Have you ever purchased those tubes of almond paste in the grocery store? They cost a fortune and 9 times of out 10 they are hard as a rock. I never know how long they have been sitting on the shelf.
A few years ago I started making my own almond paste. It’s fast, easy and will last a long time when refrigerated. My almond paste is always soft and pliable. I have tried several recipes and I keep coming back to this recipe. I’m not real fond of the recipes that use confectioner’s/powdered sugar. Too pasty for my taste. This one is just perfect.
You better go purchase the ingredients and make it today. I will be posting a cookie recipe that requires almond paste and you are going to wish you had a stash in your refrigerator.
You will need:
2 cups blanched almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons almond extract
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the blanched almonds. I’m using slivered because they process easily, but whole blanched almonds work great.
Add the granulated sugar.
Process until the almonds and sugar are a fine powder.
Add the 4 tablespoons butter that has been softened to room temperature.
Add the 2 egg whites.
Add 2 teaspoons pure almond extract.
Process until the mixture forms a ball.
20 ounces. Perfect
I live to divide the paste in half. I make 2 10-ounce longs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
My favorite Almond Paste
Always have fresh almond paste on hand with easy to make almond paste in just minutes with a food processor and 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almonds
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
Instructions
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In a food processor, process the almonds and sugar until powdery, about 1 minute. Add the egg whites, butter and extract. Process until the mixture forms a ball.
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Wrap in almond paste in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The paste will last in a refrigerator for at least a month and forever if frozen. (I'm not really sure if it lasts forever, but it lasts a long time).
Hello. Ive bee using your recipe for a long time and it is great! Just wonder, for a smoother consistency, can powdered sug be used instead oF granulated sugar? Thank you!
I think that’s a brilliant idea. I use powdered sugar all the time for marzipan. Why not do the same with almond paste?
Can sugar be Substituted with for instance splenda for low carb almond paste?
I’m sorry that I don’t have experience with Splenda or other sugar substitutes. I wish I could help. Have you tried Google?
Best almond paste reCipe ive tried!!
Thank you so much. It’s so easy to make.
janet, I discovered this recipe last year and loved the fact that it is so easy to make and so delicious. Perfect consistency for baking. It blows away the store bought version…doesn’t even compare! I used it to make coconut macaroons. They came out so delicious! What a difference in flavor when using homemade almond paste! thank you so much for sharing. this is now one of my ‘go to’ recipes. :0)
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. You have made my day. Homemade tops store-bought any day. ๐
This is delicious but something’s bothering me; It was my understanding that egg whites only keep in the fridge for 2-4 days. Is there something about the process or contents for this recipe that makes it safer for so much longer?
You are right Amy. I checked into how long egg whites last mixed in with dough and it’s about 3-4 days. I generally wrap my almond paste tightly in plastic wrap then in foil, if I’m not using it within a weeks time, and freeze it. It should freeze well for up to a year. I hope this helps clarify things.
lOVED YOUR RECIPE. i USED ALREADY PROCESSED ALMOND FLOUR. tHE SCONES i MADE USING THIS CAME OUT FANTASTIC.
Brilliant idea!!! I’m going to use almond flour in my next batch. Thanks for simplifying my life.
Have you ever made half of a batch?? I'm afraid to have extra on hand…no will power:( I'm going to try Dutch Letter bars and recipe calls for 8 oz can of paste…would that roughly be equivalent of a cup? or is paste heavier enough that 8 oz is less? Am anxious to try recipe…both of them:)
I have never 1/2 the recipe. I'm sure you could. It will freeze for months, if you'd like to make the entire batch then wrap it well and place in freezer. If your recipe calls for 8 oz. I would weigh the almond paste rather than using a measuring cup. sorry to respond so late. A few comments slipped passed me.
This recipe sounds great, but I prefer it sugar-free that's healthier. I've heard that Splenda is not healthy so for the sugarless recipe I would suggest using a healthier option which is called "stevia" (sugar from a plant) instead of white sugar. I read that stevia is 3x sweeter than ordinary sugar so I think 1/3 part of the amount of sugar mentioned in this recipe would do.
As I was looking for sugar-free almond paste I think I will try it with stevia.
How much does this recipe yield? I want only 1/3 almond paste
This recipe makes over 16 oz. or over 2 cups. It freezes great for months.
Perfect – thank you – even blanched the almonds too!
