While I’ve always proclaimed the virtues of store-bought fondant (it’s ready made and easy to use), I’m not fond of the taste. So finally…. I tried my hand at homemade marshmallow fondant. I’ll likely never give up store-bought, but I’ll admit, marshmallow fondant is easy to make, easy to use, and did taste better. I still find the fondant too sweet for my taste, but I can’t begrudge the stuff. It is made of sugar and marshmallows after all.
This marshmallow fondant recipe is not mine. I compiled the advice and recipes found from these sources:
- CakeJournal has THIS TUTORIAL
- a reader, ashleycupcakes, sent the link to THIS WILTON RECIPE
- and I loved this recipe sent by “Emilybakes” in the comments section HERE. (Emily, I couldn’t find a link to a web site or info for you, but if you read this, you’re welcome to contact me and I’ll link to you! Thank you for this recipe!)
how I made marshmallow fondant:
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
Crisco or vegetable shortening
Grease a microwave safe bowl with Crisco. Pour 1 cup marshmallows in bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon extract over marshmallows. Heat in microwave until marshmallows puff a bit, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well until fully melted and smooth and runny. Put confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater (I greased the beater with Crisco. I’m sure a handheld electric mixer will work, too). Pour marshmallow mixture into the sugar and blend on low speed. Clean marshmallow bowl and repeat with another cup of marshmallows, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 teaspoon extract, melted and stirred. Pour into sugar and continue blending until dough forms. Knead briefly on a surface dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Wrap in plastic and let sit about half an hour. NOTE: I did the marshmallows in two batches because I thought one batch would be enough, but the dough was too dry. Next time I make this, I’ll try melting the marshmallows all at once.
to make colors:
Simply take about an egg size wad of fondant, add a few drops of coloring (start with one or two and add more as desired), and knead very well. A warning if you have an event to attend where non-stained hands are important: your hands will get stained. You can use the concentrated pastes from the craft store, though I prefer Americolor soft gel pastes (click the link, then click “Links” for tips where to buy.) The colors I used here are: Electric Green, Sky Blue, Orange, and Electric Pink.
to make swirly pops:
fondant in various colors
wax paper
rolling pin
confectioner’s sugar for dusting
sharp knife or pastry scraper
ruler
light corn syrup
lollipop sticks
Roll fondant about 1/4 inch thick between two pieces of wax paper (dust with confectioner’s sugar if sticky). Using the knife or pastry scraper and a ruler, cut out strips. For each pop, you’ll need two strips, one 1/2 inch by 4 inches and one 1/2 inch by 6 inches. Dab light corn syrup on top of both strips to help everything stick. Lay the smaller strip on top of the larger strip, centered. Start from one end and roll into a coil. Insert lollipop stick where outer strip ends and set aside on wax paper to dry.
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43 Comments
I just made marshmallow fondant this weekend as well. I agree the taste is not bad and it was easier to make than I thought. I greased my KitchenAid mixer and used that. It worked really well.
Alexandra and I will have to give this one a whirl. It looks much faster than the way we have been doing it. Thanks for sharing! :0)
What a reat idea. These will look adorable in a candy cake.
I love the idea of making fondant from ready bought marshmallows. Your recipe makes it sound so easy and I bet it tastes much better than a store bought fondant. Thanks for this very cute recipe!
I used MM fondant last year for a cake. It's too sweet for me as well, but I prefer it to the store bought stuff. I guess you either like the taste of fondant or you don't!
I have recently been hearing alot about marshmallow fondant and i have always just made regular fondant maybe since you tried it I will too.
1. Our kitchen wall colors have to be the same brand
2. Must come visit and get creative together
3. Must sell your sets in my shop–must
Great idea! Thank you.
They are really sweet, they look like souped-up versions of oldfashioned sugar candy lollies!
Made in miniture, they'd look gorgeous on a cupcake.
YEAH!! Thanks for posting this… I have been wanting to try making my own but am just too chicken… I think with your easy instructions I might attempt it! SUCH fun lolli pops too!
Blessings-
Amanda
Hello Meaghan~Thank you for sharing this recipe. I use fondant in many of the confections I create. This will be a wonderful (tastier)change from the commercial brand I'm using now.
Sweet wishes,
Sara
Thanks for the easy instructions! I've always wanted to try MM fondant, but thought it was too complicated. This looks easy and quick!
Just wondering if you've tried kneading the food coloring in your kitchenaid with the dough hook? I suppose I could always wear plastic gloves if I had somewhere to go, right?
I'm sure you could do that (I've mixed icing colors that way), the dough hook should be strong enough for the tougher consistency. I've never simply because I only mix tiny batches of color at a time, so it was less of a hassle to knead. They sell gloves for cake decorators, though. I think I even saw them at Michaels maybe?? Not sure how they are different from plain rubber gloves, but I thought about getting some…
Yay! Thanks for the recipe and tutorial! I featured this on my blog. Come and check it out…
jandeecrafts.blogspot.com
I am going to have to say that I have done months of research on the easiest and better way to make homemade fondant and have been unsuccessful! But I have made your fondant recipe today with an extra doze of the marshmallows… and it is the best fondant I have ever made! Thank you so much for being that break threw!!!!
Oh, sniffle, thank you Anonymous! I have to give credit to all the marshmallow fondant makers before me (see the links above!) But I'm also going to try and add a wee bit more marshmallows next time, too!
