Caramel Pecan Marshmallows are fun and delicious homemade candy. Fluffy homemade marshmallows are topped with pecans and finished with homemade caramel.
Caramel Pecan Marshmallows
Today I bring you part two of my holiday candy using homemade marshmallows. Last week I shared with you Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Candy and today I’m sharing my Caramel Pecan Marshmallows. This candy is so delicious and melts in your mouth. The caramel is velvety, the marshmallow is fluffy and the crunch of the pecans brings it all together.
How to Make Homemade Marshmallows
Homemade marshmallow sounds like a daunting task, but trust me it’s really worth it! I used Martha Stewart Homemade Marshmallow Recipe and it turns out perfect every time. I have some tips for successful marshmallow making in my previous post, but here are step by step instructions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add water and sprinkle in powdered gelatin. Let it sit to soften.
- In a saucepan, combine water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, STOP STIRRING and continue to cook until the mixture registers 238° on a candy thermometer.
- Take the bowl of gelatin and attach it to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn mixer on low and slowly pour in boiled sugar syrup. Once the syrup is completely added, slowly raise the speed to high on the mixer and beat on high until it becomes stiff. Then beat in the vanilla.
- Pour marshmallow mixture into greased glass baking dish and use a spatula to smooth it out.
How to Make Homemade Caramel
Homemade caramel can be a tricky situation, but again, it’s totally worth it. I have a few different recipes that I like to use for caramels. The particular one that I use for these candies is from Meaningful Eats. They are soft and buttery and the perfect taste and texture to pair with the marshmallow. Here are some tips to make sure it’s as easy as possible
- Use a much larger pot than you think you need, it will bubble up.
- Don’t walk away when making the caramel, it will burn in a second.
- Make sure you take it off the heat at exactly 238 degrees, a few more degrees can make it too chewy.
- Living in high altitude? Reduce the temperature you cook it to by 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet about sea level.
- Lastly, be very careful, it is VERY hot!
Caramel Pecan Marshmallows
Ingredients
Homemade Marshmallow
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 12 Tablespoons water, divided
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 10 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Homemade Caramel
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
Instructions
Homemade Marshmallow
- Brush a 9"x13" glass baking dish with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add 6 tablespoons of water and sprinkle in both envelopes of gelatin. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, add the remaining 6 tablespoons of water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and continue to cook until the mixture registers 238° on a candy thermometer (approximately 8-10 min). Remove from heat.
- Take the bowl of water and gelatin and attach it to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn mixer on low and while it is mixing, slowly pour in boiled sugar syrup. Once the syrup is completely added, slowly raise the speed to high on the mixer. Beat the mixture on high until it becomes stiff (approximately 10-12 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
- Pour marshmallow mixture into greased glass baking dish and use a spatula to smooth it out. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with the chopped pecans and let it cool while you make the caramel.
Homemade Caramel
- Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a large pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until ingredients are melted together.
- Once the mixture has melted, increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture boils, slowly add the evaporated milk a little bit at a time, stirring after each addition and letting it come back to a boil after each addition. It should take about 10-15 minutes to add the entire can.
- Using a candy thermometer, continue to boil the caramel until it registers 238° on the thermometer. Remove the pot immediately from the heat and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Pour caramel over pecans and marshmallow and let sit until cooled completely (approximately 3 hours).
- Once the caramels and marshmallow are completely cooled and set up, turn out onto a cutting board.
- Trim the edges to make a clean cut on all sides and then cut into approximately 1 ½" pieces.
Notes
I hope you enjoyed these fun marshmallow candy recipes! I have one more holiday treat coming at you later this week. Happy Holidays!
