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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can i use butter instead of vegetable shortening?
Although it works out in the end, the process of making it is the messiest and most unneccary messie baking I’ve ever done. No amount of vegatble shortning will keep it from sticking. (I used half a stick on my hands alone. Would not reccomend.
Would love to know if there is a chocolate version of this recipe? I used to make mine via a recipe similar to this, but can’t seem to get the cocoa powder ratio right anymore. The chocolate marshmallow fondant I made was so reminiscent of tootsie rolls that I’d have to make a double batch in order to have enough to cover my cake because I’d eat half while decorating!
Quick question:
The recipe calls for 16oz of mini marshmallows, but then after it says 8 1/2 cups…unsure if I need 68oz of marshmallows or only 16oz?
You only need 16 ounces of mini marshmallows. The recipe mentions that a 16-ounce package equals about 8 ½ cups, so you’re all set with just the one package. Happy baking!
Do I need to rest this fondant after making it before molding/using? Thanks
Yes, it’s a good idea to let the fondant rest after making it. Once you’ve kneaded it into a smooth, elastic ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour. This helps the texture settle and makes it easier to roll out and mold. Enjoy working with your fondant! 😊
Hi I’m excited to try this recipe out! My sons are having a TMNT themed birthday party and I’m making cake pops! I’m planning on coating the actual cake in white chocolate and using the fondant as their masks. Being the cake pops are circular and going to be coated do I need anything between the fondant and the chocolate to help it stick? I’ve never done anything like this before! Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi,
I tried this recipe and need a bit of help because the powdered sugar clumped into small white bumps throughout the fondant, how can I fix this?
Hi! To avoid clumps in your marshmallow fondant, make sure to sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the melted marshmallows. If you already have clumps, try kneading the fondant more to help smooth it out.
I absolutely love this fondant. It’s the only one I’ll use. It’s very easy to work with.
I had to add 1 cup corn starch to get this to a dtate where I could work with it but after that it was awesome
Easy to do and tastes great! My first project was a battenberg cake. I used vegetable oil spray instead of shortening with no issues.
Question: do you completely enrobe a cake in fondant? Also can unused fondant be frozen in an air tight pkg? Really nice recipe!