Keto marzipan is easy to make and so fun to play with. It’s a holiday classic in many countries and can be used in cookies, cakes, and candy. Dip it in chocolate or use it like almond paste in keto croissants!
Marzipan is one of those love it or hate it foods and I fall firmly into the love it camp. Even as a child, I found that intensely almond flavored confection delicious, and was very taken with the colorful animals, and fruits, and other fun shapes people made with it.
And I’ve long adored almond croissants, filled with marzipan’s slightly more coarse cousin, almond paste. There was a time I would have considered both of these things off limits on my keto diet.
But then, as with so many other foods, I came to realize that these things didn’t actually have to be made with sugar. I could make my own keto marzipan to play with! And of course, to eat. It was astonishingly easy and just as tasty as the real deal.
It only takes a few basic ingredients to make your own keto marzipan or almond paste. Read on to find out how!
Marzipan vs. Almond Paste
If you’re confused about the difference between marzipan and almond paste, you aren’t alone. They are very similar in taste, texture, and function and many people mix them up.
The difference comes down mainly to sweeteness, as conventional marzipan has a higher sugar content than almond paste. They are a little different in consistency as well, since almond paste is typically made with blanched almonds, whereas marzipan is made from pre-ground almond flour. The result is that marzipan is a bit more cohesive and fine.
Finally, traditional marzipan often contains a little rosewater, which gives it a distinctive flavor.
But when it comes to making your own keto marzipan, the differences are pretty minimal. You can make them both from ground almonds or almond flour, you can adjust the sweetener to your taste, and you can add or leave out the rosewater as you see fit.
I don’t like anything too sweet anymore. So I have made the sugar-free marzipan and almond paste with the very same amount of sweetener.
How to make Keto Marzipan
This recipe for keto marzipan is easy and versatile, and you can use either whole blanched almonds or almond flour, whichever you can get access most easily. Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Whether you use whole almonds or almond flour, you measure both out to 1 1/2 cups. If you want to use weight measures, the almond flour comes to about 165g and the whole almonds to 180g so it’s not far off, either way.
- Whole blanched almonds are more typical of almond paste, as the dough ends up a bit more coarse, but as I stated above, it’s really a small difference when you are making your own at home. I feel like I should call this recipe Keto Marzipan Almond Paste but it’s just too much of a mouthful!
- You really need a good food processor for this, to get it right. You can’t get your paste well ground and smooth without one. And because this ends up as a thick, moldable dough, even a high powered blender is not up to the task.
- Marzipan takes raw egg whites to hold together. If you’re worried about that, simply use carton egg whites as they are already pasteurized. The carton will tell you how much to use to equal a large egg white, and it’s usually about 3 tablespoons.
- You will need a fine powdered sweetener to avoid any grittiness in the marzipan. I always use Swerve but I think other powdered sweeteners should be fine as well. Be sure to check how sweet they are in comparison to sugar and modify accordingly!
- Almond paste typically takes just almond extract, whereas marzipan takes a bit of rosewater, which gives it a unique flavor. Rosewater isn’t something you can easily purchase at the store in most of the US so I recommend online. Or just skip it and enjoy your homemade marzipan almond paste hybrid!
- Be ready to adjust, depending on whether the keto marzipan is a bit dry and not holding together or a bit too wet and sticky. Much of this depends on your food processor and what brand of sweetener you are using. The recommendations for adjusting are in the recipe. It should be a thick, cohesive dough that balls together in your processor.
- This marzipan recipe makes quite a bit of dough but you can easily do a half batch if you don’t need 16 servings. If you’re using raw egg whites, whisk it a bit and measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons for the half batch.
- You can make this well in advance of using it, but because it contains egg white, it should be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to two months.
What to make with keto marzipan?
There are so many fun things you can make with marzipan or almond paste, and I have a delicious keto croissant recipe coming soon! I’ve also simply pressed it into silicone molds to make nice shapes, and then dipped the shapes in dark chocolate.
If you don’t have silicone molds, you can roll it out to any desired thickness and cut it with cookies cutters. You can die it and make the classic fun fruit shapes as well. You can break it up into bits and add it to cakes, cookies, and tarts.
