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Raspberry Macarons

I’m adding to my collection of macaron recipes with these raspberry macarons.

They have the perfect balance of sweet and tart and are filled with buttercream and raspberry jam.

image of raspberry french macarons drizzled with white chocolate and dusted with raspberry powder

Making These Raspberry 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 Raspberry 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:

How to Make These Raspberry 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.

Step #1: Prep the Ingredients and Equipment

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

This helps the meringue whip up better and that macarons bake better.

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

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

Sift the superfine almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue and add a squirt of pink gel food coloring. 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.

image of pink macaron batter that's been mixed perfectly and is ready to be piped

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

Step #4: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with 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.

image of pink macaron shells that've been piped and are having their air bubbles popped with a toothpick

Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

Step #5: 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.

image of pink macaron shells that have rested and formed a skin and are now ready to be baked

Step #6: 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.

image of pink macaron shells that have been baked with perfect feet to make raspberry macarons

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.

Step #7: Assemble These Raspberry Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells then pipe a ring of buttercream on one macaron shell and fill the center with your favorite raspberry jam. Top it with a second shell and repeat with the remaining macarons.

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

image of pink french macaron shells filled with homemade buttercream and raspberry jam

Troubleshooting These Raspberry Macarons

I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of 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.

image of french macaron shells that have been properly baked are are full

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

Choosing the Right Filling for These Raspberry 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 pipe a ring of my American buttercream onto my shells and fill the center with my favorite raspberry jam.

image of a raspberry macaron that's been bitten into to show it's raspberry jam filling

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using 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 raspberry macarons that have been filled with raspberry jam and buttercream and drizzled with white chocolate as a decoration

Tips for Making the Best Raspberry 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!
  • 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 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 raspberry macarons decorated with white chocolate and freeze dried raspberry powder

Making These Raspberry 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 french meringue that's been colored pink with gel food coloring to make raspberry macarons

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for raspberry 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 #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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Yield: 18 macarons

Raspberry Macarons

image of french meringue that's been colored pink with gel food coloring to make raspberry macarons

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

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes

Ingredients

Raspberry Macarons

Buttercream Frosting

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

Macaron Filling

  • 15g raspberry jam (2 Tbsp)

Equipment

Instructions

French Raspberry Macarons

  1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
  2. 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 where you can see the whisk leaving faint tracks in the egg whites.
  3. Gradually 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.
  4. If you want to add some color to these shells, add pink gel food coloring at this point. It will get mixed in as you fold the dry ingredient in during the next step.
  5. Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into the meringue, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Pipe one pan at a time and bang the pan 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-19 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly. If you notice the shells are browning when you rotate them, place a foil tent over the top of the macarons (you may need to bake them a minute or two longer if you do this).
  11. Remove the pan from the oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

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 4g vanilla extract and 1g salt on a low speed.
  3. Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g of heavy cream on a low speed.
  4. Continue to mix on low for a couple of 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 Raspberry Macarons

  1. Pipe a thick ring of buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell and fill the center with a dollop of raspberry jam. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
  2. If desired, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of the macarons and sprinkle with a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder.
  3. 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 Raspberry 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 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 the 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 Raspberry 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

Lou Lou

Saturday 20th of January 2024

HI these worked so well!!!! I am a beginning baker so the first time didn't work out. But the second time they worked PERFECTLY without a flaw! I love this recipe and will probably make them again as long as my mom allows it!

Chelsweets

Saturday 20th of January 2024

Aw I'm so happy to hear that Lou Lou!! That is so wonderful!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing :)

Racheal

Monday 15th of January 2024

What would you say happened if my macarons came out wrinkled on top and didn't come off the mat. I did this recipe twice first time they were cracked on top second time I think I undercooked them.

Chelsweets

Saturday 20th of January 2024

Hi Racheal,

If they stuck to the mat, they most likely needed longer to bake in the oven. I'd recommend baking them for an additional minute or two! If the tops are wrinkly, it could be caused by a few things but usually by oil! Is there a chance that your mat, mixer, piping bag, or frosting tip had any traces of oil? It can also happen in the batter is overmixed! Hopefully that helps for next time, and that your next batch turns out great!

Anna

Saturday 9th of December 2023

Hi. They look so beautiful. What did you use to decorate? White chocolate? What is the red powder? Thank you

Chelsweets

Saturday 9th of December 2023

Hi Anna,

Thank you! The macarons are drizzled with melted white chocolate and sprinkled with a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder. Hope that helps, happy baking!

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