These pineapple macarons are perfect for summer! They’re filled with sweet, tart pineapple curd and delicious cream cheese buttercream frosting.
They are the perfect tropical macaron flavor!
Making These Pineapple 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 Pineapple 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:
- Kitchen scale
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- 2 small piping bags
- Round piping tip
- Large, flat baking sheets
- Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
- Saucepan
- Heat-Proof Bowl
- Edible Brown Marker
- Scribe or Toothpick
How to Make These Pineapple Macarons: Step-by-Step Process
While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!
Below are some photos of the process to help guide you through this recipe.
Or if you’d like to see a long-form video, check out this video about how I make my French macaron recipe.
Step #1: Make the French Meringue
The first step is to make the French meringue!
Whisk the room temperature egg whites on a medium-low speed until the surface is covered in small bubbles.
Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the whisk begins to leave tracks. This is called the soft peak stage.
Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Then 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.
Step #2: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue
Sift the superfine almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue.
Use a rubber spatula to break up any big clumps and press them through the sieve.
Add in the yellow gel food coloring at this point. Then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.
Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.
Don’t forget to scrape off the inside of the spatula intermittently. Sometimes meringue can get stuck there and not get mixed in properly.
Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted.
You should be able to draw a couple of 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 do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
Step #3: Pipe the Macaron Shells
Fill a large piping bag with macaron batter and pipe 1 3/4-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.
Step #4: Rest the Macaron Shells
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.
Step #5: Bake the Macaron Shells
Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray in the middle rack of your oven.
Rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.
Let the macarons cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
If they’re properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly and have a shiny bottom.
Step #6: Make the Pineapple Curd
The pineapple curd filling needs a little time to cool and thicken, so I recommend making it next! It can also be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
It takes a little bit of extra time to make from scratch, but it’s totally worth it!
It’s also the perfect way to use up the leftover yolks from making the shells.
Step #7: Make the White Chocolate Pineapple Leaves
Next, make the pineapple leaves! Melt down some white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl using either a microwave or double boiler.
Then mix in either green powdered food coloring or green oil-based food coloring.
Gel food coloring will not work well here. The key here is to use a food coloring that won’t cause the white chocolate to seize. I used this powdered food coloring and it worked well. You can also use green candy melts!
Once the white chocolate is a nice shade of green, place it in a small piping bag, seal the top with a clip or rubber band, and snip a small opening at the bottom of the bag.
Pipe little clusters of leaves on a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Hold up one of the baked shells as you pipe the leaves to make sure that the proportions match.
Make each cluster of leaves a little longer than it needs to be so that it can be pressed in the center of the macaron to help hold it in place.
Once the leaves are piped, use a scribe or toothpick to make the leaves nice and pointy, and add a bit of texture.
Count out how many pairs of macaron shells you’ve made and make sure you pipe enough leaves. I also like to make a few extras in case any of them break.
Place the pan in your fridge to help the white chocolate leaves firm up.
Step 8: Assemble the Macarons
While the shells and pineapple curd cool, make the cream cheese buttercream. Place it in a small piping bag fit with a small round piping tip and set aside.
Pair up the macaron shells, then use an edible brown marker to make a crisscross pattern on top of one of the shells like in the photo below.
If you don’t have an edible marker, you can also paint on the lines using a mixture of brown gel food coloring and vanilla extract.
Pipe a ring of buttercream around one macaron shell. Fill the center with pineapple curd.
Remove the white chocolate leaves from the fridge and press them gently into place on top of the filling.
Carefully press a second shell on top of the filling to create a sandwich.
If you notice the leaves are starting to soften as they warm and become hard to handle, pop the pan back in the fridge for a few minutes to help them firm up again.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and store it in the fridge to let them mature overnight.
Letting the filled macarons rest overnight softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavor to develop.
Troubleshooting These Pineapple Macarons
While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these macarons will turn out perfectly, I’ve learned 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 These 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 macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor.
I think this combination of tart, sweet pineapple curd, and tangy cream cheese buttercream is absolutely incredible, but you could also just fill these with cream cheese buttercream.
If you like less sweet frosting, I recommend making a quarter batch of my hybrid buttercream or my Swiss meringue buttercream.
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes about 36 large macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons.
You can double or halve this recipe as needed.
The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of the macarons you pipe. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 3/4-inches.
Tips for Making the Best Pineapple Macarons
- Wipe your mixing bowl, whisk, and baking mats with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making the 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.
- Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
- Let your baked and filled macarons mature! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
- If your macarons don’t turn out, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!
Making These Pineapple Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips
These macarons need to mature overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.
Filled macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
The pineapple curd filling and cream cheese frosting can also be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover filling! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for pineapple macarons, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.
Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Pineapple Macarons
These pineapple macarons are perfect for summer! They're filled with sweet pineapple curd and delicious cream cheese buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Macarons Shells
- 110g aged egg whites; SAVE 2 OF THE EGG YOLKS TO MAKE THE PINEAPPLE CURD BELOW
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
- 110g granulated sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tsp)
- yellow gel food coloring
- 140g superfine almond flour - blanched (1 1/2 cups)
- 125g powdered sugar (1 cup)
Pineapple Curd
- 40g egg yolks (2 large egg yolks or 1 large egg)
- 67g granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
- 45g pineapple juice (3 Tbsp)
- 14g cornstarch (1 1/2 tsp)
- 2g fine salt (1/4 tsp)
- 30g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (2 Tbsp)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 56g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
- 56g cream cheese, room temperature (1/4 cup)
- 4g vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- 1g fine salt (1/8 tsp)
- 250g powdered sugar (2 cups)
- 15g heavy cream (1 Tbsp)
Pineapple Leaves
- 135g white chocolate chips (3/4 cup)
- green powdered food coloring or green oil-based food coloring
Equipment
Instructions
Yellow Macaron Shells
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
- Pour 110g 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 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage and leaves visible tracks.
