Aren’t marshmallows just so FUN?! These are even more so with their two-toned colors, the perfect treat for the holiday season. Peppermint Candy Cane Marshmallows are as fun to eat out of hand as they are floating & melting in steamy hot chocolate.
I visited quite a few blogs to learn how to make marshmallows, two great references were Smitten Kitchen & the Cilantropist.
We also once made marshmallows at my favorite Blackmarket Bakery where I take occasional baking classes.
I got all playful with the color. A few drops of bright red food coloring swirled in & these become a bit more “holiday.”
The long drive to school inspires a lot of my creative thoughts. I got all smily when I thought up the idea to do jelly jars layered with hot cocoa mix, chocolate chips & these homemade marshmallows.
How fun would it be to add a few spoonfuls of hot chocolate mix, chocolate chips & peppermint marshmallows to make a steamy cup of hot cocoa.
The true spirit of the winter holidays in one single cup of greatness.
These marshmallows are rolled in a mix of confectioners sugar & pulverized candy canes to give ’em a bit more kick. You can use whatever hot chocolate mix you like or make your own. I had fun making little tags and layering this mix in jelly jars.
White chocolate or milk chocolate chips, or a mix would be fun in these jars. I always go with bittersweet or semi-sweet. Whatever tickles your taste buds will work out perfectly.
Are you making homemade holiday gifts? Have you ever made homemade marshmallows?
Marshmallow Recipe Links
- Church Window Candies Jun-blog
- Lavender Vanilla Marshmallows When Adobo Met Feijoada
- Marshmallows with Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Franish Nonspeaker
- S’mores from Scratch The Cilantropist
- Smore’s on a Stick White on Rice Couple
- Springy Fluffy Marshmallows Smitten Kitchen
- Strawberry & Orange Flower Marshmallows Evan’s Kitchen Ramblings
Great gift idea!!
I have been thinking a lot about holiday treats lately and how I can incorporate them into gifts in fun and creative ways. Love this! Peppermint marshmallows are definitely on my list of fun things to make this year. These look fabulous.
What great gifts! I think the homemade goodies are always so special. I just gave away some of my candy cane cookies and they were greatly appreciated as I am sure your gifts will be, too. Happy Holidays!!
That is such a cute holiday gift idea! You are so smart, generous and talented! This would make any cold and chilly morning warm and cozy!
Very, very cute! A fabulous gift idea! The pics of the kids are adorable! 🙂
These are gorgeous Marla! How fun!
Awesome idea!
oh my goodness these are ADORABLE! i’m trying my hand at marshmallows this week…wish me luck!
I love the swirled look. So fun and festive!
Very fun – they look so very festive!
Love these cute little treats!! I want them in my hot chocolate stat!
Marla these look amazing!! Not just the marshmallows, the whole gift package!
You’re SO Martha Stewart w/ this post. You know that, right?? Very cute idea. I’ve never made my own marshmallows, but these are pretty darn adorable.
Lori: Do I just adore you or what! Thanks for your sweet compliments on this post. I was sooo fun to channel my inner Martha. After gazing upon all of your holiday treats I felt very inspired to make my own 🙂
Rachel: As my wonderful baking teacher I am always thrilled when you stop by for a lookie.
Gaby: Looks like we will need a tasty batch of marshmallows inspired by our trip to Mexico 😉 I am thinking some kind of tropical infusion.
Heather: Good luck making homemade marshmallows. They are really so much easier than you would ever think.
Homemade marshmallows are the best! Peppermint sounds delicious, and your layered jars for hot chocolate are so cute.
Fabulous job, Marla!! Pictures really are perfect. Happy holidays!
marla, such a cute idea. i always find the homemade gifts from the kitchen are the best gifts to give. this one is off the charts and i would welcome this gift on my door step any old day of the week!! xx
These are so cute and creative, Marla! I’m so impressed with all of your beautiful bows and wrapping. I bet those marshmallows taste like pure heaven, too! Thanks for sharing this. I’ll definitely be remembering the jarred hot cocoa mix for a few little gifts this year! 🙂 Happy holidays to you and your family.
I love homemade marshmallows and making them taste like peppermint is perfect for the holidays!
Marla!
You must have been so excited to make something PINK! You were truly inspired. They are gorgeous, and I am certain, delicious. The photos and design of this post are completely charming. Great gift tags and gifts – and, of course, the marshmallows are the best. A little bag of those, and I would feel as if I were in heaven.
