Growing up in Germany, home to the world’s most famous marzipan, I was practically raised on this stuff. Well, not really, but I wouldn’t have protested had my parents tried :) If you’re looking for an authentic marzipan recipe that’s easy to make, is much cheaper than store-bought, and tastes absolutely phenomenal, you’ve come to the right place!
Marzipan is incredibly delicious. But it’s also really expensive to buy. The way around this? Make your own! The good news is that marzipan and almond past are also super easy and quick to make and now you can make your own anytime, anywhere. This is simply the BEST homemade marzipan!
Your life is forever changed.
I grew up on marzipan. It’s everywhere in Germany. Just a few hours north of where I grew up in Stuttgart is the historic town of Lübeck, world famous for its marzipan. It’s also a beautiful, scenic port town.
The Holstentor is Lübeck’s most famous feature, a Brick Gothic construction from Medieval times. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1987.
Image courtesy Christian Wolf, CC licensing
Lübeck is also the home of Niederegger Marzipan, probably the most famous marzipan in the world. If I were to weigh how much of that marzipan I ate during my 23 years in Europe it would probably come close to 893 pounds. Niederegger has been around since 1806 producing the highest quality marzipan, including a class that is made from 100% almonds (no sugar), and it uses only the finest almonds from around the Mediterranean.
A Brief History Lesson (very brief)
Though marzipan has long been associated with Germany and Italy in particular, its roots are in the Orient. As far back as 850, a Persian doctor by the name of Rhazes praised the curative properties of almond and sugar paste. (See, now why can’t our doctors today be equally so inspired?) When the Crusaders returned to Europe from the Orient they brought this delicacy back with them. Initially only enjoyed by kings and the very wealthy, by the 19th century when sugar was being extracted from sugar beets, making it cheaper, marzipan became widely accessible. It has been a prized and popular treat ever since.
(history lesson over. see, I told you it was brief)
At the Niederegger Marzipan factory in Lübeck you can see a life-sized display of statues made from marzipan. It’s stunning! I can’t remember, but I would imagine its roped off to keep visitors, and their teeth, from getting too close.
Aside from being dipped in chocolate, wrapped and sold, marzipan is also often shaped into various figures, including fruits and vegetables that look real-life. If you’re crafty, marzipan is a fun medium to work with.
And of course marzipan is incorporated into deliciously decadent cakes and baked goods.
Here are just a couple of baked goods on our site featuring marzipan and if you type “marzipan” into the search box at the top right of the screen you’ll find several more.
MARZIPANKARTOFFELN (CHOCOLATE-DUSTED MARZIPAN “POTATOES”)
MANDELHOERNCHEN (CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MARZIPAN ALMOND HORNS)
Traditional German Bethmännchen (Marzipan Cookies) (click on the links for the recipes)
And the BEST Authentic German Christmas Stollen recipe you’ll find!
So yes, marzipan is a wonderful, wonderful thing. But it’s also an expensive thing. When you buy almond paste it usually comes in very small quantities with a pretty hefty price tag for what you get. That’s why I’m sharing this recipe with you. So that you can make it at a tiny fraction of the cost and have it on hand whenever you need it. And it’s SO quick and easy to make!
Marzipan vs. Almond Paste – What’s the Difference?
In part it comes down to where you live. In Europe it’s widely referred to as marzipan whereas here in North American the term almond paste is more common. But there’s also a difference in the ratio of almonds to sugar as well as consistency. Almond paste is softer and is used in baked goods. Marzipan is firmer and is used in making candies/chocolates or as fondant for cakes. Marzipan also uses rose water. To adjust this recipe according to what you’re using it for, follow this recipe as instructed for almond paste (I still include the rose water because it tastes amazing), or add an extra 1/4 cup or more of ground almonds until you reach a firmer consistency (one that you can roll out with a rolling pin without it sticking).
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Let’s get started!
You can either blanch and grind your own almonds or buy almond meal/flour, which is quicker and more convenient and will yield a more consistent product. The almond meal needs to be completely dried and grinding your own will produce an almond meal that is “wet” because it still has a lot of oil in it. Many large grocery stores carry almond meal. I use and like Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Meal/Flour. Be sure to get almond meal that’s made from blanched almonds (skins removed). If you can’t find it locally, you can also conveniently purchase almond meal online (this particular one is “super finely” ground which is recommended for marzipan.
