Homemade Marshmallow Fluff

Make this recipe and you’ll never by store bought marshmallow creme again!

I like to use vanilla paste to flavor this because I love the vanilla flecks visible in the fluff. You may substitute vanilla bean when you are making the light sugar syrup, or simply use vanilla extract.

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup homemade light sugar syrup-see below (or store bought light corn syrup*)

1/4 cup water

pinch salt

2 large egg whites, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Place egg whites in the bowl of your mixer (using whisk attachment) and beat egg whites just until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Place water and salt in medium saucepan. Heat on low until salt is dissolved. Place sugar in the middle of the saucepan, pour homemade light sugar syrup or light corn syrup over the top. Don’t stir.

Let sugar dissolve over low heat, stirring only occasionally. Avoid letting the spoon touch the sides of the pan and don’t remove the spoon and then place it back in the pan.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring very little and avoiding the edges of the pan. Bring mixture to the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer, 235 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set your mixer with the egg whites in it on low speed. Immediately remove sugar syrup from heat and drizzle small amount (a couple of tablespoons) slowly into the egg whites. Let mix for a minute, then very slowly continue drizzling remaining syrup into the mixture. Don’t scrape the saucepan.

Increase mixer to medium high speed and mix for 5-7 minutes, or until the whites are glossy and form stiff peaks. Add vanilla paste, or extract and mix for one more minute. Voila! Marshmallow Fluff.

Use as filling or topping for cake, pie, pudding, cookies or candy – if you can keep from eating it by the spoonful! Or make yourself a fluffernutter sandwich with a nut butter of your choice.

Will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

*If you use store bought light corn syrup, add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the sugar before boiling.

Recipe for Light Sugar Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

pinch salt

Place water, cream of tartar and salt in a small saucepan and dissolve over low heat. Once salt and cream of tartar have dissolved, add the sugar into the middle of the saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat stirring just enough to keep the sugar from browning. Don’t let spoon touch sides of the pan and don’t remove the spoon from the mixture and then place it back in.

Continue cooking to about 180 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Or, until a sugar drip placed on a spoon resembles heavy syrup. This will only take 3 or 4 minutes. If you cook this too long (soft ball stage) it will solidify when it cools. Remove from heat.

Pour into heat safe container, DO NOT SCRAPE THE PAN (you don’t want sugar crystals getting into your syrup or it will solidify). I like to use a clean recycled jam jar. Let cool completely and seal, keep stored at room temperature.