Easy Homemade Marzipan
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosures.
This Easy Homemade Marzipan recipe is both delicious, achievable and takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. This versatile baking ingredient is fantastic for marzipan fruits, sweets, covering cakes or decorations. Fresh marzipan is infinitely better than the pre-made marzipan you can buy in the shop.
Jump to:
If you have only even tasted store-bought marzipan then are you in for a total treat. This easy marzipan recipe made from fresh almond meal is quick to make in the food processor and is a total culinary delight with a beautifully nutty flavour.
⭐️What is Marzipan?
Marzipan is a simple recipe made from finely ground almonds and sugar which are bound with egg to make a sweet dough. Its most common use in the UK is being rolled out to cover formal cakes like wedding cakes or Christmas cakes which are then decorated with royal icing.
It can also be moulded into different shapes and various figures then dyed to be eaten as delicious marzipan candy or to decorate cakes.
The origins of marzipan are traced back to the middle east, arriving in Europe during the medieval era. It was considered a luxury because almonds were costly imports and soon became associated with joyous occasions and festivities. Marzipan fruits, animals, and decorative pieces became common sights at banquets and feasts.
Favourite uses for marzipan
- Covering a Christmas Cake or an extra layer for Fruit Cakes.
- Crumbled into cookie dough to make Marzipan Cookies.
- Covered with dark chocolate or even white chocolate to make Marzipan Chocolates.
- Rolled into small balls to represent the disciples in a traditional Easter Simnel Cake.
- Used to make Stollen Bread.
Marzipan ingredients
Marzipan is an easy recipe made from 5 simple ingredients:
- Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
- Icing sugar. (powdered sugar). Icing sugar is preferred in this recipe over white sugar because it dissolves more easily, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture
- Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar available in the UK. If you can only get hold of granulated sugar you can grind more finely in the food processor before you use it in the recipe.
- Golden syrup. This is a thick amber coloured inverted sugar syrup. You can substitute for corn syrup, although it won’t have quite the same flavour.
- Egg. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
- Almond extract (optional).
Almond flour
You need to use very finely ground-blanched almonds so that you can achieve a smooth marzipan dough. The almond flavour can be quite subtle in commercial almond flours. You can opt to amp up the almond flavour by adding almond extract.
If you are using whole blanched almonds which you are grinding yourself then the almond extract should not be necessary as the almond flavour will be more pronounced from the fresh nuts. The main difference is that you might not be able to achieve as fine a grind as shop bought so your marzipan may not be as smooth.
✨Expert tip. If you are grinding your own almonds then process them with the caster sugar as this will help achieve a finer grind without concern that the almonds will start releasing their oils✨
Sugar
For the sugar this recipe uses a combination of:
- Icing sugar. (powdered sugar).
- Caster sugar. A fine white baking sugar which gives lightness. You can substitute for granulated white sugar.
- Golden syrup. This is a thick amber coloured inverted sugar syrup. You can substitute for light corn syrup, although it won’t have quite the same flavour.
The icing sugar helps create a smooth dough, the caster sugar gives body and the golden syrup helps with the viscosity.
Egg
You then need a binding agent to bring the almonds and sugars together to create the dough and this recipe uses 1 medium egg (60g with shell and 50g without). The yolk gives the marzipan a lovely rich taste and the egg white gives the dough an elasticity making it easy to roll out or mould.
✨This recipe contains raw egg so please take care. The NHS states that because of improved food safety regulations food grade raw eggs are safe for pregnant women, infants and the elderly if they are produced under the British Lion Code of Practice. This is standard for most British supermarket bought eggs. However you may want to check with your guests before serving that they are happy to consume.✨
Alternative to Raw Egg
You can cook the egg if you are worried about the raw egg. Heat the egg with the sugars, in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, until scalding hot. Remove from the heat and leave to cool before mixing with the ground almonds. Do note that this marzipan is more fragile to work with than the uncooked version and doesn’t roll out as well.
How to make marzipan
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Honestly there are just three simple steps. So much quicker than a walk to the shops.
- Mix. You simply weigh out and mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Knead. Bring the dough together with your hands, kneading briefly until it has become a smooth ball.
- Chill. Wrap in cling film and store in the fridge for a couple of hours when it will then be ready to roll out or mould.
FAQs
Yes, traditionally marzipan is naturally gluten-free. Homemade marzipan is made from almonds, sugar and eggs. However, if you are using store-bought then make sure to check the specific brand or recipe you're using, as some additives or flavourings may contain gluten.
Marzipan and fondant can both be used for cake decorations or covering cakes, but they have some differences. Marzipan is made from ground almonds and sugar, giving it a rich and nutty flavour, while fondant is a smoother, dough-like icing made from sugar, water, and other ingredients, often used for a sleek and polished look on cakes.
Despite this Homemade Marzipan recipe containing raw egg it does keep surprisingly well. The sugars help prevent bacteria from forming. Although do avoid storing the marzipan at room temperature. Instead you can store the marzipan wrapped up tightly with cling film for up to a week in the fridge.