Add the almond meal to a food processor. I like to use my little Cuisinart food processor for jobs like this. Over 10 years old and still going strong!
Add the powdered sugar to the almond meal and pulse to combine and break up any lumps.
*Diabetics or those looking for a sugar-free marzipan / almond paste option, you can use Swerve Confectioner Sweetener.
Almond paste uses almond extract only. Marzipan also uses rose water for a positively delightful flavor.
There are varying degrees of quality when you buy rose water. Some are inexpensive, some are very expensive (and some of those aren’t even necessarily better). A brand that I’m happy with is Cortas and it is very reasonably priced with good reviews. You can purchase it online here. A bottle of it will last you forever.
Whichever brand you buy, make absolutely sure it is food grade rose water.
You also want to use good quality almond extract. You can find it in many grocery stores or purchase almond extract online here.
Add the rose water and almond extract and pulse to combine.
Add the egg white. Egg white is the traditional moistener. If that worries you, keep in mind that eggs are pasteurized. If you’re still concerned about that, read the “Note” in the recipe box.
Process the ingredients until it comes together in a firm mass.
If it’s too wet, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. Keep in mind though that it will become firmer after it’s been refrigerated.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it a few times just to make sure all the ingredients are fully combined.
Form the dough into a log, ball or disc and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
The marzipan will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks (provided you used very fresh egg white).
Warm the marzipan to room temperature before using.
Enjoy!
PIN ME!
BEST Homemade Marzipan or Almond Paste
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups very finely ground blanched almond flour/meal or blanch, grind and dry your own almonds - I recommend the bought almond meal to ensure it's finely ground and sufficiently dry
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Sugar-free and diabetic alternative: use 1 1/2 cups Swerve Confectioner Sweetener
- 2 teaspoons quality pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon quality food grade rose water
- 1 egg white (vegan: use egg substitute 3+ tablespoons corn syrup, golden syrup, or other sticky liquid sweetener *See Note)
Instructions
- Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up. Add the almond extract and rose water and pulse to combine. Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the mass is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. Keep in mind that it will become firmer after it's been refrigerated.
- Turn the almond marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe.
- Makes 13-14 ounces of marzipan or almond paste
Notes
* Marzipan vs. Almond Paste - the difference: Almond paste is softer and is used in baked goods. Marzipan is firmer and is used in making candies/chocolates or as fondant for cakes. Marzipan also uses rose water. To adjust this recipe according to what you're using it for, follow this recipe as instructed for almond paste (I still include the rose water because it tastes amazing), or add an extra 1/4 cup or more of almond flour/meal until you reach a firmer consistency (one that you can roll out with a rolling pin without it sticking) for marzipan.
Nutrition
Carol says
I cannot believe I have never made marzipan but the cost if you get it here is mindblowing… I made some at Christmas and now am making a simnel cake so will be making some more.. Fabulous recipe 😊
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Carol, thank you so much for the feedback!
Christina says
I’ll preface this review by saying I HATE marzipan. It’s yucky. But.. my husband and his mom adore it. They order See’s Marzipan chocolates every Christmas and eat boxes of them. So, when I was out of birthday ideas for my mother in law, I decided I’d recreate her Christmas favorite. Y’all, she cried. My husband ate a batch before I could even gift them. I followed the recipe to a T using high quality ingredients (pre ground almond flour, powdered sugar, almond extract and egg white) with the exception of omitting the rose water ( I just added plain water in its place ) The texture was great, and rumor has it the flavor was too. Better than See’s was the consensus. Thanks for making me a star. ❤️
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s so awesome, Christina, thanks for the feedback and congratulations on your rise to well-deserved candy-making stardom! :)
Robert says
WOW! Hi from Sydney – I’ll post three responses at once. I did not realise how simple it was to make high quality marzipan – I did not have rose water and I used regular blanched almond meal, but I did pasteurise the egg white (whole egg just covered in water 3 1/2 minutes at 60C) and the finished product was simply incredible. Next day I divided the marzipan to firstly make your Marzipankartoffeln – I weighed out 14 x 20g balls – I had never tasted anything as nice, until of course I used the rest of the “almond paste” to make the Mandelhoernchen – I needed to add about an extra 40 g of almond meal and icing sugar – each was then weighed out at 16 x 30g. I’m just buzzing as these crescents looked as polished as I would expect in a fine bakery. The texture as you bite into it and the taste together with the toasted almond flakes was everything you could possibly love about marzipan. And then the surprise in tasting the slightly caramelised tips hidden under the chocolate. We had coffee with my parents today and it was an absolute hit. Got some rose water today plus some finer almond flour – ready to do it all again. Thank you for sharing such fine recipes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Friendly greetings to Sydney, Robert! That is so awesome that you tried all three of these! I’m absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed the marzipan and that the Mandelhörnchen were a hit – thanks so much for your feedback!
