Skip to Content

Orange Macarons

This week we’re making orange macarons! They’re decorated to look just like freshly cut orange and are filled with orange buttercream and my favorite orange marmalade.

image of orange macarons filled with orange marmalade

Making Macarons with the French Method

There are quite a few different ways to make macarons, including the Italian, Swiss, and French Method!

I’m a fan of the French method, mostly because of its simplicity! The French method whisks egg whites together with a bit of sugar to create a French meringue with stiff peaks.

This meringue is then folded into a mixture of finely ground almonds and powdered sugar. This process of folding the meringue into the dry ingredients is called macaronage.

No matter what method you use, macarons require expertise to mix the batter the perfect amount to achieve that elusive, lava-like consistency.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make these Orange Macarons

Like I mentioned above, these orange macarons don’t require a ton of equipment!

However, I find they turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat. As macarons bake, they usually spread less on silpat mats than parchment paper.

Below is a list of tools and equipment I like to use when I make macarons:

Making Orange 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 orange macarons.

Step #1: Prep Your Ingredients and Equipment to Make These Orange Macarons

After weighing your ingredients, wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. This removes any traces of grease and helps the meringue whip up properly.

Step #2: Sift the Dry Ingredients

Sift your superfine almond flour and powdered sugar. This ensures your macaron shells turn out nice and smooth.

image of dry ingredients being sifted into bowl

Step #3: Make the French Meringue

Next, it’s time to make the French meringue! Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar on a medium speed until the surface is covered with small bubbles.

Next, add in the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds to help the sugar incorporate into the egg whites.

Once the sugar is incorporated, mix on a medium high speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid mixer) until stiff peaks form. This can be done with a stand mixer or hand mixer.

Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over mixing your meringue. Stop the mixer once you notice texture as the meringue mixes, and the meringue begins to gather in the whisk.

image of french meringue that's been whipped to have stiff peaks and is perfect for making macarons

Step #4: Mix the Dry Ingredients into The Meringue

Add a generous drop of orange gel food coloring then fold the dry ingredients into the meringue.

Mix until the batter forms a thick ribbon that flows off your spatula when it’s lifted.

A great way to test the consistency of your batter is the figure 8 test. This is when you lift your spatula and see if you can draw a figure 8 with the batter running off your spatula in one consistent stream.

You should be able to draw a couple figure 8s once your macaron batter is the right consistency.

image of orange macaron batter

Step #5: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with the macaron batter and pipe circular macaron shells that are about 1 1/4 inches in diameter.

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times to bring any trapped air bubbles to the surface and pop them with a toothpick. This can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

image of orange macaron shells resting after being banged on the counter

Step #6: Rest the Piped Macaron Shells

Next let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin.

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 orange macaron shells that have rested and formed a skin before being baked

Step #7: Bake the Orange Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a time and rotate the pan half way through to help them bake evenly.

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

image of orange macaron shells that have been baked and have proper feet

Step #8: Decorate Half of the Macaron Shells with and Edible Marker

This step is optional, but you can draw on some of the shells once they’re baked.

Use an edible marker to draw on half of the macaron shells to make them look like the cross section of a juicy orange.

Step #9: Assembling These Orange Macarons

Pipe a ring of buttercream onto one macaron shell and fill the center with your favorite orange marmalade. Top it with a second shell. Repeat with the remaining shells.

Place the finished macarons in the fridge in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to mature overnight then enjoy!

image of adorable orange macarons filled with orange marmalade and buttercream

Orange Macaron Troubleshooting

I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of orange macarons will turn out perfectly, but my own experience has taught me that’s not always the case.

Macarons can be incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right.

If you run into any issues, please check out my detailed French macaron troubleshooting guide.

image of adorable orange macarons filled with orange marmalade and buttercream

Choosing the Right Filling for Your Orange Macarons

While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, 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. You can use just about any type of frosting or ganache to fill macarons.

I have a big sweet tooth, so I love filling these macarons with orange buttercream and an orange marmalade center.

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using Russian buttercream or Swiss meringue frosting instead!

image of orange macarons filled with orange marmalade and American buttercream

Orange Macaron Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 36 small macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. I like to pipe my macarons with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches, which is smaller than most bakery style macarons.

You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

image of a tray of orange macaron shells that have been baked and cooled and are ready to be filled

Tips for Making the Best Orange 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.
  • Use superfine almond flour rather than trying to make your own! It more consistently yields great macarons.
  • 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.
  • FIRMLY bang/drop your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
  • Rest the macarons for 30 minutes (or until they develop a skin) before baking them. This will help the feet develop properly!
  • If you’re not super familiar with your oven, pipe a small number of macarons on a few sheets to test your oven for hot spots and to see if it bakes accurately. This way you won’t waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
  • 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 you run into any issues making these macarons, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.

Making these Orange 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 adorable orange macarons filled with orange marmalade and buttercream

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for orange macarons, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment below.

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

Orange Macarons

image of orange macarons filled with orange marmalade

Learn how to make perfect orange macarons! My step by step tutorial & detailed recipe will help you master these delicious little cookies.

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

Ingredients

Orange Macarons

Orange Buttercream Frosting

  • 56g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
  • 2g vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
  • 2g orange extract (1/2 tsp)
  • 3g fresh orange zest (1 Tbsp)
  • 1g salt (1/8 tsp)
  • 125g powdered sugar (1 cup)
  • 10g heavy cream (2 tsp)

Optional Filling

  • 15g orange marmalade (2 Tbsp)

Equipment

Instructions

French Orange Macarons

  1. Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Pour 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium-low 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 you reach the soft peak stage.
  3. Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form (this usually takes me about 6 minutes mixing with a Kitchen Aid on speed 6).
  4. Fold the dry ingredients and orange gel food coloring into the meringue in using a circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. Be careful not to over mix the batter!
  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 to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.
  8. As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315 F.
  9. Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
  10. Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
  11. If desired, you can use an edible orange marker to draw on half of the shells to make them look like the cross section of an orange.

Orange 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 2g vanilla extract, 2g orange extract, 3g fresh orange zest and 1g salt on a low speed.
  3. Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g heavy cream on a low speed.
  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 round tip (or snip the end to have an opening that's about 1 cm wide) and set aside.

Assembling These Orange Macarons

  1. Pipe a thick ring of orange buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell and fill the center with orange marmalade. 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 let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Yield:

This recipe makes about 36 small 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 inch, so they're a tiny bit smaller than a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Orange 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.
  • Use orange gel food coloring. If you try to use liquid food coloring it can throw off the consistency of the batter.
  • 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.
  • FIRMLY bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
  • Rest your macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
  • Pipe a small number of macarons on a mat to test your oven for hot spots and see if it bakes accurately. This way you won't waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
  • 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.

Making These Orange 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.
  • 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 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 29mgSodium 37mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 2g

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes - The Ultimate Flavor Combination

Saturday 4th of June 2022

[…] Chocolate Cake Orange Macarons Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Yield: […]

marjan

Wednesday 24th of November 2021

hello, baking macarons, how long in advance heating the oven thanks

Skip to Recipe