Really, you can use this keto marzipan in any form you want. It’s a little like play-doh and totally moldable. Have fun with it!
More delicious Keto Almond Recipes
- Keto Almond Ricotta Cake
- Keto Almond Joy Bars
- Keto Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
- Keto Raspberry Almond Shortbread Bars
- Keto Raspberry Almond Scones
- Keto Almond Biscotti
Keto Sugar-Free Marzipan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour, (can use blanched almonds - see tips)
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 large egg white , (can use cartoned pasteurized egg whites)
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp rose water, (skip for almond paste)
Instructions
- Place the blanched almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. If using almond meal, skip to step 2.
- Add the powdered sweetener and pulse to combine. Add the egg white, almond extract, and rose water, if using, and run the processor on high until the mixture becomes a paste and begins to form a ball.
- If the mixture is too wet, add a little additional almond meal. If the dough is dryish, add a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time. It should resemble cookie dough or pastry in texture.
- Form into two logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Use in cookies, cake, or candies. And I have a delicious Keto Almond Croissant recipe coming soon!
- Store the dough, tightly wrapped, in the fridge for a week or the freezer for up to two months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I haven’t made this yet but I’m wondering how you store the marzipan after you’ve molded it?
Is this edible as is or does it have to be cooked in a recipe?
Completely edible, but if you are concerned, make sure to use pasteurized egg whites.
Amazing! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I didn’t think marzipan could be made without sugar, but your recipe is fantastic!
do you have a recipe for petite four with almond paste in the recipe?
Not at this time.
Hi Carolyn, I’ve been making this for years now, keto-style; since I didn’t know you could buy pasteurized egg whites and didn’t want to take the chance on regular eggs, I found out that water works just fine as the ‘glue’. I make the log-roll, keep it in the fridge and either use it as a filling for baked goods or to be covered in chocolate. It keeps forever (forever meaning if I forget about it, otherwise only a few days/week or two) – I don’t like most almond flour recipes for keto but this is sensational.
Such a delicious recipe! This is only my second time trying marzipan and it was amazing!
So glad to hear it!
I have to admit I have never heard of marzipan until now. I loved dipped it in chocolate and can’t wait for your keto croissant recipe!
So delicious! I love the almond flavor!
Oh, my, word, Carolyn! This tastes amazing! I lived in Denmark my JR year in high school, and we made little animals out of marzipan for Christmas. I haven’t had it since! Thank you so much for this!
Is there a sub for the egg white?
Hi Carolyn, thanks so much for this- do you think Bocha sweet would be OK to use instead of Swerve as I prefer the taste? I know from your Keto baking book that we can’t always substitute, thanks, Nicky
I think so but it may make it a bit softer so you may need a bit more almond flour.
Hi Carolyn,
I was going to ask if you have a recipe for Almond Pillow cookies, they are so good! I had them once and have been looking for a good recipe for years later and I never found one. I would be willing to bet that this recipe of yours would be an excellent choice.
Perhaps you can let me know if you come up with the recipe for them?
thank you!
I don’t know what they are!
I wondered if you could suggest a brand of rose water to use? I have been searching Amazon, and other local stores in my area(Charlotte,NC), but I am not sure what to buy? I would be very great full for any assistance.
I have Nielsen Massey brand. (not sure of the spelling, there!)
This is a breeze to make, and it’s delicious too! Tastes better than store bought. I whipped up a batch and gave it to my 9-year-old to form into fun shapes. Great project for a kid!
I’ve been using the last year to change my diet to better manage my type 2 diabetes. Your videos and blog has helped me so much, and this marzipan recipe just made Christmas Eve so special. Thank you!
Read The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung if you’re type 2; you can cure it and get off meds.
I just want to share how excited I am about this recipe and how my marzipan came out! It’s LEGIT as my kids would say! I could’ve eaten the whole thing! Thank you so much for this! I did try it in the croissant recipe but I think I over floured or over baked, not sure. I still like them but definitely not the flaky crust or softness I was hoping for. I’ll try again and see if I can adjust. Any tips to getting the Dough just right for that soft texture would be great!