I wanted to make some fall-inspired macarons and these pumpkin macarons seemed perfect!!

They’re made with French macaron shells, pumpkin pie filling, and spiced buttercream! And let me tell you, they’re just as delicious as they sound.

Making These Pumpkin 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 use the French method for this recipe.

But do keep in mind that we will be filling these with Swiss meringue! While it’s okay to use French meringue to make the shells because they are baked in the oven, we need to heat up the egg whites that will be used in the filling to make them safe to eat.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Pumpkin 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
• 1 large piping bag
• 2 small piping bags
• Round piping tip (for macaron batter)
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• Scribe or Toothpick

How to Make These Pumpkin 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 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 (KitchenAid 6 or 8).

Mix until stiff peaks form like in the photo below. Keep an 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 a generous squirt of orange 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 8s 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: Assembling These Pumpkin Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells, then pipe a thick ring of spiced buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell and fill the center with the pumpkin pie filling.

Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.

Place the finished macarons in the fridge in an airtight container to mature overnight then bring the macarons back to room temperature and enjoy!

Pumpkin Macaron Troubleshooting

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

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.

Choosing The Right Filling for Your Pumpkin 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 using spiced American buttercream to fill these pumpkin macarons. I also fill the centers with a pumpkin pie filling to really pack them with pumpkin flavor.

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 instead!

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 Pumpkin 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.

Making These Pumpkin 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 pumpkin pie filling and spice buttercream 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 pumpkin macarons, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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