Hi… what a great recipe… thanks… I had to use up some slivered almonds before they went too far beyond their "best used by" date! So I gave your recipe a whirl (pun not intended, but accurate!) Yum! I had a bit more than 2 cups of almonds, so added a bit more of butter & sugar.. Turned out well, but a bit too soft, I think I added too much butter.. So added 2 tbsp.of flour & 2more tbsp. of sugar…perfect! Oh, as a taste enhancer (not that it needed it) I also used brown sugar for a small part of the sugar. Gave it a kind of rich taste & a pretty color..almond colored! LOL! My name is Liz; wasn't sure what to post under… Thanks for the post!
Why not add the whole egg?
Eggs: The function of this ingredient is to bind the sugar and the almonds.
If you use only egg whites, you will obtain a soft paste, while whole eggs give a more medium-textured paste.
Almond paste made with egg yolks is thick and compact.I hope this helps.
This Almond Paste sounds great, I was wondering if subbing the Sugar with Sugar Sub, as my husband is diabetic would work. I use Splenda in all my baking and looking for no flour sweets for him.
I'm sorry I have never worked with sugar substitute. I don't know the consistency of Splenda. If you have had success with other recipes, I'm sure it's worth a try. Please let me know if you try it.
Just made this, my fist time. Only took 10 minutes, it smells wonderful. Placed it in the frig…for future use. Going to make some Petite Fours for Easter. Awaiting the cutters and a book on how to design and other recipes.
Thank you for sending your comment. I'm so impressed you are already preparing for Easter. I think you'll love the almond paste. I'd love to see pics of your Petite Fours. I'm sure they are going to be darling.
1 egg white = 2 Tablespoons
4-6 egg whites = 1/2 cup
The butter is measured by weight and the egg whites are measured by liquid ounces. I think you may have doubled the amount of egg whites needed. You should have used 1/4 cup egg whites. Try reducing the amount and you've got it made OR just add double the amount of the other ingredients to the almond paste that you already have and try to mix it up. It's just might pull it together so you don't have to toss out the thin batch.
Help…my mixture is very runny, it never formed a ball in the processor. by the way, I weighed a stick of unsalted butter, it's 4 ounces, that's 8 tablespoons, therefore 4 tablespoons would be 2 ounces, so a tablespoon of butter is 1/2 ounce not an ounce. I figured 2 ounces per egg white so I used 1/2 cup egg whites, 4 ounces. Did I over judge the egg whites?
Hi, I am about to use your recipe to make some almond paste for Pignolis. However I only have unsalted dry toasted slivered almonds. Will this make a difference as opposed to using raw blanched almonds?
I think you'll be ok. Toasting almonds brings out the flavor. The almond paste should be great. Please let me know how it turns out.
Any idea if this can be made without eggs?
Yes this can be made without eggs. I have found the following recipe for Vegan almond paste so you can compare the recipes. http://gayathriskitchenbasics.blogspot.com/2014/01/homemade-eggless-almond-paste.html
Hi, I absolutely detest almond paste/marzipan (especially that awful bright yellow commercial stuff) but sometimes there's no way to avoid it! So, two questions, if I may…..1) is the almond extract essential? I hope the answer's no! 2) Is your recipe firm enough for making models?
Thanks.
1) No you can omit the almond extract. 2) You may want to add a little less egg white if you want it form enough to form into shapes. It does taste much better than commercial almond paste and doesn't have the sugary grit of marzipan.
Thank you so much! I should really know that homemade paste tastes OK as I use almond flour a LOT. I even make pancakes with it – no wheat flour at all – and they don't taste remotely of marzipan. I expect I had a bad experience as a child:-)
Thanks for the recipe, made this last night and it smells so good. One note, I was a little confused about how much 4tbsp of butter was and worked out it was about 60gms. Now for the cookies.
Thank you, thank you. My class will be saturday and i am to do almond paste. It cost $1400 per pound. I brought the ingredients.A pack of Almond $300. Sugar, eggs, butter and extract at home waiting for me to use them cost $140+300=$440. My time is free and I will be learning to make almond paste. Thanks again
I just wanted to add, this is an extraordinary almond paste!! I have been really working it for longer periods in the processor, to release the almond oils and to grind the sugars down and when it's done the deliciousness makes me want to stand over it and scoop it up and eat it all, but oh! is it SO SO good.
