How to Make French Macarons

Co-authored by Jessica Banh

Last Updated: December 7, 2022 References Approved

A very popular treat in France, macarons have charmed foodies of other nations with their delicate texture and pretty colours. Macarons are not to be confused with the more familiar coconut macaroons that you're probably used to; instead, macarons are made with flavored meringue halves sandwiched around a rich filling. This recipe is for cocoa meringues with chocolate ganache filling, but you can customize it to any flavour and filling you'd like.

Ingredients

Macaron Batter

1 ½ cups (185 g; 6.5 oz) confectioners' sugar
⅔ cup (90 g; 3.2 oz) almond flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3 egg whites, room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

Ganache Filling

½ cup (125 ml; 4.2 fl oz) cream
2 tablespoons chocolate chips or shaved chocolate (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Making the Macaron Batter

1
Preheat the oven to 280 °F (138 °C). Macaron halves are baked at a very low heat so that they will rise gently and not collapse. If your oven tends to run hot, you may want to bake the macarons with the oven door slightly ajar.^{[1]
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2
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Since these confections are so delicate, it's necessary to use parchment paper so they won't stick to the baking sheet.^{[2]
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3
Mix the almond flour base. Place the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and cocoa in a bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Be sure no lumps remain in the mixture.^{[3]
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- If your almond flour is coarse, run the mixture through the food processor to grind it fine. Don't grind it for too long, though, or the mixture will turn to almond butter.
- If you don't want to make chocolate macarons, leave out the cocoa powder.
4
Beat the egg whites and add sugar. Place the egg whites in a metal bowl and either whisk or beat them until they form white, stiff peaks. You want them to become as thick as possible, because this is going to provide your macarons with more stabilization. Be sure the bowl is completely dry and clean, or the eggs won't form peaks. Add the sugar and beat until the peaks become stiffer and turn glossy.^{[4]
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- At this point you can beat in flavorings such as vanilla, peppermint extract, or almond extract to the wet batter. Add about a teaspoon of your favourite flavouring.
- Mix in drops of food colouring to make the macarons more colorful. Match the color to the flavor you have chosen for a nice effect. Keep in mind that macarons tend to lighten when baked, so you may want to add in an extra drop of food colouring in order to achieve the desired shade.
5
Fold the batter ingredients together. Gently fold the almond meal mixture into the egg white mixture in two parts. Fold in half of the almond meal mixture with a spatula until the ingredients are just combined. Add the second half of the almond meal mixture and fold it in until just combined.^{[5]
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6
Punch the batter. In order to produce macarons with the classic soft, chewy texture, the batter must be "punched." Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to push down in the center of the batter, scrape the batter from the sides to the center, then push down again. Do it in a rather gentle and delicate way. Keep punching the batter in this way until it begins to look loose and pudding-like in texture.
- You'll probably need to punch the batter about 10 - 12 times before it's ready.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter. Stop when it looks like pudding; if you punch it too many times, it will become runny, which ruins the consistency of the batter.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Baking the Macaron Halves

1
Fill a pastry bag with batter. You can use the same type of pastry bag you'd use for icing. Fit it with a large circular icing tip. Fill the bag with macaron batter, then twist the end closed so that the batter won't escape.^{[6]
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- If you don't own a pastry bag, you can make your own by using a plastic sandwich bag. Cut off one of the corners, then fit it with the icing tip.
- Experiment with different icing tips. Most bakers make macarons in the classic round shape, but if all you have is a star-shaped tip, give it a try!
2
Pipe the batter onto the baking sheets. Hold the pastry bag vertically. Squeeze it and pipe 3-inch (7.62-cm) circles of batter onto the baking sheet. The batter circles will spread a little, so give them plenty of space. Try to squeeze the exact same amount of batter for each circle, so the halves of the macaron come out to be the same size. Now hold each baking sheet about an inch over the countertop and let it drop. Do this about 3 times with each sheet; this helps the batter settle.^{[7]
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3
Let the batter rest. Keep the baking sheets at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The macarons are ready to bake when a dry crust has formed over their surfaces. Touch your finger gently to the top of a macaron; if the batter doesn't stick, it's time to put them in the oven.
4
Bake the macaron halves. Place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake the macaron halves for 15 minutes, or slightly longer if necessary. The macarons are finished when they have a slightly hard crust and are soft, but not gooey, on the inside. When they're done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.^{[8]
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- You can open the oven door after a couple of minutes to let any humidity escape. This helps the macarons rise and take the correct shape.
- Don't over bake the macarons, or they'll brown on top and the texture won't be quite right.
- Baking macarons is a fussy process, and takes a lot of practice. If your macarons fall on the first try, consider changing the temperature or cooking time in the future.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Making the Ganache Filling

