Thank you Karo® Syrup for sponsoring this pumpkin spice marshmallows post. Celebrate sweet moments together with Karo®!
“Wait, you made these marshmallows!?” my friend gasped after trying her first bite. “They’re so soft and delicious!” If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow, you’re in for a treat, and these pumpkin spice homemade marshmallows are the treat to make when you’re in the mood for fall flavors!
Why make marshmallows? First, homemade marshmallows can be used in various desserts, dipped in chocolate for easy homemade candy, roasted for s’mores, or melted into hot chocolate or coffee.
Second, marshmallows make great gifts. No matter the occasion, eyes sparkle with delight at the sight of homemade marshmallows. Add a little pumpkin spice, and you’ll see broad grins too!
How to make pumpkin spice marshmallows
Ingredients
Homemade marshmallows only take a few ingredients. You’ll need sugar – granulated and powdered, gelatin, water, corn syrup, pumpkin spice, and cornstarch.
The sugar provides sweetness and some structure along with the gelatin. The pumpkin spice gives the perfect hint of fall flavor. Cornstarch and powdered sugar keep the marshmallows from sticking.
Corn syrup provides the rest of the structure, prevents crystallization, and helps create that pillowy texture we love in marshmallows!
I always use Karo Syrup because I know I’ll get a smooth texture and balanced sweetness that lets the flavor of my other ingredients shine through!
Steps to Make Marshmallows
All the steps are included in the recipe card, naturally, but candy making can seem intimidating if you’ve never tried it before, so hopefully this walk-through with additional tips helps!
First, start by cleaning your area and gathering your ingredients. Making marshmallows can get a little sticky (haha). Starting with a super clear work area with all your ingredients at hand makes the process much simpler and neater.
Second, stay in the kitchen when making your marshmallow meringue. You’ll need to mind the sugar mixture while it’s cooking, then keep an eye on the meringue while it’s whipping. You want to make sure there’s enough air beaten into the mixture for structure, but you don’t want to whip so long the marshmallows deflate.
Third, don’t make too many substitutions with your ingredients. Candy making is as much chemistry as cooking, and each ingredient plays an important role in not just the flavor, but the structure.
When making marshmallows, I stick to ingredients I know and trust. For example I, like many home and professional chefs, rely on Karo Syrup for its quality and consistent performance. Reliable ingredients will give you great results every time!
Corn syrup plays a very important role in this pumpkin spice marshmallow recipe. It inhibits sugar crystallization in the cooking process!
Fourth, use a digital candy thermometer! To make sure it’s accurate, check the temperature in a pot of boiling water. My digital thermometer beeps when it gets close to my desired final temperature, and it’s helped when life happens while I’m cooking.
Fifth, cooking spray is a must. Use it to evenly coat the pan you pour your marshmallow mixture in to cool, and for your cutting tools. I like to use a greased pizza wheel to cut my marshmallows.
Finally, keep extra powdered sugar around for coating your marshmallows. You’ll want to use powdered sugar or a mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch to keep your marshmallows from sticking together.
How do I store pumpkin spice marshmallows?
Once your marshmallows are cut, store them in an airtight container or zip top plastic bag. Exposure to air will shorten shelf life.
The marshmallows can be kept on the counter for up to 3 weeks at room temperature! Add a little extra powdered sugar to the container to prevent sticking if you’re in a humid area.
Marshmallows can also be frozen! Just make sure that they thaw in their airtight container at room temperature. You might need to toss them in a little more powdered sugar to prevent any stickiness by humidity introduced in the thawing process.
What are some ways to enjoy homemade marshmallows?
Pumpkin spice marshmallows make delicious desserts and excellent gifts!
Here are some ways my family and friends enjoyed these marshmallows:
- dipped in chocolate
- melted into hot chocolate or coffee
- with sweet potatoes for a festive fall dish
- roasted in s’mores
- right out of the bag!
I hope this unique pumpkin spice recipe inspires your fall baking with Karo Syrup. Karo makes recipes OH SO Delicious!
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
Pumpkin spice marshmallows make a delicious, gluten-free fall treat! Homemade marshmallows are great to have on hand or make beautiful gifts for family and friends.
Ingredients
Marshmallow
- 3 packages unflavored gelatin (1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin)
- 1 cup water, divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided plus extra as needed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Nonstick spray
Instructions
- Put t1/2 cup of water in the stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow the mixture to sit while you prepare the sugar syrup.
- Combine the other half cup of water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan with a lid.
- Cover the sugar mixture and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes to help the sugar melt. After that, remove the lid and stir gently until all the sugar has dissolved. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
- Cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 245 F. This may take some time, especially towards the end of cooking. If you see sugar crystals starting to form along the edges of the pan, use a pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve the crystals.
- As soon as the sugar mixture comes to temperature, remove it from the heat.
- Turn the stand mixer to the lowest speed and slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup. Aim for the space between the whisk and the side of the bowl.
- Once all the syrup has been added, slowly increase the mixer's speed to medium-high and whip the marshmallow mixture until stiff peaks form and the bowl is only very slightly warm. This can take anywhere from 7-13 minutes. Add the pumpkin spice mixture while the marshmallow mixture is whipping, right around the time soft peaks start to form.
- While the marshmallows are mixing, spray a 9x11" pan* well with nonstick spray. Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch, and sprinkle liberally over the pan. Move around to coat the pan well and reserve the excess coating mixture for later use.
- Once the mixture is fluffy, the whisk leaves a trail as it whisks, and you get stiff peaks when you lift the mixer head, stop mixing.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula spritzed with nonstick spray.
- Sprinkle evenly with a light dusting of the coating mixture and top with a sheet of parchment paper sprayed with a little nonstick spray.
- Allow the marshmallows to set at room temperature for 4-6 hours or up to overnight.
- When your marshmallows are set, dust a cutting board liberally with any remaining dusting mixture or more powdered sugar.
- Use a butter knife to ensure the marshmallow isn't stuck to the edge of the pan (it shouldn't be), and flip it onto the cutting board.
- Spray a pizza wheel with nonstick spray and use it to cut the marshmallows.
- Dab the edges of the marshmallows with powdered sugar, shake off the excess, and store the marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The exact yield of the recipe varies depending on how you cut the marshmallows.
- If you wish for straight-sided marshmallows, use a straight-sided pan. Otherwise, trim the curved edges of the marshmallows before cutting your squares.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 56Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
These nutrition values are estimates. Exact values will vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and quantities used.