These homemade bourbon marshmallows - made without corn syrup and flavored with whiskey - are just as fun to make as they are to eat!
I'll apologize in advance. I'm about to geek out on you.
This was my first time making marshmallows at home, and it reminded me why I love experimenting in the kitchen.
Baking is a science, but it can be easy to forget that when you're focused on the delicious outcome. With marshmallows, it's all about the process, and it's fascinating to watch the gelatin react when water is added and to see the texture change as air is added to the mixture. Making these marshmallows reminded me of being a kid in the kitchen, eager to help and to see what I could create. These would be a blast to make with kids, and you can easily swap out the bourbon for an equal amount of vanilla extract to make classic vanilla marshmallows.
Oh, and be sure to stop back on Sunday, because we'll be using these bourbon marshmallows to make another tasty treat!
Recipe
Homemade Bourbon Marshmallows
Special Equipment
- 8x8 pan
- Stand mixer (or electric hand mixer)
- Saucepan
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (177 grams) water, room temperature, divided
- 3 Tablespoons (21 grams) unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (85 grams) honey
- 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) bourbon
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 4 teaspoons (8 grams) cornstarch
Instructions
- Lightly coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and lightly coat the parchment with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Pour ¼ cup water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and leave the mixture to set without touching it for 10 minutes while you move on to step 3.
- Add sugar, honey, and remaining ½ cup water to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 240°F, about 12-15 minutes.
- Pour the sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Once combined, increase speed to high (being careful not to cause any of the hot mixture to splash out of the mixer) and beat until the mixture becomes thick and fluffy and triples in volume, about 8-10 minutes. Add the bourbon and beat the mixture until combined.
- Lightly coat a spatula with cooking spray and use it to scrape the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mixture so it fills the pan and smooth the top of the mixture (it’s okay if it isn’t totally even). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the marshmallow set for 1 hour.
- Once set, remove marshmallow from pan and peel away parchment paper. Lightly coat a carving knife or chef’s knife with non-stick spray and cut the large marshmallow square into 8 rows and 8 columns to create 64 squares.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and cornstarch. Dip each marshmallow square into the bowl and gently coat each side with the sugar mixture, tapping off any excess.
Annie
Hi - could you swap the honey for maple syrup instead?
Allison Ferraro
Hi Annie! I haven't tested this recipe with maple syrup, so I'm not able to say with certainty, but I imagine it would work just fine.
- Allison
el dana
what is the T stands for? can you write in grems?
Allison
Hi! The T is shorthand for Tablespoon.
- Allison