These Easter marshmallow treat-alternatives are soft as air, sweet as honey, cute as a button, and 100% all natural. The best part? Though the wow factor is sky high, these adorable sweet treats are surprisingly easy to make. Any holiday that involves a basket filled with candy magically appearing overnight is my kind of good time. These days, I’ve been trying my hand at a little candy making and as such, the Easter baskets in our house will be filled with fewer store bought goodies and more homemade treats. 

I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to recreate one of the most sacred of Easter treats, though. Those brightly colored Easter marshmallow treats are a big deal in my husband’s family - there’s even a competition at the annual Easter gathering, where everyone vies for the better display of marshmallow bunny and chick-related wit. 

Luckily, with a little tinkering, I was able to create a something even better. These DIY maple honey marshmallow bunnies are so good, I think I’ve ruined us for store-bought marshmallows forever. 

Don’t be at all intimidated - making these all natural sweet treats is far easier than you would expect and requires only a few simple tools. 

DIY Maple-Honey Marshmallow Bunnies
Recipe adapted from this one on Deliciously Organic

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cool water
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 vanilla bean
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder

Instructions: 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the gelatin and cold water. Allow to sit while you complete the next steps. Use the whisk with your mixer. 

• Lightly oil the bunny molds (or a baking dish) and set aside.
• Pour the honey, maple syrup and salt in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Mix the seeds and pod into the maple honey mixture. 

• Heat the syrup mixture until gently simmering, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. 

• Remove from heat. Turn the mixer on medium and pour the syrup mixture slowly into the bowl of the mixer with the gelatin. 
• Turn the mixer on high for 10 minutes, until the syrup mixture is light, fluffy and forms soft peaks on the whisk. 

• Spoon the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag and pipe into the bunny molds. Allow to sit uncovered at room temperature overnight.

• The next day, use a spoon to gently pop the marshmallows out of the molds. Pour the arrowroot powder into a large mixing bowl and drop in several marshmallow bunnies at a time, gently tossing to coat. This will prevent the marshmallows from sticking together. 
• Store in an airtight container.