Heart Shaped Macarons

5 from 7 ratings

Heart Shaped Macarons

Learn how to make perfect heart shaped 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: 18 macarons

Calories: 123kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Heart Shaped Macarons

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
70 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp
63 g powdered sugar 1/2 cup
pink gel food coloring - optional

Buttercream Frosting

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

Equipment

Instructions

Heart Macarons

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.
Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. If desired, add in pink gel food coloring at this point, then increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into the meringue.
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.
Streak your piping bag with lines of red gel food coloring, then fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe heart shaped macarons onto the prepared baking sheets using a template to ensure they all turn out the same size.
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 / 157 C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-19 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 silpat mat.

Buttercream Frosting

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 and 1g salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g heavy cream on a low speed.
Continue to mix on low for a couple 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 a small round tip and set aside.

Assembling These Heart Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells then pipe an even layer of buttercream on one macaron shell then top it with a second shell.
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 36 small heart 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 hearts.

Tips for Making the Best Heart Shaped 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.
Use a heart-shaped template to pipe your heart shaped macarons! It will help ensure your macarons are all the same size and line up properly.

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 Heart Shaped 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