French Macarons

5 from 142 ratings

Learn how to make perfect French macarons! My step-by-step tutorial & detailed recipe will help you master these delicious delicacies.

Prep Time20

Cook Time17

Additional Time30

Total Time1 7

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 24 macarons

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

French Macarons

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

American Buttercream Frosting

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

Equipment

Instructions

French Macarons (adapted from Laduree Sucre)

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat 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 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 (6 on a KitchenAid). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Sift 140g of superfine almond flour and 125g of powdered sugar into the meringue. Use a rubber spatula to break up any big clumps and press them through the sieve.
Add in a squirt of gel food coloring if desired. 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 the batter until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. You should be able to draw a couple of figure 8s 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 the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Space 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 320 F/160°C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 18-21 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help the macarons bake evenly. Bake time can vary based on the size of your shells, so if you pipe them smaller than 1 1/2 inches, they may be done a few minutes earlier.
Remove the macaron shells from the oven and let them cool fully on the pan (about 30 minutes), then gently peel them off the Silpat mat. If they're properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly and have a shiny bottom.

American Buttercream Frosting

While the macaron shells bake and cool, make the filling for the macarons.
Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for a minute with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.
Mix in 4ml vanilla extract and 1g salt on a low speed. Slowly mix 125g of powdered sugar and 10g 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 more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
Place in a piping bag with a small round tip, and set aside.

Assembling These French Macarons

Pipe a small dollop of frosting or filling of your choice on the center of one macaron shell and top with a second shell 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 48 small macaron shells, which can be used to make 24 macarons. You can double 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 1/2 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.

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 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!
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 prevents cracked or hollow shells.
Rest the macaron shells 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! Store 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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