These healthy homemade marshmallows are some of the most authentic-tasting refined sugar free treats. Learn how to easily make DIY marshmallows with maple syrup and you'll never want to buy them from the store again! Best of all, kids love this healthy marshmallow recipe and can't get enough of them. Perfect in hot chocolate or by themselves as a clean eating dessert.

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Healthy Marshmallows That Will Fool Your Kids

I was shocked the first time I made these marshmallows – because I could not believe I had actually just made marshmallows from scratch! Even better than that, this healthy marshmallow recipe does not contain a speck of refined sugar :O

As I finished mixing up my very first batch of DIY marshmallows with maple syrup, I was surprised that my grade A dark maple syrup could turn so … white! the fluffy white stuff I dumped into a pan from my mixing bowl looked just like the real deal marshmallows I buy from the store on very rare occasions for my kids.

And yet, it had come from my own kitchen with zero corn syrup, zero granulated sugar and zero powdered sugar. I have to admit, I was as giddy as the kids to taste-test this recipe 😀

And speaking of the kids … my toddler gladly helped me lick the bowl and beater clean (and so did my husband). While my doubtful, picky 7-year-old rolled the freshly mixed maple syrup marshmallow fluff around in her mouth, my toddler eagerly licked clean the first, second and third spoonful I gave her.

Image of Homemade Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

It took my hard-to-please 7-year-old a couple of days of repeated taste-testing to decide if she could love these marshmallows plain, but she told me instantly that she loved them in hot chocolate. For her, getting past the maple flavor was a small a challenge, but she otherwise liked them.

Personally, I do not think the maple flavor is overpowering at all, but my 7-year-old is pretty sensitive to taste. But she did ultimately approve of them.

As a matter of fact, a few moments ago, she declared these healthier marshmallows to be “the best thing ever” and is currently eating a bowl of salad in exchange for an extra serving of them. That’s right, these refined sugar free marshmallows can be used as a vegetable bargaining chip 😀

And my toddler’s enthusiasm over this healthier marshmallow recipe is undeniable 🙂 It’s been a huge win in my family all the way around.

Image of Marshmallows Sweetened with Maple Syrup

When You Will Want Homemade Marshmallows

Oh, I have so many ideas for how to use this healthy marshmallow recipe! I was so excited after seeing my first batch turn out because I kept thinking of all the traditional treats my kids could now enjoy without the refined sugar 😀

Of course, occasions when kids most want marshmallows are obvious: S’mores on the Fourth of July or during summer or fall evening bonfires. Marshmallow-topped hot chocolate on a chilly fall afternoon or a blistery winter morning. Fun-shaped marshmallow treats for holidays like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

But honestly, these marshmallows are good enough to be enjoyed as an average-day dessert too. My toddler certainly doesn’t mind eating them all by themselves as a squishy little sweet treat.

And there are so many other possibilities for ways you can use this healthy marshmallow recipe. Imagine all these refined sugar free treats topped with naturally sweetened marshmallows cut into various shapes and sizes:

Honey-Sweetened Rice Krispie Treats

Fluffy Vanilla or Chocolate Whipped Cream / Mousse

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Belgian Waffles

Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Also, what a great gift idea this maple syrup marshmallow recipe would be! You could fill a cute little goodie bag with these marshmallows as is or colored with the natural food coloring to match with an occasion or holiday.

I’m also picturing these marshmallows baked into my famous date-sweetened chocolate chip cookies :O That’s definitely going on my baking to-do list!

Naturally Sweetened No Bake Treat Recipes for Kids

Ingredients

Water: Water helps prevent overheating and overthickening of the maple syrup. It also allows the gelatin to bloom. And the steam from water helps the marshmallow mixture to expand and retain air as it whips.

Gelatin: Gelatin is what creates that bouncy, stretchy texture in marshmallows. I use grass-fed, non-GMO, rBGH-free, unflavored beef gelatin from Walmart.

Maple Syrup: The natural sweetener in this healthy marshmallow recipe is pure grade A maple syrup. Make sure to buy 100% pure maple syrup and not a fake syrup with added ingredients.

Salt: A tiny bit of salt helps balance flavor and acts as a preservative.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds just a little more depth of flavor to round out this homemade marshmallow recipe nicely.

