Sugar Free Marshmallows
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My sugar free marshmallows recipe makes for bouncy, soft marshmallows full of vanilla flavor. They melt like a dream and have the perfect texture!
When you’re watching your sugar but want a hot cup of my sugar free hot chocolate, treat yourself and make my zero sugar marshmallows.
I’ve tried every healthy marshmallow brand, and most look and taste like white Jell-O. Mine are pillowy soft with plenty of vanilla flavor, and they won’t turn to mush when you fold them into my rocky road fudge.
I’ve actually made real-deal marshmallows before, so making them sugar free came down to using the correct sweetener. Through recipe testing, I found that allulose was the only sweetener that consistently produced bouncy and soft marshmallows. Erythritol crystallized, monk fruit left a bitter aftertaste, and xylitol had an odd cooling effect.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Just 4 ingredients. Allulose, vanilla, gelatin, and water.
- Easy to customize. I make strawberry ones for my partner using strawberry extract- they’re his favorite version.
- They make the perfect swap. Use these marshmallows exactly as you would regular ones and instantly make any dessert sugar-free.
- You can’t taste the difference. Holland in the comments said it best- they seriously taste like real deal marshmallows. That’s always my goal.
- They melt properly. Unlike store-bought sugar free marshmallows that turn to liquid rather than melt, these behave exactly like regular marshmallows.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These were fabulous!! These seriously taste like real deal marshmallows.” – Holland
Ingredients needed
- Gelatin powder. Unflavored gelatin. Use a high-quality powder to ensure there are no clumps throughout. I like to use Knox gelatin powder- it’s widely available and clump-free.
- Allulose. I highly recommend allulose over monk fruit, erythritol, or other sugar alcohols, as I’ve found it to be the most reliable and prevents the marshmallows from crystallizing.
- Water. Tap water is fine. Half will be mixed with the gelatin, and the other half with the allulose to form a mock syrup.
- Vanilla extract. I like to add vanilla both for flavor and to mask any gelatin flavor.
- Powdered sugar. Optional, but sift some keto powdered sugar over the top of the set marshmallows. It prevents the marshmallows from sticking together and the classic white coating.
How to make sugar free marshmallows
Step 1- Prep work. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Set the gelatin. In a small bowl, add half of the water and gelatin powder. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the gelatin can soak up the liquid and become gooey.
Step 3- Boil. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining water and sweetener to a simmer. Stir often until boiling. Let it boil for several minutes before removing from the heat.
Step 4- Whip. Add the gelatin mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. On low speed, mix for 30 seconds. Slowly add the boiling water mixture along with the vanilla. Beat for 10-12 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
Step 5- Chill. Transfer the marshmallow mixture to the pan and use a rubber spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Once set, cut into pieces and dust with powdered sweetener.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a hand mixer instead. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric mixer, though the beating time will be slightly longer.
- Get those stiff peaks. If your mixture hasn’t formed stiff peaks after 12 minutes, continue beating. You’ll get there.
- Swap the extracts. I’ve made these with almond, peppermint, chocolate, or strawberry extract to change up the flavor. Peppermint is extra special in hot chocolate.
- Add food coloring. As you’re mixing, drop in a few drops of food coloring.
- Don’t worry if they’re not perfect. Homemade marshmallows are supposed to be rustic, so don’t fret if they’re a little misshapen.
How to store marshmallows
Unlike traditional marshmallows, homemade ones shouldn’t be left out at room temperature.
To store: Keto marshmallows should be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
To freeze: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Most sugar-free desserts or snacks are suitable for those with diabetes. My father, who has type 2 diabetes, regularly enjoys these as part of his diet. However, it is always best practice to consult a certified medical professional before making any changes to your diet.
These marshmallows are perfect for a keto diet. At less than 1 gram of net carbs per serving, they’re one of the lowest carb sweet treats on the site.
Recipes to use these with
- Keto hot chocolate– Confession- this is the real reason I made these marshmallows because hot chocolate without them isn’t worth drinking.
- Marshmallow cookies– I add one to the center of the cookie dough and they bake without bursting.
- Protein rice krispies– Gooey and sticky rice krispie treats without the sugar.
Sugar Free Marshmallows
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups water divided
- 1/3 cup gelatin powdered
- 2/3 cup allulose
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add half your water and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top. Let it sit for 10 minutes, for the gelatin to soak up some of the liquid and become slightly gooey.
- In a small saucepan, bring the remaining water and sweetener to a simmer on medium heat. Stir regularly, until it begins to boil. Let it boil for several minutes, before removing from the heat.
- Add the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. On low speed, turn the mixer on and mix for 30 seconds. Slowly add the boiling water/sweetener mixture, along with the vanilla extract, and beat for 10-12 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the marshmallow mixture into the lined pan and use a rubber spatula to smooth it out as much as possible. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or until set.