1
Heat the cream. Place it in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the cream as it heats, and remove it once it begins to steam. Do not let it come to a boil. You could also heat the cream in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.
2
Pour the cream over the chocolate (you can also other popular options like strawberry, blueberry or even vanilla). Let the hot cream melt the chocolate for a minute or two, then use a spoon to stir the mixture together until it becomes a smooth, creamy chocolate ganache.
3
Spoon the filling into a clean pastry bag. This will make it easier to pipe the filling onto the macarons as you fill them. Fit the pastry bag (or sandwich bag) with a small icing tip.
4
Consider other fillings. Chocolate ganache is a popular macaron filling, but there are many other fillings to choose from. Try a simple buttercream filling, either plain or flavored with your favorite extract. If you like fruity fillings, raspberry, apricot, or blueberry jam make great choices.^{[9]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Assembling the Macarons

1
Loosen the macaron halves. Use an offset spatula to gently lift the cooled halves from the parchment paper and turn them over so that their flat sides are facing up. It's easy to crush macaron halves, so be sure to handle them with care.
- To help the macarons cool down quickly, baker Eric Lanlard recommends lifting the parchment paper and pouring a little cold water beneath the sheet and the paper. This will create steam, enabling you to remove the macarons with ease.
2
Pipe the filling onto half of the macaron halves. Position the icing tip in the center of the macaron half and squeeze about a teaspoon of filling onto the macaron. Repeat with half of the macaron halves you baked.
3
Cover the filling with another macaron half. Gently position a second macaron half over the filling and lightly press it down, so that you've formed a sandwich. Continue with the remaining macaron halves until all of the macarons have been assembled.^{[10]
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4
Eat and store the macarons. Enjoy the macarons from the oven, or store them in an airtight container for later use. They will keep for several days in the refrigerator.^{[11]
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- You can also freeze the macarons and keep them frozen for a month.
5
Finished.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

More Varieties of Macarons

1
Make violet macarons. These macarons are violet in both color and taster. Consider giving them a try for a twist your recipe.
2
Make cookies and cream macarons. This delicious French cookie with a cookie and cream twist will have your taste buds wanting more. Macarons are a sandwich cookie with a nice crunchy shell and sweet and creamy filling, and these ones are flavored like cookies and cream.^{[12]
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Make chocolate macarons. If you're a big chocolate fan, chocolate macarons might suit you up for the best.^{[13]
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Make strawberry macarons. Add your favorite fruit to your favorite dessert, strawberry macarons are good any day at anytime.^{[14]
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Community Q&A

Question

How long do the macarons stay fresh?

Community Answer

Outside the fridge they stay fresh for about 11 to 12 hours, inside the fridge they stay fresh about up to one week, if they're good. In the freezer, they'll stay fresh for about to 5 to 6 months. It is required that they're kept in a closed container and not exposed to humidity.
Question

Can I use vanilla frosting for the filling?

Community Answer

Yes, you can use just about anything for the filling, as long as is has a thick, jelly-like, or creamy texture.
Question

I followed all the instructions but still my macarons flattened while baking. What went wrong?

Community Answer

Making macarons is not for the inexperienced baker. Many things can cause macarons to fail to rise, including: Inadequate treatment for the egg whites, which should have been separated the day before, to "age" them, then refrigerated in a covered container overnight and before use, brought back to room temperature. Use a cold mixing bowl for beating them in, beating gently at first, then increasing the speed to form the air in the egg whites to create the all-important bubbles. This beating process traps the egg proteins in the air bubbles, helping the macarons to rise well. Second, the "macaronage" stage must be done with great care, in that the batter is lightly worked to "break" the meringue to create a smooth and flowing mixture. That said, it must not be overmixed or the batter goes runny and the resulting macarons are flat. If this all sounds too hard, remember that macarons require attention to fine detail and a willingness to put in the effort.

Warnings

Macarons are not easy to make and are not for beginner chefs. One mistake such as measuring the ingredients incorrectly can cause the macarons to collapse while baking. Be wary over the way you make this recipe.

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Avoid storing finished macarons near heat or they will wither and toughen.

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