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. If you love almonds, making your own almond paste will give you limitless options for delicious almond desserts.
Plus store bought almond paste is not exactly cheap. So this homemade version is going to save you money while making you the star of the office bake off!
Table of Contents
What is almond paste?
Almond paste is essentially almond and sugar processed together to form a paste with the help of a binder, in this case egg white.
It is typically incorporated into a recipe as a filling like this Almond Apple Tart, cut into cubes and tossed into these Almond Scones or this Almond Croissant French Toast Bake, or rolled out and tucked into pastries like Almond Rugelach.
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 less sugar and is primarily used as a filling in baked goods.
➤ Whereas marzipan has a lot more sugar so it is sweeter, smoother, more pliable, and is used primarily to make candies and cake decorations.
You can make marzipan from almond paste by adding more sugar, simple syrup, or corn syrup, but you can’t make almond paste from marzipan.
Frangipane, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. It is an almond cream that is enriched with butter and whole eggs. Whereas only egg white is used in almond paste and marzipan for binding.
Here are some recipes using frangipane you might want to try to see the difference. 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
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This easy almond paste recipe requires just 5 ingredients.
- And it takes only 5 minutes to whip up.
- You can make a large batch and freeze leftovers for another day.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Almond flour – is the main ingredient for almond paste. I usually use fine almond flour for a smoother texture. But you can substitute almond meal, or grind whole almonds to make your own almond meal or almond flour.
- Powdered sugar – I prefer this over granulated sugar for a smoother texture. Though I have seen recipes that use granulated sugar. If you want to substitute granulated sugar, I would highly recommend blitzing it in the food processor to make it a little finer.
- Salt – just a few pinches to enhance the flavor.
- Egg white – one egg white is used to bind everything together.
- Almond extract – adds an incredible almond flavor making your almond paste 10x more flavorful, add a little or a lot depending on how strong you would like the flavor to be.
Tolls you’ll need
Depending on what tools you have available, you can make this recipe using:
- A food processor: this is especially useful if you are planning to grind whole almonds to make your own almond meal or almond flour.
- A stand mixer.
- And if you don’t have either, you could use a mixing bowl and a fork.
How to make Almond Paste
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Using a food processor
The easiest way and my preferred way to make almond paste uses a food processor. This mixes the ingredients very quickly and also creates a smoother paste.
Add all the dry ingredients in the food processor bowl fitted with the metal chopping blade. Turn it on to distribute the ingredients evenly. Alternatively, you could mix the dry ingredients with a whisk in a mixing bowl before adding to the food processor to ensure the almond flour and powdered sugar is mixed evenly.
Add egg white and almond extract to the dry ingredient mixture. Turn the food processor on and allow it to process until a smooth paste forms. You will need to scrape the bottom and side of the food processor to make sure everything is well mixed. Then immediately scrape the mixture out and wrap in plastic.
Using a stand mixer
Whille I prefer making almond paste using a food processor for a smoother end product, you can certainly still make it without one. It is still super easy to make with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. This method will yield a paste with slightly coarser grain.
Similar to the food processor method, mix all the dry ingredients together in the stand mixer bowl. Turn it on and mix to distribute evenly.
Then beat the egg white and almond extract into the dry ingredients until the almond paste comes together. It will be very sticky, use a spatula to scrape it out and wrap in plastic immediately.
Make it by hand
Follow all the steps above using a mixing bowl and a fork. When you mix the egg white into the dry mixture, it will be very sticky, just keep kneading it together with the fork until you get a uniform paste.
Baker’s Tips
- This recipe makes about 7 to 7 ½ oz of almond paste. This is the same amount you’ll get from a package of Odense almond paste, which is widely available in grocery stores.
- You can use this immediately in your recipes, especially ones that call for it to be used as a filling or spread since it is soft and sticky immediately out of the food processor. If you need to chop it or roll it, it would be better to keep it refrigerated for a while first.
Storage
While commercial almond paste is shelf stable before you open the package, homemade almond paste needs to be kept refrigerated since it contains raw egg white.
You can make this recipe ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for a week and up to 10 days for all your baking needs. Or you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Be sure to wrap the paste well, so it doesn’t absorb any refrigerator or freezer smell.
FAQs
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.
Almond flour and almond meal are ground almonds, and are technically the same. So you can use either one for this recipe. You can even grind your own whole almonds if that is all you have at the time. However, I prefer to use almond flour or blanched almond meal for look and uniformity.
No, marzipan is sweeter and is not a direct substitute for almond paste.
Yes, almond paste is made from real almonds. But if you prefer other types of nuts over almonds, you can ground your own nut flour using a food processor and make macadamia nut paste, pistachio paste, pecan paste, pretty much any flavor.
More basic recipes to enhance your baking
Hungry for more?
5-Ingredient Almond Paste
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour, 129 g, packed
- ½ cup powder sugar, 50 g
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, use 1 teaspoon for more almond flavor
Instructions
- Add almond flour, powdered sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until evenly mixed.
- Add egg white and almond extract and pulse until a smooth paste forms. You will need to scrape the side and bottom of the food processor to ensure even mixing of all ingredients.
- Scrape the almond paste out and roll into a log using plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 7 to 7 ½ oz of almond paste which is about the same amount as 1 package of Odense almond paste you can buy at the store.
- You can use almond meal or ground your own almond for this recipe.
- Use almond paste immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.
This was very easy. I live in California and have bitter almonds growing wild next to my backyard fence. I blanched and ground 10 of them and processed them with the rest of the ingredients for a deeper almond flavor.
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, thanks for sharing, I triple the recipe and it came out pretty dry, where did I go wrong?
How dry was your almond paste? It isn’t supposed to be wet, but also not like pie dough dry or crumbly. Did you use the right size egg? Did you maybe use too much almond flour?
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! 🙂