Marzipan potatoes, known as Marzipankartoffeln, are a favorite treat in Germany, especially during the Christmas season. Make your own with this Marzipankartoffeln recipe – they’re super easy, super delicious, and make the cutest gifts!
What Are Marzipankartoffeln?
Move over cookie dough and marzipan lovers unite! Those of you who have been making my homemade marzipan know how addictive this stuff is.  And what’s so great about it is that it’s so doggone easy to make.  Delicious, fast and easy – now that’s a winning combination!
Here’s a fun and easy way to put this marzipan to use. Â All over Germany this time of year in virtually every grocery store you can find these delectable tender marzipan candies dusted in chocolate. Â They’re called Marzipankartoffeln (marzipan potatoes) not because they resemble baby potatoes in appearance.
Chewy, tender and sweet, these marzipan goodies are a true delight!
I had some marzipan leftover from my Christmas baking and was trying to decide what to make with it.  Like a flash, I remembered these delicious little Marzipankartoffeln I used to enjoy every year in Germany.  I haven’t had these since I moved to the U.S. eleven years ago!
These German marzipan potatoes were always a favorite treat of mine and making them yourself is super simple. Â Beyond making a the base batch of homemade marzipan, there’s really very little left to do.
Easy and delicious, these Marzipankartoffeln also make super cute gifts wrapped up in little bags!
Marzipankartoffeln Recipe
Let’s get started!
Whip up a batch of my EASY homemade marzipan.
Refrigerate as instructed in the recipe.
Place the marzipan and the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Use your hands to combine it into a stiff mass. Â Keep kneading it until the powdered sugar is all incorporated. Â It will be stiff but if it’s too dry to roll into small balls, add just a half of a teaspoon or so of water at a time.
You should have a stiff but malleable dough that doesn’t brittle apart when you roll it into balls.
Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into balls between the palms of your hands. Â They should be 3/4 inch in diameter.
Place a few at a time in a bowl of Dutch process cocoa and toss to coat.
Place the chocolate-coated marzipan balls in a sieve and shake over the bowl of cocoa powder to remove the excess cocoa.
That’s it!
Your Marzipankartoffeln / German Marzipan Potatoes are done!
Keep the Marzipan Kartoffeln stored in an airtight container.  If you made the marzipan with traditional egg white I recommend keeping them stored in the fridge.  They’ll last for up to a couple of weeks.  If you used corn syrup you can store them outside the refrigerator and they’ll last even longer (note, using corn syrup they won’t have as tender of a texture).
Enjoy!
Marzipankartoffeln (Marzipan Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 7 ounces marzipan (see quick and easy homemade marzipan recipe)
- 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon water , plus more if necessary
- 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place the marzipan in a large mixing bowl with the powdered sugar. Use your hands to knead the mixture until the powdered sugar is incorporated. The marzipan will be stiff but should be malleable and able to be rolled into small balls without crumbling apart. If necessary, add the water and more if necessary, a few drops at a time.
- Break off pieces of the marzipan and roll them into 3/4 inch sized balls.Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl and add the marzipan balls in a few at a time, tossing them in the chocolate until coated.Place a sieve over the bowl and shake the chocolate-covered marzipan balls in it to release the excess chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container. (If you used the traditional egg white when making the homemade marzipan, keep them stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. If you used corn syrup you don't need to keep them in the fridge and they will last even longer. Note, if made with corn syrup the texture won't be as tender.)
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 29, 2015
Tasneem Hussain says
Hi, I bought these but nobody likes it at my house. Too sweet for our taste. Is there any recipe where I can use these?
Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tasneem, these are simply marzipan dusted with chocolate so you can pretty much use them in any recipe that calls for marzipan.
Char says
I just made these as a Christmas present for a German friend who grew up eating them. I hope that he will enjoy them.
Although I have enjoyed marzipan in many other ways, I have never tried these. I was tempted to use store bought marzipan, but I faced my nervousness and, after reading your homemade marzipan recipe 6 times, I made it! I spent more time reading the recipe than making the marzipan. LOL!
That said, I do have one question about the “potatoes”. I have no idea what a 3/4 inch ball is. I weighed mine into 23g pieces. I think that was a bit too large. Can you tell me the weight of the marzipan used for each ball?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Char, I’m so glad you made it! The size isn’t an exact science at all, it’s strictly a matter of personal preference and you can make these any size you like.
Char says
Kimberly,
Thanks for getting back to me. While I understand that I can make the candies any size I like, I am asking about the size of the pieces in order to figure out how to apply the nutritional information provided with the recipe. Either the weight per piece or the approximate number of 3/4 inch pieces per batch would allow me to adjust the nutritional information appropriately.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Char, I don’t know much they weigh, sorry. You’ll find the total yield near the top of the recipe box above the ingredients list – it yields roughly 25 Marzipankartoffeln and that’s based on them being made 3/4 inch in diameter.
susan says
Reading this recipe brought back memories of childhood and my mother’s Christmas baking. She made something almost exactly the same except that she rolled the marzipan around a maraschino cherry, and rolled the whole thing in cocoa.
The best thing of all is that they’re gluten free and I, too, can suffer death by marzipan.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That confection your mother made sounds heavenly, Susan! Yes, I take comfort in knowing there are far worse ways to die than a marzipan overdose, LOL! :)
Ksenia Panova says
Hi!
I have a tube of almond paste.
I realize it is coarser and darker and a bit less smooth than traditional marzipan, but I wonder if you’ve ever made the recipe using almond paste?
Will it make an adequate substitute?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ksenia, yes, you can definitely use almond paste to make these, you’ll probably just need to add some extra ground almonds and powdered sugar to stiffen it up more.
Jessica says
I’m curious – why add more powdered sugar to the marzipan to make marzipan potatoes? For the sweetness or texture/firmness? Could I try not adding the extra sugar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jessica, yes, it’s largely for texture and firmness and to keep them from being too sticky.
Natalie Loftus says
I am just giggling with delight! I used to eat these every year for at Christmastime in Germany and had completely forgotten about them until stumbling upon your recipe. I whipped up a batch of marzipan using your recipe and made these kartoffeln. I feel like a child on Christmas morning :) These are SO good!! Will be making several batches of these to give to family and friends. THANK YOU!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Natalie, thank you!
Emily Summer says
Well, in my haste to make these I got regular almond meal instead of blanched almond meal. But…..even so, the marzipan is delicious, except that it is tanish. No matter, I will dip them in cocoa and enjoy them just as much. I grew up on Marzipan, having German parents, and now I can eat whenever I want. Death by marzipan.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hear, hear, Emily! :) Yes, I did the same thing once – ordered 4 bags of the unblanched ground almonds ;) I was able to use them anyway in other baked goods so it wasn’t a big deal. And yes, even though the marzipan doesn’t look as pretty, it still tastes every bit as good!