Gluten-Free Marshmallow Brownies (2024)

Our Gluten-Free Marshmallow Brownies recipe has 3 layers of goodness in every bite: Fudgy chocolate brownies topped with marshmallows and an easy chocolate frosting. We love this modern twist on a nostalgic recipe!

A few months back, I took a big brownie flavor poll on Instagram, and there were a few flavors that QUICKLY rose to the top. One of our most requested flavors? Gluten Free Marshmallow Brownies!

It’s the same idea as Mississippi Mud Cake–layers of chocolate cake, gooey marshmallow, and chocolate frosting. Only we’re putting it into brownie form!

This gluten-free marshmallow brownies recipe has 3 layers of goodness in every bite. Layers of fudgy, chewy chocolate brownies, gooey marshmallows, and an easy chocolate frosting are a match made in heaven! They’ve got a vintage dessert feel, and always go fast at parties and potlucks!

Here’s what you need to make our easy gluten-free marshmallow brownie recipe…

Gather Your Ingredients

• Butter & Oil. I use this combination to achieve a lovely chewy brownie texture without sacrificing on flavor. The secret to a chewy brownie (rather than a fudgy or cakey brownie) is the ratio of fats to dry ingredients. Using a blend of these two, along with chocolate + cocoa powder is the secret to getting gorgeously chewy gluten-free brownies.
• Sugar. The secret to a glossy top to your brownies is properly dissolving the sugar. Don’t rush this step!
• Chocolate Chips. We’ll use a double dose of chocolate chips here! Half of the chocolate chips get melted with the butter, oil, and sugar, while the other half get stirred into the brownie batter. The better the quality of your chocolate chips, the better the quality of your brownies! We love these semisweet chocolate chips or these dark chocolate chips.
• Eggs + An Egg Yolk. Adding an extra egg yolk gives these brownies the most amazing chewy, fudgy texture. (Learn 3 ways to separate eggs here–save that extra white for another day!)
• Vanilla & Salt. These two balance the flavor beautifully.
• Gluten-Free Flour. To keep things simple, I like to use this gluten-free flour blend from King Arthur Flour. Make sure to weigh or scoop and level the flour so you don’t end up with dry or cakey brownies!
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Using unsweetened cocoa gives m&m brownies a deep chocolate flavor & chewy texture, and helps balance the ratio of fat to dry ingredients. (Rather than using all melted chocolate or all cocoa powder). I’m using natural cocoa powder, not dark/Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe.
• A Little Baking Powder. Most of my brownie recipes are unleavened, but adding just a little baking powder lightens the texture up in a way that works beautifully with the marshmallow and frosting layers.
• Marshmallows. They wouldn’t be gluten-free marshmallow brownies without marshmallows! We’re using mini marshmallows since they’re the perfect size and shape for this job. (Check out our list of gluten-free marshmallow brands here!)
• A Quick Chocolate Frosting. This is actually the same kind of frosting we use for our gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake. It’s made from butter, milk cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Simple, easy, and no fancy skills required!

How To Make Gluten-Free Marshmallow Brownies, Step By Step:

Start With The Brownie Base

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ metal pan with parchment paper and set aside. (Use a METAL pan here, or the brownies won’t bake the same)
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
3. Melt The Butter, Oil, Sugar & Chocolate.In a medium saucepan, melt butter, oil, sugar and 2/3 cup chocolate chips over low heat. Stir until the butter chocolate chips are melted and remove from heat. (The sugar will likely still look a bit grainy. This is fine!)
4. Beat In The Eggs & Egg Yolk.Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, stirring to fully incorporate before adding the next egg/yolk.
5. Add The Vanilla.Mix in the vanilla extract.
6. Stir In The Dry Ingredients.Add the dry ingredients and stir until just a few small pockets of powder remain.
7. Fold In The Chocolate Chips.Add the second 2/3 cup chocolate chips and fold until just evenly distributed and no more powdery spots remain. Transfer the brownie batter to your prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
8. Bake The Brownies.Pop the brownies in the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes or until the surface no longer jiggles in the center and the brownies look set around the edges. (Try not to over-bake, as this will dry the brownies out a bit.)
9. Add Marshmallows. Immediately after you remove the brownies from the oven, add the marshmallows and distribute into an even layer. Return brownies to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are starting to puff and spread. Let the brownies cool down slightly as you mix up the frosting.

Then, Work On The Frosting.

1. Melt Butter, Milk & Cocoa Powder. In a small saucepan, combine butter, milk, and cocoa powder. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is starting to get thick.
2. Finish The Frosting. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and the powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. It should look like a thick chocolate glaze–If the frosting is too thick to whisk, add more milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you can easily whisk it. If the frosting is very liquid, add more powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time.
3. Pour Glaze & Cool Brownies Completely. Next, pour the warm glaze over the marshmallow brownies, doing your best to cover everything evenly. The shape of the marshmallows may start to peek through. This is fine! Cool the brownies totally and completely before slicing of they won’t cut evenly. You can speed this process along by chilling the brownies in the refrigerator.
4. Slice & Enjoy.Cut into slices (9 large squares, 12 rectangles, or 16 small squares) and enjoy. Store leftover marshmallow brownies covered or in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days, or in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container in the freezer up to 2 months.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The BEst Gluten-Free Marshmallow Brownies

Are Marshmallows Gluten-Free? Most are! We shared how to tell which brands of marshmallows are gluten-free in this post. (So many great brands to choose from!)

Try Adding Nuts! Sometimes, a little extra crunch can be just the ticket! Try adding some chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts to your brownies or on top with the marshmallows before you add the frosting.

Tips For Cutting Marshmallow Brownies.These brownies have a gooey layer of marshmallow in the middle and a thin chocolate frosting on top. They will cut best when chilled or even frozen. I use a long, sharp knife to make straight down cuts (no sawing motion!) and clean the knife off in between slices for a neater, more polished look. At minimum, make sure the brownies are cooled COMPLETELY before slicing, or they’ll rip and tear.

Can I Make These Dairy-Free? I haven’t tried this gluten-free marshmallow brownies recipe dairy-free yet, but I think they’d work with dairy-free butter (like Earth Balance vegan butter sticks), dairy-free chocolate chips and dairy-free milk. If you try them dairy-free, I’d love to know how it goes!

🌟 Leave a star review below when you try our gluten-free marshmallow brownies recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think! (Plus, every review helps us grow!)

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