S’mores, hot cocoa, sweet potato casserole, and more are yours to enjoy thanks to these sweet, soft, fluffy puffs of sugar free marshmallows. Plus, enjoy over 30 optional flavor combo ideas!
I have tried lots of different marshmallow recipes in my Trim Healthy Mama journey. Some are better than others, but none of them felt as marshmallowy as the marshmallows I am used to. So each time I made a batch of marshmallows, I tweaked the basic recipe then tweaked it again until it yielded the perfect, fluffy, sugar free marshmallows.
Key Ingredients for These Marshmallows
The keys to my recipe are the choices of sweeteners and flavorings. I use three sweeteners–specifically, monk fruit (Lakanto brand) to give the marshmallows a closer-to-sugar flavor; xylitol because marshmallows with this sweetener seem to fluff up a bit more; and glycerine because it gives the marshmallows a less dense, lighter texture (if that makes sense).
The choice of flavorings are also key. I used the traditional vanilla that is pretty much a necessity in basic marshmallows plus I added some Olive Nation Marshmallow Flavor which I believe really captured the traditional marshmallow taste.
Flavors
Something awesome about these marshmallows is their versatility. You can make them any flavor with any extract or flavoring and you can add a few drops of food coloring to make them match whatever festivity you’re serving them for.
Instead of the marshmallow and vanilla flavorings written in the recipe, use one of the following flavor combos (food coloring optional) or make up your own:
- Peppermint. Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and a couple drops of green or pink/red food coloring (great for any time, but especially St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas) or leave white.
- Peppermint Chocolate. Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1/2 teaspoon chocolate flavoring. Color with a bit of food coloring of choice or leave white.
- Peppermint Chocolate Dipped. Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and any food coloring you want then dip halfway or coat completely in some melted chocolate (such as Skinny Chocolate, Trim Healthy Chocolate Chips (or Butterfly Bars), ChocZero bars, or Lily’s chocolate chips).
- Chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon chocolate flavoring and a couple drops brown food coloring.
- Chocolate Dipped. Add 1 optional teaspoon chocolate flavoring and dip halfway or coat completely with melted chocolate (such as Skinny Chocolate, Trim Healthy Chocolate Chips (or Butterfly Bars), ChocZero bars, or Lily’s chocolate chips).
- Peanut Butter. Add 1 teaspoon peanut butter flavoring and a couple drops brown food coloring.
- Peanut Butter Cup. Add 1 teaspoon peanut butter flavoring and 1 optional teaspoon chocolate flavoring. Dip halfway or coat completely with melted chocolate (such as Skinny Chocolate, Trim Healthy Chocolate Chips (or Butterfly Bars), ChocZero bars, or Lily’s chocolate chips).
- Strawberry or Cherry. Add 1 teaspoon either strawberry or cherry extract and a couple drops of red/pink food coloring for cheery, fruity marshmallows (great to enjoy with ice cream among other things).
- Chocolate Cherry. Add 1 teaspoon cherry extract and 1 optional teaspoon chocolate flavoring. Dip halfway or coat completely with melted chocolate (such as Skinny Chocolate, Trim Healthy Chocolate Chips (or Butterfly Bars), ChocZero bars, or Lily’s chocolate chips).
- Pumpkin Spice. Add 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice flavoring (or a few drops Pumpkin Pie Spice Essential Oil Blend) and a couple drops orange food coloring for festive fall marshmallows.
- Coffee. Add 1 teaspoon coffee extract and a few brown food coloring drops to make it a medium brown.
- Mocha. Add 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract, 1/2 teaspoon chocolate flavoring, and a few drops brown coloring to make it medium brown.
- Salted Caramel. Add 1 teaspoon caramel flavoring and a bit of brown food coloring. Spritz with a bit of water then sprinkle a pinch or so kosher salt on half the marshmallow for a salted caramel flavor. You could also drizzle them with some Caramel Sauce.
- Pancake. Add 1 teaspoon maple flavoring and a couple drops brown food coloring to make it light brown.
- Maple Bacon. Add 1 teaspoon maple flavoring and 1/2 teaspoon bacon flavoring.
- Banana, Lemon, or Pineapple. Add 1 teaspoon banana, lemon, or pineapple flavoring and a couple drops yellow food coloring.
- Piña Colada. Add 1 teaspoon coconut extract and 1 teaspoon pineapple extract.
