Pistachio Marzipan

Get ready to fall utterly in love with this incredible Pistachio Marzipan!  A beautiful green and positively bursting with flavor, this pistachio marzipan recipe takes all of 5 minutes to make!  That’s FIVE minutes away from pure heaven!

There are essentially two ways to make pistachio marzipan:  With 100% pistachios or with a combination of pistachios and almonds.  We are making this with a combination of the two because we feel it provides a better flavor balance.  Even Niederegger, the world’s most famous brand of Marzipan founded in Lübeck, Germany in 1806, makes their pistachio marzipan with a ratio of 3:1 almonds to pistachios.

That said, if you really want to go hard core for an especially bold and robust pistachio flavor you can use all pistachios in this recipe.  No other adjustments needed, simply substitute the almonds for more pistachios.

We recommend using unsalted pistachios.  If you cannot find them, go ahead and use salted.  This recipe works with either raw or roasted pistachios (I usually use roasted).

The more pistachios you use relative to almonds the “greener” your pistachio marzipan will be.  With the ratio of pistachios called for in this recipe the marzipan is a nice, natural green color.  If you prefer it to be a more vibrant green you can add a drop or two of green food coloring.

Do I Have to Use Egg White?

If you’re concerned about using raw egg you have a few options.  You can either substitute liquid pasteurized egg whites or you can use reconstituted powdered egg whites.  Another option is to use a liquid sweetener such as golden syrup, corn syrup or agave.

How to Use Pistachio Marzipan

Use it for making chocolate dipped candies, as a filling in pastries, a fondant for cakes, and for any recipe that calls for regular marzipan that you want to jazz up a bit with the unique flavor element of pistachio.  Pistachio marzipan is also a central ingredient in Mozartkugeln, the famous German confection from Austria.

And of course you can eat it plain all by its amazing self!

Quick and easy to make, you’ll love experimenting with creative ways of using this beautiful and delicious Pistachio Marzipan!

Pistachio Marzipan Recipe

Let’s get started!

If you’ve already made our regular Marzipan, the process is exactly the same.

Place the almond flour, pistachios, and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up.

Add the almond extract and rum extract and pulse to combine. Add the egg white and process. 

If desire you can add a drop or two of natural green food coloring.

As a point of reference, here is the same batch of pistachio marzipan without food coloring (on the left) and two drops of natural food coloring added (on the right).  I’m using the TESCO brand of natural food coloring (colored with spirulina) that I brought back with me from our last trip to England.  You can also find natural green food coloring here on Amazon.

As you continue to process the mixture it will come together in a thick dough.  (If you’re using a liquid sweetener instead of egg white the mixture won’t come together as easily as with egg white and you may need to use your hands to press the moist crumbs together into a dough.)  If the mass is 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 pistachio 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 (longer if using liquid sweetener instead of egg white) or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe.

Makes 13-14 ounces of pistachio marzipan.

Enjoy!

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