The three most widely used pastes by professional bakers are almond paste, kernel paste and macaroon paste. While all three pastes have a well-defined almond flavor, there are subtle differences between them.

Each of these pastes contains the same ratio of nuts to sugar. Almond paste is made from finely ground, blanched almonds and sugar, macaroon paste is made from finely ground blanched almonds, apricot kernels and sugar. Kernel paste is made from finely ground blanched apricot kernels and sugar.