- Toasted Coconut. Add 1 teaspoon coconut extract and spritz the marshmallows with a bit of water then roll them halfway or completely in toasted coconut.
- Chocolate Coconut. Add 1 teaspoon coconut extract and 1 teaspoon chocolate flavoring. Add a couple drops brown food coloring. Spritz in a bit of water and roll halfway or totally in toasted coconut flakes.
- Nutty. Add 1 teaspoon hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, OR some other nutty extract. Spritz with a bit of water then roll halfway or coat completely in toasted, crushed nuts of the same kind.
- Chocolate Almond. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon chocolate flavoring.
- Chocolate Hazelnut. Add 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract and 1 teaspoon chocolate flavoring.
- Cherry Almond. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1/2 teaspoon cherry extract.
- Orange Cream. Add 1 teaspoon orange extract plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a bit of orange food coloring for an oranges and cream flavor.
- Apricot. Add 1 teaspoon apricot extract and a bit of orange and pink/red food coloring.
- Cheescake. Add 1 teaspoon cheesecake flavoring and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon Roll. Add 1 teaspoon cheesecake flavoring, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon extract.
- Cinnamon. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon extract and a couple drops red/pink food coloring.
- Chocolate Cinnamon. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon extract and 1 teaspoon chocolate flavoring.
- Cotton Candy. Add 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring and a couple drops red/pink, blue, or other color food coloring.
- Honey. Add 1 teaspoon honey extract and maybe a tiny bit yellow food coloring.
- Irish Cream. Add 1 teaspoon Irish cream extract.
- Vanilla Bean. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and the beans from one vanilla pod.
Recommended Flavorings
I recommend using Trim Healthy Mama’s Natural Burst flavorings, Olive Nation’s flavorings, or your own homemade flavorings.
Roasting Marshmallows
Here’s something important to note if you plan on roasting these. After you make them and cut them out, let them dry longer until they’re kinda hard but still a bit squishy (I live in a dry state so this took less than a day; in humid environments, it might take longer). If you don’t do this, they might be too squishy and melt right off your roasting stick!
The Ultimate Sugar Free Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 3 tablespoons gelatin
- 1 cup Lakanto monk fruit sweetener
- ½ cup xylitol
- 1/4 teaspoon mineral salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon marshmallow flavoring, optional
Instructions
- Line an 8- or 9-inch square dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lightly grease with melted butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
- Pour about half the cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow to bloom while preparing the syrup.
- In a small saucepan, add the remaining water, monk fruit, xylitol, and salt. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan then bring the mixture to a boil (no stirring necessary). Allow to boil until the temperature reaches exactly 240° F (soft ball stage).
- Turn the stand mixer onto low or start beating with hand mixer on lowest setting. SLOWLY add the very hot syrup mixture into the softened gelatin, letting it pour down the side of the bowl. Be very careful not to let it splatter (it's HOT and also very sticky and messy).
- Turn the mixer to medium speed (if splattering occurs, turn it down until it gets a little thicker then turn back up).
- Mix for 5 minutes then add flavorings. Mix for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the mixture is fairly thick and white.
- Pour into the prepared dish and spread around (you can use your hand to spread it by greasing your hand with a bit of butter or coconut oil to keep it from sticking).
- Allow to dry, uncovered, at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
- Cut the dried marshmallows into the desired sized squares. Or use cookie cutters to cut them.
Can I make this without the xylitol? I have a dog who likes to be sneaky about stealing food so I don’t use xylitol.
You can try it. I can’t guarantee the same results as I haven’t tried anything else though. Here’s my on plan sweeteners page: https://tjstaste.com/sweeteners/
Can you make rice crispy treats with these? My daughter can’t have sugar and I want to make her some rice crispy treats and I had a fail with a different sugar free marshmallow recipe… but I didn’t wait for the marshmallows to harden I just put the cereal right into the saucepan with butter and it was soggy-city!! Thanks so much, my daughter will also be ever grateful if you have an idea of how to make this work w your recipe!!
Hi! I honestly have not yet tried it. I would say you probably want to make the marshmallows all the way then melt them like you would traditional marshmallows. Alternatively, Trim Healthy Mama has a recipe for on-plan rice crispy treats so you might be able to use the sauce they have for that. The recipe is in Trim Healthy Table, p. 438. It you do try my recipe with them, please let me know how it goes! Have a great day!
Ah, TJ! Another winner. Thank you!