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Lavender Macarons

These honey lavender macarons are absolutely delicious with delicate floral notes and a hint of honey!!

image of honey lavender macarons

Making These Lavender Macarons with the French Method

There are a few different ways macarons are made. French macarons are considered easier to make while the Italian and Swiss methods use a few more steps but are more structurally sound.

French macarons also require less equipment. While I love Italian macarons, I like to keep things simple and used the French method for this recipe.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Lavender Macarons

I’ve made quite a few batches of macarons, and they definitely turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat.

These are the tools I like to use when I make these macarons:

Making Lavender Macarons – Step by Step Process

While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!

Below are some photos and a video tutorial of the process to help guide you through this recipe for French lavender macarons.

Step #1: Prep the Ingredients and Equipment

After weighing your ingredients, wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to remove any residual grease.

This helps the meringue whip up better!

image of an egg white being separated into a container to make french macarons

Step #2: Make the French Meringue

Next, it’s time to make the French meringue!

Whisk the room temperature egg whites on a medium-low speed until the surface is covered in small bubbles.

image of egg whites that have been whipped to make small bubbles on the top before adding in the sugar to make french meringue

Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the whisk begins to leave tracks.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed.

Mix until stiff peaks form like in the photo below. Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over mixing the meringue.

image of meringue that's shiny and has reached stiff peak stage for making macarons

Add in the purple gel food coloring at this point. It will get mixed in as you fold in the dry ingredients during the next step.

Step #3: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Sift the superfine almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

image of dry ingredients being sifted into meringue to make macaron batter

Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.

Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a few figure 8’s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream once it is the right consistency.

If the stream of batter breaks before you’re able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.

image of purple macaron batter that's ready to be piped

Step #4: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with the macaron batter and pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds onto 2 silpat lined baking sheets. Space them about 1-inch apart.

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times.

This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can then be popped with a toothpick or scribe. Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

image of purple macarons being piped onto a silpat mat

Step #5: Rest the Piped Macarons

Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin. On rainy days this can take up to an hour where I live!

They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked. While the shells rest, preheat your oven.

image of purple macaron batter that's been piped and is resting to form a skin before being baked

Step #6: Bake the Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of at time and place the tray on the middle rack of your oven.

Bake time can vary based on the size of macarons you pipe and your oven, so adjust the bake time as needed.

Let the macarons cool fully on the pan then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

image of purple french macaron shells that have been baked and developed perfect feet

Step #7: Assembling These Lavender Macarons

The final step is to pipe a small dab of honey lavender buttercream on one macaron shell and top it with a second shell.

Then place the finished macarons in the fridge to mature overnight and bring them to room temperature the next day then enjoy!

Letting the filled macarons rest overnight softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavor to develop.

Troubleshooting These Lavender Macarons

While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these lavender macarons will turn out perfectly, my own experience has taught me that’s not how things usually go.

Macarons are incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right. If you run into any issues, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!

Choosing The Right Filling for Your Lavender Macarons

Almost all the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling. The shell gives the macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor.

I have a big sweet tooth, so I like to add a bit of lavender steeped cream and honey to my American buttercream.

image of a purple macaron shell filled with a honey lavender buttercream to make honey lavender macarons

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using a 1/4 batch of my hybrid buttercream or Swiss meringue frosting as your frosting base.

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 36 macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

The yield and bake time will also vary based on the size of macarons you pipe. I pipe my shells with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches.

image of french lavender macarons filled with honey lavender buttercream

Tips for Making the Best Lavender Macarons

  • Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making your meringue. It will help your egg whites whip up better!
  • Separate your own eggs and age them if possible. Do not use egg whites from a carton.
  • Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe and your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
  • Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it’s good to know your game plan before you start!
  • Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
  • Let your macarons mature! Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
  • If your first batch of macarons doesn’t turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.
image of honey lavender macarons filled with a honey buttercream

