Marshmallow Fondant

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/24/21
marshmallow fondant beauty image

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

 
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 17 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 pounds
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
196 Calories
0g Fat
50g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 196
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 14mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 45g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 2mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Fondant is a key ingredient when making decorated desserts. It is used to cover cakes and pastries, creating a smooth finish and allowing for elaborate decorations. It is typically made with sugar, water, and gelatin, which also happen to be the ingredients that make up marshmallows. Therefore, making fondant from marshmallows is a quick and simple shortcut. This recipe uses miniature marshmallows, water, and powdered sugar. Many people actually prefer the taste of marshmallow fondant over regular fondant since it has that familiar, sweet taste of the puffy white confection.

Use marshmallow fondant as you would regular fondant: to cover cakes, form shapes, and make candy. Be warned that it tends to get sticky in moist environments, so it doesn’t hold up as well as regular fondant when placed over frosting and refrigerated for days.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

  • 4 cups (8 ounces) mini marshmallows

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • Food coloring, or flavored extracts, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    marshmallow fondant ingredients
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Dust the counter or a large cutting board with confectioners' sugar.

  3. Place the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until the marshmallows have expanded and become puffier.

    marshmallows in a bowl
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  4. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. If some unmelted marshmallow pieces remain, return to the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the marshmallow mixture is entirely smooth and free of lumps.

    stir marshmallows until smooth
     The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the powdered sugar all at once to the melted marshmallow and combine with the spatula until the sugar begins to incorporate and the mixture becomes difficult to mix.

    stir melted marshmallows with powdered sugar
     The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto the prepared work surface. It will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not been incorporated yet—this is normal. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands.

    kneeding marshmallow fondant
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Continue to knead the fondant until it smoothes out and loses its stickiness. Add more sugar if necessary, but stop adding sugar once it is smooth—too much sugar will make it stiff and difficult to work with. Once the fondant is a smooth ball without any lumps or stickiness, it is ready to be used or have flavor or color added.

    finished fondant
     The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. If you are adding food coloring or flavoring to your fondant, flatten it into a round disc. (It is a good idea to wear gloves to avoid getting food coloring on your hands.) Add the desired amount of coloring or flavoring to the center of the disc, and fold the disc over on itself so that the color or flavor is enclosed in the center of the fondant ball. Knead the ball of fondant just like you did before. As you work it, you will begin to see streaks of color; continue to knead until the streaks are gone and the fondant is a uniform color.

    food coloring fondant
     The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • If you are making one color and/or flavor of fondant for the whole batch, you can add the coloring or flavoring to the melted marshmallow-water mixture before the powdered sugar is added.
  • If you are creating multiple colors or flavors from one batch of plain fondant, the coloring should be added after the fondant is made.
  • Well-wrapped fondant can be stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator. It will have to be kneaded until supple before use.