This Marshmallow Fondant post is courtesy of Shayna (one of our Sunday Sweets contributors)…One of my favorite parts of celebrating birthdays is making birthday cakes. I love getting creative making something special for the birthday boy or girl (young or old). There are a million different ways to decorate a cake. Fondant is one of them. Although I have done several cakes completely in fondant it’s something I normally avoid. I like using it for small embellishments on a creation but I’m not a huge fan of covering entire cakes with it. Yes you can make some absolutely fabulous cakes with fondant. There’s no doubt about that. But traditional fondant is expensive to buy, a pain to make and, well, just tastes horrid.
Several years ago I discovered Marshmallow Fondant and from the first time I made it I was hooked. It’s simple and inexpensive to make, using ingredients you probably have on hand. It’s also extremely easy to work with and tastes much better than regular fondant. Now I’m still not going to sit down and eat a plate of it but it’s much more palatable. It basically tastes like marshmallows so it’s perfect for covering kids cakes.
Speaking of kids, marshmallow fondant is perfect to get your little ones “helping” in the kitchen. We like to make cut out sugar cookies and use the fondant to decorate them. It’s basically like working with edible play dough!
Marshmallow Fondant:
Makes about 3 pounds of fondant. See the end of this post for a printable copy of this recipe & a link to the fondant cupcake decorating tutorial.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of mini marshmallows
- 2 pounds of powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons of water
- food coloring (if you want to color the fondant)
- vegetable shortening for greasing tools and hands
Directions:
This first step – melting the marshmallows – you can either do in the microwave or in a double boiler or heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
If you are using the microwave put the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on high in 30 second intervals. After each interval remove from microwave and stir well with a well greased spoon. Repeat this process until the marshmallows are completely melted. It generally takes about 2 ½ minutes. You want to make sure there are absolutely no lumps left when you are done.
If you are melting the marshmallows on the stove simply put the marshmallows and water in the heat proof bowl (or top of double boiler) over just simmering water. Stirring frequently (again with a well greased spoon) heat the marshmallows until they are completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Next you are going to start to incorporate the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows. NOTE – if you are going to color your entire batch of fondant the same color add your coloring to the melted marshmallows before adding the icing sugar. It’s just much easier that way. I generally make a few different colors in one batch so I do this step after (we will talk about that later).
Slowly start to stir the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallow. Don’t add more than a cup at a time. Keep adding sugar and mixing until it becomes too difficult to stir with the spoon anymore. You will probably have used ½ to ¾ of your sugar at that point.
Turn the mixture out onto a well greased surface. NOTE: Some people use a stand mixture for this. Some people also burn out their motor doing this. Attempt at your own risk. Personally I always do it by hand. I like my mixer too much to risk it AND I prefer the hands on method.
Using well greased hands begin kneading the mixture just like you would with bread dough. Keep incorporating small amounts of the sugar and kneading until the fondant is no longer sticky. If it starts to crack you’ve added too much sugar. Add water a couple of drops at a time and knead some more. When you are done the fondant will not be sticky and can be easily stretched without cracking.
If you are going to color your fondant divide it into whatever size pieces you want. Leave one piece out and wrap the others tightly in plastic wrap. Shape it into a ball and flatten it. Add a couple of drops of color on top of the flattened fondant. I always use food coloring gel. The liquid coloring will work if that’s what you have on hand. You may just need to work a bit more sugar into the fondant after if you find the coloring makes it a little sticky. You might want to use disposable plastic gloves for this part. Fold the flattened disc over itself, covering the food coloring and making into back into a ball. Now just start kneading the fondant like you did in the steps above until the color is completely and evenly incorporated.
Your fondant is now ready to use!
Marshmallow fondant will keep well for about a month if you store it properly. Wrap it very well in plastic wrap and then place inside a Ziploc bag and store in a cool place. You don’t have to put it in the fridge. If it’s been sitting a while, especially if it’s cold, unwrap it and pop it into the microwave for 5 second increments until it just starts to soften (you don’t want it to get warm) and then knead with well greased hands until it softens up and can be rolled.
There are so many uses for fondant! You can cover cakes, cookies and cupcakes or make cute embellishments as well. Get creative and have fun!
Want to make the cupcakes that Shayna has featured here? Check out her Fondant Cupcake post for a delicious buttercream icing recipe and decorating tutorial.
Thank you to Shayna for providing this delicious tutorial! You can find more delicious recipes over on Shayna’s blog Mommy Outside The Box. Not only is she talented in the kitchen but she’s an excellent writer and photographer too! Be sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Google + for even more creative inspiration.
