These Homemade Triple Chocolate Marshmallows with Cacao Nibs are about to blow your mind and take your hot cocoa to a brand new level! They’re the lightest, pillow-like, fluffiest marshmallows you’ve ever tried. These choco mallows are loaded with tons of chocolate flavor to spare, from melted chocolate in the marshmallows themselves to a cacao nib garnish and cocoa powder dusting.
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About This Recipe
When the weather gets chilly, it seems to me that every day is a hot chocolate day. And honestly, what’s hot chocolate without a big, melty marshmallow topper? Sub-par, that’s what. Adding these fluffy choco mallow masterpieces to your hot cocoa gives a true quadruple threat of deep, dark, chocolate goodness.
These homemade chocolate marshmallows are for those days when you need a serious chocolate fix; they’re made with melted dark chocolate, garnished with crunchy cacao nibs, and rolled in cocoa powder for an added boost of chocolatey flavor.
While you might feel a little intimidated at the idea of making homemade marshmallows, I assure you that they aren’t as difficult as you might expect. And the payoff is HUGE! These are unlike any jet-puffed store-bought marshmallows you’ve ever tried. Once you taste the difference, I have a feeling you’ll want to make these Homemade Triple Chocolate Marshmallows with Cacao Nibs at least once a year.
Ingredients
If you can believe it, you only need 6 ingredients to make your own chocolate marshmallows. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Granulated Sugar - Typical marshmallows are made with just sugar, corn syrup and gelatin. So simple!
- Light Corn Syrup - Corn syrup makes regular appearances in candy making because it keeps regular sugar from crystalizing.
- Gelatin - Gelatin is a natural thickener that gives these homemade marshmallows their signature springy texture. Please note that gelatin is usually derived from animal products, so if you are vegetarian, you may wish to adjust the recipe and substitute with agar agar.
- Dark Chocolate - The percentage of chocolate that you choose will dictate how chocolatey these mallows end up. I recommend reaching for a high quality chocolate of 70% or more cacao.
- Cacao Nibs - Sometimes called “nature’s chocolate chips,” these incredibly flavorful beans are actually the purest form of chocolate! They can be quite bitter, but combined with something like our marshmallows, I find it's a wonderful balance. They also offer a lot of fun texture, which is novel for squishy marshmallows.
- Cocoa Powder - Generally speaking, homemade marshmallows are dusted with powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking together. I made an easy swap with cocoa powder to triple down on the chocolate flavor.
Equipment
When it comes to making confections like homemade marshmallows, there are a few pieces of equipment that will make your life much easier!
- Candy Thermometer - Baking and candy-making require precision, especially as it pertains to temperatures. Do yourself a favor and invest in a good thermometer - it is worth the expense to keep yourself sane!
- Electric Mixer - Trust me on this one, it’s going to be quite a challenge to try making these without a little help from your trusty appliances. I prefer using a stand mixer so I can multitask, but a hand mixer with a whisk attachment will absolutely get the job done.
- Mixing Bowls - Go for metal or glass, as plastic is too porous and can hold onto grease and flavors from previous cooking adventures.
- Parchment Paper - It’s compostable and it will make your life so much easier. If you prefer to avoid single use items, a reusable silicone mat like a Silpat will also do.
- Sharp Knife - After cutting into my fair share of marshmallows, I would highly recommend using a very sharp, hot knife! Using a sharp knife that has been dipped into hot water to cut into your squares will prevent your choco mallows from getting smushed. I also like to clean my knife with a wet paper towel after each cut to prevent any abnormal edges.
How to Make Homemade Triple Chocolate Marshmallows
PREP: Prepare an 8x8 pan with a layer of parchment paper and spray well with baking spray. Feel free to coat with butter if you prefer!
Sugar Mixture: Add the sugar, first addition of corn syrup, and water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s extremely important to pay attention to the temperature of this mixture – this will determine the texture of your marshmallows.
Bloom Gelatin: Meanwhile, add the cold water and gelatin together, mixing briefly with a fork to combine. Let it set for a few minutes.
