This is the best homemade marzipan recipe, also called almond paste, because it is soft and sweet, full of almond flavor, and made with 2 main ingredients in 2 minutes! Better than store-bought, learn how to make a marzipan that is dairy free, vegan and egg free.
This homemade marzipan recipe can be made by 2 ingredients probably in your kitchen right now. Also known as almond paste, this a soft sweet candy is commonly store-bought, but it's really easy to make at home. If you love the flavor of almond desserts like I do, you'll love my homemade marzipan, as well as my almond sugar cookies and even my marzipan chocolates.
Marzipan is a popular European treat that is store-bought and often found in the form of a candy in the international food aisles. Marzipan is called almond paste in North America, and often found sold as tubes as a baking ingredient in baking aisles.
Either way, it's easy to make at home with only almond flour and sugar, so it tastes fresher and has no preservatives and additives. It can be eaten out of the bowl or used as a layer or filling for many of my no bake desserts. Read on to learn how to make your own home marzipan candy.
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What is Marzipan?
In general, marzipan is a soft, pliable sweet paste made with almonds and has a solid place at the holiday dessert table worldwide. [source] The traditional recipe is made of skinless almonds, powdered sugar, egg whites and almond extract.
My homemade marzipan recipe eliminates the egg and uses a pinch of baking soda to replace the egg-white flavor. I also add rose water as it is a popular option in the European recipe.
How to Use Marzipan
Shape it into marzipan sweets. Flavor the marzipan with fruits and shape it into cookies and candies for Christmas and Easter treats including Italian rainbow cookies, German horns, and GermanMarzipankartoffeln, or Marzipan Potatoes, a German potato-shaped Christmas treat .
Use as a filling for desserts. Add marzipan or almond paste to desserts such as the Battenberg cake, Stollen, and pastries such as bear claws or danish.
Make marzipan sweets or candies. For instance, I used my homemade marzipan as a soft sweet filling in my filled chocolates, my chocolate-coated homemade chocolates in a box, and my marzipan chocolates.
Ingredients
Almond flour - Choose finely ground almond flour for best color and texture. You can use almond meal which is almonds ground with skin on, but your marzipan will have dark specs.
Powdered sugar - Use organic powdered sugar if you can because it tastes so much better because organic has tapioca instead of corn starch found in traditional powdered sugar.
Almond extract (optional) - Add this extract for a more powerful almond flavor. Using almond flour alone will not bring you there.
Baking soda - This secret ingredient makes your marzipan taste authentic. Just a pinch - less than ⅛ a teaspoon - is enough to temper the sweet flavor and make it taste like a bakery-quality German marzipan.
Rose water (optional) - Europeans find rose water is essential in their versions.
Optional additions. You can add a pinch of salt to enhance the almond flavor. You can also add a bit of alcohol such as Grand Marnier or rum to add a festive flavor to your marzipan sweets.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Step 1: Add almond flour to a food processor. Use finely ground almond flour; almond meal is healthier but will add brown specks to your marzipan.
Step 2: Add powdered sugar and baking soda. The baking soda is a key ingredient to help your marzipan taste like the traditional version.
Step 3: Add the almond extract, rose water if you are adding that, then add a bit ofmilk to be sure you have a sticky, rollable batter.
Step 4: Process the mixture for a minute or until just combined. You want a putty texture. Pull off a chunk and see if you can squeeze it into a shape.
Step 5: Roll your marzipan into a log and wrap in cling wrap. You can eat bits off the log, shape into shapes by pressing into molds and chilling, or use as a filling in a baked or no bake dessert.
Recipe Tips
1. Don't overprocess the dough or else the almond flour will release oils and you'll end up with almond butter.
2. Use finely ground almond flour. Don't use almond meal which is made by grinding almonds with the skin on and will make your marzipan rough and speckled.
3. Adding milk to dry dough. The amount of milk you add will depend on the fat content of your almond flour brand.
4. Use a Food Processor. A food processor is best, but a blender can be used. Or even knead it by hand in a bowl.
How to Store
Refrigerated. Although the emulsion with almond oil protects your marzipan from growing mold at room temperature, I would still keep it refrigerated because of the high sugar content. Wrap the log in cling wrap and store refrigerated for 2 weeks.
Frozen. You can easily freeze homemade marzipan. Wrap in cling wrap, and store in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
Variations
Make a refined-sugar-free marzipan. I also make marzipan with maple syrup so it is a refined-sugar-free marzipan, or almond paste, that I use to fill my marzipan chocolates.
Shape your marzipan. In my marzipan chocolates recipe, I created cups that are filled with marzipan and almond butter. I also pressed the marzipan into heart molds, frozen them, and dipped them into chocolate.
Flavor your marzipan. Another options is to flavor the marzipan batter further by folding in dried fruits, and adding other extracts such as orange. Or fold in crushed nuts such as pistachio. You can even add unsweetened cocoa to make a chocolate flavored marzipan.
FAQS
Marzipan is typically made from finely ground almonds, powdered sugar, egg whites and almond extract. My homemade marzipan recipe is almond flour, powdered sugar, baking soda and almond extract.
My marzipan recipes do not have any egg, just almond flour and sugar. So you can eat my raw marzipan without any risk of salmonella from raw eggs.
My marzipan recipe contains 4 grams protein, 2 grams fiber, and is high in essential nutrients such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. However it is a dessert and is high in fat and sugar so should be eaten in moderation.
This recipe makes just under a cup of marzipan.
You can't use a different flour, but you can use pistachios or peanuts, or any high fat nut. You'll have to play with the amount of nuts and powdered sugar however to get the correct putty-like texture.
More Holiday Marzipan Sweets
If you tried this German homemade marzipan recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Marzipan Recipe (2 ingredients)
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
Marzipan Recipe
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon rose water food grade
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1-2 tablespoon dairy free milk or water
Instructions
marzipan recipe
- Combine the flour and sugar in a food processor and process for 30 seconds to be sure you have a fine texture.1 cup almond flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- Then add the almond extract and rose water if you are using.½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon rose water
- Process the mixture until you have a crumbly dough. Add up to (4) ½ tablespoons for milk and process between each half tablespoon.1-2 tablespoon dairy free milk
- You are looking to achieve a squishable dough.
How to Use Marzipan
- Slice and break off pieces to eat chilled, or use as an ingredient for baked goods or candy. Read my post for more uses.
Store
- Store sealed marzipan at room temperature for one week, or in the refrigerator for two weeks. Or freeze it for three months or longer.
Bev
Have just made the almond paste so easy to do and tastes wonderful. I'm going to use it in a stollen bread. Thank you
Dee Dine
Thank you for stopping by!