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You are here: Home / Recipes / Easy Marshmallow Frosting

Easy Marshmallow Frosting

06/24/16 | Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes

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Light and fluffy marshmallow frosting. Delicious to eat and easy to make!

Cupcakes frosted with marshmallow frosting and toasted.

Growing up, my mother used to wax poetic about the amazing marshmallow frosting she liked to make as a girl. And now ages and ages later, I’m finally giving it a try.

Okay, this isn’t my mom’s recipe–part of the mystique of her frosting is that the recipe was lost to time–but according to her, this one turned out very similar, so win!

This frosting is so much fun. Watching egg whites and sugar go from clear, eggy liquid to light and billowy clouds of marshmallow deliciousness is like watching a magic trick.

I’ll be using this frosting next in a recipe next week and since cooked frosting always intimidated me when I first started baking, I thought I’d give this one its own post before then and walk through it step-by-step.

You will Need:
Heat-proof glass bowl* or stand mixer bowl
Stand mixer* or handheld electric mixer*
Whisk
Medium to large saucepan for boiling water

First, you’re going to whisk eggs, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large heat-proof bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Heat an inch of water (fill the pot up to your first knuckle) in a large pot until simmering and place bowl of egg whites over the water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the boiling water.

Sugar being poured into egg whites for marshmallow frosting.

Stir eggs over simmering water until they reach 120°F. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, one, you should get one*, it will change your life. Two, at 120°F, your mixture will feel hot to the touch, just past the point of comfortable.

Eggs and sugar being heated over double boiler for marshmallow frosting.

Remove bowl from heat and use your stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high for another 3 to 6 minutes. They should become bright white and fluffy. They won’t be able to form stiff peaks because they are so sticky, but when you lift the beaters out of the mixture, the peaks should stand pretty tall before flopping over.

Collage photo of egg whites being beaten for marshmallow frosting.

Transfer to a piping bag or use a large plastic bag with the tip cut off to pipe onto some delicious cupcakes, like maybe my Gooey Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes…

Cupcake being frosted with marshmallow frosting.

Then very carefully brown under your broiler for a couple of minutes or toast with a kitchen torch. And done!

Collage photo of marshmallow frosting before and after toasting.

More Favorite Frosting Recipes

  • Small-batch Vanilla Frosting
  • Small-batch Chocolate Frosting
  • Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting
  • Small-batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes frosted with marshmallow frosting and toasted.

Easy Marshmallow Frosting

Light and fluffy marshmallow frosting. Delicious to eat and easy to make!
4.85 from 13 votes
Print Pin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 5 cups
Calories: 71kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 4 large egg whites room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

  • Fill a medium to large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
  • In a large heat-proof bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
  • Place bowl over the simmering water on the stove, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Heat, whisking constantly until eggs reach 120°F.
  • Remove bowl from heat and use your hand mixer or electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy with peaks that mostly hold their shape.
  • If desired, add vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds until well-mixed.
  • Transfer immediately to a piping bag or use a large plastic bag with the tip cut off to pipe onto cupcakes.
  • Very carefully brown under your broiler or toast with a kitchen torch. This step is optional, but the frosting is quite sticky until toasted.

Notes

This makes about 5 cups of frosting, enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

Nutritional Information
Adapted From ChowHound

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

Comments | 63 comments

« Classic Crepes for Two With Red White and Blue Fixings
Gooey Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes »

Comments

  1. Crystal Brown says

    October 29, 2022 at 9:41 am

    Do you think I could use a kitchen torch to brown the frosting instead of putting them in the oven?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      October 29, 2022 at 9:45 am

      Absolutely. A kitchen torch will work great.

      Reply
  2. Joanne Stewart says

    January 4, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    4 stars
    I guess I really don’t understand the frostings name “Easy Marshmallow Frosting” and I guess that’s because there no marshmallows in it. This is the old, original “7 minute Frosting” that my Mother used to make, so long ago. I’m 75 and I made this quite a bit when the kids were little and we all loved it. So… I guess no matter what a rose is called, lol… it’s still beautiful and so gooood… Thanks for sharing! <3

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 13, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Honestly, I don’t know either. LOL. It’s always been “marshmallow frosting” in my house and among the people I know who make it. Maybe it’s a regional thing? But I agree, either way, it’s delicious. 🙂

      Reply
    • Guy says

      November 24, 2022 at 2:05 pm

      It IS marshmallow without gelatin…. thats why you dont add store bought marshmallow.