My daughter is very fond of marshmallow and fondant, she uses to make it …Your recipe looks so easy and tasty.She read it and wants to give it a try… thanks a lot for sharing..
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Love
Farah
these are soo cute…ishould try this out….
Happy new year!!!
I tried to make this by myself. It didn't work out too well. I've never made it before, but all my family loved it! thanks for the recipe. I will try again. (P.S. I put it on a cake and it worked really well)
I enjoyed reading this post! I've been thinking about trying out some marshmallow fondant myself on my painted cookies because like you, I don't like the taste of the store bought variety.
Anyhow, some people have suggested I try this kind of fondant so it was great to read you post on it.
How smooth would you say this fondant for painting on?
yep! Should be plenty smooth for painting. After topping whatever you're topping, I'd let it sit at room temperature for a few hours to stiffen though, before painting.
Thanks so much for answering my question! I've got all the stuff to give marshmallow fondant a try! Thanks again!
My kids are going to love these, deliciously colourful!
hi, we don’t have microwave at home…is there any other way to melt the marshmallow? i’d love to give this a try….thanks a lot
Hi Yolly,
Yep! You should be able to use a double boiler, just stir constantly. Instead of a double boiler, I set a stainless steel bowl on top of a gently simmering ban of water. I even prefer it that way sometimes! When you transfer to a bowl for mixing, just make sure to grease the bowl and the beaters well with Crisco. Hope this helps, thanks!
I have a question: does this harden? Sorry if that’s a dumb question, but I have never played with fondant before!
Thanks!
Hi Tracy, not a dumb question at all!! The opposite. So the opposite (actually, have a little section in my book exactly on this). Fondant is a kind of bizarre texture, PlayDoh like. Left to dry, it will stiffen enough to handle, pack, ship, etc. if it sets a few hours. It won’t dry rock hard like gum paste though. And the surface stiffens well enough to decorate. You can paint with food coloring, use edible writers, etc. on the surface easily.
My mind has been running crazy w/ ideas ever since I discovered your site. I love your ideas & you are so crafty! =) Thank-you for sharing your knowledge with all of us. I’ve always been scared of fondant, but I am ready (& excited!) to try this MM fondant. How long will it last, & should it be refrigerated? I’d like to experiment now & use some on my daughter’s b-day cake in a couple weeks. Would it last?
Hi Kelli,
Thanks so much! MM fondant does last quite a while and a couple weeks should be fine. But it can dry out easily, so wrap it super duper well. I wrap in SAran wrap, then TWO freezer-safe Ziplocs, kept at room temperature. If it gets a little stiff when you go to use it, keep kneading it and the warmth of your hands should help to get it pliable again. Another note since this is your first time working with it, it should be EASILY pliable. The flip side of dry fondant is sticky fondant. If it gives you least bit of trouble, it’s too sticky, and let it sit uncovered at room temp til it’s EASILY pliable. I use plenty of confectioner’s sugar on my hands if it’s sticky (even if it makes it look dusty, you can wipe it off later).
Good luck!
try using marshmallow creme that jet puff stuff from store then add vanilla and dyes it cuts half the work out works great
I have only used the Satin Ice brand of fondant for cakes. I was this and am super excited about it. I live in Florida is this just as easy to roll out and use like Satin Ice and also does the humidity effect. Thanks
It is, Tammy, though you may need a bit more confectioner’s sugar. Satin Ice is the best brand, so this may be just a wee bit less malleable than the fondant. I’d start with small cakes and see if it works for you. Also, during out crazy humid summers, I’ll sometimes run a fan in the kitchen to try and help.
I have been searching high and low. I found the same recipe you have here. Yes it’s a bit sweet but taste alot better than the box stuff. There are also other types you can make with out marshmallows just keep looking.
How many cups did you use for a pound of confectioners sugar? i know it may be a stupid question, but i’ve been searching and some sites say 2 cups and others say 4 cups. sorry, need help.
Not a stupid question at all! I’ve actually had to measure out the box and bag to figure it out myself! A 1-pound box of confectioner’s sugar has just under 4 cups (I think it works out to about 3 3/4 cups). I buy the 2 pound bags which have just under 8 cups in it, because I use tons of powdered sugar.
Thank you so much
omg, I *love* your site!! everyone is super cute and I just want to make everything on here all at once! it’s been a practice in self-control
I have been working on my dayghter’s first birthday for the past couple months, and am about to start putting the pieces together (CandyLand theme on 12/30). I’m going to try my hand at the mm fondant for her smash cake and possibly her “to share” cake, and I’m just wondering what the yield is for the above recipe. thanks in advance! ~Jenn.
Thank Jean! One batch should be enough for decorations. And one batch should be enough to cover a cake. If you’re covering the cake AND making decorations, I’d start with one (depending on how big the cake and how many decorations), but be prepared to make two batches.
im wondering did you use 2lb of the powdered sugar or 1 because you split it into 2 but dont say how much you used with each..
I just used 1 lb. The ingredients listed are the total used. If I recall, I just split everything in half to make 2 batches.
Do you have to use vegetable shortening or Crisco?
Does it make a difference if I do not use it?
(Please answer as soon as you can, thanks! C:
Hi Drocell, It might not need to be Crisco, but you do need to grease the beater well or it will stick. I’ve not ever tried anything but Crisco, such as butter, but worth a try. It’s to make your life much easier
.
Thank you!
I really want to make it and I’m going to rush to the store to get some shortening stuff. I’ll try Crisco, thank you for the suggestion!!