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A side view of cranberry marshmallows garnished with fresh cranberries and rosemary on a stack of white plates.

Cranberry Marshmallow

Cranberry marshmallows are made with real fruit and 6 simple ingredients. They come together with less than 15 minutes of hands on time! Perfect for hot cocoa, s’mores, or holiday gifting.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Resting time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 127 kcal

Equipment

  • sauce pan
  • whisk
  • stand mixer with whisk attachment
  • 9X9 baking dish & parchment paper
  • sharp knife

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons gelatin
  • 1 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 cup cranberry tea *see note below or substitute cranberry juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup organic powdered sugar
  • ½ cup arrowroot powder or substitute corn starch

Instructions
 

  1. Pour ½ cup of cranberry tea into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top. Allow the gelatin to bloom for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Add the an additional ½ cup cranberry tea, honey and salt to a small saucepan with a candy digital thermometer. Heat on medium-high and stir the mixture for the first minute only, keeping a close watch on It so that it doesn't boil over. Cook until the mixture reaches 240℉. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
  3. Turn the stand mixer on low (speed 2) and slowly pour the sugar mixture in the mixer bowl. Gradually increase the speed to high speed and beat until the mixture has doubled, almost tripled, in size. It will resemble marshmallow fluff and feel cool to the touch. This takes approximately 6-8 minutes. 
  4. While the marshmallow is mixing, line a 9x9 pan, covering both the bottom and the edges of the pan with parchment paper. Stir the powdered sugar and arrowroot powder together in a separate bowl and dust onto the parchment paper.
  5. Quickly pour the marshmallow into the square pan and flatten the top with a rubber spatula. Dust more powdered sugar mix on top and allow to set a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
  6. Once set, lift out of the parchment, invert onto a powder sugared cutting board, and cut into squares with a sharp knife. I also powder my knife to keep it from sticking. Toss the pieces in more sugar to prevent clumping.
  7. Enjoy immediately! They are light, sweet, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth soft!

Notes

  • How to make cranberry tea: Simmer 1 cup of fresh cranberries in 1 ½ cups water, then strain and cool. Some of the water evaporates as it cooks down, so go ahead and measure your ½ cup portions with a measuring cup. 
Tips and Troubleshooting
  • Use a candy thermometer: Hitting 240°F (the "soft ball" stage) is key for getting that fluffy, stable texture. Too low and they'll be sticky; too high and they'll turn rubbery. 
  • Work fast: Once the mixture is done whipping, it starts to set quickly. Have your pan lined and dusted before you need to pour!
  • Don't skip the coating: That powdered sugar mixture keeps the marshmallows from sticking together and gives them their signature soft feel.
  • Too sticky to cut? Dust your knife with sugar mix between cuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 0.03gSaturated Fat: 0.004gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 55mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 0.1mg
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