Still working on that bag of ground almonds, I made a batch with turbonado sugar, just because I wanted to see if the bigger grains of sugar would break the almond flour down even finer plus that slight molasses flavor. YES YES!! this is a good batch!! Plus I used a very very fresh butter which made it even more extraordinary.
Almond lovers: I paid $18 for that almond flour and so far I have five pounds of almond paste and I still have appx two cups left to make either the last batch or I'll use it for something else. I'm tempted to shlepp back up to Costco and buy a couple of more bags of almond flour and freeze it. It's like I want to gather and hoard the stuff…just so I can make this every week.
Thank you for this recipe. And for all your wonderful recipes and videos. I've just discovered your blog. It's like finding treasure!!
Thank you so much for all of your comments and fabulous suggestions. I am always trying to find a substitute for regular sugar. You have given some great tips. It is dangerous to have in the kitchen. I love slicing off a few pieces to nibble on. You have made my day.
Hi…I had a big bag of fine ground almonds I picked up at Costco and a pint of pasteurized egg whites, I checked and 3T equals one egg white. So the first part of the recipe went according to plan but adding the pasturized egg white thinned it out too much and I ended up with a thicker batter as opposed to a ball. So I had to add more of everything else, But my processor balked. SO…moved the whole thing over to the big KA. Okay..that worked very well and I ended up with about 2 12oz rolls.
Then I wanted to make a batch of sugarfree almond paste for my husband who is diabetic. Started out with the mixer with the metal batter attachment, increasing the almond flour a bit, using the 1/2 c of splenda, and letting it process on the slowest setting, to bring out the almond oil. Then I added the other ingredients, this time using 2T egg white per egg and the addition of 2T agave. That worked out pretty well….
I LOVE this recipe as written.. The flavors are delicate and delicious. Personally I hate splenda, but my husband likes it and I can actually create desserts that are almost indistinguishable from sugar based recipes, so it's a win for him. I'm going to try your marzipan cookie recipe with the splenda and see how that works out. It's so unique and with all that texture, it should mask the splenda back taste..
THANK YOU. I've just discovered this site and I love it.
Thanks you so much for your helpful suggestions. I'm sure you are a huge help to many diabetics that may be reading this. Your husband is one lucky man. I want to try making date sugar to use in recipes rather than refined sugars. I love how you experiment with splenda and other options for your husband.
My yield was only 12 ounches. Did yours make 20 ounces?
I ended up using 4 cups of almond flour which gave me a yield of 14 ounces, pretty sure i measured everything right… my eggs were the 59g-sized ones
How long should I process it before it becomes a ball? After 5 minutes it was thick but never got to a ball. The flavor is awesome but the consistency is a little grainy. Perhaps I should have processed the almonds more?
Is there any way to make it if you don't have a food processor? ๐
just made it, wow! thank you.
I was quite pleased to find this recipe; I too only had ground almonds on hand. The amount I ended up using was a whopping 4.5 C of ground almond to your recipe above; I got a nice, only slightly sticky paste that was perfect for rolling in to the center of my fruit loaf. Happy Holidays :o}
Thank you for sharing this idea. I have plenty of ground almonds and I will try it in the recipe. Merry Christmas.
How do you measure a tablespoon of softened butter?
Lucy
If you live in the US and buy your butter in sticks the tablespoon measurements are on the package, just slice off the right amount. If you have your butter softened you can put the butter into tablespoon measuring spoon. 1 tablespoon is equivalent to 1 ounce or 30 grams.
Small correction: 1 oz butter = 2 T butter
Thank you very much Janet. I am in the UK and constantly flawed by American measurements. We get butter in 250g packets!
I hope you have a very happy almond eating Christmas!
Lucy
This is the best Almond paste I have ever tasted… I will never purchase it from the store again. Thanks so much!!
Thank you so much. I agree now there is no need to purchase dry hard almond paste again.
Hi!
Was so elated to bump into your recipe and cant wait to try making it tmr!
Does this recipe works well for pistachio paste as well?
I have never used pistachio's for making this paste, but I don't see why not. Yum that would be just delicious. I would just substitute equal amounts in place of the almonds. Please let me know how it turns out.
I am planning to make pignoli cookies and have a quick question: does resting improve its taste or can it be used right away without sacrificing any optimum flavor? Thanks!
I have kept this in the refrigerator for several weeks and haven't really noticed much of a flavor change. Go ahead and use it right away.
Thank you very much for your advice. I will try out the almond flour and maybe see if the stores have any other coarse ground almonds.