- 1 pound of mini marshmallows
- 2 pounds of powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons of water
- food coloring (if you want to color the fondant)
- vegetable shortening for greasing tools and hands
- This first step - melting the marshmallows - you can either do in the microwave or in a double boiler or heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
- If you are using the microwave put the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on high in 30 second intervals. After each interval remove from microwave and stir well with a well greased spoon. Repeat this process until the marshmallows are completely melted. It generally takes about 2 ½ minutes. You want to make sure there are absolutely no lumps left when you are done.
- If you are melting the marshmallows on the stove simply put the marshmallows and water in the heat proof bowl (or top of double boiler) over just simmering water. Stirring frequently (again with a well greased spoon) heat the marshmallows until they are completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Next you are going to start to incorporate the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows. NOTE – if you are going to color your entire batch of fondant the same color add your coloring to the melted marshmallows before adding the icing sugar. It’s just much easier that way. I generally make a few different colors in one batch so I do this step after (we will talk about that later).
- Slowly start to stir the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallow. Don’t add more than a cup at a time. Keep adding sugar and mixing until it becomes too difficult to stir with the spoon anymore. You will probably have used ½ to ¾ of your sugar at that point.
- Turn the mixture out onto a well greased surface. NOTE: Some people use a stand mixture for this. Some people also burn out their motor doing this. Attempt at your own risk. Personally I always do it by hand. I like my mixer too much to risk it AND I prefer the hands on method.
- Using well greased hands begin kneading the mixture just like you would with bread dough. Keep incorporating small amounts of the sugar and kneading until the fondant is no longer sticky. If it starts to crack you’ve added too much sugar. Add water a couple of drops at a time and knead some more. When you are done the fondant will not be sticky and can be easily stretched without cracking.
- If you are going to color your fondant divide it into whatever size pieces you want. Leave one piece out and wrap the others tightly in plastic wrap. Shape it into a ball and flatten it. Add a couple of drops of color on top of the flattened fondant. I always use food coloring gel. The liquid coloring will work if that’s what you have on hand. You may just need to work a bit more sugar into the fondant after if you find the coloring makes it a little sticky. You might want to use disposable plastic gloves for this part. Fold the flattened disc over itself, covering the food coloring and making into back into a ball. Now just start kneading the fondant like you did in the steps above until the color is completely and evenly incorporated.
- Your fondant is now ready to use!
Sarah at Journeys of The Zoo says
I happen to have some marshmellows on hand leftover from the summer (roasting over the fire). I wonder if they’ll work if they aren’t minis. Your creations are beautiful and I like that you don’t completely cover the desserts. I’m not a fan of fondant. Although it looks amazing! I need to get me one of those scales.
Thanks for sharing. Makes me want to bake. Almost 🙂
Besos, Sarah
Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo
Cheryl says
She makes it look so easy, doesn’t she? I’m a fan of everything sweet so this is on my “must try” list!
Mommy Outside says
Sarah you can use the large marshmallows. I recommend the small ones because they just melt quicker and easier but if you are patient the big ones will work. For big ones I actually recommend the microwave instead of the stove or you will be there all day.
Sarah [NurseLovesFarmer.com] says
Definitely going to give this another shot, thanks for sharing!
Cheryl says
It looks so good, doesn’t it?! Shayna makes the process look so easy that I’ll have to give it a try myself.
Carrie says
Hello, stopping by from Plaid and Paisley Monday and so GLAD I clicked on your link! This is awesome and I definitely will give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
Kate says
Hello,
This recipe looks simple and wonderful! I was slightly confused the first time I read through the instructions, so just to clarify, did you intend to say 3 tablespoons of water? Thank you again for the recipe, I am excited to try it over the weekend :).
Cheryl says
Oh yes, sorry about that! Three tablespoons of water. I’ve just made that change. Thank you for pointing it out!
Mommy Outside says
I’m sorry about the confusion ladies! I didn’t realize I had put 3 tablespoons of sugar in there but YES it’s definitely water!!
Ruth @ Living Well Spending Less says
I tried making fondant once before and I didn’t succeed, but I’m going to try again and absolutely try this recipe instead of the one I used before. Thanks so much for sharing. Those cupcakes are absolutely beautiful. Thank you for linking up to Thrifty Thursday.
Cindy @ Diy beautify says
My daughter would love this! The colors are great 🙂 Thanks for the fabulous step by step. Coming to you from Link Party Palooza 🙂
Britni says
I’ve always heard about marshmallow fondant but never tried making it. Thanks for the recipe and sharing on the weekend re-Treat link party!
Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.
Sapphire says
Hello, I would like to try this recipe but I was just wondering if marshmallow fluff would work? I have about 5 jars of it and this seems like a good thing to use it for if it will work, thanks!
