Light, fluffy, and deliciously sticky, these Real Food homemade marshmallows have a unique grown-up flavor in a hand-held, kid-friendly treat! These Paleo Salted Caramel & Toasted Coconut Marshmallows are refined sugar-free and full of nourishing grass-fed gelatin. So squishy and a truly fun, healthy treat!

Wanna feel like you’re really throwing off all limitations and making some super cool stuff in your kitchen?

Make homemade marshmallows.

Seriously.

The first time I made homemade marshmallows, I was so proud of myself! I never thought it was possible to make marshmallows… aren’t they supposed to come in bags from the grocery store?

Now, I make homemade marshmallows a few times a year because they’re pretty easy, and my whole family feels so special eating them.

Each time I make marshmallows, I try to change things up and experiment with different flavors and textures.

Even though these are SO kid-friendly, these Paleo Salted Caramel and Toasted Coconut Marshmallows are also kinda “grown-up”.

The coconut and salted caramel together create such a deep, not-too-sweet flavor that’s very high-end and unique. SO YUMMY!

We eat these giant marshmallows with our hands and all by themselves. Because of the toasted coconut coating, they’re not really suited to floating on top of a mug of hot cocoa, but they’re amazing alongside one! 🙂

Normally, I use honey to sweeten my marshmallows. It’s what I used the first time I made them, so I always stuck with it. But… I decided to switch things up this time…

So I Tried Coconut Syrup…

And it was a huge success! 

Coconut syrup is like lazy woman’s caramel.

No, it’s not caramel, but it has this amazing caramel-y flavor. And it’s a liquid sweetener, which is the best for paleo marshmallows!

This may be an unfamiliar sweetener to you… It’s made like maple syrup — tapping the coconut palm trees to extract sap, then boiling the water off to reveal a dark, rich, caramel-y syrup.

(Learn more: Is Coconut Syrup The New Maple Syrup?)

Coconut syrup is rich in trace minerals and is very low on the glycemic index. Hooray for blood sugar-friendly marshmallows!

I use Wildly Organic’s coconut syrup because it’s organic and comes from sustainably farmed coconut palm trees. You can also find coconut syrup on Amazon.

So, with such a mineral-rich, low-glycemic sweetener, it shouldn’t surprise you that these salted caramel marshmallows aren’t overly sweet.

Using & Blooming Gelatin

Gelatin is an absolutely necessary ingredient in homemade marshmallows. It’s what makes them hold their structure while also being squishy. 😉

I know there are vegan marshmallows out there… but have you ever had one of them? They’re kind of gross.

I’ve never had a homemade vegan marshmallow — nor have I googled to see if such a recipe exists — but I have had the store-bought ones because they’re the only store-bought marshmallows that don’t have super crappy ingredients.

Y’all.  They’re gross. The texture is all kinds of wrong.

And, I believe it’s because they’re not made with gelatin.

I only use clean gelatin from grass-fed cows. <– Snag 10% off my favorite gelatin with my discount code ALLTHETHINGS!

“Blooming” gelatin seems to be a thing that confuses people.

No, you’re not growing gelatin flowers, so I can see why that word is perplexing.

To bloom gelatin simply means you sprinkle it evenly over water. It will sort of float on the surface of the water, and in a few minutes, looks like the rough terrain of some strange land. That’s when you know it’s “bloomed”.

Here’s where the toasted coconut comes in…

Because of their sticky nature, marshmallows need to be coated in some sort of powder — usually arrowroot or corn starch (for white marshmallows) or cacao powder (for chocolate marshmallows).

(Uh, yes, chocolate marshmallows are totally a thing and you should make them. 😉  )

In these Paleo Salted Caramel and Toasted Coconut Marshmallows, however, I’m using finely shredded and toasted coconut as the coating!

It really makes these oh-so-simple marshmallows feel super gourmet.

Equipment: Is it necessary to use a stand mixer?

I’m going to say yes. Making marshmallows is not unlike making whipped cream or meringue. You start with a small amount, but once the air is whipped in, it grows.

Once the marshmallows really start fluffing up, it grows very quickly. What started as a cup of water and a cup of sweetener grows once air is whipped into it — and I’m pretty sure it’ll “outgrow” your hand mixer.

