Homemade Almond Paste can be made in as little as 5 minutes with just 5 ingredients. It is a versatile and delicious filling that will elevate your almond desserts to the next level. Not to mention all the money you’ll save from not having to buy premade almond paste.
Over the years, I’ve used homemade almond paste in so many different desserts and they have always been a hit every single time. If you love almond anything, you need to try these:
- Almond Scones – these have a whole batch of almond paste, chopped up and folded into the dough.
- Apple Tart with Almond Paste Filling – the almond paste is spread on top of the pie crust, then sliced apples are layered on top of the almond paste. Mmm so good!
- Rugelach with Almond Filling – not traditional for sure, but an amazing twist to a typical rugelach recipe.
- Almond Croissant French Toast Bake – if you have leftover almond paste, this recipe is perfect for it since it doesn’t use up the whole batch.
The recipes above are just some of the things you can make with almond paste, but the options are limitless. However, I know our wallets aren’t limitless, and premade almond paste is not exactly cheap. Thus, this homemade version is going to save you some pretty pennies too!
How to make Almond Paste
Ingredients for homemade almond paste
- Almond is the main ingredient for almond paste. You can use almond flour, almond meal or ground whole almond to make your own almond meal.
- Powdered sugar is used instead of granulated sugar for a smoother texture.
- Salt – just a few pinches to enhance the flavor.
- Egg white is used to bind everything together.
- Almond extract is optional but it will enhance your almond paste flavor 10x, so I always use it.
Making almond paste with a food processor
Making almond paste in a food processor (Photos 1 – 3)
- Add all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a whisk before adding to the food processor. Or you can simply pulse all the dry ingredients together in the food processor bowl.
- Add egg white and almond extract to the dry ingredient mixture.
- Turn the food processor on and allow to process until a smooth paste forms.
Do I have to use a food processor for this almond paste recipe?
I’ve made almond paste both with and without the food processor. I prefer using the food processor for a smoother paste. But if you don’t have a food processor, you can certainly still make it by hand.
Follow all the steps above but use a mixing bowl and a fork instead. When you mix the egg white into the dry mixture, it will be very sticky, work it with a fork until you get a uniform paste. This will yield a paste with slightly more coarse grains but it works just fine.
Almond Paste vs. Marzipan vs. Frangipane
Almond paste and marzipan are very similar in nature. They are both made with mostly almond flour and sugar.
➤ The main difference is that almond paste has a lot less sugar and is primarily used as a filling in baked goods.
➤ Whereas marzipan is much sweeter and is used primarily to make candies and cake decorations.
Frangipane, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. It is an almond cream that is enriched with butter and whole egg. Whereas only egg white is used in almond paste and marzipan for binding.
Here are some recipes using frangipane you might want to try out. And they’re not only limited to almond frangipane either:
- Plum Tart with Frangipane
- Pear Tart with Pistachio Frangipane
- Pineapple Tart with Coconut Frangipane
- Almond Croissants
Baker’s Tips
Should I use almond flour or almond meal for this recipe?
Almond flour and almond meal are both ground almonds, and are technically the same. So in a pinch, you can use either type for this recipe. You can even ground your own whole almonds if that is all you have at the time.
However, there are some differences between the two. Almond flour is typically more finely ground and never contains almond skin. Almond meal, on the other hand, can be coarser, can be blanched (skin removed) or unblanched (with skin). For the unblanched variety of almond meal, you will be able to see the dark flecks of the almond skin in your final product.
➤ While there is technically no difference, I prefer to use almond flour or blanched almond meal for look and uniformity.
Is there a substitute for almond paste?
There is no good substitute for almond paste but if you prefer other types of nuts over almond, you can ground your own nut flour using a food processor and make macadamia nut paste, pistachio paste, pecan paste, pretty much any flavor.
Storing almond paste
Almond paste can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for a week to 10 days for all your baking needs. Or freeze it for up to 6 months. Be sure to wrap the paste well, so it doesn’t absorb any refrigerator or freezer smell.
More basis recipes to enhance your baking
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, send me a photo, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!
Homemade Almond Paste
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour (129 g, packed)
- ½ cup powder sugar (50 g)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (use ½ teaspoon for more almond flavor)
Instructions
- Add almond flour, powder sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until evenly mixed.
- Add egg white and almond extract and pulse until a smooth paste forms.
- Roll into a log, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Almond paste can be prepared well in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 7 oz of almond paste which is about the same amount as 1 package of almond paste you can buy at the store.
- You can use almond meal or ground your own almond for this recipe.
- Almond extract is highly recommended but if you don’t have it, you can omit.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 10/18/2018. The recipe has been updated and republished on 7/11/2020 with the latest improvements, extra tips, and a video to help you in the kitchen.
Thanks for the recipe.
Great recipe! So easy to make and was perfect for my pignoli cookie recipe that uses almond paste. Bonus was that I was able to use a confection sugar replacement and make them diabetic friendly.