Mommy Outside says
Hi Sapphire. To be honest I’ve never tried using marshmallow fluff myself but I have heard of people using it – two jars of fluff and two pounds of sugar. If you try it I’d love to hear how it turns out!!
AmberO says
Hi, would this be firm enough to make the little figure people, or is it just for flat shapes? Thanks!
Cheryl says
Yes, you can make little figure people with this too!
Cindy says
Tried this today and it came out beautifully! I’ll never buy fondant again! Plus the kneading was therapeutic.
Cheryl says
Thank you for the feedback, Cindy! We’re glad that you like it!
emily says
Sooo i tried today and failed….it was a huge sticky mess!! 🙁
Cheryl says
Aww, sorry to hear that Emily!
Joella says
I tried to make this today and just like Emily (a few comments above) I too has a HUGE mess!!! It was way too sticky!! What can I do differently?!
Mommy Outside says
I’m sorry to hear you ended up with a mess! Whenever you are dealing with fondant and you find it too sticky, break out the icing sugar and work in some more in small amounts until your fondant is the right consistency. You really have to work the fondant quite well (kneading) to get a nice smooth consistency. I also highly recommend using brand name marshmallows.
Hope this helps and you give it another try!
Joella says
Thank you so much!! I will try it again very soon!!
Jessica says
Question about the water, do you put it in the marshmallows when you melt them or do you just have it on hand in case your fondant gets too dry when adding the powdered sugar?
Leah at Iced... Bake Shoppe says
You will want to add the water to the marshmallows during the melting/microwaving stage. Just mix the water and the marshmallows together – then proceed with the melting.
While I cannot speak for Shayna – when I have taught kids to make marshmallow fondant, I recommended using a lil bit of vegetable shortening on your hands if the fondant was too dry after adding the icing sugar.
Zaakirah says
This recipe is GOLD! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m an amateur home baker and I tried this recipe today for the first time…..worked so well. Thanks again. Happy baking 🙂
Grace says
Does anyone know how many bags of marshmallows equal a pound? I don’t have a scale.
Mommy Outside says
Well there are different size bags but your bag should say how many grams it is. There are 453 grams in a pound. Hopefully that helps!
Jennifer says
Will this recipe make enough fondant to cover a two layer 10 inch round cake or will I need to double it?
Mommy Outside says
This will easily cover a double layer 10 inch cake 🙂
Kelly says
Can you refrigerate this fondant on a cake?
Mommy Outside says
Hmmm good question – the general rule of thumb with any fondant is that you CAN put it in the fridge. When you take it out you MAY see a little bit of condensation, depending on the heat, humidity at the time. But it should evaporate fairly quickly unless you are in a very humid area. This also applies to the marshmallow fondant.
Kelley says
Sounds like a great recipe! How long can you store this? I’m thinking of making cupcakes for my daughter’s doc mcstuffin birthday and it would be so cute to do some with the band aid logo
Mommy Outside says
Marshmallow fondant will store well for up to a month. I suggest wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and then putting it in a ziploc bag. Store it somewhere dry like in a cupboard. When you go to use it just kneed it very wel. If you find it’s gotten a little too firm put it in the microwave to help soften it. Only do about 5 seconds at a time – you don’t want to melt it 🙂
Erica says
Hi there, can you paint this fondant the same way you can with normal fondant? I use vodka and wilton color powders…
Cheryl says
Yes, you can paint on it that way as well. Happy Decorating!
Jackie Todd says
I used this recipe, didn’t use any of the water, I just had it on hand just in case I needed it while rolling the fondant incase it too dry, and it worked out great!! I have been doing cakes for 20 years now and HATED fondant b//c of the taste and I am known for my flavor with my cakes so I refused to use fondant. I tried this fondant and loved it, the taste was good and loved how it handled!! I am SO glad I came across this recipe and would have confidence putting this on my cakes!! (sorry if there is misspelling, I’m a horrible speller). Thank you again!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!
Cheryl says
Thank you for the feedback, Jackie! I’m glad to hear that you loved it!
Serenity hope says
I just wanted to know if I could Use big marshmallows instead of mini marshmallows. I will rate recipe 5 after I use it.
Cheryl says
Hi! Yes, large marshmallows could be used as well.
T says
with that post going around about comments on recipes, I wasn’t going to comment, but here I am.. Tonight I made fondant for the first time ever using this recipe or fondant. It was super easy to do, and I wasn’t left with a big mess.. I am so glad Mommy Outside sent me the link for the recipe! Now to tackle making Buttercream frosting.
Cheryl says
Glad you liked it! It’s been getting great reviews so it must be delicious!