Have you ever seen those adorable edible fruits, vegetables, animals or other items sitting on top of a cake or candy? Did you wonder what they are made of? It’s marzipan, a combination of blanched and finely ground almonds, sugar, and something to bind those ingredients together. The confection is also used in lots of baked goods, especially Danish pastry, and those beautiful almond crescents I lust after in bakery cases.
Grocery stores sell marzipan (typically near chips and other baking supplies), but it’s frightfully expensive. Now that I know how to make this delight, I’ll never have to pay those high prices again. Plus, when I mentioned this adventure to several friends, their eyes lit up, so I’ll revisit this homemade goodie at holiday time. It would make an easy and delicious homemade gift, like candied ginger and chocolate bark.
Marzipan came on my radar when I made my friend Marguerite’s gluten-free berry cake. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of gluten-free marzipan. The only brand I found in local stores, Odense, claims to be gluten-free, but uses wheat starch. (The company website says that the amount of wheat contained in their marzipan is below the FDA standard so they can call their product gluten-free.) That fact, plus the price ($6 for a log – more than I needed) convinced me to make my own marzipan.
Down the rabbit hole I went.
Hours later I knew the following about marzipan:
- It can be made either without heating or it can be cooked.
- The ratio of ground almonds to sugar in marzipan can vary tremendously depending on the recipe. I found ratios of almonds to sugar from just over 1-to-4 (in the Odense brand) to a 3-to-2 ratio in one homemade recipe.
- A more intense version of almonds and sugar is called almond paste, but whether a particular recipe is marzipan or the more intensely flavored almond paste is a matter of semantics. For example, Odense marzipan is 28% almonds and Odense almond paste is 45% almonds. Another brand, Love ‘n Bake, uses 40% almonds in its marzipan, making it almost like the Odense almond paste. The Love ‘n Bake almond paste is made with 66% almonds.
- The binding agent can be egg white, lemon juice, corn syrup or other liquid sugar, water, liqueur (especially Kirsch, which is cherry-flavored) or some combination. For food safety reasons, it is not advisable to use an egg white if you are doing the uncooked version (unless the marzipan will be baked into a pastry.)
- Some recipes give the marzipan a flavor boost with almond extract, while others do not.
Here’s how I made my homemade version. Luckily, I promised a neighbor some or I might have eaten the whole log myself.
Homemade Marzipan
Servings – 1 log approximately 10 ounces (about 6 inches by 1½ inches) Cost – $2
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched and ground almonds (approximately 3⅝ ounces) – almond flour is the easiest way to get this ingredient, but you could buy blanched almonds and grind them yourself
- 2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar (approximately 5⅖ ounces)
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Equipment
- Food scale or measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large bowl
- Sifter or mesh strainer
- Small bowls for the liquid ingredients
- Large spoon or spatula
- 1 gallon plastic bag
- Cutting board
- Small knife
Preparation
- Pour the almond flour and confectioners sugar into the sifter or mesh strainer over the bowl. [It is preferable to weigh those dry ingredients rather than measure them because weighing is more accurate; how much you push them down in the measuring cup will affect how much fits in, whereas on a scale the weight doesn’t vary by how much you have compacted the ground almonds or sugar. In any event, as you could tell from the description above, the ratio varies so much in recipes I found that I doubt a small variation in the amount of either ingredient will dramatically affect the taste or texture of the marzipan.]
- Sift the ground almonds and sugar together. If you prefer to hand mix them, make sure they are completely combined.
- Mix the almond extract and corn syrup and pour them into the dry ingredients. Mix and then knead with your hand until the mixture is slightly wet, although it won’t fully bind together yet.
- Add ½ tablespoon of water at first, then the rest of the tablespoon only if necessary, working the mixture until it becomes dough-like. If necessary add a bit more water, but be conservative and add by 1/2 tablespoons, not more. Shape the now-pliable dough into an oblong, put in the freezer bag and gently roll it into a smooth log.
