Mexican Mazapan
This Mexican Mazapan candy is a simple, melt-in-your-mouth treat made with roasted peanuts and powdered sugar. It's naturally no-bake, needs just two ingredients, and comes together in a blender without any complicated candy-making techniques.
If you love easy homemade sweet treats try my candied dates or Mexican chocolate roasted almonds for more simple treats you can make at home.
Unlike marzipan, which is traditionally made with almonds, Mexican Mazapan is made with peanuts. The individually-wrapped sweet, melt-in-the-mouth treats are perfect to make during the holidays or just batch-make on a weekend.
Sometime back, I tried my hand at Krokan- a crunchy almond brittle and everyone in my family absolutely loved it. This time, I wanted to make something different- with peanuts, and this quick recipe seemed perfect!
Quick Look: Mexican Mazapan
- 🥜 Prep time: 15 minutes.
- ❄️ Chill time: None.
- 🍬 Servings: About 28 pieces.
- 🥣 Main ingredients: Roasted peanuts and powdered sugar.
- ➡️ Method: Blend peanuts and sugar → continue blending until creamy → portion → flatten → wrap.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🍭 Best served with: Mexican hot chocolate, coffee, or as a simple homemade sweet. I like featuring it with Tamarindo candy whenever I'm hosting.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's made with just 2 ingredients. You'll need no corn syrup, butter, condensed milk, or special candy-making equipment.
- It's a no-cook candy, so you don't have to worry about thermometers, boiling sugar, or complicated candy stages.
- You can make a batch ahead of time, which makes them perfect for gifting- just like my orange candied almonds.
Recipe Ingredients
Roasted peanuts: These are the base of the Mazapan and provide all of its nutty flavor. Use roasted peanuts for the deepest flavor and make sure they're unsalted if you want a more traditional sweet taste.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the peanuts while helping the mixture blend into a smooth, moldable paste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Traditionally, Mexican Mazapan is made using unsalted roasted peanuts. If your peanuts are salted, you can still use them for a sweet-and-salty version.
- Add a tiny pinch of cinnamon or dried ginger for a warm, spiced variation.
- For a classic sweet flavor, use a dash of vanilla extract. For a chocolate-y version, add a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Use date sugar or brown sugar instead of white sugar to lend the Mazapan a deeper flavor.
How to Make Mexican Mazapan
Step 1: Add the roasted peanuts and powdered sugar to a blender jar.
Step 2: Blend until the peanuts are finely ground and the mixture starts coming together. Keep scraping down the sides of the blender jar if needed.
Step 3: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the peanut mixture into the center of a cling wrap square. Flatten the mixture slightly with your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a large, thick coin.
Step 4: Fold the cling wrap completely around the Mazapan, making sure the candy is fully covered. Repeat with the remaining mixture until you've used it all.
💭Top Tip
Keep blending! The biggest difference between crumbly peanut sugar and creamy Mazapan is how long you blend it.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use roasted peanuts for the best flavor. Raw peanuts won't have the same deep, nutty taste. Make sure your peanuts are completely cool before blending them with the sugar.
- Don't add water or oil to help the mixture blend. The natural oils in the peanuts are enough to bring everything together.
- Stop the blender occasionally and scrape down the sides so everything blends evenly.
- If your blender struggles with the mixture, use a food processor instead.
- Keep blending until the mixture is almost completely smooth. A little bit of peanut texture is fine, but the paste should hold together easily when pressed.
- Use any extra peanuts that you may have leftover to make a batch of hot honey roasted peanuts or masala peanuts, which can be a great homemade snack.
- Wrap each piece individually to keep the candies protected and make them easy to grab and serve.
How to Serve Mexican Mazapan Candy
Mexican Mazapan is delicious straight from its wrapper as a little sweet treat with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
You can also serve these peanut candies as part of a snack board alongside rosemary roasted cashews or salt and vinegar almonds (if you prefer subtle flavors) or Sumac roasted nuts and Tajin roasted nuts (if you prefer some heat to balance out the sweet Mazapan).
Another great idea is to wrap them individually to give as homemade edible gifts. For a festive presentation, place the individually wrapped Mazapan candies in a small box or arrange them in a bowl alongside other homemade sweets.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store the individually wrapped Mazapan candies in a cool, dark place at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze Mazapan for longer storage. Wrap the candies well before freezing and let them come back to room temperature before serving.
Keep blending. The peanuts need to release their natural oils before the mixture turns into a cohesive paste. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides and continue blending until the mixture becomes creamy.
A food processor works very well for this recipe and may actually be easier for larger batches. The important thing is to keep processing until the peanuts release enough of their natural oils and the mixture becomes cohesive.
More Mexican Snacks
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Mexican Mazapan candy or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Mexican Mazapan
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted peanuts
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the roasted peanuts and powdered sugar to a blender jar.
- Blend until the mixture becomes a coarse paste.
- Continue blending, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture becomes very creamy and almost completely smooth.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto a square of cling wrap.
- Flatten it slightly into a thick coin.
- Wrap the mazapan completely with the cling wrap.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Use roasted peanuts for the best flavor.
- Unsalted peanuts are best if you prefer a traditionally sweet mazapan.
- Don't add water or oil. The natural oils from the peanuts will help create the creamy texture.
- Keep blending until the mixture is creamy and holds together easily when pressed.
- Store individually wrapped mazapan candies at room temperature in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.
- The candies can also be frozen for longer storage.