Margit says
Why is the egg white recommended or better than substituting with water or liquid sweetener? What advantage does it have? Does it make it more pliable?
I am wanting to cover a cake…
Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Margit, the egg white makes for a “looser”, softer texture. It’s also partially a matter of personal preference. If you’re using it as a cake fondant I would probably recommend going with a liquid sweetener such as golden syrup or corn syrup as will will make the marzipan a tad firmer.
Marie Grand says
Amazing recipe! Thanks so much for all the detailed instructions. How long can you keep it in the fridge? Would it freeze well?
Louis Sorensen says
I have made this recipe several times for both stollen and Italian pignoli pine nut cookies. I add the rose water to the paste for the stollen, but I found 1 teaspoon to be too overpowering. 1/2 teaspoon seems to be right – just a hint works wonders!
Anna says
The rose water was too strong for me. Maybe less next time or leave out. It overpowers the truffles I made with the marzipan.
Brigitte says
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and love it. This time I used 1 1/4 cup sugar and two tbs water with 1 tbs sugar instead of the egg white. Instead of rose water, I used a tsp. of pineapple extract. Wonderful. I’m so happy I came across your recipe because the price/shipping is absurd.
Siri R. K. LeBaron says
This is the BEST tasting stuff! And SOOOO easy to make. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Siri!
Maryrose says
Excellent, easy to make.
Patricia says
I did not try yet any of your recipes. I just happened to find your website and have been navigating ever since. But, since I noticed that you get some inspiration from the readers, I would like to suggest a recipe from Sweden, called Princess cake. It is covered with pistachio marzipan. Probably the most typical cake there. So delicious.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for the suggestion, Patricia, princess cake is delicious indeed!
nancy paravano says
How do you recommend coloring the marzipan?
Does coloring change the consistency? If so, how do I compensate for the change? Thanks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Nancy, you can use food coloring gel, paste, or liquid, whichever you have. Divide up the marzipan into how many different portions you’ll be coloring and knead in the food coloring. The amount will be so minimal that it shouldn’t impact the consistency but if somehow the marzipan is a little too wet, just knead in a little extra almond flour to compensate.
Gigi says
i don’t have access to rose water…..what can use instead?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gigi, there’s no substitute that will give a similar flavor but you can simply omit it and it will still be delicious.
Joy Paul says
I found Rose Water at a health food store. It’s also sometimes in the “ethnic” section of some bigger grocery stores. The one I found was imported from India. It adds such a wonderful flavor, and after you find it, it lasts for a long time.
Jane says
I was able to find rose water at Whole Foods Market
Cindy Williams says
Hi Gigi, you can order the rose water online from Amazon. Looking in health food stores too, but make sure it’s food grade. There’s a link in Kimberly’s Daring Gourmet website in the ingredients section, you click on the ingredient and it links you where to buy it. I love the rosewater and used it in lemonade, yum! Here’s Kimberly’s link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PN3UYOQ?ie=UTF8&tag=thedargou09-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B00PN3UYOQ
Unicoil says
I can’t find rose water, but I have some rose syrup. Can I use this, and have it be a substitute for some of the sugar? Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Unicoil, yes that should be absolutely fine.