I will do some experiments, more almond paste is never a bad thing!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Good luck, Jen. Keep in touch regarding your almond paste.
Hi Janet,
Just wanted to update you and let you know that I made your recipe substituting the almonds with pre-ground blanched almonds.
I used 2 cups and followed the rest of your recipe as written. The almond paste turned out fantastic!
It was a bit grainy but as I was using it in a baked pastry I didn't mind that at all.
Thank you again for your recipe and advice! I won't buy store bought again.
Merry Christmas!
Jen
Such a great idea. I have about 10 lbs of ground blanched almonds. I'll try it. Thank you so much.
Hello, I do not have a food processor so do you think it is fine to use ground almonds and what quantity do you think I would need?
Thank you for any advice!
Hmmmm…well this is what I would do. If you have a high powered blender with a strong motor, you could use that instead. I'm wondering if using almond flour (that contains nothing, but blanched almonds) along with the other ingredients would work. Perhaps putting the almond flour and other ingredients in a heavy duty mixer would work. The almond flour is ground better than using a food processor. Food processors tend to spin the almonds around so when you look closely at them they are tiny round balls of almonds. I would think the almond flour would work well. Like I said, I haven't tried either of these suggestions. I hope this helps. ??
P. S. I would use 2 cups almond flour or ground almonds.
Hi, this sounds delicious! my friend makes amazing almond scones and iโd liKe to make my Own almond paste for that part. I have a bag of almond flour ready to use and wondered if your guess on the qty above was about right? Looking forward to tEsting and COMPARING the results for hErs. Thanks!
I’m sorry to respond so late. For some reason, this comment was not showing. I think 2 cups almond flour is pretty accurate. If the paste seems too soft, just add in more almond flour in small amounts until you get the consistency you want.
Thank you Janet – I donโt know how you keep up with all the comments and questions! Amazing recipes thanks โค๏ธ PS iโd Like to subscribe to your emails please.
Thank you so much! You can find a “subscribe” box halfway down the page on the right side just under trending recipes. Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
Thank you so much for the advice. I will try almond flour and see if that gives a good result. I will do some experimentation, nothing awful about too much almond paste!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and thank you once again. I love your blog and enjoy many of your recipes.
(I thought I posted a reply before but I think my computer ate it so apologies for any double post if it shows up)
Hello. Thanks for posting the recipe. One question…at the top it says 1 cup of sugar and on the bottom it says 1/2 a cup of sugar. Which is correct? Thank you!
Thank you so much for catching that error. I have corrected the amount. It is 1/2 cup sugar.
Thanks for the information. I will be making it today and then will make my homemade Italian butter cookies. I appreciate the recipe! Jim
ITALIAN BUTTER COOKIES? They sound divine.
Yes. I worked in an Italian bakery in New York years ago and they taught me the business as well as how to bake all the Italian products in bulk. Now I just bake for my family and friends but everyone tells me to open my own Italian bakery. Maybe someday since I really loved that business!
Ha ha, this is too easy! I can't wait for the cookie recipe, this is on my list to make this week!
It is so easy. I love to have it on hand. I posted the cookie recipe is the ZCMI Marzipan cookie.
I love almond paste but have never purchased it and now I don't have to! I would always rather make something myself than purchase it, thanks for making it so easy!
Purchased almond paste doesn't compare to homemade. I hope you try it someday.
I have never even considered making my own almond paste but your directions make everything sound so easy! I can't wait to try!
It IS so easy. You have to try it.
You can also blanch your own almonds and save yourself money this way. Almonds placed in boiling water for 1 minute and then cooled under cold water can be trivially skinned. Hold one between your thumb and forefinger and it'll pop right out of its papery shell. I buy large bags of Costco and make my own blanched almonds when I want to use them in recipes. Vanilla extract can be made too but it's probably cheaper to buy it, three or so scraped vanilla beans steeped in bourbon for a couple months makes a deliciously pure extract with a nice flavour.
Great advice. Thanks so much.
I saved even more money by using my home-grown sweet almonds, difficulty was removing the shells until I soaked them for about 2 hours.
There's no such thing as "extra almond paste" ๐ Can't wait for the cookies!!
You are so right. I can eat it with a spoon.
Gorgeous!! I can't wait to make it! And it looks a zillion times cheaper than bought almond paste too. My favorite part ๐
~April
SO much cheaper!
Excellent. Perfect. Wonderful.
Thank you ๐