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If you love the taste of peanuts, you’ll love mazapán! This sweet and crumbly Mexican candy only uses 2 ingredients – toasted peanuts and powdered sugar. This is a great recipe to make as a gift or to satisfy your sweet cravings!
I grew up eating de la Rosa mazapán candy regularly. You can find it in every grocery store in Mexico and most Hispanic grocery stores in the United States nowadays. But it was only recently that I realized just how easy it is to make at home!
These delicate peanut candies are best eaten by breaking off little pieces with your hands and letting the sweet and crumbly texture melt in your mouth. They’re so delicious it’s hard to eat just one!
What is Mazapán?
Mazapán is a popular Mexican candy made of peanuts and powdered sugar that is blended and processed together and compacted into a small mold. You can find it at most Mexican grocery stores, but it’s just as easy and delicious to make them at home. They are so popular that there’s even an official day dedicated to them – Día del Mazapán on January 12th!
Ingredients
Roasted and unsalted peanuts: I recommend getting unsalted peanuts so that the base flavor of the peanut and sugar doesn’t compete with the saltiness of salted peanuts. See the Tips section below for different variations.
Powdered sugar: The sweetness and fine texture of powdered sugar makes it easy to create a fine powder that’s later compacted together to form the candy.
How to Make Mazapán
Blend the peanuts and powdered sugar: In a food processor, add the peanuts and powdered sugar. Blend everything until you get a very fine powder.
Prepare the mold: Place a small square of parchment paper on a counter or hard surface. Place your round cookie mold on top of the parchment paper. I used a 2-inch round cookie cutter.
Assemble the mazapán: Scoop 2 ½ tablespoons of the peanut mixture into the cookie mold and begin pressing down with your fingers or the backside of a spoon, packing the peanut mixture into the mold. Don’t be afraid to press down hard – this will help the mazapán hold its shape.
Remove the mold: Remove the mazapán from the mold by very gently pushing down the edges of the mold while sliding it out. Don’t push from the center, or your mazapán may crumble and lose its shape. Repeat this process until you’ve used all the blended peanut mixture.
Transfer and serve: Carefully transfer the mazapánes onto a serving platter or storage container for serving or storing. You can also wrap them individually if you plan to give them as a gift.
Tips
- Mazapán is a very delicate and crumbly candy, so don’t get discouraged if your mazapán breaks when trying to take it out of the mold or transfer them. You can always start over with the assembling process.
- Don’t blend the peanut mixture too long, or it will become oily and start to create a paste.
- I recommend using a food processor to get an even and fine texture, but you can also use a blender. If you use a blender, make sure to pause and unstick the mixture from the sides every now and then to ensure it’s evenly blended. Leaving chunks of peanuts can make it harder to pack your mixture into the mold without cracking.
Recommended Tools
- Round cookie cutter. This cookie cutter set makes the perfect size mazapán reminiscent of the store-bought ones. I used the 2 14/25-inch size cutter.
- Food processor. Perfect for grinding the peanuts and blending them with the powdered sugar.
- Cling wrap. Great for individually wrapping and storing the mazapánes.
Serving Suggestions
Mazapán is one of those versatile candies that can be enjoyed any time of day, but they’re especially delicious paired with warm Mexican drinks. Here are a few great options:
Storage
Mazapán can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
More Mexican Sweets
Mazapán
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the peanuts and powdered sugar to a food processor. Pulse until you get a fine and powdery texture.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface and arrange a 2-inch cookie cutter mold on top.
- Scoop 2 ½ tablespoons of the ground mixture into the cookie mold and begin pressing it down with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Press firmly to really pack the peanut mixture into the mold.
- Remove the mazapán very gently from the mold by lightly pushing down the sides as you slide the mold out. Don’t push from the center.
- Carefully transfer the mazapán onto a plate to serve or wrap in cling wrap to eat later.
Notes
- This recipe was made using a 2 14/25-inch round cookie cutter mold. You can use a different size mold, but keep in mind it might yield more or less mazapánes.
- This recipe can also be made using a blender, but it won’t have as much of a fine and smooth consistency.
- Try not to leave large chunks of peanuts since that can cause the Mazapán to crack when shaping it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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