With just four ingredients, this EASY Marshmallow Fondant recipe is inexpensive, easy to make, and can be used for any creative cake decorating project! Plus, it tastes great!
Want a cake recipe to decorate with fondant? Keep it simple with a homemade Yellow or Chocolate cake or make it fancy and fill your cake with Chocolate Mousse!
What I love about this recipe:
- Inexpensive: Store-bought fondant can be pretty expensive but this fondant recipe only costs about $2 for per batch (about 3lbs of fondant)!
- Fast: Only takes about 10 minutes to make homemade fondant!
- Texture: This fondant is perfectly smooth, pliable, and can be made any color you'd like! It is perfect for cake decorating!
How to make Marshmallow Fondant:
Microwave: Place marshmallows and water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave.
Mix in Powdered Sugar: Grease your hands with shortening and use your hands to mix in powdered sugar with the melted marshmallow mixture.
Knead: Grease your hands and your counter-top generously with shortening. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter and start kneading it like you would dough. Add more powdered sugar as needed and re-grease your hands and the counter-top as needed until the dough is smooth and soft.
4. Add color (if desired) and Roll Out: Roll it out thinly (about ⅛ inch thick) for covering cakes or creating decorations.
How much Fondant do I need to cover my cake?
This recipe makes about 3 pounds (48 oz) of fondant. Here is a conversion chart to help you determine how much fondant you need to cover your cake.
Coloring and Storing Instructions:
To Color: Add a little icing color to your desired amount of fondant. Knead the fondant with your hands until it absorbs all of the color (I recommend wearing plastic gloves). Add more color as needed to reach the desired hue.
To Store: Coat homemade marshmallow fondant with a thin layer of shortening then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a resealable bag with all the air squeezed out. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Recipe Variations:
- Stovetop instead of microwave: Add water and marshmallows to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until melted. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.
- Substitute large marshmallow: To substitute large marshmallows, use a 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows. Follow directions exactly, using a little more water and/or powdered sugar in step 6 to find the right consistency for a smooth dough.
- To use a stand mixer: If you don't want to knead the dough with your hands, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook. First grease the bowl and the hook with shortening. Then dust the bowl gently with powdered sugar. Add marshmallows and slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar (about ½ cup at a time), mixing between each addition.
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Recipe
Marshmallow Fondant
Ingredients
- 16 ounce package mini marshmallows (8 ½ cups)
- 2-5 Tablespoons water
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth.
- Place about 5 cups of the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture and gently fold it into the marshmallows.
- Grease your hands and your counter generously with shortening. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter and start kneading it like you would dough.
- Add more confectioners' sugar as needed and re-grease your hands and the counter as needed.
- If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time) kneading it until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing.
Notes
- Stovetop instead of microwave: Add water and marshmallows to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well until melted. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.
- Substitute large marshmallow: To substitute large marshmallows, use a 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows. Follow directions exactly, using a little more water and/or powdered sugar in step 6 to find the right consistency for a smooth dough.
- To use a stand mixer: If you don't want to knead the dough with your hands, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Be sure to FIRST grease the bowl and the hook with shortening. Then dust the bowl gently with powdered sugar. Add marshmallows and slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar (about ½ cup at a time), mixing between each addition.
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe December 2013. Updated April 2020 and July 2022.
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I was wondering have you ever flavored the fondant. I love marshmallows but I know I would love to add flavor to also make it more delicious
I haven’t but i’m sure it would work and I’d love to hear how it goes! You may have to adjust the ratios of powdered sugar and water to reach the right consistency.
I just flavored my fondant with blueberry flavoring and it is brilliant. I basically replaced some of the water with flavoring and it was perfectly fine.
Could I use this fondant to mold into 3D figures or would it be best to cut out flat figures from rolled sheets?
I haven’t used it for molding but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Good luck!
I have never made or used fondant before, should I refrigerate it before I roll it?
You can but don’t need to!
I’m out of shortening and I need fondant tonight. Could I substitute with butter, or coconut oil?
I’d try coconut oil (I havent tested it myself but think it will work).
How long does the fondant need to be refrigerated before applying to the cake?
It can be applied to the cake immediately.
Hi ,
Can you add corn syrup to the fondant recipe to majj oh s it more pliable? 😊
That should work. It’s a pretty adaptable base recipe.
This was my first attempt at making as well as using fondant. It went alright except that my fondant was very sticky. I added more powdered sugar but that just made it sticky AND dry so that it tore easily. Any suggestions? Also, we applied it to a refrigerator-cool cake, which caused the fondant to condense so much moisture that it began to melt! Any suggestions there?? Thank you!
Add more vegetable shortening to your hands and surface if it’s sticky!
Great recipe! Refrigerated it over night, rolled it out the next morning after allowing it to rest, and it was wonderful!
Hi! Was wondering if I could use regular size marshmallows instead of minis? I have a lot of regular size on hand.
Sure. Here is a marshmallow conversion chart to help: https://cookiesandcups.com/marshmallow-conversions/
Can I color and roll the fondant into sheets and keep it refrigerated in an airtight manner for 1-2 weeks? I have an event coming up and want the sheets pre-rolled for children to make cut-outs and decorate cupcakes.
I think that should be fine.