Homemade Marzipan (Belgian Marsepein)
This homemade Belgian marzipan is soft, smooth and full of almond flavor, with almond extract and a hint of rose water. The recipe is based on an old Flemish marsepein recipe from a cookbook that belonged to my grandma. It uses almost equal weights of ground almonds and powdered sugar, with egg white to bind it. You can eat it as is, use it in baking, roll it into cocoa-dusted balls, or shape it into marzipan fruit.
About this marzipan
I am very excited to share this recipe because I am a HUGE marzipan fan and it fills me with nostalgia from when I was a kid. Marzipan is basically a mix of ground almonds and sugar, but the balance between the two changes depending on the style and what it is being used for. Marzipan that’s meant mainly for decorating often contains more sugar, which makes it firmer and easier to shape but gives it a milder almond flavor.
This version is made for eating as much as it is for shaping. It uses almost equal weights of almonds and sugar, so it stays wonderfully almond-rich and soft. It’s also a great bakmarsepein, or baking marzipan, to use in pastries and cakes.
The recipe origin: This recipe comes from an old Flemish cookbook that belonged to my grandma. Unfortunately, the front and back covers and the title pages are missing from our copy, so I can’t fully say what the book is! I did a bit of research from the pages I do have and I think it is an early 1960s edition of Ons Kookboek, published by the Belgian Boerinnenbond. The original marsepein recipe uses 150 g ground almonds, 140 g powdered sugar, one egg white and a few drops of rose water. I’ve kept those and the original method here, but expanded the instructions and added more rose water as well as almond extract.
Ingredients
The full quantities are in the recipe card below, but here is what you need.
- Blanched almond flour: Use very finely ground almond flour made from almonds with their skins removed.
- Powdered sugar: This is the sugar used in the original recipe.
- Egg white (pasteurized) : This provides the moisture that binds the almonds and sugar into a soft dough.
- Almond extract: I always add almond extract, I love it.
- Rose water: Optional but traditional
How to make homemade marzipan
- Add the almond flour and sifted powdered sugar to a small saucepan and stir them together.
- Add the egg white and work everything together with a wooden spoon or firm spatula. It will start off really crumbly.
- Place the saucepan over very low heat and continue stirring, folding and pressing the mixture together as it gently warms and it forms a cohesive dough.
- As soon as it has come together into a soft dough and is warmed through, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the rose water and almond extract and work it through. Knead briefly on a clean work surface until smooth
The original recipe says to dust with flour before kneading the marzipan. I leave the flour out because I would rather not add flour to the marzipan. If it is too sticky to knead, use a bit of powdered sugar instead.
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least a few hours before shaping or eating.
Ways to use homemade marzipan
- Shape and color it to make marzipan fruits.
- Roll it into balls and dip them in dark chocolate.
- Use it inside Danish pastries, croissants or sweet rolls.
- Add it to almond remonce or other baked almond fillings.
- Add small pieces to cookies, cakes or stollen.
- Roll it into balls and coat them in cocoa powder. This is how we always ate marsepein in my family. We rolled it into little balls, then tossed them in unsweetened cocoa powder until they were completely covered. These are also called marsepeinen aardappeltjes (marzipan potatoes), and cocoa powder is meant to look like unwashed potatoes, though this looks more realistic with the excess cocoa powder shaken off and after they’ve sat in the fridge for a bit. I just happen to like them better with more cocoa powder (even if it does make you cough if you eat it too fast lol)
Can you make marzipan without egg?
Yeah, egg white isn’t essential for marzipan. It is there to bring moisture to stick the almonds and sugar together and water can do that too. For an egg-free version, follow the recipe but replace the egg-white with 30 g (2 tablespoons) water, plus a little more if needed.
I have another old Flemish baking book (Koken voor elke dag) with a marsepein recipe that is egg-free. That recipe uses 125 g ground almonds and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, along with sifted powdered sugar. The almonds, sugar and water are also stirred together over gentle heat until they form a cohesive paste, and afterward it’s kneaded briefly by hand. Because it has a higher sugar-to-almond ratio, it is firmer and better suited to shaping and decorating.
FAQs about marsepein
Storing homemade marzipan
Wrap the marzipan tightly and place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Let frozen marzipan thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature for shaping.
Homemade Marzipan (Belgian Marsepein)
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 150 g almond flour blanched almonds, finely ground,
- 140 g powdered sugar
- 1 large egg white pasteurized
- 3/4-1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon rose water optional
- fine salt
Instructions
- Add the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt to a small saucepan and stir to combine.
- Add the egg white. Stir and press the mixture together with a wooden spoon or firm spatula. It will start off crumbly.
- Place the saucepan over very low heat. Continue stirring, folding and pressing the mixture together as it gently warms. It will gradually come together into a cohesive dough.
- As soon as the mixture forms a soft dough and has warmed through, remove it from the heat. Do not keep heating it once it has come together.
- Add the rose water and almond extract and work it evenly through the dough.
- Scoop the marzipan to a wooden board and knead it together into a ball or log. It might feel sticky but will firm more as it cools. If it's very sticky even when cooler, you can add a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
