What Is Marshmallow cream and How Can I Use It?

Marshmallow cream is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 81 recipes to get you started.

What is marshmallow cream?

Marshmallow cream, also sold as marshmallow fluff or marshmallow creme, is a soft, spreadable marshmallow that never sets into firm candy. It is whipped sugar syrup and egg white (or a vegetarian whipping agent) beaten light and sticky, so it stays pourable and glossy at room temperature.

Think of it as marshmallow you can spread with a knife.

That softness is the whole appeal. Because it stays fluid, it melts smoothly into hot mixtures and folds into cold ones without seizing into chewy lumps, which makes it a quiet workhorse in fudge and no-bake frostings.

How to Use It

Fudge is its biggest job. Stirred into hot sugar, butter, and chocolate it guarantees a smooth, sliceable set without candy-thermometer guesswork, the backbone of Fantasy Fudge and Appalachia Mountain Fudge.

It also makes fast frostings and fillings. Beaten with butter it becomes the marshmallow buttercream that fills Favourite Whoopie Pies; spread between toasted bread with peanut butter it is the classic fluffernutter.

Folded with cream cheese or whipped cream it turns into a five-minute fruit dip, and it is the cloud layer in cakes like Moist Chocolate Cake With Marshmallow Cream & Chocolate Frosting.

For a true seven-minute frosting, beat the creme with a little hot sugar syrup and it turns glossy and marshmallowy with far less fuss than the cooked-from-scratch version.

Mixing and Pairing

Heat is the trick. Cold creme is stiff and drags; warm the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes and it folds in cleanly. Adding it to a too-hot fudge base off the heat keeps it from greasing out.

It pairs with the s'mores and candy-bar family: chocolate, peanut butter, graham, coconut, and toffee, which is why it shows up in Baked S'Mores and Billion Dollar Chocolate Bar.

Because it is pure sweetness, balance it against salt or bitter chocolate rather than more sugar.

Substitutes

Standard marshmallows melt down to a close stand-in. Heat about 10 ounces of mini marshmallows with 1 tablespoon of water or corn syrup until smooth, which roughly equals a 7 ounce jar of creme.

The texture sets a touch firmer, so it is best in fudge and rice-cereal bars rather than spreads.

For frosting, a homemade marshmallow meringue (whipped egg whites and hot sugar syrup) gives the same airy result. Plain marshmallows left whole are not a swap where you need a smooth, spreadable cream.

Buying and Storage

It comes in tubs and squeeze jars near the baking aisle or with ice-cream toppings, in classic vanilla and occasional seasonal or strawberry flavors. A standard jar is about 7 ounces, the size most fudge and frosting recipes are written around, so check the count before scaling.

Unopened, it keeps in the pantry for months past its date. Once opened, seal it tight and store at room temperature or in the fridge; cold makes it stiffer but it spreads again once warmed.

Wipe the rim before resealing so the lid does not glue itself shut. More than 75 recipes here lean on a jar, most of them fudge and frosting.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Marshmallow cream is a member of the Sweets US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

棉花糖霜

British (UK) term

Marshmallow cream

en français

crème de guimauve

en español

crema de malvavisco

How much does marshmallow cream weigh?

Related

Sweets

Recipes using marshmallow cream

There are 81 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cappuccino Truffles

No-bake cappuccino truffles rolled in cocoa-sugar or coconut, made with instant coffee, marshmallow cream, chocolate wafer crumbs, and pecans. Makes 60 bite-sized treats in 30 minutes.

Mom's Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

Chocolate marshmallow fudge made the old-school way with evaporated milk, butter, sugar, chocolate, and marshmallow cream. Cooked to soft-ball stage for that classic dense, smooth fudge texture.

Favourite Whoopie Pies

Classic chocolate whoopie pies with two soft cocoa cake rounds sandwiching a fluffy marshmallow buttercream filling. The Pennsylvania Dutch lunchbox favorite that freezes beautifully.

Super Tasty Fudge

Make your own savory fudge with this simple recipe that is tasty and 100% stress free!

Very Blueberry Cheesecake

Very blueberry cheesecake is a no-bake stunner: pureed fresh blueberries folded into a light, lemony cream cheese filling set with gelatin over a vanilla wafer crust. No oven, just chill until firm.

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

Creamy peanut butter fudge with marshmallow cream for guaranteed-smooth texture, no graininess, no failed batches. A full pound of peanut butter per pan delivers rich, melt-in-mouth squares.

Fantasy Fudge

Find out what your fantasy is with this delicious fudge recipe that's easy to understand and follow.

