You’ll love these homemade marshmallows with cranberries, pistachios and honey. A perfectly pretty and tasty treat for the holiday season.

As you can see, it’s all about sweet treats this week! In case you didn’t get your fill at my hot cocoa station on Monday or thumbprint cookies yesterday, I have my friend Karen stopping by today to share a recipe for a wintertime favourite, homemade marshmallows.

These aren’t any old marshmallows, as they’re made with wholesome ingredients. Skip the corn syrup, modified corn starch (what’s corn doing in marshmallows anyway?), and all the other stuff I can barely pronounce. Then, you’re left with something that’s pretty darn healthy (in moderation, of course!). Add some dried cranberries and pistachios and, voila, you have a very festive homemade treat.

Homemade Marshmallows with Cranberries and Pistachios

So pretty, aren’t they? I love the combination of crunchy, tangy and sweet.

Perhaps I’ll whip up a batch of homemade Christmas marshmallows, wrap them in pretty boxes and pass them out to friends and neighbours this holiday season. They’d make lovely edible gifts. Or, maybe, I’ll be a little greedy and keep them for myself ;)

Cranberry Pistachio Marshmallows

Ingredients

4 packages unflavoured gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
2 cups honey
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups coarsely chopped pistachios (reserve ½ cup for pan bottom and topping)
1½ cups dried cranberries (reserve ½ cup for pan bottom and topping)

Instructions

Pour ½ cup cold water into the bowl of a mixer and sprinkle gelatin over top to soften. It is helpful to use a stand mixer as these need to be whipped about 12-15 minutes.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining ½ cup water, honey and salt. Place over medium high heat, clipping a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240°F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Using a whisk attachment, turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the honey syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla, 1 cup pistachios and 1 cup cranberries during the last minute of whipping.
While the mixture is whipping, prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly oiling a piece of parchment paper and placing it the pan making sure that it covers the sides as well. Sprinkle a light layer of pistachios and cranberries on the bottom of the pan, keeping some for the top too.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula to spread evenly into pan. Top with remaining cranberries and pistachios. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Festive Homemade Marshmallows with Cranberries and Pistachios - Made with Honey

Are These Marshmallows Nutritious?

I asked Karen, who’s a holistic nutritionist, to share a bit about these honey marshmallows:

“These handmade marshmallows are a sweet confection with a slightly chewy consistency. They are made with only 7 ingredients, none of which are highly processed and are actually superfoods.

Gelatin is a source of protein and amino acids which support growth of strong bones, hair, teeth and nails. Honey contains vitamins and minerals and is also anti-bacterial, but is still a sugar, so must be eaten in moderation. Cranberries and Pistachios are both high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well.”

They sound pretty good to me! You?

Do you have any holiday recipes you make in lieu of the store-bought varieties? What do you do to tweak recipes to make them healthier?

Love marshmallows? Try this toasted marshmallow creamer you can put in your mocha, coffee or hot chocolate.

More Christmas Treats