Salted caramel layered with an espresso marshmallow. The homemade espresso marshmallow has an additional caramel swirl on top, so you can get your full caramel fix satisfied. Below is a quick video of how these are made.
How much time do you need to make these?
Candy is a labor of love. Two cooked sugar items (caramel and marshmallows) are going to take up a small chuck of time over a couple of days. I personally make candy in the evenings after my kids go to sleep. These would take me one day per layer and one day to cut and wrap.
You will need to stir from start to finish with this caramel. This is around 40 minutes. You do not stop stirring. Have a show ready to watch, have a podcast ready to listen to, don't have kids around that can distract you. Yes, it does take that long and KEEP GOING. If you see a lot of steam, you aren't done. Trust the process, trust your candy thermometer.
If you are new to candy making, please read this post and the recipe prior to starting to make them. I'm happy to answer any questions, and here are the most asked about these:
Caramel marshmallow top 5 FAQ
- Does the marshmallow fall off of the caramel?
- Nope! The marshmallow really does stick to the caramel. When you layer the the marshmallow on top of the caramel, you are doing it when the caramel is cold and the marshmallow is hot. The hot marshmallow melts the top of the caramel just enough that it forms a bond. Once everything is cooled, they are going to stick.
- Isn't the marshmallow too sticky to cut through?
- No, the marshmallow isn't difficult to cut through with a knife. What would make a marshmallow sticky is if it wasn't cooked to a high enough temperature, because there would be too much water left in the marshmallow. Water + sugar = sticky.
- Do you sell these?
- This is the exact recipe I use for my own retail sales, but you can only purchase them if you are local to the area I live in. No shipping available.
- I don't want to wait. What happens if I don't let the caramel cool and top it with hot marshmallow?
- The caramel and marshmallow will melt together too much and you'll end up with a slightly soggy weird candy that took a lot of effort but didn't give you the results you were hoping for.
- Do I really need to use a candy thermometer?
- Yes, you must use a candy thermometer. I'm giving very specific final cook temperatures. When you are at the end of cooking the caramel or marshmallow, degrees will change within SECONDS. You need to watch a thermometer, not a clock.
How much time do you need to make these?
This takes me three days. Candy is a labor of love. Two cooked sugar items (caramel and marshmallow) are going to take up a small chunk of time over a couple days. I personally make candy in the evenings after my kids go to sleep. These would take me one day per layer and one day to cut.
General Flow of production
- Make base caramel.
- Make espresso marshmallow. Layer it overtop of the caramel. Swirl in caramel set aside from earlier. Allow marshmallow to rest for a minimum of 12 hours before cutting into it.
- Cut and wrap caramel marshmallows. Sprinkle with espresso powder.
Caramel layer: (Day 1)
- 10 minutes to assemble ingredients
- approximately 40 minutes of cook time
- 6 hour minimum of resting time before you can layer hot marshmallow over top
Marshmallow layer: (Day 2)
- 15 minutes to assemble ingredients and prep gelatin
- approximately 30 minutes of cook time
- 8 minutes of whipping time in the mixer
- 12 hour minimum of resting time before you can cut and wrap
Cutting and wrapping: (Day 3)
- cutting and wrapping this batch will take 1-2 hours depending on how quickly you move through it. It takes longer than you think and is more fun if you have someone helping you!
Caramel- ingredients
- evaporated milk
- heavy cream
- butter
- brown sugar
- sugar
- salt
- corn syrup
Caramel- equipment
- heavy duty thick bottomed pot, 8 quart minimum
- candy thermometer
- high heat spatula or wooden spoon
- 12" x 17" sheet pan
- parchment paper
Marshmallow- ingredients
- sugar
- honey
- corn syrup
- gelatin
- Coffee concentrate ( I used this one)
- water
- vanilla
Marshmallow- equipment
- heavy duty thick bottomed pot, 8 quart minimum
- candy thermometer
- high heat spatula or wooden spoon
- 12" x 7" sheet pan full of chocolate caramel
- 5 quart planetary mixer
Dealing with Gelatin
Gelatin is my least favorite part about marshmallows. I've tested many different store brands and name brands, and my hands down favorite is the Great Value (Walmart) brand of unflavored gelatin. It is the most neutral, non smelly, truly unflavored gelatin around.
USE COLD COFFEE CONCENTRATE TO HYDRATE
Store bought instant gelatin needs cold water to hydrate, or "bloom", technically speaking. Measure your cold coffee concentrate out exactly. You are adding syrup to this hydrated gelatin, so there will be no chance to cook out more. Too much liquid in this part will change the texture of your marshmallow to a stick one that flows.