Arrowroot Powder: Arrowroot powder is a gluten-free starch that is used as a means of dusting sticky edges in this recipe. It does not add any flavor or sugar but prevents the marshmallows from sticking to each other and your hands.

Image of Refined Sugar Free Marshmallows

Instructions

Step 1

Add half of the cold water (105 g) to the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and mix. Place bowl on your mixer along with the whisk attachment. Leave the gelatin water undisturbed to bloom (hydrate the gelatin) while you prepare other ingredients.

Step 2

Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper with the edges extending beyond the dish and dust the bottom with arrowroot powder.

Step 3

Add remaining water (105 g), maple syrup and salt to a medium-size pot. Heat on the stove on medium-high heat until it boils. Once it begins to boil, place a candy thermometer in the maple syrup to carefully monitor when it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be patient; it can take up to 30 minutes for the temperature to reach 240 degrees F. It will keep boiling without the temperature changing for a while, but keep watching and waiting. As soon as the temperature reaches 240 degrees (it happens quickly once the temp starts to rise), turn off the heat.

*See notes in recipe card.

Step 4

Working quickly but carefully, turn your mixer on low and pour the maple syrup into the mixing bowl using a spatula to scrape out any remaining in the pot. Once the maple syrup and gelatin mixture are incorporated, turn the speed up to medium and then high as you are able without causing splashing.

Step 5

Continue beating the marshmallow mixture on high and watch it carefully. It will take 5-7 minutes for it to become airy and increase in volume.

As it mixes, the gelatinized maples syrup will lighten in color more and more until it turns white

When it is ready, it will be approximately tripled in volume, the shininess will have dulled and when you lift the whisk from the mixture, the marshmallow will gently flow from the whisk and land in ribbons that reabsorb into the marshmallow in the bowl after 3-4 seconds.

Step 6

Add the vanilla extract about 30 seconds before you finish whipping the marshmallow.

Step 7

Once the mixture is done whipping, work quickly again to pour it into your prepared dish lined with parchment paper. Spread the marshmallow out as evenly as you can. Immediately jiggle it to get the air bubbles out.

Step 8

Leave the marshmallow to set on the counter for 2-3 hours. Once it is firm to the touch (although it will always be sticky), it is set.

Step 9

Once set, dust the top of your marshmallow block with arrowroot powder and lift it out of the dish with the parchment paper edges. Place upside-down on a cut-safe surface and cut into cubes, lightly dusting all exposed sides with arrowroot powder.

Step 10

Serve to kids with a sweet tooth. Store leftovers in a sealed container or sealable bag at room temperature for up to one week.

Substitutions & Tips

It is best to get all of your ingredients, mixer and pan all ready to go before you begin. This way, you can work quickly when necessary without having to stop and get something ready.

Be patient when boiling the maple syrup. Watch your thermometer closely, but expect it to feel like it’s taking forever for the temperature to reach 240 degrees F. It takes mine 25-30 minutes to reach the desired temperature.

If you want to make colored marshmallows, add some India Tree dye-free, plant-based, sugar-free food coloring towards the end of the whipping once the marshmallow mixture is no longer hot.

It is important to work quickly with the boiled maple syrup to add it to the gelatin and also with the freshly whipped marshmallow cream to pour it into the pan before it begins to set. However, please remember that working quickly does not mean you have to rush. Be extremely careful with the hot maple syrup when pouring it into your mixing bowl.

Although it can feel challenging to know when the marshmallow is whipped just the right amount, here are some tips to know when it’s ready:
- It will be white
- It will no longer be shiny
- It will be doubled or tripled in volume
- When the whisk is lifted, the marshmallow will fall in ribbons that disappear into the marshmallow in the bowl after 3-4 seconds
- It will be pourable but not liquid

If you are worried that you have overwhipped your marshmallow, don’t be too discouraged. Overwhipped marshmallows are still edible and delightful, they are just more dense and less fluffy. But they are still squishy and delicious. In fact, my 7-year-old preferred an overwhipped batch of healthy marshmallows I made to the lightly whipped batch.

When cutting your set marshmallow block into cubes, it is easiest to cut it into six strips in one direction and then cut each strip separately into six cubes each. This is especially efficient if you use kitchen sheers, but you can also use a sharp, large knife. Dust sticky sides with arrowroot powder as you go to prevent marshmallows from sticking to you, your work surface or each other.