I stumbled upon this recipe on an internet search when the supermarket was out of almond paste. I consider that day one of my luckiest days lol. I make your recipe exactly as written and everyone loves my rainbow cookies and pignoli cookies. I also use this recipe to make filling fir sweet breads. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Thank you so much Marianne! I’m so glad to hear it works out great 🙂
Plz, what is almond cream vs almond paste in some of these recipes?
Hi Ellen, I’ve responded to your question in your earlier comment, here’s my response in case you didn’t see it: Almond cream contains butter and whole egg, it’s used in almond croissants.
Hi!! I’m trying to make this almond paste but I don’t have a food processor so I used my vitamix. The paste is sticky and wetter than I thought and I am not sure how to “roll it into a log”. Can you give me some tips? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! Scrape it out with a spatula and wrap it in plastic wrap and then roll it. If it’s too sticky you may want to add a little bit more almond flour.
I was wanting almond paste to make my tante’s rum ball recipe, so something not baked. Is this okay to use with the raw egg in it? Rum balls are refrigerated, but just unsure of raw egg when the almond paste isn’t going into a baked good. Any recommendations on this?
Hmm… Are you adding the rum in with the almond paste? I think the alcohol could help kill any bacteria… My suggestion if you’re unsure is to pasteurize the egg white by heating it up to at least 160F using the double boiler method, then let it cool before using it in the recipe. Add the white to a glass bowl and set it over a steaming pot of water and whisk it to heat it evenly. You could probably use it right away, but I suspect the hot egg white may make the almond paste a bit runnier than usual and you might end up adding more almond flour. I also want to add that this almond paste is not super sweet, not sure how rum balls are made, whether you’ll be adding more sugar…
Hi, I couldn’t help but notice you plan to use this for Italian Rainbow Cookies! That’s why I need it, do you have a go-to recipe for the rainbow cookies, its my first time trying to make them!
Thank you for posting this recipe – I am thrilled to know that I can make almond paste. I upped the almond extract and I think that it made it a bit wetter than desired. Next time I would add another teaspoon of almond flour to counter the wetness with the extra extract. I look forward to using this in a variety of recipes, including the Italian Rainbow Cookies that I love.
Thanks for the tip Amy!
Amy, I just screwed up a batch of rainbow cookies by not putting sugar in, that I had sitting aside on the counter. I was relieved to find out I have the ingredients in the house to make this recipe for almond paste and not to have to run to the store to possibly find they are out of almond paste at this late hour before the holiday. I am now about to restart a new triple batch of rainbow cookies….
I just found your blog while searching for an almond paste recipe. I used it making a Chez Panisse Almond Torte and it turned out great! So nice to be able to make the paste with pantry ingredients. Thanks! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thanks Carla! Happy to hear about the almond paste. Hope you’ll find other recipes you’ll love as well!
It did end up a little wet for me when I made the recipe with your proportions, but otherwise it was pretty good! I wonder if you could post the approximate weight of the egg whites you used? I used 33g of egg white (the white from a large egg by US grading) and tested out different proportions of almond flour and sugar; 33g of egg white, 157g almond flour, and 100g of powdered sugar was still a bit soft, but doable. My best batch used 33g of egg white, 188g of almond flour (5.68 times the amount of egg white), and 121g of powdered sugar (3.68 times the amount of egg white); the almond paste was dry enough not to stick to my fingers, while still being nicely pliable and easy to shape.
Hi Annie, yes about 33 g is correct for the egg white, and you’re correct about the paste being a little wetter. You can use it to spread under pie, or inside pastries. Sounds like you’re looking for marzipan, which I haven’t made before but more sugar for sure and used for decorations and candy making. Thanks for the detailed measurement, this would be very helpful for others!
Is it safe to freeze this?
Yes it freezes well. Please see storing instruction within the post for more info on storing and freezing.
Hi, i am trying to make the almond paste as i cannot find it in stores. I attempted to double your recipe using a 16 oz bag of almond flour and one cup of confectionery sugar. I ended up with 6 cups of dry ingredients. I am afraid to continue with the process. Can you please help?. Thank you
How much almond paste are you trying to make? Please following the recipe direction including the ingredient measurement to make 1 batch. A whole 16 oz bag is 3.5x the amount of almond flour the recipe calls for. If you’re trying to proceed with that much almond flour you will need to 3.5x all of the ingredients.
Hi Filippa,
I think I know what happened:
The recipe calls for 1 cup almond flour to 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
The cup of almond flour is 8 oz ( but that’s VOLUME not weight). When you doubled the recipe, it should have been 2cups almond flour to 1 cup powdered sugar. You used 16 oz WEIGHT almond flour instead of 2 cups. Hope that helps
Thank you for a great recipe can you make cookies out of this paste if so how long do you have to bake
Hey Lubna, I’ve never made cookies out of the almond paste before. I usually use it as filling for other things like this apple tart or almond scones. It is also not sweet enough by itself to be a cookie dough, I did a quick search and here’s a recipe that uses almond paste to make cookies. Hope that helps.
