This homemade meringue tastes like marshmallow creme! It comes together quickly and easily with 4 basic ingredients. Made without all the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup of the store-bought version, this extra creamy and sweet topping/frosting will quickly become your new favorite.
One reader, Kathy, commented: “Heavenly! I’ll never go back to plain old whipped meringue. I made your recipe for creamy Lemon Pie and topped it with this and oh my goodness. It was incredible! โ โ โ โ โ “
Have you ever had a fluffernutter sandwich? Eaten marshmallows straight out of the bag? Roast campfire s’mores just to eat the gooey toasted marshmallow? Enjoyed marshmallow fluff right out of the jar? If any of these describe you, continue on.
PS: A fluffernutter sandwich is peanut butter and marshmallow creme on bread. Don’t knock it ’til you try it, trust me.
This is Meringue, But Tastes Like Homemade Fluff
Today we’re making homemade fluff aka marshmallow creme. Iโve actually taught you how to make it several times before:
- No Bake S’mores Cake
- Brownie Baked Alaska
- S’mores Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Sโmores Brownie Cupcakes
- Ultimate Birthday Cupcakes
- Chai Pumpkin Meringue Pie
Itโs basically Swiss Meringue Buttercream, just without the butter. But don’t let the word โmeringueโ frighten you. This is an astonishingly simple mixture that you can use as a frosting, filling, or topping on MANY different confections. You only need 4 ingredients, a stovetop, and a mixer. It’s similar to traditional “7 minute frosting”, but doesn’t contain corn syrup or water.
What Does Marshmallow Creme Taste Like?
Marshmallow creme is everything we love about marshmallows, but in semi-liquified form. It’s extra creamy, soft, and sweet and pairs wonderfully with a variety of flavors like chocolate, peanut butter, banana, pumpkin, spice, lemon, etc. When toasted, it tastes like a marshmallow roasted over a campfire!
Unlike store-bought marshmallow fluff, this makes an excellent frosting because it can be piped. (Store-bought isn’t stable enough.) It doesn’t hold any intricate shapes, but pipes beautifully with a large round tip like Ateco 808, pictured above on chocolate cupcakes and below on S’mores Brownie Cupcakes.
Just 4 Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make homemade marshmallow creme. Though the written recipe is below, I want to walk through these ingredients so you understand the importance of each.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites and sugar form the structure. For best success, I recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. (Using an egg separator is really handy!) Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Success tip: Eggs separate much easier when theyโre cold.
- Granulated Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar, not confectionersโ sugar.
- Cream of Tartar: If you’ve made our French macarons, you’ll remember that cream of tartar stabilizes the egg whites and helps the mixture hold its stiff peaks. It does the same job hereโcertainly an imperative ingredient. Sometimes lemon juice can be used as a substitute, but I don’t recommend it here. For best results, you need cream of tartar.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract adds wonderful flavor.
How to Make Homemade Marshmallow Creme & Video Tutorial
While it certainly looks fancy, homemade marshmallow creme couldn’t be easier to make. This is a simple 4 ingredient mixture cooked on the stovetop, then beaten into stiff peaks.
Begin by whisking the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thinned out. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract, then use your mixer and whip on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form. Whipping is where the magic happens. It’s fun to watch the mixture transform from a thin liquid to voluminous fluffโliterally a big puffy cloud.
You can toast homemade fluff using a kitchen torch (affiliate linkโthis is the torch I own and love) like I do in my no-bake s’mores cake, bourbon sweet potato pie, brownie baked Alaska, s’mores brownie cupcakes, and s’mores chocolate mousse.
Uses for Homemade Marshmallow Fluff
- Topping for banana cream pie or pumpkin pie
- As a filling for crepes
- Frosted on chocolate cupcakes or peanut butter cupcakes
- Piped & toasted on coconut cake or red velvet cake
- Swirled on pumpkin cupcakes or lemon cupcakes
- Between two graham crackers
- Spread & toasted on homemade brownies
- As the filling for oatmeal creme pies
- In s’mores cookie bars
- As the filling for cream-filled chocolate cupcakes
- As a completely homemade option for topping pumpkin cupcakes with marshmallow frosting
- Wherever you would use marshmallow fluff!
It’s excellent as a filling for cupcakes, but I find it squishes easily between layers of cake. I don’t recommend using it as a filling for cake, but you could certainly use it to frost the outside of a cake.
Print
Homemade Marshmallow Creme (Frosting)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made without all the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup of the store-bought version, this extra creamy and sweet homemade marshmallow creme will quickly become your new favorite. So many uses!
Ingredients
- 4ย largeย egg whites
- 1 cupย (200g)ย granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoonย cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoonย pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water. Do not let it touch the water. (You can use a double boiler if you have one.)
- Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and appear frothy on top. To test that itโs ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (itโs very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldnโt feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160ยฐF (71ยฐC).
- Remove from heat. (No need to let it cool down before continuing.) Add the vanilla extract, then using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Meringue can be spread or swirled onto cakes, cupcakes, and other confections. It holds simple piped shapes like a swirl, as shown on the cupcakes above. Serve immediately OR torch it with a kitchen torch for a delicious toasted marshmallow topping. (Do not place in the oven under the broilerโit will melt.)
