Plate of deep-fried marshmallows with one bitten open, revealing melted inside.

Deep fried marshmallows are golden and crispy on the outside with a warm gooey marshmallow center, perfect for a quick and indulgent sweet treat.

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Prep Time5

Total Time9

Servings

If you’ve never had a deep fried marshmallow, prepare to fall headfirst in love. These are the ultimate state fair-style treat.

They’re golden and lightly crunchy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside — with that signature marshmallow pull that makes every bite a little nostalgic.

Here’s What You Need to Make State Fair Style Marshmallows

Overhead view of ingredients for deep-fried marshmallows including pancake mix, marshmallows, canola oil, milk, egg, and toppings.

Full ingredients list and complete step by step instructions are included in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Ingredient Notes

✅ Freeze marshmallows for at least 30 minutes. This keeps them firm enough to coat easily and prevents them from bursting or leaking in the oil. Only take out what you’re ready to fry—keep the rest in the freezer until needed.

How to Fry Marshmallows

✨These marshmallows are a quick fry yet offer a big payoff. One minute per batch, 25–30 seconds per side. They puff up, crisp, and are done before you know it.✨

✅ Mix the batter gently and leave it lumpy.
Overmixing pancake batter develops gluten and makes the coating tough. A few lumps mean a tender, airy crust that fries up perfectly golden.

Thick pancake batter in a mixing bowl coating several marshmallows, labeled “The batter will be thick – Coat 4-5 marshmallows at a time.”

✅ Use your fingers to coat and drop. It gets messy, but it’s the easiest way to fully cover each marshmallow and gently place it into the oil without damaging the batter.

✅ Maintain oil temp between 365°F–375°F. If the oil is too cool, the marshmallows will absorb excess oil and get greasy. If it’s too hot, the outside will brown too fast before the inside warms through.

Marshmallows frying in hot oil with a slotted spoon lifting one out, labeled “Flip after 25–30 seconds – Use a slotted spoon to allow the oil to drain.”

✅ Don’t overcrowd the pot (4-5 max). Adding too many at once drops the oil temperature, resulting in uneven cooking and soggy crusts. Quick batches keep the coating crisp and light.

✅ Use a slotted spoon to gently turn and lift. The marshmallows are delicate once they start to puff, so flip them carefully and drain them on a paper towel-lined wire rack to preserve that perfect texture.

Serve Immediately For The Best Texture

Deep fried marshmallows are best served immediately while still warm, so the insides are soft, gooey, and stretchy.

Hands pulling apart a deep-fried marshmallow with a stretchy, gooey marshmallow center. — These fried marshmallows are a one-bite wonder: lightly crunchy shells giving way to molten marshmallow that stretches, melts, and makes you want to eat more.

Arrange them on a platter and give them a light dusting of powdered sugar. Serve with toothpicks or small skewers for easy grabbing, especially at parties.

For a fun dessert board or party tray, add:

Whipped cream for dipping
Caramel sauce drizzle
Rainbow sprinkles

More Copycat State Fair Fried Foods

Deep Fried Marshmallows

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Deep fried marshmallows are golden and crispy on the outside with a warm gooey marshmallow center, perfect for a quick and indulgent sweet treat.

Prep Time 5

Total Time 9

Servings

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Ingredients

20 large marshmallows, frozen
⅔ cup whole milk
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups buttermilk pancake mix, Pearl Milling Company brand used
Canola oil, for frying (you will need to add enough to fill 3 to 4 inches deep in a 5 quart dutch oven or to the fill line of an electric deep fryer)

Optional Toppings

Powdered sugar, sifted
Whipped cream
Chocolate sauce
Rainbow jimmie sprinkles

Instructions

Place marshmallows in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe to keep them firm during frying.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and a wire rack. Set aside.
Add enough canola oil to a large heavy duty pot to fill it 3-4 inches deep, or to the fill line of an electric deep fryer. Heat the oil to 375°F. If using a pot on the stove, be sure to add a candy thermometer to the side of the pot to monitor the temperature of the oil to remain between 365°F and 375°F. Depending on the brand used, an electric deep fryer will keep the temperature steady at the set 375°F.
Once the oil is hot, make the batter by adding to a small bowl the whole milk, large egg and vanilla extract. Whisk to fully incorporate the egg into the milk.
To a large bowl add the buttermilk pancake and create a well in the center of the mix. Add the milk mixture to the well of buttermilk pancake mix then whisk gently just until combined. You want to leave the batter slightly lumpy as whisking it very smooth will create a tough batter for coating the marshmallows. The batter should be thicker than your traditional pancake batter thickness.
Add 4 – 5 frozen marshmallows to the bowl of batter. Using your fingers, completely coat each marshmallow with the buttermilk pancake batter on all sides.
Carefully drop the coated marshmallows into the hot oil and allow to quickly fry for 25-30 seconds per side (roughly 1 minute per batch) or until lightly golden brown. You can use the large slotted spoon to gently flip the marshmallows if needed to fry evenly on both sides.
Using a large slotted spoon, gently lift the deep fried marshmallow out of the oil and place them onto the prepared baking sheet to drain off any excess oil. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the marshmallows have been fried.
To serve these deep fried marshmallows, place them onto a large plate and lightly dust with powdered sugar. Individual servings can also be topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and topped with rainbow jimmie sprinkles if desired.

Notes

Keep your marshmallows frozen until you are ready to coat them in the pancake batter and deep fry them. Warmer, or room temperature, marshmallows have a tendency to burst when frying and seeping out of the pancake coating making them quite messy.
Original pancake batter from a standard boxed brand will work just as well as the buttermilk pancake batter variety does.
Embrace the mess with these deep fried marshmallows. I found that using your fingers to hold, coat and add the frozen marshmallows carefully to the hot oil was the best and quickest method to use.
Depending on how big your pot or electric deep fryer is, you should be able to fry up a batch of 4-5 coated marshmallows at a time. Do not overcrowd the hot oil with too many coated marshmallows or you can cause your oil temperature to drop too much for proper frying.

Nutrition

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Deep Fried Marshmallows