Add Air: Add the second addition of corn syrup and bloomed gelatin into the bowl of your standing mixer. Pour the hot 230 degrees Fahrenheit mixture into the bowl as well and using the whisk attachment, whisk until the mixture for at least 6-10 minutes. You will see that the mixture will become white, glossy, and at least doubled in size. The bowl will feel cool to the touch instead of hot/warm once it is ready to stop mixing.
Add Chocolate: Pour in the melted chocolate while slowly whisking until the mixture turns a light, chocolate brown. Then, remove the bowl from your mixer and fold in the chocolate delicately with a spatula until there are no remaining streaks of white.
Pour & Garnish: Pour the marshmallow mixture immediately into your prepared pan and allow the marshmallows to start setting for about 10 minutes before adding cocoa nibs on top.
Shape: Let marshmallows sit at least 8 hours or overnight before cutting into desired shapes.
TIP: As marshmallows are quite sticky, I like working with a sharp knife and a tall glass of hot water. This will allow the marshmallows to have extra sharp and clean edges. After each cut, dip your knife in hot water, wipe away any residue and continue cutting.
Dust & Store: Coat the sticky sides of each marshmallow with cocoa powder to prevent them from sticking to each other, then store in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
These triple chocolate marshmallows are rich enough to eat on their own, but they add a whole lot of pizzaz to other tasty favorites. Try using them for:
- Adding to your favorite hot chocolate. They’ll pair beautifully with everything from thick French chocolat chaud to fruity raspberry hot chocolate!
- Turning them into gourmet s’mores. Be sure to use high quality chocolate bars, and consider making your own graham crackers for a seriously adult spin on a childhood favorite.
- Chop them up to put in my S’mores Babka.
- Edible gifting. Consider packing a few of these choco mallows into a cellophane bag, twist it shut with a colorful ribbon, and give it to your favorite foodies as a delicious present.
Tips & Tricks
- Temperature matters. Make sure to use a thermometer and babysit the syrup to ensure that you are hitting the right temperatures.
- Be extra gentle when you are mixing together the melted chocolate and marshmallow fluff. We don't want to deflate the air that has been incorporated into our meringue!
- Make sure to grease your pan! This ensures that your marshmallows will not get stuck, preventing you from getting that perfectly square marshmallow.
- Patience! Marshmallows take a while to firm up - I suggest waiting eight hours at least before removing them from their pan and cutting. Otherwise, there's a chance that they won't hold their shape once they have been cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! I love the extra chocolatey flavor and look of cocoa powder, but feel free to take the traditional track and coat yours in powdered sugar instead.
OOOPS! Sounds like you didn’t quite make it to 230F when making your sugar syrup. Ensuring you get the proper temperature is EVERYTHING in making confections like these chocolate marshmallows, so be sure you get a proper thermometer.
Again, temperature is everything. It sounds like you probably cooked the sugar syrup past 230F, which is just under the “soft ball” stage of candy making. If you cook it for too long, the sugar crystals will tighten up, and your end result will be too chewy.
These homemade chocolate marshmallows are the most delicious puffs of sugary goodness and store bought mallows pale in comparison! Short answer? Yes. They are definitely worth the effort.
If kept in an airtight container, they should last for about 3 weeks at room temperature.
Sure! You’ll still need to follow the blooming step with cold water, but with the sheets you don’t have to measure the water as closely. Plop them in a glass of ice water for a few minutes, then fish them out and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Proceed with the recipe as written.
More Tasty Winter Ready Recipes
- Raspberry Chocolate Valentines Bundt Cake
- Brioche Doughnuts with Vanilla Rose Pastry Cream
- Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try these Homemade Triple Chocolate Marshmallows with Cacao Nibs, please leave a review or share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Chocolate Cacao Nib Marshmallows
Equipment
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate
- 1 cup (240 g) Whole milk, or substitute a plant based milk of your choice
- 2 tablespoon Cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon Brown Sugar, or Demerara sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
Marshmallows
- 1 Cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoon (62 g) Light Corn Syrup, First Addition
- ¼ Cup + 1 tsp (65 g) Water
- 1.5 tablespoon Gelatin
- ¼ Cup + 1 tsp (60 g) Cold Water, For Gelatin
- ¼ Cup (88 g) Light Corn Syrup, Second Addition
- ⅔ Cup (108 g) Dark Chocolate, Melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ Cup (34 g) Cocoa Nibs for Garnish
- ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder to coat the sides
Instructions
Hot Chocolate
- Add the milk to a small saucepan along with the remaining ingredients.1 cup Whole milk, 2 tablespoon Cocoa powder, 1 ½ tablespoon Brown Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- Over medium to low heat, warm your hot chocolate while whisking quite vigorously at first to make sure all the dry ingredients are fully homogenous
- Pour into a mug, top with a fresh marshmallow and enjoy!