🙂
Valerie
Valerie: Of course I had fun making PINK food. How many things can we eat that are this color? Usually I would go with cranberries or strawberries to get that color, but it was fun to do traditional candy making for a change 🙂
Georgia: You always make me smile – thanks for your sweet comment.
Your post turned out fantastic Marla, you always make everything look so beautiful. Such a clever idea, love it!
WOW – you totally read my mind – I was planning to make peppermint marshmallows for a party this weekend and was about to start researching recipes! Now I can use yours – thank you so much for sharing! And those pics of your kiddos are so, so cute!!!
Fabulous idea! Curious to know if there is a way to make them without the gelatin? Can something else be subbed in its place? My family is vegetarian and therefore do not consume gelatin.
These are gorgeous and so yummy looking, Marla! I am imagining sipping hot cocoa right now 🙂
Fun, fun, fun! And what a way to break out of your comfort zone with these wonderful, sugary (!), and child-friendly holiday season treats. I always count on you for superb recipes that are so very original, well thought out, and beautifully photographed. But, some how some way, you just keep upping the ante with every post. Love your gift idea here.
Marla!
Marla!
Marla!
This post hurts me!
Oh!
It makes me lonnnnnng to be your next door neighbor or bestie!
I would adore sitting in your kitchen and watching you create this MARSHMALLOW MAGIC!
Honestly!
These are THE CUTEST gifts I have EVER seen all wrapped up and ready to be given!
What kind of paper did you use to create those tags?
And what program did you use to design the tags?
I’d just LOVE to know!
Snuggles to you!
Your adorable kiddos are so lucky to have such a FUN mommy!
xoxoxoxo
i had the great pleasure of tasting a marshmallow. Awesome!
Love the gift idea, and once you have homemade marshmallows, there’s no going back!
This is by far one of my favorite posts of yours! Gorgeous photos and delicious recipe!
xoxox
oh boy…I’m drooling! 🙂
I LOVE these! Great recipe!!
Fantastic photos Marla, I take my hat off to you for whipping homemade sweets like this up, just awesome.
This is such a flippin’ cute idea! At Christmas, there is simply nothing better than the combination of mint and chocolate. I would be thrilled if someone gave this to me as a gift!
What a heartwarming and timely recipe! Temperature is as low as -10 here….and how i wish a cup of hot chocolate with some marshmallows!
This is the cutest idea ever!! And those peppermint marshmallows sound fantastic. So hoping I made your “nice” list this year! 😀
Amanda: Oh honey you always make my “nice” list – we just need to make sure you are on Santas 😉
Angie: “Heartwarming” – I love that. Sorry to hear your temps are so low, it has oddly been like summer here in SoCal. I am wanting a bit of a cool down, though 10 degrees might be pushing it!
Dara: Come on over girl & i’ll give you as many as you want. Wondering when we will next get together?
Mom: Always a happy surprise when you leave a comment. I am thrilled you were able to try these marshmallows on your visit. I know they are one of your favorite sweet treats! XO
They look beautiful!
Marla – You’re a regular Martha Stewart! These jarred treats with tags are adorable…and your colorful images are print/magazine ready! Just lovely with the homemade marshmallows and seasonally tinted.
It was great seeing you at the luncheon last week! Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. Hope we’ll meet at another function or event next year too!
Cristina: Awesome seeing you the other day too at the luncheon. Can’t wait to see what fun events we will have in 2011!
Jennie: I hope you try these marshmallows & come back to tell me how they turned out.
Your photos are so awesome!!! Festive and perfect, just like these great marshmallows! I made hot cocoa to give as a gift and wanted to do marshmallows to go with- this is it! THANK YOU!
this is exactly why i need to learn to make marshmallows–there’s no peppermint version in the stores! 🙂
I love the way you gift wrapped them!
I would absolutely love to make homemade marshmallows! I’ve heard they are infinitely better than their store-bought counterparts, and I love your idea of flavoring them with peppermint! These are such sweet, thoughtful gifts, Marla…I’m sure they’ll bring a huge smile to the face of whoever is on the receiving end!
Yum! I like splurging on the real sweet stuff too 🙂
pink marshmallows…yes please : )
Mmmm, these look so yummy – and they’re so pretty too! 🙂
Those are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful marshmallows i’ve ever seen. I love how you made those lovely hot chocolate jars. That is a gift I’d totally love to get.
*kisses* HH
Lovely! What a great homemade holiday gift. The slight red swirl in the marshmallows make it so festive.
Your kids are so CUTE!!
