Homemade Marzipan (Almond Paste)

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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!  This homemade marzipan is naturally gluten-free and can very easily be made into a keto marzipan and/or vegan marzipan!

Why You Should Make Your Own

Being from 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 :)  It’s just incredibly delicious.  But it’s also expensive to buy.  The way around this?  Make your own!   Making your own almond paste is not only vastly cheaper, it’s fresher, tastes far better than most store-bought brands, and is SO easy and quick to make! Now you can make your own anytime, anywhere.  Yes, your life is forever changed.  Look no further, this is simply the BEST homemade marzipan recipe!

Marzipan can be found everywhere in Germany but the town most famously associated with marzipan is Lübeck.  A few hours north of where I’m from in Stuttgart, Lübeck is a scenic port town with its famous UNESCO designated Holstentor, a Brick Gothic construction from Medieval times. We visited the town periodically as a family on our trips up north and then later as a young adult I once took on the challenge to bike 72 miles from Rendsburg to Lübeck in the middle of summer, a memory I’ll never forget!  Lübeck is also home to the world famous Niederegger Marzipan which has been around since 1806. And if I had a tally of how many of those marzipan chocolates I’ve eaten in my life I’m sure that figure would be quite staggering!

What is Marzipan?

Marzipan is a sweet confectionery paste made from ground almonds and sugar.  Its flavor is commonly enhanced with almond and rose extracts. It has a smooth and pliable texture, making it easy to mold into various figures and shapes.

Though marzipan has long been associated with Germany and Italy in particular, its roots are actually 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.

Marzipan vs. Almond Paste 

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.  However there is also a difference in consistency resulting from a different ratio of almonds to sugar.

Almond paste is softer, made with a higher ratio of almonds to sugar, and is used in baked goods either as a filling, such as for pastries and tarts, or is incorporated into the pastry or cake batter.  Almond paste usually includes almond extract.

Marzipan is firmer, made with a higher ratio of sugar to almonds, so it can be shaped and molded and used for making candies/chocolates or as fondant for cakes.  It also traditionally includes rose water.

To adjust this recipe according to what you’re using it for, follow this recipe as instructed to make almond paste (I still include the rose water because it tastes amazing and it’s what I’m used to being from Germany where it’s commonly included), or if you’re making marzipan add an extra 1/4 cup or more of sugar until you reach a firmer consistency (one that you can roll out with a rolling pin without it sticking).

How to Make Sugar Free Keto Marzipan

This DIY marzipan recipe lends itself perfectly to turning into a keto marzipan. The process is identical as are all of the ingredients except for the sugar. All you have to is swap out the confectioners/powdered sugar for your favorite alternative substitute. I’ve used Swerve Confectioner Sweetener on multiple occasions and am really happy with the results.

How to Make Vegan Marzipan

Turning this into a vegan marzipan recipe is every bit as easy as the keto marzipan recipe. To make this vegan you simply omit the egg white and use either water or a liquid sweetener of your choice such as agave syrup, brown rice syrup, Karo syrup, etc. Honey works too but in my opinion it makes it far too sweet.

Variations

You can substitute the extracts for other extract flavors if you wish. Feel free to experiment and create a variety of delicious candies and confections. Another classic variation on traditional almond marzipan is pistachio marzipan, which I’ll show you how to make as part of making these world renowned Austrian Mozartkugeln!

Marzipan Recipe 

Let’s get started!

Add the almond flour to a food processor.   Add the powdered sugar to the almond meal and pulse to combine and break up any lumps. 

Add the rose water, almond extract, and egg white or water or liquid sweetener and pulse to combine.

Use good quality almond extract and rose water (and be sure it’s food grade).  Nothing will spoil the flavor of the almond paste more than poor quality extracts.

Process the ingredients until it comes together in a firm mass. If it’s too wet, add some more almond flour.   Keep in mind though that it will become firmer after it’s been refrigerated.

Turn it 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. It will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks (provided you used very fresh egg white).  It will keep even longer if you use a sugar syrup alternative (see recipe below).

Let it come to room temperature before using.

Storage

Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, this marzipan and almond paste will keep in the fridge for at least weeks if made with egg white. If made without egg white it will keep even longer. Can marzipan be frozen? Yes but make it without the egg white. Wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months, then let thaw before using.

How to Use Marzipan and Almond Paste

Marzipan and almond paste are versatile ingredients that can be used in a variety delicious ways.  Really there is no shortage of delicious confections you can create with them. Here are a few ideas:

• Candy Making: Marzipan can be shaped into bite-sized pieces and coated with chocolate to create chocolates or truffles like my Marzipan Truffles and Marzipankartoffeln.  Or you can make the world famous confection from Salzburg, Austria, called Mozartkugeln.  Marzipan is also commonly shaped into various figures like real-life looking fruits and vegetables. If you’re crafty, marzipan is a really fun (and tasty!) medium to work with! Simply adjust the amount of almond flour or water to get the consistency you need to shape the it.
• Filling Pastries and Adding to Baked Goods:  Use it to fill pastries such as croissants, buns, tarts, pies, Danish pastries, and of course the famous German Stollen.  It can also be used to make cookies like Almond Horns and Bethmännchen or cakes like our Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake and Pineapple Cake with Marzipan.  It can also be crumbled and added to crisps, crumbles, cobblers, streusel toppings, cookie dough, muffin batter, or a variety of sweet breads.
• Making Decorations: Marzipan is very pliable and ideal for using to create decorative elements for cakes and cupcakes.  You can shape it into various figures such as flowers, fruits, and animals.  You can easily add food coloring to it to make a variety of colors to work with.  Once the shapes are made, let them sit out at room temperature where they will form a dry outer coating and firm up.  Then you can place them on the cake.
• Cake Covering:  Roll the marzipan into a thin sheet and use it to cover cakes like Battenberg cake and Christmas cake for a smooth and sweet almond-flavored layer.  You can then apply decorative icing on top of it if you wish.

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet June 23, 2014