- Refrigerate the log for at least one hour. To serve, cut the chilled marzipan into pieces about ½ inch thick.
If you want to really go to town, cut each piece in half and dip it in melted chocolate.
Later in the week – Gluten-Free Berry Cake with marzipan as an ingredient.
I adore marizpan and your recipes looks fantastic! Plus it’s so hard to get fresh marzipan. It’s always very dried out. When I was a kid I came across a recipe in National Geographic Kids for a marizpan recipe that used potatoes and almond extract. However, this was back in the ’70s when it was hard to get almond flour or even raw almonds, so it was a decent alternative.
Ann-Marie, So glad you like the marzipan and the recipes. Now that I know how to make it myself, I’m not buying it – so much easier and less expensive these days. A far cry from those days in the 1970’s (yes, I remember them too) when it was difficult to get raw almonds or almond flour.
As a huge almond fan, I’m excited to try this sometime. Marzipan is one of the things I almost always have on hand, but how cool to make your own.
I am such a fan of almond extract. I adore this!
This is a fantastic post. I love it when the opportunity presents itself and we have to teach ourselves something new. I’ve wondered how to make marzipan so I’ll be bookmarking this to try in the future.
I had no idea that making marzipan could be done so easy. I had always been intimidated by its seeming intricateness to make!
Cyrus – Thanks for stopping by. Do try it. Making marzipan is like making homemade Play Doh 🙂
Laura this is a fantastic tutorial- I used to love breaking apart candy houses as a kid and almost breaking my teeth on marzipan..then getting chased with a wooden spoon.
Arman, I’m imagining you breaking the candy houses with your sister standing by, frantically calling for your mom (or mum as I guess you’d call her:)
I’ve never made my own marzipan – great tutorial! I think my toddler would have fun helping out in the kitchen with this, and then making little animals/shapes that he can then eat 🙂
Ashley – I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as your toddler will. It’s a blast. Brings back memories of Play Doh for me, but this stuff is divinely edible.
It’s been over a decade since I last made marzipan: I’d forgotten how much I love it until I was reading through your post. I especially enjoy making little fruit baskets to give out for the holidays.
Renee, How lovely that you’ve already made marzipan. I was amazed at how simple it was and how many memories it brings back for friends and relatives.
My dad has a birthday on the 2nd of November and he absolutely loves marzipan. I think I am going to make this for him for his birthday instead of his usual block of swiss cheese. How long will this stay fresh?
Brenda, I’m delighted that you’re going to make it for your dad. I’ve never been able to keep it around long enough to test its “shelf life” but I would keep it tightly covered and refrigerated for however long it lasts. I checked around the net and soem sources said to refrigerate it and others said not to do so. I would because it is basically a nut dough and I store opened packages of nuts in the refrigerator. I would imagine that it should last at least several weeks, but again, I haven’t tested it for length of storage.
Gave my dad his marzipan tonight and he absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Do you have other recipes that you include marzipan in? My dad is curious.
Hello,
I love your recipe! I have made marzipan myself, but thank you for your tip using corn syrup, great idea! Also I would like to recommend adding a spoonful of rose water which is widely used in the orient for making sweet dishes. Try it out, it brings marzipan up a notch! Thank you for your great website!!!
Many thanks for your kind words Heike. I’m definitely going to try your tip about adding rosewater – I do love it in Middle Eastern sweets.
Laura, you mention not using egg white, but what about egg whites from pasteurized eggs?. I like your tutorial.
David, You’re right that using pasteurized egg whites in homemade marzipan is a good way to avoid the safety concerns associated with using raw egg whites in uncooked marzipan. Glad you liked the tutorial.