Appalachia Mountain Fudge

Appalachia Mountain fudge boils sugar, butter, and evaporated milk for exactly 13 minutes, then beats the syrup over chocolate chips, milk chocolate bars, and marshmallow cream until thick and glossy.

Billion Dollar Chocolate Bar

Billion dollar chocolate bars, a homemade candy bar in four layers: a chocolate-peanut butter base, fluffy peanut nougat, gooey caramel, and a chocolate top. Like a candy-shop Snickers, made at home.

Best Whoopie Pies

Classic chocolate whoopie pies with soft cocoa cake rounds sandwiching fluffy marshmallow cream filling. New England's lunchbox legend, made the old-fashioned way with shortening for that signature tender crumb.

A1 Prize Winning Fudge

Super smooth texture with intense chocolate flavor along with a dose of marshmallow fluff that keeps this fudge light and fluffy.

Moist Chocolate Cake With Marshmallow Cream & Chocolate Frosting

This super moist cake is super chocolaty and delicious. The marshmallow cream is filled in between of the cake layers, then a layer of chocolate frosting on top. A decadent chocolate cake that wows everyone.

Chocolate Mint Meringue Cheesecake

Mint chocolate cheesecake on a chocolate wafer crust crowned with a billowy marshmallow meringue toasted golden. Three layers of texture in every fork-full.

Raisin Nougat

Old-fashioned raisin nougat made with hard-crack sugar syrup, marshmallow cream, and cocoa butter. A vintage homemade candy with chewy raisins folded throughout.

Rice Cereal Roll

No-bake rice cereal rolls with crunchy peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and crispy rice cereal, rolled into balls and dipped in melted chocolate. A 4-ingredient treat.

French Cream Almondine

This decadent snack made with milk chocolate and marshmallow cream is perfect for surprising relatives at the next Christmas dinner!

Ramona's Fruit Dip

Fruit dip whipped from marshmallow cream and cream cheese, with strawberry cream cheese for a berry-pink, sweet-and-tangy swirl. A 5-minute dip for apples, strawberries, grapes, and graham crackers.

Low Fat Raspberry Cheesecake

Low-fat raspberry cheesecake with a buttery walnut crust, fluffy marshmallow filling, and jewel-toned berry glaze that cuts back on guilt without sacrificing creamy indulgence.

Marshmallow Cream Fudge

Marshmallow cream fudge made in the microwave with chocolate chips, evaporated milk, and butter cooked to soft ball stage. Creamy, smooth, and no candy thermometer needed.

Easy Yummy Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate chip sandwich cookies with a marshmallow cream and powdered sugar filling. Three ingredients, refrigerated cookie dough shortcut, and you're done in under an hour. A kid-friendly bake-sale winner.

Peanut Butter Squares

No-bake peanut butter fudge squares with marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, and sugar cooked to soft ball stage. Four ingredients, 64 pieces, pure candy-counter flavor.

Mississippi Mud

Mississippi mud cake with cocoa, marshmallow cream, and a rich chocolate-butter frosting loaded with pecans. A dense, fudgy Southern sheet cake classic.

Peppermint Candy Fudge

Peppermint candy fudge: crushed peppermint sticks boiled into a chocolate marshmallow fudge for cool, minty bite and a creamy set. A festive Christmas candy that cuts into clean squares.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Mississippi mud brownies with gooey marshmallow creme and swirled chocolate frosting over a fudgy brownie base. Semi-homemade using brownie mix for an easy crowd-pleasing dessert.

Molded Cranberry Relish

Molded cranberry relish with raspberry Jello, fresh cranberries, grapes, celery, and crushed pineapple. Served with a fluffy cream cheese and marshmallow whipped dressing. A retro Thanksgiving and Christmas centerpiece.

Cocoa-Nut Meringue Cheesecake

A cocoa cheesecake on a toasted coconut-pecan crust, crowned with a marshmallow meringue topping baked until golden. Three layers of texture and flavor in every slice.

Marshmellow Meringue Apple Pie

Apple pie with a marshmallow meringue topping. Egg whites whipped with marshmallow creme spread cloud-soft across cinnamon-spiced apples and brown into golden peaks. A retro 1950s twist on classic apple pie.

Creamy Chocolate-Pecan Fudge

Old-fashioned fudge made with semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, and loads of chopped pecans. Dense, fudgy, and melt-in-your-mouth smooth.