Yes, to freeze marzipan, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. For extra protection, you can use a freezer-safe plastic bag or container to prevent odour absorption. Label and date the package, then store it flat in the freezer. To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, but be aware that marzipan which has been frozen may be slightly softer or stickier in texture.
Yes, you can reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe if you prefer your marzipan less sweet.
The amount of marzipan you'll need to cover a cake depends on how big and tall it is, and how thick you want the marzipan layer to be. As a general rule, for a regular-sized round cake that's about 20-25cm (8-10 inches wide and 4 inches tall), you'll usually need around 500g-1kg (1-2lb) of marzipan.
If you're working with a bigger or taller cake, you might need more marzipan to cover it up nicely. It's always better to have a bit extra, just in case you need it for any adjustments or decorations. And hey, don't worry if you end up with some leftover marzipan—it's always delicious on its own!
How to marzipan a cake
You can also use this marzipan recipe for cake covering, such as a Christmas Cake or wedding fruit cake. The steps are simple:
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the marzipan to 1cm thickness and 2cm wider than the size of your cake.
- Brush the surface of the cake with apricot jam to create an adhesive.
- Drape the rolled marzipan over the finished and cooled cake.
- Tuck tightly around the cake, smoothing the top and sides with a flat edged cake smoother. Trim off the excess marzipan.
- Leave the cake in a cool dark place for the marzipan to completely dry out (at least 2 days) before icing the cake with royal icing or fondant.
- Once the cake has a final layer of icing the cake can keep for 1-2 months in a cool dark place.
Expert tips for working with marzipan
When working with marzipan, it's helpful to keep a few things in mind to avoid common mistakes.
- Avoid handling the marzipan too much, as excessive warmth from your hands can cause it to become too soft and difficult to work with.
- Be cautious when adding food colouring or liquid flavourings, as too much moisture can make the marzipan sticky and hard to shape.
- Remember to dust your work surface with icing sugar (powdered sugar) or cornstarch to prevent sticking.
Slight variations on the recipe
You may not want to mess with this traditional recipe too much but there are countless variations you can try depending on what you want to use it for:
- Pistachio Marzipan. Just replace the ground almonds for the same amount of ground pistachios for a unique and delicious marzipan alternative.
- Add a splash of rose water. This is especially lovely if you are using the marzipan for confectionary.
- Add orange zest. This addition is lovely if you are covering a Christmas Cake and want your marzipan to have a little more of a citrus kick.
Other essential baking recipes you'll love
Homemade Mixed Peel
Homemade Glace Cherries
Homemade Stem Ginger in Syrup
Gluten-Free Frangipane
✨Have you tried this Easy Homemade Marzipan? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
Enter your email below to get this recipe sent to your inbox plus get new recipes, baking tips, and updates.
Easy Homemade Marzipan
Ingredients
- 300 g almond flour - ground almonds in UK*
- 150 g icing sugar - plus extra for dusting
- 110 g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 egg - medium size, see notes
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract - optional
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Once combined use your hands to knead into a smooth dough.
- Dust extra icing sugar on the work surface and tip the dough out on top of it. Still using your hands roll the dough together until it forms a smooth ball with almost no stickiness.
- Wrap in cling film and flatten the ball slightly to make it easier to roll out once ready.
- Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the flavours to settle and the sugar to dissolve.
This looks great, but what quantities would I need for a 20cm cake?
It depends on how thick you like your marzipan, but I usually double this recipe for a 20cm cake.
Can this be frozen?
Yes you can freeze it once you've made it. Wrap it up well in a double layer of plastic wrap and aluminium foil to protect and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer and leave to defrost overnight at room temperature. Then unwrap and use.
I found the recipe very easy to follow and got excellent results. So much better than shop bought marzipan !!
That's great to hear Lynn - thank you so much for your feedback!!
I disliked commercially made marzipan because of the almond extract. It was too overpowering and synthetic. As a child spending summers in Central America, the mrzipan made there, called 'mazapan' was delicious! It was ground almonds, sugar and sometimes an egg white then baked into a teender cookie (like they do in Spain) I tried making it with a bit of golden syruo but it was much too sweet. I settled on a spoon of meringue powder and a spoon of watwr. This acted like the binder that raw egg white is but safer to eat. In the US we are rold raw eggs are not safe to consume. I used Wilton Meringue powder and my child had a blast making little animal shapes. They also sell paturized egg whites in the US.
That's a great alternative to using raw eggs. As long as the eggs are produced under the British Lion code of practice in the UK they are considered safe to eat raw. I do use almond extract in this recipe but only a small amount of an excellent product, just because I found that the almond flavour wasn't as pronounced as I wanted it to be. It's completely optional.
Could honey or maple syrup replace the golden syrup?
Yes definitely but then your marzipan will take on these flavours. I think honey would work better for the flavour profile.