A well-made chocolate marshmallow is a completely different creature from the long-shelf-life blocks sold in supermarkets. This version is exceptionally soft, almost cloud-light, with a clean melt and a genuine chocolate depth you simply don’t get from commercial stabilised products. The flavour is round, balanced, and moderately sweet, allowing the real chocolate to carry the profile rather than sugar. The texture is tender rather than rubbery, and the finish is smooth instead of sticky or artificial. Once you taste this, it will reset your expectations and genuinely change how you think a marshmallow should be.
Video Tutorial – Chocolate Marshmallow
For those who prefer visual learning, the step-by-step walkthrough below will guide you through the entire chocolate marshmallow process with absolute clarity. Watching the method unfold helps you understand the texture cues, mixing stages, and timing far better than written instructions alone. If you’re exploring a marshmallow recipe for the first time—or refining your technique—this visual guide gives you the confidence to achieve that ultra-soft, real-chocolate finish every time.
Chocolate Marshmallow
Ingredients
Chocolate Marshmallow (~850 g)
- 180 g dark chocolate 72% cacao, chopped
- 22 g powdered gelatin
- 110 ml cold water for hydrating gelatine
- 125 g honey for the gelatine mixture
- 50 g water for the syrup
- 100 g honey for the syrup
- 280 g sugar
- Canola oil spray for greasing the frame
Instructions
Chocolate Marshmallow
- Line a baking tray with parchment and place a lightly oiled cake frame 20×20 cm, springform, or tin on top.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a water bath and cool it to 45°C (113°F).
- Bloom the gelatine in cold water. Combine the gelatine mass and honey in the stand mixer bowl.
- Cook the sugar, honey, and water together in a saucepan until the syrup comes to a boil.
- Start whisking the gelatine mixture on medium-high speed and slowly stream in the hot syrup. Whip until thick, glossy, and reaching ribbon stage.
- Add the chocolate, cooled to approximately 45°C (113°F), and mix until smooth.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared frame, line with another lightly oiled baking paper, leave to set completely, preferably overnight.
- Once set, cut into cubes and dust with a cocoa powder.
Video
Marshmallow Recipe: Choosing the Honey
For this marshmallow recipe, I find that a simple floral honey with very subtle flavour works best, as it doesn’t compete with or overpower the chocolate. Once you’ve tried it with a mild honey, feel free to experiment with different varieties to tailor the sweetness and aroma to your taste. If you prefer, honey can also be substituted with invert sugar, which will provide similar texture and sweetness without altering the chocolate’s flavour.
Preparing the Frame for this easy chocolate marshmallow recipe
When preparing the frame, line a baking tray with parchment and set a lightly oiled 20×20 cm cake frame, springform, or tin on top. Using a cake frame is often easier because you can adjust its size after pouring the marshmallow. The choice depends on how you plan to use the chocolate marshmallow. For a thick, pillowy slab to enjoy as a standalone sweet treat, use a smaller frame or tin to build height. If making it as a component for an entremet insert or a decoration element for a mousse cake (entremet), use a larger frame to create a thinner sheet that’s easier to cut and layer. Lightly spraying the parchment will make unmoulding clean and effortless.
Leveling and Finishing
Before setting the chocolate marshmallow, lightly spray a second sheet of baking paper with oil and place it over the top of the mixture. Gently press evenly to create a smooth, flat surface, ensuring a perfectly even slab every time.
Storing Your Chocolate Marshmallow
To keep your chocolate marshmallow soft and fresh, store it covered on both sides to prevent drying out before dusting with cocoa powder. It can safely remain at room temperature (18 °C / 64 °F) for up to a month, but for the best texture and flavour, consume it within 10 days. Unlike supermarket marshmallows, this recipe contains no stabilisers or shelf-life extenders, so it will gradually begin to dry out over time.
A cross-section of the chocolate marshmallow revealing its airy, pillow-like texture, soft and cloud-light, with a delicate, even crumb and smooth chocolate sheen.
Cocoa Powder for Chocolate Marshmallow Recipe
Choosing the right cocoa powder is essential, as it directly impacts the flavour of your chocolate marshmallow. After testing several types, my preferred option is a red cocoa powder with subtle caramel and nutty notes that complement the chocolate perfectly. The easiest way to coat the marshmallow evenly is to place the cocoa powder in a container, add pieces of marshmallow, close the lid, and shake thoroughly. This method is not only efficient but also minimises waste, requiring only a small amount of cocoa powder for a uniform, beautiful finish.
Pieces of chocolate marshmallow evenly coated in cocoa powder, ready to be stored in an airtight container to maintain their soft, pillowy texture.
Fun Fact About Marshmallows
The name “marshmallow” comes from the mallow plant (Althaea officinalis), which grows in marshy areas. Ancient Egyptians used the root sap of this plant, boiling it with honey to make a sweet, medicinal chew to soothe throats. In 19th-century France, confectioners whipped this sap with egg whites and sugar to create a fluffy candy called Pâte de Guimauve. Modern marshmallows no longer contain plant sap – the sap was eventually replaced with gelatine, making today’s marshmallow mostly sugar, water, air, and a stabiliser.
Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Recipe – A Light, Chewy Contrast That Holds Perfectly in Mousse Cakes
Using marshmallow as an insert in a mousse cake works exceptionally well, because it survives both freezing and thawing without collapsing or turning rubbery. Once set inside the cake, it keeps its light, airy chew that contrasts beautifully with the smoothness of the mousse, adding a subtle bounce rather than resistance. When sliced, the marshmallow holds its shape, defrosts evenly, and brings a playful, cloud-soft texture that complements the other components – exactly the effect you see in this recipe’s layered structure.
Choco-Mallow Xmas Tree
A simple way to show how mousse cake components can be used beyond cakes:
Craving more behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step videos, and sneak peeks of upcoming recipes? Join me on Instagram @andbonbons for a closer look at the process, pastry tips, and plenty of chocolate inspiration.