Mini marshmallows substitutes
Mini marshmallows substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Large marshmallows, cut or melted
Same amount by weight as the mini marshmallows
So 10 oz replaces one 10 oz bag of minis
The right substitute depends entirely on whether the marshmallows are going to be melted or left whole, because they are doing two completely different jobs. If they are being melted, as in rice crispy treats, marshmallow fondant or s'mores dip, they are working as sticky sugar glue, and the swap is simple: large marshmallows cut up or used as they are, weight for weight, or marshmallow creme at about 1 cup of creme per 2 cups of minis, or a homemade syrup of corn syrup, sugar and butter. If they are staying whole, as in ambrosia salad, hot chocolate or a rocky road, they are doing texture and sweetness, and the swaps are chopped large marshmallows, mini white chocolate chips, or diced soft nougat. There is no good substitute for whole marshmallows in a fruit salad or on top of a sweet potato casserole, since nothing else has that cloudy, springy chew. Ten ounces of minis, which is one standard bag, is about 5 ½ to 6 cups.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- rice crispy treats
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of mini marshmallows | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large marshmallows, cut or meltedrice crispy treats | Same amount by weightSo 10 oz replaces one 10 oz bag of minisWorks | Works |
| 2 | Marshmallow creme or fluff (for melted uses)rice crispy treats | 1 cup creme per 2 cups mini marshmallows, or a 7 oz jar per 10 oz bagTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Homemade marshmallow syrup for bindingrice crispy treats | ½ cup corn syrup, ¼ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, for 6 cups cerealYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Mini white chocolate chips or yogurt chips (for whole uses)rocky road | Same amount by volumeYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Diced soft nougat or Turkish delightrocky road | Same amount by volume, diced smallTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | There is no substitute for it: toasted marshmallow toppingnothing, though meringue is the nearest look-alike | Not recommendedYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Large marshmallows, cut or melted
similar taste and texture
Chemically identical, so for melting they are a straight swap and nobody could tell the difference. For anything staying whole, snip them into quarters with scissors dipped in water, or into small dice, which gets you close but with less uniform edges and a slightly denser piece. In hot chocolate the large ones float as a single melting raft rather than a scattering of small islands.
- Best for
- rice crispy treats, s'mores dip and fudge, marshmallow fondant, sweet potato casserole topping, hot chocolate
Scissors work far better than a knife, and dipping the blades in water or dusting them with powdered sugar keeps them from gumming up. Weight matters more than volume here, since minis pack more densely than large ones.
Marshmallow creme or fluff (for melted uses)
similar taste, different texture
Already soft and pourable, so it saves the melting step and mixes into warm butter instantly. The result in rice crispy treats is slightly softer, stickier and denser than melted minis give, because creme contains more corn syrup and less gelatin, so the bars set a little chewier and less airy. It is useless anywhere the marshmallows needed to stay as distinct pieces.
- Best for
- rice crispy treats, fudge and fantasy fudge, whoopie pie and sandwich cookie filling, frosting and dips
Add a tablespoon or two of extra butter to keep the mixture loose enough to work with. Because creme is stickier, oil or butter your hands and the spatula before pressing bars into the pan.
Homemade marshmallow syrup for binding
different taste and texture
The right answer when there are no marshmallows in the house at all but a batch of crispy treats is needed. Melt everything together, bring it to a bare simmer and pour it over the cereal. The bars hold together well and taste buttery and caramel-toned rather than of vanilla marshmallow. The texture difference is real: firmer, crunchier and closer to a caramel cereal bar than a soft chewy square.
- Best for
- rice crispy treats, cereal bars, popcorn balls, any binding job
Do not boil it hard or the bars set rock hard, which is the one way to ruin this. Take it off the heat as soon as the sugar dissolves and it is uniformly glossy.
Mini white chocolate chips or yogurt chips (for whole uses)
different taste and texture
Similar size and pale color, so in a rocky road, a trail mix or a cookie they read visually the same. The eating experience is different in an obvious way: they are firm and snappy at room temperature, then creamy rather than springy in the mouth, and considerably richer since they are fat and sugar rather than air and sugar. They also hold their shape in a hot oven far better than marshmallows, which is sometimes an advantage.
- Best for
- rocky road, cookies and blondies, trail mix, topping frosted cakes and cupcakes
Do not use these where the marshmallows were meant to melt into a syrup, because chocolate chips melt into fat and cocoa solids rather than sticky sugar and will not bind cereal.
