves, increase the heat to medium high and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 240°.
- When the sugar comes to temperature, remove from heat and slowly pour the mixture down the side of the bowl with the mixer on the lowest speed setting.
- Increase the speed to high and whip for 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture will have gained volume, and turned glossy and look like marshmallow.
- Spray an offset spatula and rubber spatula with cooking spray before you pour the marshmallow into the pan. Use the rubber spatula to get it out of the bowl into the pan and smooth it with the offset spatula. Sift a thick layer of sugar on the top of the marshmallows.
- Let the pan sit uncovered overnight.
- When you are ready to cut them, turn them out onto a cutting board and cut into strips using a pizza cutter. Dip the sides into sugar. Cut the strips into squares, making sure to sugar all the sides so the marshmallows do not stick together.
- Store in an airtight container.