Making These Lavender Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

  • You need to let French macarons mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before eating them. This gives them their best texture and taste.
  • Store macarons at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate macarons for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
  • Freeze filled macarons for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Make your filling ahead of time too or save any leftover filling! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
image of purple french macaron shells baked with perfect feet ready to be filled

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try my recipe for lavender macarons, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 18 macarons

Lavender Macarons

image of honey lavender macarons

Learn how to make these delicious lavender macarons! They're filled with honey lavender buttercream and are absolutely delicious!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 6 minutes

Ingredients

Lavender Macarons

Honey Lavender Buttercream Frosting

  • 56g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
  • 14g honey (2 tsp)
  • 4g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
  • 1g fine salt (1/8 tsp)
  • 125g powdered sugar (1 cup)
  • 15g heavy cream, steeped with 1 tsp dried lavender (1 Tbsp)

Equipment

Instructions

Lavender Macarons

  1. Pour 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage.
  2. Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. If desired, add in a squirt of purple gel food coloring at this point, then increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  3. Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into the meringue and add a generous squirt of purple gel food coloring.
  4. Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula when it is the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
  5. Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/4 inch-rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
  7. Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 315 F / 157 C.
  8. Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 15-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
  9. Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

Honey Lavender Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.
  2. Mix in 14g honey, 4g vanilla extract, and 1g salt on a low speed.
  3. Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 15g of lavender-steeped heavy cream on a low speed. I usually heat the heavy cream then let the lavender sit in it for about 5 minutes before straining it.
  4. Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. 
  5. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
  6. Place in a piping bag with a small round tip and set aside.

Assembling These Lavender Macarons

  1. Pair up the macaron shells and pipe a dollop of honey lavender buttercream on one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
  2. Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy! Store any leftover macarons in the fridge.

Notes

Recipe Yield:

This recipe makes about 36 macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of about 1 and 1/4 inches, so they're a tiny bit smaller than a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Lavender Macarons

  • Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
  • Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
  • Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
  • Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
  • Let your macarons mature in the fridge overnight! Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
  • If your first batch of macarons doesn't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!

Making These Lavender Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

  • French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.
  • Filled macarons can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
  • Filled macarons can be frozen for up to a month, but the length can vary based on the filling.
  • Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Your filling can be made ahead of time too or save any leftover filling! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 126Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 28mgSodium 35mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 2g

Danie

Friday 7th of July 2023

Nice recipe and the filling smells amazing and tastes good, but is SO sweet! Looking for a way to cut back the sweetness a bit next time I make them.

Chelsweets

Sunday 9th of July 2023

Hi Daine,

A great way to cut the sweetness is to use a different type of filling! My lavender Swiss meringue buttercream would be a great alternative:

https://chelsweets.com/lavender-buttercream/

Hope that helps for next time, happy baking!

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Wendy

Monday 14th of November 2022

Hi!! I love lavender anything and these sound divine! How long do you steep the cream for?

Chelsweets

Saturday 19th of November 2022

Hi Wendy,

Great question and apologies for not being more clear about that! I usually heat the heavy cream then let the lavender sit in it for about 5 minutes before straining it. I've updated the recipe card to include this now :) Happy baking!!

Rachel

Friday 19th of August 2022

These look delicious! If I want to replace the American buttercream with either the hybrid or SMBC, how should I incorporate the lavender flavor since the recipes don't call for cream?

Chelsweets

Sunday 21st of August 2022

Hi Rachel,

Great question! If you want to use a meringue based frosting the easiest way to incorporated lavender flavor is to use a lavender oil or paste (like this: https://amzn.to/3pG5cv3). Hope that helps, happy baking!

Trine

Sunday 3rd of July 2022

I have tried so many recipes for butter cream and never really succeeded. This recipe just works every time! And the macarons are amazing as well! Thank you!

Chelsweets

Sunday 3rd of July 2022

I am so happy to hear that Trine!! Thank you for putting my recipes to good use :)

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