If one used a hand mixer, the marshmallow fluff will cover the beaters and probably crash your hand mixer.

Also, it takes like 10 minutes for the marshmallows to fully fluff. It’s important to give them this time and not rush the process.

The marshmallow fluff should be very stiff and not slide down the whisk attachment AT ALL. If it runs, it’s not ready.

I don’t know about you, but my arm would fall off if I had to use a hand mixer and vigorous hand-mixing for 10 straight minutes.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, buy one or borrow one from a friend to make these Paleo Salted Caramel and Toasted Coconut Marshmallows. You won’t regret it!

Are you ready to make the best homemade marshmallows ever?

5 from 15 votes

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Paleo Salted Caramel & Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Light, fluffy, and deliciously sticky, these Real Food homemade marshmallows have a unique grown-up flavor in a hand-held, kid-friendly treat! These Paleo Salted Caramel & Toasted Coconut Marshmallows are refined sugar-free and full of nourishing grass-fed gelatin. So squishy and a truly fun, healthy treat!

CourseDessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings 16 large marshmallows

Author Lindsey Dietz

Ingredients

• 1cupwaterdivided
• 2-1/2tablespoonsgrass-fed gelatin
• 1cupcoconut syrup
• 1/2teaspoonsalt
• 1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
• 1/2teaspooncoconut extract
• 1-1/2cupsfinely shreddedunsweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Add 1/2 cup of water to a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside to bloom.
3. Lightly grease an 8"x8" baking dish with coconut oil and line with unbleached parchment paper. Let some paper stick out of the dish so you have "handles" to remove the marshmallows later.
4. To a medium saucepan, add the remaining 1/2 cup water and coconut syrup.
5. Place a candy thermometer in the saucepan and bring the syrup mixture to a boil.
6. Boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until the syrup reaches 242 degrees Fahrenheit (soft ball stage). This may take up to 15 minutes.
7. While you wait for the syrup to get to soft ball stage, toast the coconut flakes in a dry cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Keep an eye on it! Coconut flakes can easily burn!
8. When the syrup has reached soft ball stage, immediately remove it from the heat.
9. Turn the stand mixer (or hand beaters) on medium-high speed and pour the hot syrup into the gelatin while the mixer runs. Pour in a steady stream, keeping the mixture in the middle of the bowl so it doesn't splatter all over the sides and cool too quickly.
10. Beat until it triples in size and becomes a stiff marshmallow fluff. When you raise your whisk (or beaters) the fluff should barely move down the whisk. If it flows or drops off heavily, keep beating.
11. As soon as the fluff is ready, work quickly to transfer it to the prepared baking dish.
12. Smooth the top with a spatula or pallet knife.
13. Cover the top of the marshmallow with about 1/3 cup of the toasted coconut. Then, put the rest of the toasted coconut into a gallon-size zip-top bag and set aside.
14. The marshmallows need to set for at least 4 hours before cutting into your desired cube size.
15. Once cut, drop the marshmallows into the bag of toasted coconut and shake gently to completely coat all sides of the marshmallows.
16. Serve and enjoy!
17. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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More Nourishing, Grain-Free Desserts You’ll Love…

• Salted Caramel, Chocolate, & Pecan Shake {with 4 nourishing add-ins!}
• Sweet Without Sugar: A Collection Of Nourishing, Allergy-Friendly, Low-Carb Desserts
• Probiotic Pomegranate & Clementine No-Bake Cheesecake
• Grain-Free Maple Carrot Cake (with cultured maple cream cheese frosting)
• Sugar-Free Death By Chocolate Cookies (grain-free, keto-friendly)
• Keto Matcha Moringa Baked Donuts
• Keto Swedish Cream (6 ingredients, egg-free)
• Paleo Cauliflower Chocolate Pudding
• Paleo Sesame Ginger Candy
• Anti-Inflammatory Spice Cookies
• 5-Ingredient Sprouted Seed Truffles

Have you ever made homemade marshmallows? What flavors would you try?

Originally published on February 19, 2018. Updated with new pin images and added text April 12, 2019.