How To Make Homemade Peeps
With Easter around the corner, why not make your own Homemade Peeps? It’s an easy, fun, and colorful activity that everyone can enjoy. Making your own edible art is a great activity for kids of all ages, as it allows them to express their creativity and have some tasty treats at the end.
I don’t know if I’m alone in this or not, but I hate Peeps. It’s not the marshmallows I hate – it’s the nasty preservatives and who knows what else they have in them.
But I do love the IDEA of Peeps – they’re super cute!
So, I decided to take matters into our own hands and develop an all-natural marshmallow treat that could be enjoyed year-round. My mission was simple: to create a snack that everyone could feel good about eating by using real food ingredients with no added sugar or preservatives.
Believe it or not, homemade marshmallows are super easy to make. And it doesn’t take much more effort to turn them into Peeps.
I added my homemade marshmallow peeps to my Easter Charcuterie Board!
If your kids love marshmallows, they are going to love the whole process of helping you to make AND eat them.
If you want more colorful Easter treats recipes, try my Easter Fruit Kabobs with Peeps, Easter Strawberries, or Nutter Butter Easter Chick Cookies.
Ingredients needed for homemade Peeps
- Unflavored gelatin – gives body and texture to puddings, mousses, and making items such as marshmallows
- Water
- Granulated sugar – white
- Vanilla – or vanilla bean paste
- Colored sanding sugar – pink, yellow, blue, green or whatever color(s) you prefer
Equipment needed for homemade Peeps
- Heavy Bottom Saucepan
- Glass Measuring Cup
- Electric Mixer (or handheld mixer) – with a whisk attachment
- 16-inch Pastry Bag
- Rubber Spatula
- Large Round Tip – for a piping bag
- Silicone Pastry Brush – made of non-porous material so food does not stick to it easily
- Parchment-lined baking sheets – 1 per color
- Candy thermometer – optional
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How to make homemade Peeps
If you’ve never made marshmallows before, you’re going to be amazed at what an easy recipe this is!
Step 1
Begin by adding the unflavored gelatin to water and allow it to dissolve in a mixing bowl.
Pro Tip: Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water, do not pour it all in one spot.
Step 2
Put sugar in a medium saucepan.
Step 3
Pour more water over the sugar making sure the sugar is saturated.
Step 4
Bring the sugar to 230 degrees.
Step 5
Set heat on medium-high heat. Do NOT swirl the sugar in the pan. Allow the temperature to rise and bubbles will begin to form. They will pop quickly as the temperature rises.
Step 6
You will need to keep the edges from caramelizing, so use a pastry brush to push the water to the inside of the pan. Once the popping of the bubbles slows down, they will look like slow-popping bubbles.
Step 7
Next, you place a silicon pastry brush in the center of the pot, pull it out of the sugar syrup, and immediately put it in a bowl of ice cold water.
Step 8
A ball of sugar will appear when placed in the ice water. This is considered the “soft ball stage.” When you reach this stage, it is ready to be added to a mixer bowl.
Step 9
Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) with a whisk attachment, break up the gelatin at a low speed. Slowly and carefully pour the heated sugar into the mixing bowl while the mixer is on.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing for 4 to 5 minutes. The mixture will eventually turn white and start to look like icing as it holds soft peaks.
Step 10
Add in the vanilla and turn the mixer on high. Whip for an additional 8 – 10 minutes. The marshmallow mixture will triple in size and hold a stiff peak. If the marshmallow mixture does not hold a stiff peak, continue to mix.
Tip: This step is VERY important.
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Step 11
The next step is to prepare your icing bag and sugar station. To prepare the sugar station, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour on the sugar. This will ensure that the marshmallows don’t stick.
Step 12
Cut the tip off of a piping bag, place a large round tip firmly inside the piping bag, and add the marshmallow mixture into the piping bag.
Step 13
On the parchment-lined baking sheet, pipe a thick line of marshmallow fluff on the far side of the baking sheet pulling the piping bag towards you. Raise the piping bag a small amount, and go back in the opposite direction halfway back to the other end.
Bring the fluff forward and pull it off to make the head and neck of your marshmallow little chicks.
Step 14
Pipe each base of the peeps in a row. Sprinkle all the chick shapes with sanding sugar and let set to firm up.
Step 15
Add eyes to the peeps by using melted chocolate or black candy sprinkles and your homemade treat is done!
How to make homemade Peeps recipe notes and tips
Here are some tips to help your homemade marshmallow recipe turn out well every time.
- The easiest way to fill the piping bag is to place a piping bag into a tall cup and fold the top edges over the top of the cup. Spoon in the marshmallow mixture, pull up the sides of the bag, and continue piping.
- If you find the marshmallow gelatin mixture is sticking to the tip of the piping bag, dip your fingers in the sanding sugar and use your fingers to help release the marshmallow from the tip of the piping bag.
