Andrée Malebranche was born on 28 November 1916 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Clio (née Lemaire) and Lelio Malebranche. Growing up in an affluent family, her desire to work as an artist was an unusual path for the times, but from a young age, Malebranche wanted to learn painting. During her childhood, the United States occupied Haiti, which had a profound effect on her desire overcome the suppression of her African and Haitian heritage. After completing her primary education in private schools, she attended the École Normal and graduated in 1938. As her father was appointed as the Haitian envoy to Cuba, Malebranche continued her studies at the Ciriulo da Bella Artes in Havana, obtaining her baccalauréat in 1941.