- Gradually mix 110g of granulated sugar into the egg whites over a few minutes while mixing on a medium-low speed. Increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (6 on a KitchenAid). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Sift 140g superfine almond flour and 125g powdered sugar into the meringue. Use a rubber spatula to break up any big clumps and press them through the sieve.
- Add in a generous squirt of yellow gel food coloring to give the shells a vibrant yellow color.
- Fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together. Don't forget to scrape off the inside of the spatula intermittently. Sometimes meringue can get stuck there and not get mixed in properly.
- Fold the batter until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream when it's the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
- Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 1 inch apart.
- 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.
- 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 320 F / 160 C.
- Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 18-21 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help the macarons bake evenly. Bake time can vary based on the size of your shells, so if you pipe them smaller than 1 3/4-inch, they may be done a few minutes earlier.
- Remove the macaron shells from the oven and let them cool fully on the pan (about 30 minutes), then gently peel them off the Silpat mat. If they're properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly and have a shiny bottom.
Pineapple Curd
- Make the pineapple curd next. It needs time to cool to room temperature.
- Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water and heat over medium-low heat.
- Combine 2 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp of pineapple juice, 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp of fine salt in a medium-sized, heat-proof, and non-reactive bowl. I like to use a thick glass bowl. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Once the water begins to simmer, place the bowl on top of the saucepan to make a double boiler. Leave the heat on medium-low heat and make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Continuously whisk the mixture until it thickens. This usually takes me about 3-5 minutes. Note that the pineapple curd will be a bit thinner in consistency than a traditional lemon curd.
- Remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the stove. Add 2 Tbsp of butter and stir until incorporated. The mixture should be thicker and smooth at this point.
- Scoop the pineapple curd into a small piping bag and seal the top. Place in the fridge to cool. It should be fully chilled in 15-30 minutes.
- Leftover pineapple curd can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
White Chocolate Pineapple Leaves
- Then make the pineapple leaves. Meltdown 135g of white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl using either a microwave or double boiler. You can also use green candy melts.
- Mix in either green powdered food coloring or green oil-based food coloring. The key here is to use a food coloring that won't cause the white chocolate to seize (sadly gel food coloring can't be used). I like to use this powdered food coloring and it works great.
- Once the white chocolate is a nice shade of green, place it in a small piping bag, seal the top with a clip or rubber band, and snip a small opening at the bottom of the bag.
- Pipe little clusters of leaves on a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper (see pictures above). Hold up one of the baked shells as you pipe the leaves to make sure that the proportions match. Make each cluster of leaves a little longer than it needs to be so that it can be pressed into the center of the macaron to hold it in place.
- Count out how many pairs of macaron shells you've made and make sure you pipe enough leaves. I also like to make a few extras in case any of them break.
- Once the leaves are piped, use a scribe or toothpick to make the leaves more pointed and add a bit of texture. Then place the pan in the fridge to help the leaves firm up.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 56g room-temperature butter and 56g cream cheese on a medium-high speed for 1 minute with a hand mixer until smooth. It should become lighter in color as air is incorporated into it.
- Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 1g salt on a low speed.
- Slowly mix in 250g of powdered sugar. Halfway through add 15g of heavy cream or milk to make the frosting easier to mix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Mix on low for a minute until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
- 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).
- Once the frosting is the right consistency, place it in a piping bag fit with a small round tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Assembling These Pineapple Macarons
- Pair up the macaron shells, then use an edible brown marker to make a crisscross pattern on top of one of the shells like in the photos above. If you don't have an edible marker, you can also paint on the lines using a mixture of brown gel food coloring and vanilla extract.
- Pipe a ring of cream cheese buttercream around one macaron shell. Fill the center with pineapple curd. If you don't want to make pineapple curd, you can either use store-bought pineapple curd, pineapple jam, or pipe a large dollop of cream cheese frosting on the shell to fill the entire macaron.
- Remove the white chocolate leaves from the fridge and press them gently into place on top of the filling. Carefully press a second shell on top of the filling to create a sandwich. If you notice the leaves are starting to soften as they warm and become hard to handle, pop the pan back in the fridge for a few minutes to help it firm up again.
- Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes about 36 macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or half this recipe 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 1 3/4 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.
Tips for Making the Best Pineapple 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.
- 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 the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
- Lightly brush the bottom of the macaron shells with pineapple juice before filling them to give them even more flavor.
- Let your filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
- If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!
Making These Pineapple Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips
These macarons need to mature overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.
Filled macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
The pineapple curd filling and cream cheese frosting can also be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover filling! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Information
Yield
18Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 279Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 61mgSodium 98mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 1gSugar 36gProtein 4g
Margo
Saturday 17th of June 2023
I just made the curd and it is really soupy and very pale in color compared to yours. Any suggestions in how to salvage it by making it thicker?
Chelsweets
Monday 26th of June 2023
Hi Margo,
Apologies for the delayed response. You can either add in a bit more butter (will thicken it as it cools) or cook it for a few minutes longer to help thicken it. Hope that helps for next time!!