Diced soft nougat or Turkish delight
different taste, similar texture
The closest match anywhere for the springy chew of a whole marshmallow, since nougat is also aerated sugar and Turkish delight is also a soft set gel. Both are sweeter and more strongly flavored, with honey and nut notes in nougat and rose or lemon in Turkish delight, so they change the character of the dish rather than sitting neutrally in it.
- Best for
- rocky road, ice cream mix-ins, dessert salads, chocolate bark
Dust the diced pieces with a little powdered sugar or cornstarch so they do not clump back together. Neither of these will melt into a usable glue.
There is no substitute for it: toasted marshmallow topping
different taste and texture
Nothing else browns and puffs the way a marshmallow does under a broiler, so the classic golden-crusted sweet potato casserole and s'mores effect cannot really be faked. Meringue is the nearest thing, since whipped egg white and sugar browns beautifully and has the same cloud-like look, but it is lighter, drier and not chewy, and it weeps as it sits.
- Best for
- nothing, though meringue is the nearest look-alike
If you go the meringue route, whip 3 egg whites with 6 tablespoons of sugar to stiff peaks, spoon it over in peaks and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly, because it goes from golden to black very fast.
Questions
5 questionsHow many large marshmallows equal a bag of mini marshmallows?
About 40 large marshmallows equal one 10 oz bag of minis, which is roughly 5 ½ to 6 cups of minis. The simplest approach is to weigh rather than measure, matching ounces for ounces, since minis pack far more tightly into a cup than large ones do. For melting, the sizes are completely interchangeable.
Can I just leave the marshmallows out?
It depends on the job. On top of a sweet potato casserole, in hot chocolate or in a fruit salad, yes, they are pure garnish and sweetness, so leaving them out simply gives you a less sweet dish. In rice crispy treats, marshmallow fondant or fudge, no, because the marshmallows are the binder holding everything together, and without them or a syrup substitute you have a bowl of loose cereal.
What can I use instead of mini marshmallows in rice crispy treats?
Large marshmallows work well at the same weight, since they melt into exactly the same thing. Marshmallow creme also works, using about a 7 oz jar in place of a 10 oz bag plus a little extra butter, giving a slightly denser and chewier bar. With no marshmallows at all, melt ½ cup corn syrup, ¼ cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter, take it off the heat as soon as it is smooth and pour it over 6 cups of cereal, which gives firmer, more caramel-flavored bars.
Are marshmallow bits the same as mini marshmallows?
No, and it is worth checking which one your recipe wants. Marshmallow bits, the kind found in hot cocoa mixes and cereal, are dehydrated and crunchy, and they do not melt into a syrup or soften into a chew. They are excellent scattered on top of frosting or hot chocolate, but they cannot replace regular minis in crispy treats or fudge.
Can I use mini marshmallows to make fondant?
Yes, and marshmallow fondant is one of the easiest home versions. Melt about 16 ounces of minis with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, then knead in roughly 2 pounds of sifted powdered sugar with greased hands until it forms a smooth dough. Large marshmallows or marshmallow creme work equally well. It tastes considerably better than commercial fondant and is softer, so it needs a firm cake underneath it.
Tips for substituting mini marshmallows
5 tips- One standard 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows is about 5 ½ to 6 cups, and it is roughly equivalent by weight to 40 large marshmallows. Substituting by weight rather than by cups avoids the usual mistake, since minis pack much more densely into a measuring cup.
- For rice crispy treats, hold back about a cup of the minis and stir them in after the rest have melted and the pan is off the heat. Those partly melted pockets are what make homemade bars taste better than the packaged ones.
- Melt marshmallows over low heat with the butter and never let the mixture come to a boil. Boiled marshmallow sets hard as it cools, which is the number one reason crispy treats come out tough enough to break a tooth.
- Stale, dried-out marshmallows still melt well, so a forgotten bag is fine for anything cooked. They do not work whole, since they go leathery, but nothing is wasted by melting them.
- Standard marshmallows are set with pork or beef gelatin, so they are not vegetarian. Vegetarian and vegan marshmallows set with carrageenan or agar are widely available and melt acceptably, though they are less stretchy and the melted mixture is looser, so crispy treats made with them set softer.