Oh So Good Chocolate Malt Shoppe Pie

Chocolate malt shoppe pie is a frozen dessert with a chocolate cookie crust, vanilla ice cream layer studded with crushed Whoppers, and a fluffy malted whipped cream topping. Tastes like a chocolate malt in pie form. No baking required.

Chocolate Walnut Creams

Homemade chocolate walnut cream candies with marshmallow cream, fondant, and heavy cream cooked to the soft ball stage. Old-fashioned candy shop fudge you can make at home.

Triple-Chocolate Fudge

Old-school stovetop fudge made with semisweet chips, German sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, marshmallow cream, and toasted nuts. Boil for exactly eight minutes and let the chocolate do the rest.

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Three epic layers in one bar: a fudgy cocoa brownie base, a blanket of marshmallow creme, and a crunchy peanut butter-chocolate chip-rice cereal topping. Think Scotcheroos meet brownies in the best possible way.

Fresh Fruit Delight

Fresh fruit dip made with equal parts cream cheese and marshmallow cream. A two-ingredient no-cook appetizer served with seasonal fruit on cocktail picks.

Peanut-Chocolate Fluff Fudge

Two-layer peanut butter and chocolate marshmallow fluff fudge. A classic stovetop candy with a soft peanut butter base topped with a rich cocoa layer, cut into squares when set.

Peanut-Chocolate Fluff Fudge

Two-layer peanut butter and chocolate marshmallow fluff fudge. A classic stovetop candy with a soft peanut butter base topped with a rich cocoa layer, cut into squares when set.

Peanut Butter Candy Squares

No-bake peanut butter candy squares with toasted rice cereal, marshmallow creme, and butter. Chewy, crunchy, and only four ingredients.

Chocolate Syrup Cake with Chocolate Coffee Frosting

Chocolate Syrup Cake with Chocolate Coffee Frosting recipe

Layered Fudge Squares

Layered fudge squares sandwich a homemade marshmallow fondant between two layers of milk chocolate fudge, then top with chopped nuts. Old-school candy-shop technique that yields about 48 squares of three-textured chocolate.

Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate marshmallow sandwich cookies with soft cake-like chocolate rounds and a fluffy marshmallow cream filling. Homemade whoopie pies for lunchboxes, bake sales, and after-school snacks.

Super Fudge

Stovetop fudge made with semisweet chocolate, butterscotch coating, and marshmallow cream for a two-toned candy that is rich, nutty, and smooth in every bite.

Easy Marshmallow Cream Chocolate Cake

Marshmallow cream chocolate cake whips egg whites with marshmallow fluff and folds in cocoa for a virtually fat-free chocolate cake with a soft, almost angel-food crumb.

Marshmallow Meringue Pie

Apple pie topped with marshmallow meringue instead of a top crust. Cinnamon-spiced apples baked in a flaky shell, finished with fluffy marshmallow cream and egg white topping browned to golden.

Favourite Homemade Whoopee Pies

Homemade chocolate whoopee pies with fluffy marshmallow creme filling. Soft cocoa cakes sandwiched around a sweet, billowy center for a New England bakery classic you can make at home.

Cocoa-Nut Meringue Cheesecake2

Cocoa cheesecake built on a toasted coconut and pecan crust, finished with a fluffy marshmallow meringue baked golden on top. Rich, nutty, and topped with a cloud of sweetness.

Mocha Mint Mousse Tart

Mocha mint mousse tart with a brownie base, cream cheese filling, melted Junior Mints, instant coffee, and marshmallow cream. A no-bake chocolate-mint dessert.

Fat-Free Chocolate Therapy Cake

Fat-free chocolate cake leans on whipped egg whites and marshmallow creme instead of butter or oil for a light, fudgy crumb. No-fat dessert with cocoa, flour, and vanilla.

Peanut Putter Fudge

Peanut butter chocolate fudge made smooth and creamy with marshmallow fluff, swirled with semisweet chocolate chips and a full cup of peanut butter. A rich, melt-in-your-mouth holiday candy.

Black& White Cheesecake

A no-bake cheesecake with a gooey marshmallow base and a creamy chocolate filling set in a graham cracker crust. Blends up in minutes, chills in two hours, and never sees the inside of an oven.

Western Mississippi Mud Cake

Rich, fudgy Mississippi mud cake loaded with coconut, crunchy nuts, and gooey marshmallow cream under a thick cocoa frosting. A Southern classic that's sinfully easy to make from scratch.

Fruit Dip 2

A delicious dip made with marshmallow topping and cream cheese that tastes great with any kind of fruit you like.

All 81 recipes