- Cover and store leftovers for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Baked goods topped with this marshmallow meringue can be left at room temperature for up to 6-8 hours. After that, it’s best to refrigerate or else the topping will begin to wilt. For best taste, texture, and appearance, I do not recommend freezing this.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Double Boiler | Whisk | Instant Read Thermometer | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Kitchen Torch
- Smaller or larger batch: Recipe may easily be halved, 1.5x, or doubled. Less volume will cook quicker on the stove and beat into stiff peaks quicker. More volume will take a little longer in both steps.
- Eggs:ย For best success, I recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Success tip: Eggs separate much easier when theyโre cold.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally and wonderful team,
I wanted to pipe this on your upside down Key Lime mini pies, can I use Lime instead of vanilla?
Thanks,
Becky
Hi Becky, you could replace some of the vanilla extract for lime extract, keeping the total amount to 1 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe- its lovely! Is it possible to cut the sugar in half for a more whipped cream, rather than marshmallow taste? I love it but its a tad sweet.
Hi Andrew, the sugar is important for giving the meringue its texture and structure. We donโt recommend reducing it in this recipe. You may like our recipe for not-so-sweet whipped frosting, though!
Used this on my hot chocolate cupcakes! 10/10
Hello! Can this be used for rice krispie treats? If so, what is the substitution ratio?
Hi James, unfortunately you cannot use this in place of marshmallows. It doesnโt set up the same way that marshmallows do.
Hi, Sally. Can I use meringue powder to make this instead of the egg whites? If so, how would I prepare it differently?
Hi Megan, we havenโt tested it but recommend sticking with eggs whites for this recipe, or using a recipe thatโs specifically written for using meringue powder.
Can I use this recipe in fudge recipes that call for marshmallow cream(fluff)?
Hi Cher, yes! You can use this wherever you would use marshmallow fluff.
how much will you need to ice a 2 layer cake ?
Hi Stuart! It depends on the size of the 2 layers, but a batch and a half should be just about right.
How many cupcakes does this recipe frost?
Hi Paige, this recipe yields about 4 cups of frosting, so total yield will depend on how heavily you frost your cupcakes.
I havenโt tasted this yet but it piped beautifully onto some sโmores bites I made. I wish I were able to share a picture! I put it in the bag directly after mixing in the stand mixer and it was the perfect consistency. I will definitely be using this again!
I made this frosting and the chocolate shell for a batch of birthday cupcakes and it was amazing! It got me thinking about making perfect traditional Whoopie Pies. After researching I discovered that for a regular chocolate whoopie pie recipe from Sally, I would need to have her cookbook. I happily ordered it, but the whoopie pie recipe in it calls for store bought marshmallow creme. Am I correct in assuming I can substitute this home made marshmallow creme for the store bought and follow the rest of her whoopie pie recipe as written? Thanks so much!
Hi Abigail, absolutely, you can use this for the filling in homemade whoopie pies. Enjoy!
Not posting the brownies aspect made using the โfluff โ problematic..but the filling was interesting
Hi Irv! We’re not sure what you mean, are you looking for this S’mores Brownie Cupcakes recipe (linked and pictured in the post above)?
How long does this last for? Can you store it in a fridge or will it melt?
Hi Maria! See the last step of the recipe: Baked goods topped with this marshmallow meringue can be left at room temperature for up to 6-8 hours. After that, itโs best to refrigerate or else the topping will begin to wilt.
Is this a suitable topping for a lemon curd tart?
Absolutely!
Could I add some cinnamon to this recipe ? Would the cinnamon burn when torched ?
Hi Elle, we haven’t tested it but would love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
Will adding melted marshmallow into the merengue make it more stable for ice cream cake?
Hi Chris, we haven’t tested anything like that, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
Easy recipe and so delicious! Thanks Sally. Will never be using store bought marshmallow fluff again!
I made this to use in the S’mores Cookie Bars recipe. I used 1 tsp of lemon juice in place of the 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, and still had great results (used a double boiler and stand mixer). I love that it’s a marshmallow recipe without gelatin, so it’s suitable for more of my party guests.
Hi there Sally an team ! Just had a quick question regarding the stability of this marshmallow creme icing… I plan on making this to put on some HM white funfetti cupcakes.. once the icing is made an ready to be piped on the cupcakes. How well does the icing hold siting out room temp? Would it deflate/wilt just hanging out on a table as grab as you go type of ordeal ??
Hi Heather! It can depend on the weather and humidity, but baked goods topped with this marshmallow meringue can generally be left at room temperature for up to 6-8 hours. After that, itโs best to refrigerate or else the topping will begin to wilt.
Does this store well? Everytime Iโve made meringue the liquid tends to separate the next day even in the fridge. Would adding gelatin help?
Hi Gabi, we have found that this holds up for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
would this work in Macarons with chocolate ganache? not sure if it’s stable enough?
Hi Leslie, this should work well as filling for macarons. It will be softer than traditional frosting and may squeeze out the side a bit, but should be delicious nonetheless!
Would this be firm enough for me to pipe on cupcakes and then dip in chocolate?
Hi Deb, yes, you can pipe it when itโs cold.
Can this also be used in place of the jarred marshmallow creme or is this only meant to be a frosting?
Hi Alesha! You can use this wherever you would use store bought marshmallow fluff.
This looks amazing. Can it be used instead of store bought marshmallow fluff to make fudge? Iโve made fudge from store bought marshmallow fluff, using the brandโs recipe, but I was looking for a way to make fudge without store bought marshmallow fluff. Thanks, canโt wait to try it!
Hi Jenna, yes! You can use this wherever you would use marshmallow fluff.