      Reply
  3. SR says

    June 17, 2019 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    Makes a great non-dairy frosting! Love the toasted look.

    If I’m not mistaken, this is:
    a. 7-Minute Boiled Frosting (which was the original frosting for Red Velvet Cake),
    b. Swiss meringue, and
    c. how marshmallows used to be made.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 22, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      Thank you! And I didn’t know that about marshmallows. How interesting!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    March 23, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    Hi! I made the s’mores cupcakes a couple years ago for a birthday and they were AMAZING!! I’m making them again tomorrow, but I moved and have a different oven. It’s a gas oven with a super janky broiler drawer at the bottom, I’m not sure the cupcakes will fit in it to broil the frosting. I also do not have a kitchen torch. Any suggestions for alternative toasting methods?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 23, 2019 at 8:56 pm

      I don’t have any other good recommendations, sorry!! The only thing I can think of is if you wanted to buy a torch, you can usually find butane torches at the hardware store for about $25-ish. They’re typically better quality and cheaper than a lot of kitchen torches.

      If you come up with a clever solution, please let me know. And good luck!

      Reply
  5. Beata says

    January 28, 2019 at 9:01 am

    Would this hold up layered inside of a cake? I’m making a s’mores cake and I know it will work on the outside but I’m nervous the weight of the cake layers will crush this

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 28, 2019 at 8:07 pm

      Hi, Beata, I’m not sure. Sorry! I’ve seen similar frostings used inside layer cakes, so it will probably work fine, but I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say exactly how well it actually holds up. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  6. NANCY says

    September 27, 2018 at 8:08 am

    5 stars
    Hello,
    2 questions…what us the difference between this frosting and your homemade marshmallow fluff? I am wanting for smores cupcakes but need to make the frosting ahead of time by days…will this frosting hold up in sealed container? Should it be in fridge? Or should I just go with fluffy? Is there a big taste difference?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      September 27, 2018 at 9:29 am

      Hi, Nancy, they are really different. The fluff (if this is the one you’re talking about https://bakingmischief.com/2017/08/14/homemade-hostess-cupcakes/) uses melted marshmallows and would be too sticky to use as a frosting.

      This is basically a meringue and unfortunately cannot be made ahead of time (it deflates and starts to weep in an airtight container). If you have to make the frosting ahead of time, you could try a marshmallow buttercream made with marshmallow fluff like this one: https://www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/marshmallow-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/ You won’t be able to toast the frosting, and I haven’t tried that recipe, but she does say in the comments that it should be fine to make in advance.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  7. Amanda Marietta says

    July 13, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    4 stars
    I made this frosting. It tastes great but only a few piped out good. Like it got soft. I beat 6 minutes and was still not as stiff as I thought it should be. I live in Ohio so it’s hot and humid. Could this affect it?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      July 16, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Hi, Amanda, glad the frosting tasted good, but sorry it was being difficult! Unfortunately really humid days can make it hard to get a stiff frosting. If you wanted to give it another go, I’d wait for a less humid day. One other thought, if it was only the first few cupcakes that piped out well, the heat of your hands might might also be affecting the frosting. You can try piping it in smaller batches and just refilling your piping bag after every few cupcakes, the way you would work with buttercream on a hot day. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. LaToscia says

    March 11, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    Thanks for the marshmallow frosting recipe. Wondering if it freezes well after it’s been piped onto cupcakes and toasted?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 12, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      Hi, I don’t recommend freezing this frosting. It will weep as it defrosts and the texture suffers.

      Reply
  9. Sheila says

    January 23, 2018 at 11:54 am

    Hi Tracey, I want to make a s’mores cake, I want to make a chocolate cake, what would you recommend to use for the middle of the cake( I am using your marshmallow frosting to frost the outside) I was thinking maybe a little fluff on the edge, and then like a chocolate pudding mixture on the inner ring( the fluff should hold the pudding in) graham cracker crumbs on top with a chocolate drip

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 24, 2018 at 7:34 am

      Hi, Sheila, that sounds amazing! And I love the idea of doing a pudding center.

      Reply
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Welcome!


Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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