Updated: Jan. 12, 2024
It's an essential ingredient for holiday baking. But what is marzipan? And what are your options if you can't find any at the store?
You’ve seen it in baking recipes, and it even has its own holiday (January 12, in case you were wondering). Marzipan is an incredible baking ingredient that’s essential to the best holiday treats. It’s sweet and delicious, and you can use it to make the cutest little candies, frosted cakes and bite-sized, Marzipan-filled dessert cups. If you’ve never worked with it before, you might think marzipan is another name for almond paste. They’re both made with almonds, so they must be the same, right?
What Is Marzipan, Anyway?
Before we dive into how to make it, you may be wondering what marzipan is. Marzipan is a light, candy-like mixture made by mixing finely-ground almonds with sugar, corn syrup and egg whites. Some say it originated in Persia, but others claim it came from Germany, Spain, Italy or France. In fact, the ingredient was so popular in Spain that settlers brought it over to the Americas, where it is made with peanuts instead of almonds.
While its origins are vague, one thing is clear: It has become famous for its use during Christmastime. You’ll find chocolate-covered treats all year round, but the winter holidays bring us the famous stollen cake from Germany and yule logs from France.
Are Almond Paste and Marzipan the Same Thing?
If you’re tempted to use almond paste as a substitute for marzipan, don’t! You can certainly add sugar and corn syrup to almond paste to make it marzipan-like, but it’s not a good swap as-is. Both products are made with sugar and almonds, but marzipan has a candy-like flavor and a secret ingredient–an egg white–that makes it smooth and moldable. Almond paste, on the other hand, is coarser in texture and less sweet, making it better suited for use as a filling.
You might see people use marzipan and fondant interchangeably in cake decorating. You could certainly use fondant as a substitute, since it has the same sweet flavor and a moldable consistency, but you’ll find it’s not as easy to work with. The almonds in marzipan act as a flour, keeping the product moist and easy to roll. Fondant is made from sugar and gelatin, so it tends to dry out easily as you roll it. It also lacks the characteristic almond flavor that makes marzipan so crave-worthy.
How to Make Marzipan
It’s actually surprisingly easy to make marzipan! Many recipes tell you to add confectioners’ sugar and corn syrup to almond paste, but we find these versions way too sweet and lacking in natural almond flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almonds
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon egg white
Yield: about 1 cup
Directions
Step 1: Blend it up
Start by combining the almonds and 1/4 cup of the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor (this is our favorite food processor brand!). Pulse the mixture until it’s well blended. Then, add the remaining confectioners’ sugar along with the almond extract and light corn syrup. Process for one minute until the mixture is very smooth. Finally, add the egg white and process until the mixture forms a ball.
Step 2: Let it rest
No matter how you plan to use it, it’s important to let the marzipan rest. Otherwise, the mixture will be too warm and can fall apart as you work it. Remove the marzipan from the food processor and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour, until firm.
Step 3: Enjoy!
The marzipan is now ready to use! You can eat it as-is like candy, or press it into molds to make fun shapes like fruits, stars or animals. It can also be used like fondant as a cake topper or placed between two cake layers to create a flavorful divider. If you’d like, you can color it using food coloring to make it extra festive. Now, try these marzipan cake recipes that we love.
FAQs
"It can be made by cooking almonds and syrup together and then cooling and crystallizing the mixture, or ground almonds can be mixed with a pre-made fondant and powdered sugar. Egg white or gelatin is sometimes added to improve the binding."
What is marzipan made out of? ›
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract.
What is marzipan called in the US? ›
What is Marzipan? Marzipan, also known as almond candy dough, is a smooth and pliable confectionary paste made from almonds that can be used as a cake icing or molded into candies. It features a clay-like consistency that makes it easy to handle.
What is so special about marzipan? ›
Marzipan gives essence to almond croissants, king cakes, stollen and some holiday cookies. It is pliable enough to behave like fondant for covering layer cakes, as in the Swedish princess cake. It may be woven into your DNA as it is mine through any number of lineages.
How are you supposed to eat marzipan? ›
You can eat it as-is like candy, or press it into molds to make fun shapes like fruits, stars or animals. It can also be used like fondant as a cake topper or placed between two cake layers to create a flavorful divider.
Is marzipan good or bad for you? ›
1 Because marzipan is based on almonds, it is a sufficient content of vitamin E, in fact, as in the walnut. This vitamin in nature is a very powerful antioxidant and helps to fight stress and nervous tension.
Why is marzipan so expensive? ›
Marzipan comes from nuts—it's traditionally made with ground almonds. In order to maintain quality standards, many countries regulate the percentage of almonds a recipe must have for it to be legally called "marzipan." This discourages the use of apricot kernels as a cheap substitute for almonds.
Does marzipan taste like? ›
What Does Marzipan Taste Like? Marzipan has a very sweet, nutty almond flavor. Its texture is soft, chewy and slightly rough due to the ground up almonds.
What city is famous for marzipan? ›
Lübeck Marzipan (German: Lübecker Marzipan) refers to marzipan originating from the city of Lübeck in northern Germany and has been protected by an EU Council Directive as a “Protected Geographical Indication” (PGI) since 1996.
What is the old word for marzipan? ›
The German name 'marzipan' has supplanted the original English name 'marchpane. ' Some theorise that it originally comes from the Latin 'martius panis', or 'March bread'.
Commercially produced marzipan contains around 28% almonds and 21 grams sugar per 2 tablespoons so it's sweeter than almond paste. Because marzipan is stiff, it lends itself to be cut out or shaped three-dimensionally for candies shaped like fruits, or for cake and pastry decorations.
Can marzipan be eaten raw? ›
While there are no standards in the US for almond content in marzipan, it tends to be between 25 and 30 percent by weight. Marzipan can be eaten raw and is used to make candies, ice cakes, or as a filling.
Who makes the best marzipan in the world? ›
The World's Finest Marzipan
Lubeca has been producing marzipan since 1904. The company continues to use traditional methods of production and is recognized by bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers as one of the leading producers of high quality almond paste marzipan.
Can marzipan expire? ›
The shelf life of marzipan is from 3 to 12 months, depending on the product. Marzipan with a high content of almonds, like sweets with filling, should be consumed within six months.
Should marzipan be refrigerated? ›
Like sugarpaste, marzipan will start to harden when it is exposed to the air so keep any unused marzipan tightly wrapped in plastic food bags. It does not need to be kept in the fridge.
What's the difference between marzipan and frangipane? ›
Frangipane is a rich, cream-based filling, while marzipan is a thick paste mostly used for decorative purposes. The main thing they have in common is the almonds required to make each one, but beyond that, they're wildly different — especially in consistency — meaning you'll find them used differently, too.
What is the difference between almond paste and marzipan? ›
The Main Differences
Marzipan is smooth, sweet, and often dyed and molded into shapes. It's also used to cover sweets much like fondant and is sometimes eaten as is. Almond paste, however, is coarser, less sweet, and used as an ingredient or filling for baked goods.
Does marzipan have alcohol? ›
Does Niederegger marzipan always contain alcohol? Yes. The alcohol content of our raw marzipan mixture is less than 1% on manufacture and decreases further during storage. This percentage conforms with the permissible levels for products such as apple juice, kefir, sauerkraut or alcohol-free beer.