Marshmallows
- Prepare an 8x8 pan with a layer of parchment paper and spray well with baking spray. Another option is to coat with butter if you prefer!
- Add the sugar, first corn syrup and water into a pot and cook to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s extremely important to pay attention to the temperature of this mixture – this will determine the texture of your marshmallows.1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 3 tablespoon Light Corn Syrup, ¼ Cup + 1 teaspoon Water
- Meanwhile, add the cold water and gelatin together mixing briefly with a fork to combine. Let it set for a few minutes.¼ Cup + 1 teaspoon Cold Water, 1.5 tablespoon Gelatin
- Add the second addition of corn syrup and bloomed gelatin into the bowl of your standing mixer. Pour the hot 230 degrees Fahrenheit mixture into the bowl as well and using the whisk attachment, whisk until the mixture for at least 6-10 minutes. You will see that the mixture will become white, glossy, and at least doubled in size. The bowl will feel cool to the touch instead of hot/warm once it is ready to stop mixing.¼ Cup Light Corn Syrup
- Pour in the melted chocolate while slowly whisking until the mixture turns a light, chocolate brown. Then, remove the bowl from your mixer and fold in the chocolate delicately with a spatula until there are no remaining streaks of white.⅔ Cup Dark Chocolate
- Pour the marshmallow mixture immediately into your prepared pan and allow the marshmallows to start setting for about 10 minutes before adding cocoa nibs on top.¼ Cup Cocoa Nibs for Garnish
- Let marshmallows sit at least 8 hours or overnight before cutting into desired shapes.
- As marshmallows are quite sticky, I like working with a sharp knife and a tall glass of hot water. This will allow the marshmallows to have extra sharp and clean edges. After each cut, dip your knife in hot water, wipe away any residue and continue cutting.
- Coat the sticky sides of each marshmallow with cocoa powder to prevent them from sticking to each other, then store in an airtight container.¼ Cup Cocoa Powder to coat the sides
Notes
- Temperature matters. Make sure to use a thermometer and babysit the syrup to ensure that you are hitting the right temperatures.
- Be extra gentle when you are mixing together the melted chocolate and marshmallow fluff. We don't want to deflate the air that has been incorporated into our meringue!
- Make sure to grease your pan! This ensures that your marshmallows will not get stuck, preventing you from getting that perfectly square marshmallow.
- Patience! Marshmallows take a while to firm up - I suggest waiting eight hours at least before removing them from their pan and cutting. Otherwise, there's a chance that they won't hold their shape once they have been cut.
- Can I use something other than cocoa powder to coat the marshmallows? Sure! I love the extra chocolatey flavor and look of cocoa powder, but feel free to take the traditional track and coat yours in powdered sugar instead.
- Why are my marshmallows mushy? OOOPS! Sounds like you didn’t quite make it to 230F when making your sugar syrup. Ensuring you get the proper temperature is EVERYTHING in making confections like these chocolate marshmallows, so be sure you get a proper thermometer.
- Why are my marshmallows rubbery? Again, temperature is everything. It sounds like you probably cooked the sugar syrup past 230F, which is just under the “soft ball” stage of candy making. If you cook it for too long, the sugar crystals will tighten up, and your end result will be too chewy.
- Are homemade marshmallows worth the effort? These homemade chocolate marshmallows are the most delicious puffs of sugary goodness and store bought mallows pale in comparison! Short answer? Yes. They are definitely worth the effort.
- How long will these chocolate marshmallows last? If kept in an airtight container, they should last for about 3 weeks at room temperature.
- Can I use sheet gelatin instead of powdered? Sure! You’ll still need to follow the blooming step with cold water, but with the sheets you don’t have to measure the water as closely. Plop them in a glass of ice water for a few minutes, then fish them out and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Proceed with the recipe as written.
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