Have we got a treat for you! It's a Mexican peanut butter candy that requires 2 ingredients and 15 minutes or less to make. You're about to be shocked at the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness of mazapán de cacahuate.
If you do one thing today, it better involve making this recipe.
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📖 About
We have never been more obsessed with a sweet treat in our lives.
As we stood by the cash register in our local Mexican supermarket, we saw a tiny, beige disk that looked enticing.
The label read "de la Rosa."
We figured we'd check if it was vegan and, much to our surprise, it was! We carefully unwrapped the package only to crack the crumbly disk in half.
After shoveling the contents of this Mexican peanut butter candy into our mouths, we stared at each other in disbelief. It was soft, creamy, and silky in texture with subtle peanut undertones.
It melted right in our mouths.
We were so inspired by de la Rosa, we began a quest to create our own version for everyone to enjoy at home!
Peanut marzipan (or mazapán de cacahuate) is pretty much everywhere in Mexico and enjoyed by millions.
De la Rosa (the best brand of many) has been creating this peanut butter candy for over 70 years. Needless to say, they've nailed the recipe.
So, what is marzipan anyways?
The marzipan you're probably familiar with consists of ground almonds and sugar. It's enjoyed all over the world with various tweaks depending on your location.
But, there is something special about peanuts. We think the toasty flavor mixed with light, powdery sugar is a deadly combo. When you bite into these peanut treats, don't expect to eat just one.
This mazapán recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. We're certain you're going to love it as much as we do.
🍲 Key ingredients
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
Roasted peanuts
Taste: the flavor can be changed quite a lot in this recipe by switching up the way you prepare the peanuts. We prefer to slightly roast them for a sweet and nutty flavor.
Health: for being the cheapest nut on the market, peanuts pack an extremely healthy punch! In a 3.5-ounce serving, there is a whopping 26 grams of protein. What's more impressive? That same serving provides almost ⅓ of your daily fiber needs!
Fun fact: it takes 540 peanuts to make a 12oz jar of peanut butter.
Powdered sugar
Taste: commonly referred to as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar, powdered sugar has a light, delicate texture that literally melts in your mouth. It tastes slightly different than granulated sugar, but similar nonetheless.
Fun fact: this type of sugar is made by processing granulated sugar into a fine powder and adding corn starch to act as an "anti-caking" agent. It's often used in frosting or icing recipes (and peanut marzipan).
🔪 Instructions
If you have questions about this peanut butter candy recipe, don't forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: add your peanuts to a blender or food processor and pulse or blend on medium until you achieve a fine meal. Make sure you stop frequently to mix the peanuts around so the consistency stays fairly even.
Step 2: add in the powdered sugar and continue blending until the mixture sticks together when you press it between your fingers. Note: this process can take anywhere from 2-10 minutes depending on your blender, so be patient!
Step 3: using your hands, press a few tablespoons of the marzipan very firmly into a round cookie cutter (or a measuring cup lined with wax paper). While pressing down on the marzipan, carefully remove the cookie cutter. Continue this process until all the peanut mixture is gone!
Step 5: once all the candies are shaped, wrap them in paper or cling wrap. If you're giving them as a gift, you can even try wrapping them in pretty candy papers.
🌡️ Storage
Room temperature: you can store these at room temperature wrapped in wax paper, cling wrap, or sandwich bags inside an air tight container for up 3-4 weeks.
Freezer: tightly wrap the candies in freezer-safe bags and store in your freezer for up to 6 months.
💭 Pro tips
Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while perfecting this mazapán recipe for you:
- Make sure you use a cookie cutter to help shape the candies.
- Don't blend for too long. Use our photos as a guide for the ideal consistency.
- Depending on your taste preference, try salted, unsalted, roasted, or raw peanuts (we prefer unsalted and roasted peanuts).
- For a fancier candy, add a teaspoon of vanilla to this recipe.
🍴 Tasting notes
Peanut marzipan is so easy to make, you need to try it for yourself. It's:
- Sweet
- Indulgent
- Melt-in-your-mouth
- Creamy
If you try this peanut butter candy recipe, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Peanut Butter Candy (Mazapán de Cacahuate)
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Round cookie cutter
Instructions
- First, add the peanuts to a blender or food processor. Pulse or blend on medium until you achieve a fine meal, about 1-4 minutes. Stop frequently to scrape down the sides and mix the peanuts around.
- Next, add in the powdered sugar. Continue blending until the mixture sticks together when you press it between your fingers. This process can take anywhere from 2-10 minutes depending on your blender.
- Using your hands, press a few tbsp of the marzipan very firmly into a round cookie cutter (or a measuring cup lined with wax paper). While pressing down on the marzipan, carefully remove the cookie cutter. Continue this process until there is no peanut mixture left.
- Once all the candies are shaped, wrap them in paper and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- 1 serving = ~ 25 grams.
- For additional flavor, add 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe-to-recipe.
- All prices are in USD.
- Recipe inspired by Dulces de la Rosa.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty peanut butter recipes, check out our:
- Peanut butter cookies if you want a softer, chewier version of an old favorite.
- Chocolate peanut butter cups for a vegan version of Reese's (but even better).
- Peanut butter fudge for a rich, chocolatey dessert made with 2 simple ingredients.
- Homemade Snickers bars to bite into layers of rich chocolate, crunchy peanuts, creamy date caramel, and chewy nougat.
💬 FAQ
If your candies are oily, it's because you blended the peanuts for too long making them release more oils. Try adding more powdered sugar in, but they'll still taste delicious regardless.
This mazapán recipe is perfectly designed to emulate the de la Rosa consistency. You can use less, but the taste and texture will be different.
Yes, this recipe works in a food processor.
No. You need powdered sugar for this recipe because the texture is smooth compared to traditional sugar, which is granulated.
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