How to Make Almond Paste it is very useful, I also shared it on my facebook.
Many thanks! 🙂
You saved my pignoli cookies with this easy recipe! I had a tube of Odense almond paste that was so hard that my food processor cannot even break it up! Found your almond paste recipe when I was looking on the internet how to soften a rock hard almond paste. Now I can add this to my baking repertoire! Thank you so much!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for trying it!
Lol i just used this recipe for pignolis too, they came out soooo crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside, with the perfect punch of almondy flavour. Will be using this recipe forever probably
So easy. Worked perfectly and literally took about 4 minutes. I’m using this in some italian cookies 🙂
What a revelation! I’ve been watching the British Baking show and I was confused about almond paste, marzipan and frangipane. Sounds like a good baking day.
Thanks Marsha! I’m glad you found this helpful 🙂
This recipe made a salty, sticky mess that bears little resemblance to almond paste. Almond paste doesn’t contain salt or egg white. It’s almonds, sugar, and water. Wish I’d looked further before wasting my almond flour on this one.
Sorry this didn’t live up to your expectation. Many readers have made this successfully so I’m not sure how it came out too salty, the recipe calls for very little salt. If it is too sticky, it’s possible that not enough almond flour was used or the size of the egg white was larger than typical. If you were expecting it to be sweeter, perhaps you were looking for marzipan instead.
I made it by hand, as another person indicated, because I don’t own a food processor. It came together quickly and easily! I didn’t bother to roll it into a log and just covered the bowl I made it in. I plan on making the Chez Panisse almond torte tomorrow. I’m still avoiding grocery stores because I care for my terminally ill mother. Thank you so much!
I’m glad the recipe works well by hand too. That almond torte sounds wonderful. Take care Anna, and stay safe!
I was led here on a search for Dutch letters. Very excited to have this recipe in my playbook. It opens up so many possibilities for things I love but didn’t want to pay for almond paste. I get almond flour in bulk at an Amish grocery for way less than I would pay at a regular store. Thanks!
Hey Joyce, I’m so glad you found this recipe. Ever since I started making my own, I never buy it anymore, bulk almond flour is way more affordable. Can’t wait to see what you make with it!
If I use this in your Almond scones do I need to double the recipe? From what I can tell this makes 3.5 oz and we need 7 oz for the scones but it seems like a lot. Just wanted to see what you have done.
Hi Janine, this recipe makes about 7 oz actually, just enough for the scones. I think the confusion is probably due to the way my recipe card is set up, I couldn’t enter 7 1/2 for the serving size and added the “1/2” in the unit field and makes it look like 7 serves of 1/2 oz. Sorry about that, I’ll get it fixed.
Incredibly easy. Perfect texture. A+
Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Thanks for this recipe! If I double or triple the recipe, should I increase the almond extract by the same amount? I don’t want it to taste artificial?
Yes, you should increase the extract by the same amount. The recipe calls for 1/4 tsp per batch which is not a lot at all, I don’t think the almond extract has an artificial taste. I think the flavor is quite subtle and you could even increase if you want. I suggest perhaps try to make 1 batch first and see how you like the flavor and then make the second and third batch. It’s quite easy and you don’t need to wash the food processor between each batch.
Thanks!!
Love this recipe! I will be making my own bear claws since this corona virus has me indoors. Thanks so much!
Bear claws are delicious! Enjoy!
Hi there, do you think i could substitute 1/4 c applesauce for the egg?
I don’t think so. I’ve never made it with applesauce and the egg is used as a binder in this recipe… If you try it, please come back and let me know if it works.
Easy to make, didn’t have a processor. Still works by hand. Love the taste. Still have to bake with it.
I’m glad you like the recipe, be sure to let me know what you make with it! 🙂
You wrote 1/2 powder sugar. Did you mean “1/2 cup powdered sugar?” I only ask because it seemed confusing.
So sorry, yes it is 1/2 cup!
Is this like the almond paste you buy ready-made?
Yes. The one I have used is Odense and this is similar and the amount this recipe makes is also about the same.
can the paste be frozen?
Yes, absolutely!
Perfect! Thank you for a new basic for my repertoire 😉
Great and easy to follow recipe with excellent instructions.
Thanks Rieffel! I’m glad you like the recipe 🙂
Plz… what is almond cream compared to almond paste recipe?
Almond cream contains butter and whole egg, it’s used in almond croissants.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I live in Belize and it’s near impossible to find cans of almond paste! I want to make bear claws! This is wonderful!!
Hey Vicky, I’m so glad you found me and found the recipe useful to you. Cheers!
Such a quick and easy recipe! I love finding ways to make things at home!
Thanks Meagen!
I had no idea it was so easy! Thanks for the awesome recipe!