Oh my goodness. What a wonderful recipe. These marshmallows are so cute, and what a wonderful gift idea this is. Thanks for sharing! I am your newest follower.
xo
This looks so good. Amaya adores marshmallows and I know she would love me forever if I made this. I especially like it in the jar as a gift. So sweet.
Amazing job girl.. love everything about this!! ESPECIALLY your gorgeous kids!!!
Marla I don’t even like marshmallows but you make me want to eat them! Your colors look so inviting and tasty. What a great gift idea!
I always make a ton of homemade goodies to give away for family and friends. The big baking day starts tomorrow 🙂
What a lovely homemade gift! I haven’t had much time on my hands so hopefully homemade gifts next year 🙂 This are so charming, and your children are precious! 🙂
LOVE these Marla!! I was going to gift jars of hot chocolate…….and time just got away from me…….but I wanted to make marshmallows, I am bookmarking this for valentines day!!! Thanks so much!!! (add your post to my Tumblr blog)
hi there, can you PLEASE let me know where or how you made your gift tags??? they’re wonderful and i would like to do them as soon as possible to attach to my homemade gifts this season. Thank YOU!!
Love these marshmallows, they look so pretty and love the photographs too, very nice!
I absolutely love this for my sister in law. She doesn’t drink coffee and she loves hot chocolate.
Your kids are ultra charming, even on a sugar rush! Mine all of a sudden go into a blank stare and fall dead asleep for a few hours when they’ve had too much sugar.
These sound really yummy. I love all your beautiful photos!!!
I love the swirls of red in the marshmallows, how beautiful! And what a great gift idea, you’re just so creative.The packaging is just gorgeous and so are your photos! 🙂
How adorable…and delicious I bet! Whoever receives this goodies is going to be very happy 🙂
These with some tea in front of out fireplace…. heaven 🙂
Kelly: I know, these in front of the fireplace would be the perfect combination! Slopeside 😉
how stinkin cute is this!! hope you had a wonderful holiday
with your family!
What beautiful gifts……………have a blessed holiday
season.
So fun! The perfect snow day treat.
I was wondering what type of food processor is strong enough to crush up the candy canes? I have a small cheap food processor I bought at CVS…I’ve been wanting something nicer, but just haven’t had the funds. What do you suggest as I would love to make these for my mother in law.
Thanks, Tash
Hi Tash! Here is a GREAT way to do it…..take a plastic bag (a thick one) put the candy canes in the bag and bang with a hammer. I hope this helps. No use in breaking your food processor 😉
Thanks for that suggestion. I also wanted to ask if there was a way to make the marshmallows without using corn syrup? I want to make them for my mother-in-law, but she says that corn syrup makes her arthritis flare. I don’t know if its true or if she’s being dramatic, however I thought I would double check. Thanks. Can’t wait to give these a whirl!
Hi Tash! I have never tried maple syrup, but that is the way I would go for marshmallows in the future. These were tested with the corn syrup. The only recipe on my blog with CS. I have heard natural maple syrup is great in homemade marshmallows. I would probably use grade A. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Hi Maria, I just finished making the marshmallows and I can’t help but feel I did something wrong. For starters mine look much shorter than yours, yours look taller, fluffier. And most importantly, they seem really dense. You’re look fluffy, mine almost look more like a yummy bear than fluffy. I’m tempted to try again, do you have any suggestions? Thanks. I just want them to be perfect. Also, when I poured the mixture into the pyrex pan the marshmallow was started to bubble a bit. Also, the powdered sugar I sprinkled on the top at got all weird and crusty looking. Just not sure where I went wrong.
Hi Natasha, sorry to hear your marshmallows are not as expected. Whenever I make mine they work out but I have heard that a lot of folks find them a bit tricky at first. Might take a few times??
Hi Marla,
Quick question, how long are the marshmallows good for? Saw on another recipe by Martha Stewart that they last about 3 days in an airtight container. Is that true, do they last only three days? If so, I’ll have to make another batch right before Christmas.
Thanks!
Natasha, ours lasted forever in an airtight container. Not a problem over here 🙂
Sorry for all the weird typo mistakes. Sent it from my phone.
I make peppermint marshmallows for a Christmas Eve bonfire every year. I’m sure they’re excellent in cocoa, but if you roast them, the crushed candy cane they’re rolled in makes a hard candy shell with melted marshmallow inside and it’s AMAZING!
Just made the marshmallows, can’t wait to taste them! Thanks for the great recipe. I added too much peppermint extract to the recipe I hacked from Martha Stewart – nice to have a tried and true recipe to go on.
I cannot wait to make these! I am going to try a mint flair for summer.