With this marzipan recipe, you can easily mix up a batch of gourmet almond confectionery in five minutes with just a handful of ingredients. There are so many ways to use this delicious candy clay for making sweets and baked goods, you'll want to keep some handy in your refrigerator or freezer.
About this recipe
Though not as common in the United States, marzipan is very popular all over Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, where the molded almond candy is often a traditional sweet for celebrations and religious holidays as well as a day-to-day snack.
In the United States, marzipan shaped into fruits can sometimes be found in specialty chocolate shops. Commercially produced logs of this delicacy are available in many supermarket baking aisles, but at gourmet prices.
You may be surprised to find out that this marzipan recipe makes a delicious loaf of sweet almond candy for a fraction of the cost of packaged marzipan and it takes literally five minutes to throw together. Then you are ready to create all kinds of giftable, shareable treats!
Ingredients
Rose water is a flavoring often used in Middle Eastern and European sweets. It has a delicate floral flavor that blends well with the almond flavors in this recipe. If you don’t have any or if you don’t like it, just leave it out.
Directions
- Place the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar in the food processor bowl and pulse to combine.
- Add 4 tablespoons of corn syrup and the flavorings. Process until the ingredients come together and a dough forms, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead just until smooth. It may be a bit sticky, but will firm further in the fridge.
- Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
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Tips
- If you don’t have a food processor, this marzipan recipe can also be made with an electric mixer using the paddle attachment.
- Though the cup measurements for the almond flour and powdered sugar are the same in this recipe, there is more powdered sugar by weight. The higher amount of sugar enables the molded candies to dry and hold their shape.
- Honey, golden syrup, or glycerin can be substituted for the corn syrup in this recipe.
- Add color with food coloring or cocoa powder. Food coloring gels or natural coloring powders work well kneaded into the almond dough.
- If the dough is still too sticky after refrigerating, knead in additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Marzipan can be sliced and enjoyed on its own or used as a candy dough to create edible decorations for baked goods and for candy making.
FAQ's about marzipan
It’s made of almonds, sugar, and either egg white or a liquid sweetener ( corn syrup, glycerin, or honey). Some marzipan also contains almond extract and rose water.
No. Almond paste contains more almonds than sugar to keep the mixture soft. It's used mixed with other ingredients to flavor baked goods or to make fillings.
Marzipan contains more sugar than almonds. This allows shaped or molded marzipan candies to dry out and hold their shape.
It's most often used like a candy dough to form shaped or molded candies and decorations for baked goods. It can also be used as an ingredient in cakes and cookies.
Recipes for homemade marzipan
Homemade marzipan is easy to make and can be used in so many ways! Whip up a batch in minutes to turn into eye catching treats.
Marzipan Chocolates get rave reviews from everyone who takes a bite! Make professional looking bonbons in minutes with just 2 ingredients. They make the best gifts!
Use cookie stamps or tools from your kitchen to imprint beautiful designs on these discs of Marzipan Springerle Candy.
Almond lovers will swoon over these Marzipan Cookies! Plus, they are naturally gluten free.
Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
Marzipan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fine almond flour 142 g
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar 170 g icing sugar
- 4 tablespoons light corn syrup 82 g
- 1-2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon rose water
Instructions
- Place the almond flour and confectioner's sugar in the food processor bowl and pulse to combine.
- Add 4 tablespoons of corn syrup and the flavorings. Process until the ingredients come together and a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the marzipan dough out onto the counter and knead just until smooth. It may be a bit sticky, but will firm further in the fridge.
- Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using in recipes.
- Wrapped marzipan candy can be stored for a long time; in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If freezing, place wrapped log in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock plastic bag.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, this traditional recipe can also be made with an electric mixer using the paddle attachment.
- Though the cup measurements for the almond flour and powdered sugar are the same in this recipe, there is more powdered sugar by weight. The higher amount of sugar enables the molded candies to dry and hold their shape.
- Honey, golden syrup, or glycerin can be substituted for the corn syrup in this recipe.
- Almond meal is not recommended for this recipe. Almond flour has a lighter color and a finer texture than almond meal.
- Blanched whole almonds or blanched ground almonds can be ground into a fine textured flour and used in this recipe.
- Add color with food coloring or cocoa powder. Food coloring gels or natural coloring powders work well kneaded into the almond dough.
- If the dough is still too sticky after refrigerating, knead in additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Delicious marzipan can be sliced and enjoyed on its own or used as a candy dough to create edible decorations for baked goods and for candy making.
- Traditional marzipan uses include marzipan fruit shapes, Christmas cakes, fruit cakes, marzipan chocolate candy and Easter eggs, and marzipan cookies.
- Use marzipan candy as filling for almond croissants and chocolate marzipan truffles.
Jaclyn
Hello! My daughter is going to be making marzipan cookies for school. Can I make this without rose water? Do I need to substitute something in its place? Thank you!
Wendy Sondov
You can make the marzipan without rose water and you don't need to substitute anything else. Rose water is traditional but using just almond flavor is also delicious.
Linda
I followed the directions using Bob’s almond flour, but no rose water. Mine turned out quite dry. Added a tiny bit of water, which helped somewhat, kneaded it as possible and put it in the fridge. Hopefully it will come together a bit more. I’m curious about your thoughts.
Wendy Sondov
Linda, I've used this recipe so many times and never had this problem, but these are my guesses as to why your marzipan would turn out dry. My first thought would be to check that all of the ingredients were measured correctly. The almond flour should be spooned into the measuring cup, then leveled. Scooping would cause the almond flour to compact and you would end up with too much. The flavorings add liquid as well as flavor, so skipping the rose water and adding water should have been fine. My second thought is that you didn't process the dough long enough. As the almond flour is processed, oils are released which brings the dough together. The dough will look crumbly at first, then will begin to form doughy clumps (see photos).I've experienced the dough being sticky and needing a bit more powdered sugar kneeded in, but I've never had it come out dry. If your refrigerating doesn't work, bring the dough to room temperature and try processing it a bit longer. I'm not sure if that will work at this point, but it's worth a try.
Linda
Thanks, Wendy. I weighed the dry ingredients, so I don’t think it’s that. I’ll see how it looks tomorrow. Tastes good!
Mike
Thanks for the recipe. Excited to try it. One question. You list 1 1/2 c confectioners sugar AND 170 g icing sugar in ingredients. Aren’t these the same thing ? Is the “170 g” meant to state how much 1.5 c weighs? Or are both supposed to be used? Also, the directions do not say what to do with the icing sugar.
Any clarification appreciated!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Mike. Sorry about the confusion. There are only 5 ingredients in this recipe; almond flour, confectioners sugar, corn syrup, alond extract, rose water. The information next to several ingredients is just the weightequivalent in grams. 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar equals 170 grams of confectioners sugar (Also called icing sugar which, as you mentioned.). You can ignore the gram weights completely or weigh your ingredients. I hope this clarifies the recipe.
Mike
Perfect- thanks!
I appreciate the grams- that’s the measurement I prefer to use when baking.
And thanks for the quick reply.
Anxious to try the recipe!