Skip to Content

Red Velvet Macarons

These red velvet macarons are equal parts beautiful and delicious!!

image of red velvet macarons filled with cream cheese frosting that are stacked on each other to show their perfect feet

Making These Red Velvet 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.

image of red velvet macarons stacked on a plate

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Red Velvet 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 Red Velvet 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 red velvet macarons.

Step #1: Prep the Ingredients and Equipment

After prepping and 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: Sift the Dry Ingredients

Sift the superfine almond flour, cocoa powder and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside. This makes sure your macaron shells turn out nice and smooth.

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

Step #3: Make French Meringue

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

Whisk the egg whites on a medium speed until soft peaks form, then add in the granulated sugar.

Then mix at a medium high speed until stiff peaks form like the photo below. Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over-mixing your meringue.

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

Add in a generous squirt of red gel food coloring at this point. it will get mixed in during the next step.

Step #4: Mix the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. The batter might look a bit stiff but it’s better to be too thick than to over-mix it!

The batter should form a thick ribbon that flows off your spatula when it’s lifted.

image of red velvet macaron batter that has been mixed to the perfect consistency so that it flows in thick ribbons off the spatula when lifted

Step #5: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a round piping tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.

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 french red velvet macaron batter being piped onto a silpat mat

Step #6: Rest the Piped Macarons

Then let the macarons rest until they form a skin. This usually takes about 30 minutes in my kitchen but can vary based on humidity.

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 red velvet macarons that have been rested to form a skin before being baked

Step #7: Bake the Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a 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. You should be able to cleanly pull them off the mat once they’re cooled.

If they’re sticking or leaving behind residue, you might want to bake your next batch slightly longer.

image of baked red velvet macaron shells

Step #8: Assembling These Red Velvet Macarons

The final step is to pair up the shells and pipe a dollop of cream cheese frosting one macaron shell.

Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich. If desired, drizzle with a bit of white chocolate and crush up two macaron shells to use as a garnish.

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

Troubleshooting These Red Velvet Macarons

While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these red velvet 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 These Red Velvet 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.

For these macarons, I like to whip up a cream cheese frosting. It gives these macarons an amazing flavor and pairs so well with the slightly chocolatey red velvet macaron shells.

If you don’t want your macarons to be too sweet, you can also use 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 red velvet macarons filled with cream cheese frosting

Tips for Making the Best Red Velvet 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 Red Velvet 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 filled macarons at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate filled 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.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for red velvet 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

Red Velvet Macarons

image of red velvet macarons filled with cream cheese frosting

Learn how to make these beautiful red velvet macarons! They're filled with cream cheese frosting and are absolutely delicious!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes

Ingredients

Red Velvet Macarons

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 56g cream cheese, room temperature (1/4 cup)
  • 4g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
  • 1g salt (1/8 tsp)
  • 125g powdered sugar (1 cup)

Equipment

Instructions

Red Velvet Macarons

  1. Sift 68g superfine almond flour, 63g powdered sugar, and 2g unsweetened cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Add 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on 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 you reach the soft peak stage.
  3. Next, gradually add in 55g of granulated sugar 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. You should be able to see the meringue gathering inside the whisk attachment as it reaches this stage.
  4. Add in the red gel food coloring at this point. It will get mixed in during the next step.
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the meringue and fold together using a circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula in a continuous stream when lifted. See the photo in step #4 in the post above and the attached video for a visual reference of what consistency you're looking for.
  6. 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.
  7. 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 or scribe.
  8. 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.
  9. Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 15-18 minutes and rotate the 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. You should be able to cleanly pull them off the mat once they're cooled. If they're sticking or leaving behind residue, you might want to bake your next batch slightly longer.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Beat 56g of room-temperature cream cheese on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a whisk attachment until smooth.
  2. Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 1g salt on a low speed.
  3. Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar 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 Red Velvet Macarons

  1. Pair up the shells then pipe a dollop of cream cheese frosting one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
  2. If desired, drizzle with a bit of white chocolate and crush up two macaron shells to use as a garnish.
  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 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 Red Velvet 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 gel food coloring to color these macarons. If you try to use liquid food coloring, it can throw off the consistency of the batter.
  • 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 Red Velvet 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 114Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 26mgSodium 39mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 13gProtein 3g

Burger Macarons: Delicious Recipe w/ Step-by-Step Tutorial

Friday 23rd of February 2024

[…] Red Velvet Macarons Rainbow Macarons Biscoff Macarons White Chocolate Macarons […]

Alli

Monday 15th of January 2024

Can I use red velvet emulsion in place of food coloring or will it alter the consistency of the batter?

Chelsweets

Saturday 20th of January 2024

Hi Alli,

I haven't tried this recipe with an emulsion, but I would be worried it could throw off the consistency of the batter :/ I'm so sorry!

Ashlyn Rose

Saturday 16th of December 2023

honestly pretty good recipe for a a sort of beginner! I wasn't able to get a rich red and felt like there could have been more cocoa powder. and that icing was DIVINE. I had a few good and cracked ones but i don't think i tapped the air out properly enough! So excited to surprise my boyfriend with them :D

Chelsweets

Sunday 17th of December 2023

Hi Ashlyn,

So happy to hear your macarons tuned out well!!! The cocoa powder is a bit tricky, because the more you add, the more the red color gets dulled. That's why this recipe has such a small amount of it! It's a delicate balance between having a hint of chocolate and not ruining the color. To get a really bright red you have to add a LOT of gel food coloring! But also adding too much gel food coloring can make them kind of sticky and make the shells take longer to bake, so you're probably better off not having a SUPER bright red. Macarons truly are so finicky! haha

I hope your BF loves them!! :)

Mary

Monday 6th of March 2023

Followed this recipe exactly and they came out perfect! Thank you!

Chelsweets

Sunday 12th of March 2023

Hi Mary,

Yay!! So happy to hear that, thank you for sharing :)

33 meilleures saveurs de macaron pour votre dent sucrée - Cakes Paradise

Monday 3rd of October 2022

[…] 4. Macarons Velours Rouge […]

Skip to Recipe