- If you are using melted chocolate to add eyes onto your peeps, wait to add them just before serving. Otherwise, the chocolate may run. I would use the tip of a toothpick or fork tine to put the small eye dot on the peep.
- Prepare a separate parchment lined baking sheet for each color of sanding sugar. This will help to keep all the colors separate.
Variations of homemade Peeps to try
- Combine the different colors of sanding sugar if you want your homemade peeps to have a rainbow effect. 🙂
- Change up the shape of the peeps, so instead of a chick you can make a bunny or Easter egg. Be CREATIVE!!! 😉
FAQs
Do you have questions about making these homemade Peeps marshmallows? If you have a question and don’t see it already answered below, please leave it for me in the comments!
That is a great question! I will be honest and tell you that I have not tried it, but flavored extract works exactly the same as vanilla extract with the bonus of the flavor.
So you should be able to flavor your peeps with strawberry, orange, almond any other flavor extract that you choose.
You certainly can! Sanding sugar is just colored sugar with food coloring added. Go crazy and make as many different colors as you can.
Once they are cool and completely set, you can place them in resealable plastic bags or wrap them individually in plastic wrap for up to a week. However you do it, they need to be in an airtight container.
Store them in a cool, dry location – but not in the refrigerator.
YES! Frozen peeps will melt in your mouth. Freezing them does not change the flavor at all, and this Easter candy can be frozen for up to 2 – 3 months if stored in an air-tight freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Just keep in mind that as they thaw, there may be some moisture that causes the sanding sugar to bleed a little bit.
Create lasting fun Easter memories with these free indoor Easter scavenger hunt clues! 👇👇
More Easter Snacks and Desserts To Try
If you love these homemade Easter peeps, try these other fun treats too!
- Easter Egg Rice Krispies Treats
- Easter Brownies Decorated As Easter Eggs
- Easy No-Bake Easter Bird’s Nest Cookies
- Easter Egg Hot Cocoa Bomb Recipe
How To Make Homemade Peeps
Making your own Homemade Peeps is an easy and fun activity for everyone. Eat them as cute Easter treats or add them to a charcuterie board.
Ingredients
Equipment Needed
- Heavy Bottom Saucepan
- Glass Measuring Cup
- Electric Mixer with Whisk Attachments
- 16-Inch Pastry Bag
- Rubber Spatula
- 16-Inch Pastry Bag
- Silicon Pastry Brush
- Parchment-Lined Baking Sheets - 1 sheet per color
- Candy Thermometer - optional
Ingredients
- 1 package (2 tsp) unflavored gelatin
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Colored sanding sugar
Instructions
- Sprinkle 2 tsp unflavored gelatin in 1/3 cup water and let sit to dissolve in a mixing bowl. *Do not dump all the gelatin in one space, sprinkle it across the top of the water.
- Place one cup of sugar in a heavy bottom pot.
- Pour 1⁄2 cup water over the sugar, making sure its all saturated.
- Heat the sugar to 230 degrees.
- Place on Medium high heat, do not swirl the sugar around in the pan. As the sugar’s temperature raises it will begin to form bubbles. The bubbles will pop very quickly as the temperature rises. To help the edges from caramelizing use a pastry brush to brush water around the inside of the pan. Once the bubbles begin to slow down they will look like slow-popping bubbles. Place the silicon pastry brush in the center of the pot and immediately into a bowl of ice water. When it reaches what is considered the “soft ball” stage (a literal ball of sugar will appear when it's placed in the ice water) it’s ready to be added to the mixing bowl.
- Using a whisk attachment on your stand mixer turn it on low breaking up the gelatin. Slowly pour the heated sugar into the bowl while it’s mixing. Once it’s all inside, increase the speed to medium and let mix for 4-5 mins. The mixture will turn white and begin to look like icing.
- Add vanilla.
- Turn the mixer on high and let it whip for another 8-10 mins. The marshmallows triple in size and hold a stiff peak. If it does not hold a peak, let it continue to mix until it does. This step is critical.
- Prepare your icing bag and sugar station.
- To set up the sugar station, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour sanding sugar on the bottom so the marshmallows do not stick.
- Add a large round tip to a piping bag and cut off the tip of the bag, fitting the tip snugly inside the plastic piping bag. Add marshmallows to the piping bag.
- Pipe a thick line of marshmallow fluff in a line toward you. Slightly raise it and go back in the opposite direction halfway down the line. Bring it forward and pull off to complete the neck and head.
- Pipe the peeps next to one another. Cover with sanding sugar and allow time to set.
- Use melted chocolate or black candy sprinkles to add the eyes.
Notes
- To easily fill a piping bag, use a tall cup and open the top over the side, spoon in marshmallow mixture and pull the sides straight up.
- If your marshmallows are sticking to the nozzle of the piping bag, run your fingers through the sanding sugar and use the coated fingers to help release the marshmallows.
- If using chocolate wait until you are ready to serve before adding the eyes or else it may run and spread.
