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Ina Garten’s Homemade Marshmallows Take Summer S’mores to the Next Level

Ina Garten demonstrates how to make homemade marshmallows and a toasted coconut version. Both are relatively easy to make and are more delicious than the traditional bag of marshmallows you'd buy at the grocery store. Garten gives the marshmallows as gifts, puts them in hot chocolate, or toasts them by the campfire for s'mores.
by Wendy Michaels
Published on
2 min read

S’mores are the perfect fireside summer treat. Ina Garten has found a way to elevate them by making delicious homemade marshmallows. The Barefoot Contessa star shared her easy recipe for marshmallows as well as a toasted coconut version. They’re so easy to whip up for your next campfire!

Ina Garten on the Today show during a cooking segment
Ina Garten | Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Ina Garten’s homemade marshmallows are easy to make

Garten demonstrated how to make her homemade marshmallows recipe on the Barefoot Contessa cooking show. She remarked how they are far better than the bags you’d pick up at the store.

“Everybody knows the marshmallows you buy in a grocery store — they’re a little rubbery, not a lot of flavor,” Garten said. “I thought it was a revelation when I discovered homemade marshmallows because they’re these big puffy clouds of vanilla and sugar that just like melt in your mouth.”

“They’re fantastic,” she added. “And they’re surprisingly easy to make.”

Garten first combined cold water and plain gelatin in a bowl and let it sit for five minutes. “Cold water is critical for having it dissolve,” she explained.

The Barefoot Contessa star noted that the homemade marshmallows make a nice gift in addition to being a tasty snack. “People are so surprised to get homemade marshmallows,” she shared.

Garten then created a sugar syrup of corn syrup, granulated sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan. Then, she heated it until a candy thermometer set in the pan reached 240 degrees. Next, Garten combined the softened gelatin mixture and sugar syrup in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beginning at low speed. She finally increased the speed to high and whipped the ingredients for 15 minutes, adding vanilla at the end.

Once combined, she dusted a baking dish with a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar and poured the marshmallow mixture into the pan. After smoothing out the marshmallow, Garten dusted the top with more confectioners’ sugar.

The marshmallows should sit uncovered overnight to dry out before they are cut into squares the next day.

You can find the full recipe on the Barefoot Contessa website.

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Ina Garten’s toasted coconut marshmallows add a delicious flavor

Garten has shown off her magnificent marshmallows on Instagram on more than one occasion. She captioned a 2020 post: “You think you know what marshmallows taste like until you make your own! Plain and toasted coconut marshmallows are the perfect project for you and your children. (Or just for you!) Hot chocolate required.” She’s also pictured the marshmallows as part of s’mores.

Garten’s slight variation on plain marshmallows is a toasted coconut version. She adds sweetened shredded coconut to a dry pan and toasts them until they turn golden brown. “These marshmallows are so good just by themselves, just vanilla, but toasted coconut really adds a great flavor,” Garten noted.

She places half of the toasted coconut in the bottom of a pan, spreads the marshmallow mixture over the top, then sprinkles on the remaining coconut.

The full recipe is available on the Food Network website.

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