18 Festive Marzipan Recipes for the Holidays

Homemade Marzipan

Wondering how to make marzipan? This authentic German marzipan is easy to make at home with just two ingredients: almonds and sugar, with the optional addition of almond extract if you want to up the almond flavor. The sky's the limit when it comes to how to use this no-nonsense marzipan. Try it in any of the recipes that follow!

Marzipan Cookies

For no-nonsense marzipan lovers who want marzipan to be the star of the show. These cookies are made almost entirely of marzipan with just a touch of flour, so it's really all about almonds here! Roll out the dough and cut out these marzipan cookies into any festive shape you like.

Christmas Stollen

This traditional German recipe for a classic marzipan Stollen features a delightful mix of dried fruit and a marzipan surprise in the center. Wondering if this is the Stollen recipe for you? Let this review convince you: "I have tried several Stollen recipes and this one is the best!"

Banket

This traditional Dutch almond pastry, pronounced bahn-ket, is particularly popular at Christmastime. If you're new to banket baking, this top-rated recipe has dozens of five-star reviews to give you a boost of confidence before you heat up the oven. As one reviewer writes, "After years of making banket for Christmas and not getting the flaky crust I desired, I tried this one and voila it was great. Every time I take a bite I think of my Dutch gramdmother..."

Marzipan Potatoes

Many of us have seen marzipan fruit... but potatoes? Called Marzipankartoffeln, these little marzipan morsels shaped as potatoes are a classic Christmastime treat in Germany. Lightly dusted with cocoa powder, they really do resemble miniature spuds! Kids and adults alike will love this simple yet entertaining treat.

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Chocolate Marzipan Cookies

Deliciously rich chocolate cookies filled with "surprise flavor chunks" of marzipan, as one reviewer put it. Chocolate and marzipan are a match made in heaven, and these cookies make a unique yet easy addition to a box of homemade Christmas treats.

Marzipan Christmas Kringle

Few baked goods sound more festive than Marzipan Christmas Kringle. A sweet yeast bread filled with marzipan, this makes a decadent breakfast for Christmas morning. As recipe contributor WOLSELEY explains, "It may seem complicated at first glance, but if you follow the recipe step by step, it is actually quite easy... Often a coin is hidden in the kringle and it is thought that the finder will be guaranteed good luck for the upcoming year." Didn't get the coin? Sounds like a great excuse to have a second slice!

Almond Squares

A must for almond lovers, these bars use almond in almost every form -- either almond paste or marzipan (both work just as well), almond extract, and sliced almonds. Reading this review, we wouldn't judge you for making a double batch: "This recipe was so easy and the end result was a perfectly moist almondy shortbread-like bar. They were perfect with a cup of coffee and they were gone in minutes at the husband's work!"

Marzipan with Chocolate Truffle Filling

With a no-added-sugar chocolate-hazelnut filling that's naturally sweetened with dates, these marzipan treats are both decadent and virtuous. Shape the marzipan however you'd like -- either in balls for classic truffles, or in cigars as pictured. Try coating the outside in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, or melted dark chocolate for a gorgeous finishing touch.

Mini Christmas Cakes

These little fruitcakes feature a marzipan topping and are a miniaturized rendition of the British Christmas favorite (or should we say favourite?). Don't let the word "fruitcake" stop you; no fluorescent green cherries here! This rich and elegant fruitcake is fit for royalty. Making mini cakes means this recipe is perfect for gift-giving and the cakes travel well in case you're shipping treats this year. But before you give them all away, be sure to save three for yourself -- one to enjoy for every installment of the Christmas Prince trilogy.

Gazelle Horns

Called Cornes de Gazelle, these North African marzipan-filled cookies are deliciously unique, flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water. If you can't find the orange blossom water, which is available online and at Middle Eastern grocers, using 1 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and orange zest would make a suitable substitute.

Pistachio Marzipan

This homemade marzipan recipe combines both pistachios and almonds, resulting in a gloriously green confection that is particularly perfect for the holidays.

Almond Marzipan Cookies

These cookies feature a simple pastry dough wrapped around a marzipan center. Reviewer tane4ka77 added green food coloring to her marzipan, as seen here in her photo, but you can opt to go au naturel. Either way, these cookies are delicious! As tane4ka77 explains, "Very easy to make... my family liked [them] a lot. "

Marzipan and Walnut Chocolate Pralines

Spiked with a touch of rum and maraschino liqueur, these chocolate marzipan morsels have Christmas written all over them. Walnuts add another nutty dimension to these homemade chocolates, but feel free to use almost any nut you'd like.

Battenburg Cake

While not reserved solely for the holidays, a slice of Battenburg cake is both impressive and festive. Battenburg cake is distinguished by its covering of marzipan and the pretty pink checkered pattern that appears when sliced. It's a gorgeous almond tea cake that's special enough for Christmas but also welcome year-round.

Marzipan Fruits

Roll up your sleeves and test your skills as a sculptor! Popular throughout Europe, legend has it that marzipan fruit was invented in Italy after a less-than-fruitful harvest. Now a classic way to enjoy marzipan, fruits of almost any variety can be molded and used to decorate cakes or cupcakes, or simply added to a cookie plate or box of homemade treats for both interest and color.

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Apple Marzipan Puff Pastry Tart

If you love apple pie almost as much as you love marzipan, this show-stopping dessert is for you! Don't let the dramatic presentation fool you; as recipe contributor ChristinaT explains, "This is a super easy recipe for apple pie and makes a spectacular presentation at a dinner party."

Apple Marzipan Muffins

These marzipan muffins were made for Christmas morning! Apple and marzipan make a perfect combo, but you might want to try pear, too. If you don't have the vanilla sugar called for in the recipe, simply use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.

How to Make Marzipan

Don't miss our step-by-step guide, which shows you how to take just two ingredients -- almonds and sugar -- and easily turn them into homemade marzipan.

• How to Make Marzipan
• What Is Marzipan?