My Homemade Marzipan Recipe is an easy 4 ingredient recipe that requires no cooking, no baking and tastes amazing! This marzipan is naturally gluten-free and vegan!
There is little more to marzipan than sugar, almonds, rose water, and almond extract (if you’re feeling fancy like me). Yet, how those ingredients are mixed (and then coaxed into bakes, cakes, and shapes) makes it a must-try recipe.
Often called the play-dough of baking, homemade marzipan scented with a drop or two of rose water transforms prosaic treats into extraordinary. I used it to make my coconut mawa modaks extra special!
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What is marzipan?
Marzipan is a confection made by mixing icing sugar with ground almonds until a thick, smooth, and pliable paste forms. That’s the basic recipe and it has endless variation depending upon which corner of the world you call home.
Marzipan is popularly associated with Germany, but its roots are said to be Middle East. Now it is popularly used all over the world in various desserts across various cuisines.
Try my homemade marzipan recipe. It’s:
Vegan
Gluten-free
No cooking or baking involved
Perfect project to cook with kids
Cheaper than store-bought
Excellent ingredient for treats and bakes
What’s the difference between marzipan and almond paste?
Both almond paste and marzipan combine sugar and almonds in some form. So, the differences between the two are nuanced. One that is immediately obvious is rose water. Most marzipan recipes use the aromatic to lend it a floral undernote.
- Consistency: Marzipan is firmer and smoother. Almond paste is softer and coarser.
- Sweetness: The ratio of almond to sugar is higher in marzipan, which makes it slightly less sweet than almond paste.
- Taste: Marzipan has a delicate flavor, while almond paste is deeper and nuttier.
- Use: Marzipan is typically used as cake decorative, and to make candies and truffles. Almond paste is used as a filling in baked goods.
Marzipan recipes and terminology changes from country to country. The German marzipan is very similar to almond paste since it uses less sugar. In North America, almond paste is a more common term. So, don’t be bound by technicalities, and feel free to experiment.
This recipe can be easily tweaked to whether you want to make homemade almond paste or marzipan. Add more sugar for marzipan, so the dough is stiffer and can be rolled out to make various shapes.
Marzipan ingredients
Almonds: Homemade marzipan can be made with either store-bought or homemade almond flour.
How to make almond flour
Blanch the almonds by steeping the nuts in boiling water for a few minutes. Then simply pinch each almond between your fingers and the skin will pop off.
Wait for the blanched almonds to dry completely. This is very important. Then grind them into a powder.
Sugar: Icing sugar or powdered sugar is the best for this recipe.
Almond extract: This adds a fabulous almond flavor, so I highly recommend using this.
Rose water: It adds a wonderful delicate floral note to the marzipan to make it extra special.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make
Step 1: Combine the almond flour and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times.
Step 2: Add rose water and almond extract. You may need to add a tablespoon of water at this point.
Step 3: Blitz again to combine all ingredients till they form a dough.
Step 4: Place the almond paste on your prep area and knead it a few times. About 30 seconds should give you a smooth, satiny marzipan.
Step 5: Shape it into a log, cover it tightly in cling wrap, and refrigerate.
FAQs
The traditional marzipan recipe does use egg whites. While it is raw, there is no yolk involved, which means there’s no salmonella risk. So, you can eat raw marzipan, as long as you’re not allergic to eggs.
If you’re using my homemade marzipan recipe, then you can definitely have it raw because I keep it vegan, skipping the egg whites completely.
No, it is not. But I would highly recommend both. Scenting it with rose water and lacing it with almond extract takes the flavor of the marzipan up a notch.
If you keep it well wrapped in the refrigerator, this homemade marzipan will last you about 2 weeks.
Add some more almond meal/flour or the blanched almonds you ground, keeping in mind that marzipan firms up as it chills. If the mixture feels dry to you, use a tablespoon or two of water to correct the consistency.
How can you use marzipan?
Tucked in chocolates, hiding in galettes, molded in decorative shapes, you can use marzipan in hundreds of ways.
- Cakes: Because it is so malleable, you can use it to cover cakes or add it in the cake batter like I did in my almond tutti frutti cake!
- Truffles: Roll the marzipan in balls and dip them in dark chocolate
- Candies: Whisk in food coloring and shape into any form.
- Confections: Incorporate marzipan into any of your festive season bakes to make them sweeter and nuttier.
- Figurines: Roll, cut or mold the marzipan to make holiday cookies or pastries in all sorts of edible designs.
- Pies and galettes: Its so good in pies and galettes - you can try my delicious apple galette with marzipan!
In love with almonds? Then you’d want to try:
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this homemade marzipan recipe as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Marzipan Recipe ( Almond Paste)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almonds, blanched, peeled, and dried See notes on how to blanch almonds
- 1/2 cup Icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp Almond extract
- 1 tsp Rosewater
- 2-3 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Grind the dried, blanched almonds in a food processor.
- Once they are powdered, add the icing sugar.
- Pulse until the mixture has a wet sand-like texture, add rose water and almond extract. Add in 1 tablespoon of water at this stage if the mixture seems too dry.
- Blitz again to combine all ingredients till they form a soft dough.
- Add more almond meal if the mixture seems too wet. Add more water if it seems too dry.
- Place the mixture on your prep area and knead it a few times. About 30 seconds should give you a smooth, satiny marzipan.
- Shape it into a log, cover tightly in cling wrap, and refrigerate.
- Let it chill for an hour or so before using. It will firm up more once refrigerated. This will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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