Homemade Pistachio Mazapan

The traditional Mexican candy, Mazapan gets a little makeover with pistachios instead of peanuts. This easy no bake sweet is perfect for homemade holiday gifts or to put on a Christmas cookie platter. Vegan and gluten-free!

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I’ve always felt a homemade gift was so much more special than anything you could buy in a store.

When the kids were really little I would make batch after batch of cookies and candy and other treats to mail to friends and family for the holidays.

With everyone separated this year, I’ve been trying to think of homemade ways to say, “I love you” that are easy to make and easy to ship.

Whenever I’m in need of some kitchen inspiration I always turn to my friends at California Grown. They never fail to spur my imagination. California grows over 400 commodities so there’s plenty of homegrown ingredients to choose from.

I’m excited to once again be partnering with California Grown to feature another ingredient unique to California in this very special holiday recipe: Pistachios!

Pistachios were the perfect match for this play on mazapan candy and California grows 100% of all pistachios produced in the United States!

Check out this fun seasonal guide showing the seasons of some of the most popular California crops, so you know what to look for in the farmer’s market and grocery store.

what is mazapan?

Mazapán is a delicious round chewy candy made of crushed peanuts. The most popular brand that I’m sure you’ve seen at any Latin market is made by De La Rosa.

This version uses pistachios instead of peanuts for an exquisite, vibrant green candy with the exceptional nutty rich flavor of California grown pistachios.

mazapan ingredients

In traditional mazapanes, peanuts flavor the candy. I’ll admit, while I love the texture of store-bought Mazapán, I’m not the biggest fan of the flavor. For me, masapanes have always been way too sweet and the peanut flavor a bit underwhelming.

The wonderful thing about making a homemade version is I get to make them just how I like them: not quite so sweet, with a touch of salt, and a new nut!

We are putting a spin on tradition and using California-grown pistachios instead. These iridescent green nuts with their buttery flavor are the star of the show but I’ve included a few other ingredients to really make them shine. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Raw, shelled California-grown pistachios
• Powdered sugar
• honey
• kosher salt
• almond extract
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top

how are mazapanes made?

The wonderful thing about masapanes are they could not be more simple to make. There’s no baking, no cooking of any kind really. With the help of a food processor this candy made of crushed pistachios magically transforms before your eyes.

Combine all the ingredients, except the flaky sea salt, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Then blend on medium until the pistachios have released their oils and the mixture holds together with you squeeze it.

Have patience. This process can take up to 15 minutes. Turn the machine off occasionally and scrape the sides of the bowl down so everything blends evenly.

Some recipes add peanut butter or even corn syrup to get the mixture to hold together but I found just a teaspoon of honey will do the trick.

After the mixture holds together, form them into individual candies by pressing a tablespoonful of the ground nuts into a round biscuit cutter or other mold.

Wrap them individually in tissue paper and store in a tightly-sealed container for up to a week or up to 3 months in the freezer.

more holiday treats made with california grown ingredients

• Chile Almond Christmas Crack
• Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
• Candied Orange Peel
• Soft Lime Sugar Cookies
• Fig and Hazelnut Candy
• Chocolate, Raspberry, Macadamia Nut Bars
• Soft Citrus Drop Cookies

the easiest treats you’ll make this season

Calling all pistachio lovers! You must make this dead simple recipe, then make sure you snap a pic and share it with me on Instagram using @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

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In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month, such as this one here which is sponsored by California Grown. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!