- Once set, use a slightly wet knife to cut pieces. Dust with keto powdered sugar and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated June 2022
I think this is brilliant but tbh, I haven’t made this yet because I’m not sure if I can make them in a silicone mold. Do you think I can?
Have you tried roasting these over a campfire? Just curious, it works with sugar free Peeps. 😆
I haven’t but another reader did and said it didn’t melt like authentic marshmallows but did get the nice char and soft middle.
Mine had problems toO. About five minutes In to whipping it was starting to inflate and get glossy, but nowhere near forming peaks, so I let it keep running and came back to check on her in a couple minutes and it completely deflated. Instead of being puffed and glossy, it was sticky and slimy. 😢 I used allulose
Thanks Arman, my husband is new to T2DM and your recipes are excellent.
Sue
I must try this as I never want to use sugar. This is amazing.
These marshmallows look very good. I’ve used a lot of Allulose lately for recipes. It just performs so much better than the other artificial sweeteners in many recipes. I cannot buy it here in Canada, but it is simple enough for me to find when I make a day trip to the USA. Now, onto my quest. I have been scouring the internet for a Keto / super low carb version of Marshmallow Fluff, which I need for another recipe. Any tips on how to modify your marshmallow recipe to reduce or stop the ‘setting’ stage and maintain that fluid fluffiness? I am thinking that a large reduction in the quantity of gelatin may do it. I would love to hear your thoughts on my theory or from any of your readers if they have tips to accomplish this.
Thanks.
I have been following you since BC(before Covid). I have tried several of your recipes and have enjoyed them all. Especially the air fryer bagels. My daughter always requests them when she is home, or when I go to visit. Thanks!
Keep them coming. 🙂
I spread the marshmallow over brownies and topped with chocolate ganache. A dessert you wouldn’t be ashamed to serve anywhere!
I love marshmallows and will try this recipe very soon! I was wondering though, could I use a fruit juice instead of water to bloom the gelatin??
You could try!
Want to try this but cannot find allulose in shop.
I’m taking the idea and running with it, absolutely awesome that we can whip up gelatin! But pretty much need to tweak everything:
1.) Using a hand mixer took about 40 min
2.) Yielded about twice as much fluff as expected, so I’d halve it (will also help the mixing time)
3.) Marshmallow on the front and straight chemical taste the rest of the way so I’d cut the sweetener in half, usually the 0 calorie sweeteners don’t bother me but this one was bad.
Gonna put this batch straight into an unsweetened icecream to spread out that allulose flavor! Waste not, want not!
Making any kind of marshmallow is very difficult without a stand mixer. A stand mixer takes about 10 minutes.
Reducing the sweetener is counterproductive as marshmallow depends on a matrix of gelatin, sugars and air. You might be able to substitute half the allulose with another sweetener, potentially, but the chemistry is going to be variable depending on what you choose. Allulose works well because it is a sugar, and behaves more like it than most other substitutes. Glucose/sucrose/fructose balance is important in regular marshmallows, for example. A mix of half glucose half sucrose always worked best for me with sugar. Allulose is subbing for the glucose here.
I’m not sure what went wrong unless I didn’t beat it long enough. I beat it for 13 minutes but it never formed stiff peaks like egg whites. I followed the recipe but noticed the gelatin didn’t get “slightly gooey” as you said but rather congealed like jello jigglers. After the 2 hours in the fridge, I cut a piece and it had separated into two layers, with the gelatin on the bottom. Not sweet and nothing like marshmallows. What did I do wrong? I really want to make these for my snacks.
What’s a substitute for allulose?
white sugar or brown sugar
You can try monk fruit or stevia but the allulose is the most like sugar.
Would it work using silicone instead? And will monkfruit taste ok instead of allulose?
I don’t see why not (about the silicone). I don’t recommend monkfruit, as it doesn’t dissolve like sugar, and the marshmallows won’t turn out properly.
Definitely needs more mixing. The idea is to beat air into the mixture and it’s not going to fluff up as easily as an egg might.
Does it have to be Allulose. I have monk
For the best texture, yes.
Have enjoyed your recipes very much!
I would like to make rice krispy treats using marshmallows, will this recipe be suitable please?
I haven’t tried!
Making rice krispy treats with homemade regular marshmallows is super easy, you don’t let them set, you just go straight from bowl to pan+butter, it’s actually really fast if you have a stand mixer, like barely longer than it takes to make rice krispy treats with store bought marshmallows. So it’s worth a shot!
That said, rice krispies are pretty high carb even without marshmallow, so this would be a “harm reduction” carb wise, not harm elimination.
Marshmallows turned out great, and I tried making rice krispie treats. I heard a lot of “snap, crackle, pop” when mixing (water from the marshmallows?), so I was concerned the cereal was getting soggy. Let them set in the frig for a few hours, and they were floppy and rubbery. Would not recommend.