Bubblegum Macarons

image of a bubblegum macaron being held up to show it's bubblegum frosting filling

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5 from 9 ratings

These bubblegum macarons are such a fun recipe! They're made with pink French macaron shells and bubblegum frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Additional Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 20 macarons

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Macarons Shells

110 g aged egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
110 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
pink gel food coloring - optional
140 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1 1/2 cups
125 g powdered sugar 1 cup

Bubblegum Buttercream Frosting

56 g unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup
1 g bubblegum extract 1/4 tsp
2 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1/2 tsp
1 g fine salt 1/8 tsp
125 g powdered sugar 1 cup
15 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature 1 Tbsp

Equipment

Instructions

Pink Macaron Shells

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone 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 in 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. 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 few drops of pink gel food coloring to give the shells a light pink 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.
As soon as the dry ingredients seem mostly incorporated, divide the batter evenly between two bowls (about 240g per bowl).
Add another generous squirt of pink gel food coloring into the second bowl.
Fold the batter in both bowls 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 each batter into a small piping bag. Snip a 1 cm opening at the base of each bag and place them both inside a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip. This will give your shells a perfect, two-toned look. Pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 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 315 F / 158 C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 17-21 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help the macarons bake evenly.
Remove the macaron shells from the oven and let them cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), 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.

Bubblegum Buttercream Frosting

Beat 56g room-temperature butter 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 1g of bubblegum extract, 2g vanilla extract, and 1g salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 125g 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.
I recommend taste-testing the frosting at this point. If you think it has enough bubblegum flavor, move on to the next step. If you think it needs a little more, add in an additional 1/4 tsp of bubblegum extract.
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 in a piping bag fit with a large round tip (like a Wilton 1A) and set aside.

Assembling These Bubblegum Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells, then pipe a dollop of bubblegum frosting onto one macaron shell.
Gently press a second shell on top of the filling to create a sandwich.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy!

Video

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 Bubblegum 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.
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 Bubblegum 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 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.

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