I tried this recipe and it is not marzipan! It tastes like almond flavoured sugar. I have tasted marzipan all over Europe and it is nothing like this. I wasted my ingredients making it. First time I have ever had to make a negative comment , but I do not want people to think this passes as marzipan.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t like the marzipan. Before writing this post and creating the recipe, I extensively researched marzipan and have tasted my fair share of it – in Europe and in the states. This recipe works for me and many others who have tried it. Last week I used a slight variation in Dutch pastries called rondos and banket – a number of Dutch friends raved about them, including the filling. PS – The recipe only works well with very high quality blanched almonds. If the almonds aren’t blanched (as in the ground almonds that Trader Joe’s sells) or if the almonds are not very finely ground, I can imagine that the marzipan would not taste very good.
HI Laura,
Thanks for the good Marzipan Recipe. I just made it and it turned out really good ,soft and pliable. I like to know, if i can substitute honey for corn syrup?
some recipes call for bitter almond extract or ground bitter almond, any idea how much i can use in this recipe?. Finally what kind of coloring should be used to color the marzipan? ( preferably natural colors).
can I use cocoa butter colors?
Thank you for answering my questions.
Best Regards
Emily
Emily,
Many thanks for stopping by and for your kind words. I have never tried honey as a substitute for corn syrup. I think it would work, but can’t be sure. I couldn’t find bitter almond extract or ground bitter almond so I didn’t get to try it in this recipe. Here is some advice I found on using bitter almonds. Apparently marzipan made in Lubeck, Germany is supposed to be the best in the world. The recipe is simple, “The best marzipan recipes use a two to one ratio of almonds and sugar. The old masters don’t consider a mix that contains more than half sugar as true marzipan. A trick used to make really great marzipan is to use 1 bitter almond to every 100 good almonds in the almond mix. If you’ve ever tasted a bitter almond, you understand how only one can have a serious effect. The smallest taste is an extremely gross experience you won’t soon forget. A bitter almond uniquely alters the recipe and is always used in the best almond paste used in marzipan. One note about bitter almonds: do not be eat them in large amounts because they contain to trace amounts of cyanide.” http://www.cheftalk.com/t/7620/questions-about-marzipan While that doesn’t tell you exactly how much to use in this recipe, it does suggest that you would use very little. Using natural food colors is a great idea. I haven’t tried it, but do let me know what you find out if you play around with them. Regards, Laura
Hi … I don’t like the, even it not so much, granulated sugar feel coming from the confectioners sugar when tasting marzipan. I tried the recipe without it, but it was too sticky. Is there any good recipe without confectioners sugar and the end result is not too sticky? Thanks.
Attila, Sorry if the marzipan isn’t to your taste. I’m not sure what you’re looking for in terms of a substitution for the confectioners sugar. You need a sweetening agent: sugar, honey, or an artificial sweetener such as swerve is required.
I love marzipan, but I’ve only made it once and that was years ago. It’s so addictively delicious, and I can imagine that dipping it into chocolate really takes it over the top!
Faith, Even thinking about chocolate-dipped marzipan brings a smile to my face. Thanks for stopping by and happy holidays.
Wow, this is way easier than I thought it would be! Who knew there were so many variations in recipes. Thanks for the insight!!
I must had done something wrong. It came out really dry. I followed the recipe. Came out dry
Erik, So sorry to hear that. I have made this recipe several times and it always works for me. There may be reasons (such as the dryness of your climate or a slight difference in the amounts of various ingredients used) that could cause the marzipan to need additional water to make it hold together. If you add a bit more corn syrup, it will be sweeter, but will also possibly hold together better. Hope you’ll find the glitch and get a better batch next time.
I had the same problem as Erik. Even added additional corn syrup and the full 1 Tblsp. of water. I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour but it was cold when I started. Wonder if that made a difference.
Carol, Hmmm. I’ll have to try it with cold and room temperature flour to see if it makes a difference. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know your experience with the recipe.
How long will this keep pls. and can it be frozen for later use?
Thank you in advance
Carol, I’ve never tried to keep the marzipan longer than a few days and haven’t frozen it, so I don’t know. Most of the time, I’ve used the marzipan immediately for a recipe. It seems as if it should freeze, though I wonder if the consistency would become more crumbly.