Donut Macarons

5 from 4 ratings

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

Prep Time20

Cook Time17

Additional Time30

Total Time1 7

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 16 macarons

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Donut Macarons

68 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp
63 g powdered sugar 1/2 cup
2 g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp
55 g aged egg whites, room temperature - about 2 large eggs
pinch cream of tartar - optional
55 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup + 1 tsp
yellow gel food coloring

Royal Icing

125 g powdered sugar 1 cup
5 g meringue powder 2 tsp
30 g water 2 Tbsp
pink gel food coloring

Maple Buttercream Frosting

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

Additional Decorations / Fillings – Optional

Equipment

Instructions

Donut Macarons

Place two silpat mats in two large baking pans and print out my donut macaron template. Set aside.
Sift 68g superfine almond flour, 63g powdered sugar, and 2g of cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.
Pour 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 on a medium speed for 1 minute.
Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Add in a small drop of yellow gel food coloring at this point, then increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (speed 6 on a Kitchenaid Mixer). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form. This usually takes me about 4 minutes.
Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using a circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. Be careful not to over-mix the batter!
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 32 donut-shaped shells using my donut macaron template. Place it beneath each silpat mat before piping, then remove it from the pan once you’re done piping.
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 scribe or toothpick.
Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.
As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315 F.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the mat.

Royal Icing

While the macaron shells rest, bake and cool make the royal icing.
Beat together 125g of powdered sugar, 5g meringue powder, and 30g of water for about 4 minutes on a high speed, until medium-soft peaks form. This can be done with a whisk and stand mixer or
an electric hand mixer.
Divide the frosting evenly between two bowls. Color one bowl pink, and leave the other bowl uncolored. Place each icing in a small piping bag fit with a small round tip.
Pipe the icing on the top of half of the fully cooled macaron shells to look just like the icing on a donut.
Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles then let the shells dry until they're firm to the touch (30-60 minutes).

Maple Buttercream Frosting

While the royal icing dries, 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.
Mix in 4g vanilla extract, 4g of maple extract, and a pinch of salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 5g of heavy cream on a low speed.
Continue to mix on low for a couple of minutes 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).
Place in a piping bag with same round piping tip you used to pipe the macaron shells and set aside.

Assembling These Donut Macarons

Pipe a ring of maple frosting around one macaron shell and top it with a decorated/iced shell to create a little macaron donut sandwich.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Yield:

This recipe makes about 32 small macaron shells, which can be used to make 16 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

Tips for Making the Best French 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 want to color your macarons. 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!
Print out this 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 your 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.
If your first batch of macarons doesn't turn out, please check out the troubleshooting section above for help!

Making These French 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