Melting over a hot water bath. This serves two purposes. It melts your hydrated gelatin so there are no clumps of it in your marshmallow. It also warms your bowl so your hot syrup doesn't seize on the sides.
- Measure water exactly, put it in your mixing bowl.
- Measure your gelatin out exactly in a separate bowl. Do not rely on the weight on those little packs, use your kitchen scale to weigh out the exact amount.
- Start whisking your water without adding anything. Yup, whisk that water.
- Sprinkle the gelatin in as you whisk. It will thicken.
- Set it aside while you do the rest of marshmallow cooking.
- When the marshmallow syrup is cooling, melt down your gelatin over a hot water bath.
Storage and shelf life
After these are cut and wrapped into pieces, store them in an airtight container at normal room temperature. Do not store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Shelf life is approximately 3 months from a QUALITY standpoint, meaning the caramel will start to change texture. It will be 6-9 months before the flavor changes.
My very top tips:
- Read the recipe entirely before beginning.
- Have a clean, large, workspace. Feeling trapped while you're cooking and looking for places to put things is one of the worst feelings.
- Prep the ingredients ahead of time by weighing them all out in containers, before you combine anything.
- Have the pan you are pouring caramel into or finished caramel pan ready and waiting. If you are pouring caramel into it, have it prepped with parchment paper. If you are layering with marshmallow, have the finished caramel waiting.
- Once you've nailed these, take a look at the viral caramel marshmallows or double chocolate caramel marshmallows.
Caramel Macchiato Caramel Marshmallows
Equipment
- heavy duty thick bottomed pot 8 quart minimum
- kitchen scale
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- 680 grams evaporated milk 2, 12 ounce cans
- 280 grams heavy cream fill up one 12 ounce can
- 113 grams butter
- 680 grams sugar
- 6 grams salt
- 570 grams corn syrup
Espresso Marshmallow
Gelatin Bloom
- 180 grams coffee concentrate
- 28 grams unflavored gelatin
Marshmallow Syrup
- 300 grams Sugar
- 80 grams Brown Sugar
- 150 grams Coffee Concentrate
- 465 grams Corn Syrup
Finishing Touches
- ⅓ cup salted caramel for swirls (saved from above recipe)
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, for sprinkling
Instructions
Salted Caramel
- Prepare a 12 X 17" sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine all salted caramel ingredients.
- Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook ingredients until they are all dissolved and combined.
- Turn heat to medium high. Stirring constantly, cook until caramel reaches 242F. This will take about 40 minutes. Trust your thermometer. Keep going.
- Turn off heat once temperature reaches 242F. Pour into prepared parchment. Set aside approximately ⅓ cup of the caramel in a microwaveable safe dish. Cool for a minimum of 4 hours.
Espresso Marshmallow
- Prepare your workspace. Set out mixer, cooled caramel, caramel you have set aside for decorating, hot water bath, and weighed out ingredints.
1. Prepare Gelatin Bloom
- Combine cold coffee and unflavored gelatin. Set aside while you cook the marshmallow syrup.
2. Cook Marshmallow Syrup.
- In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine coffee concentrate, white sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Cook over medium high heat until 250F. This takes about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Let syrup sit undisturbed until it reaches 212F.
- While your syrup rests, put your hydrated gelatin into a hot water bath (the bowl of gelatin into another bowl of hot water. Don't add water TO the gelatin mix). This will liquify the gelatin to a smooth state.
- Add liquid gelatin to the 5 quart mixing bowl. Add cooled syrup to this. Using the whisk attachment, mix on high for 8 minutes or until marshmallow has doubled in size.
- Spread marshmallow evenly over salted caramel. Once you have spread it, microwave caramel you had set aside in 30 second intervals until it is fluid.
Finishing Touches
- Swirl the warm fluid caramel into the marshmallow. Use a knife to make designs.
- Sprinkle a small amount of instant espresso powder overtop. Go lightly with this.
- Lightly oil a sheet of parchment paper big enough to cover the marshmallow. Place it overtop, and smooth it out with very gentle pressure. Let marshmallow set up for 24 hours before cutting.
Cutting and Wrapping
- Spray a knife with cooking spray. Cut caramel marshmallows into desired size. I recommend 1" by 1.5". Wrap in clear candy wrap or parchment paper.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!