Easy French Macarons (Foolproof Macaron Recipe)

Let’s face it, these cookies are hard! They can seriously drive you crazy! I, too, have had my battles, and you can read all about that in my Huffington Post article on the matter!

Cooking is visual, and I know the best way to teach a new technique is to show it step by step on video, so my video demo below walks you through every stage of this recipe. I’ve been there with the cracks, the missing feet, and the frustration (my Huffington Post article tells the whole story). Watch the video, follow my 6 tips to success, and this foolproof French macaron recipe will come to your rescue.

Curious how to make another tricky French dessert? Try my foolproof Chocolate Soufflé recipe or Crème Caramel recipe. For an easier cookie, try the macaron’s distant cousin: the Coconut Macaroon.

French Macaron vs. The Coconut Macaroon

• A French macaron is a sandwiched cookie made with egg whites and almond flour.
• They are colored with food coloring to create a dazzling array of mostly pastel colors, which hints at the filling inside.
• The filling can be buttercream, lemon curd, caramel, or chocolate ganache. Coconut macarons are made with egg white and sweetened coconut. They are drop cookies, most often decorated with drizzled chocolate or dipped in chocolate. They are way easier to make! 

Why French Macarons Don’t Always Work on the First Try

• The trick with these cookies is patience and following the steps exactly!
• If you don’t succeed at first, the old adage applies: try again!
• These cookies take practice, and you’ll find each batch gets better the more you experiment!
• They are similar to French Madeleines and Chocolate Eclairs.
• The more you make them, the more you get to know “how they work” until one day you’re a pro at whipping them up!
• They don’t always work for every person, on every try! That’s what makes them so revered when you finally get it right! So many things play a role.

Watch: A Macaron Recipe Easy Enough for Beginners

 

The biggest variables include:

• How you whip the egg whites (Don’t under- or over-whip!)
• Whether you used cream of tartar 
• What type of food coloring do you use (Gel is best)
• How long they stay out before baking (at least 20 mins)
• And believe it or not, the weather. Yes, the weather!
• These cookies are finicky! They are the divas of the cookie-making world. They don’t like humidity. They don’t like rain. And sometimes, they don’t even like air conditioning or a kitchen that’s too hot!

Are French Macarons Really That Hard to Make?

• In a word, YES. So much can go wrong! Between the under-mixing and the over-mixing issues, the baking time, the cracks, the lack of feet… and the list goes on!
• As a result, I set out to create a foolproof French macaron recipe.
• A recipe that may take some practice, but in the end would cause fewer problems and less hassle for us all. And friends, here it is!

Before You Begin This Macaron Cookie Recipe

Before you start, it may be easier to watch my French macaron recipe video below and scroll through my French Macaron Troubleshooting Guide. This will set you up for the best success!

How to Make Macarons

Step 1: Sift the Dry Ingredients

• Sifting the almond meal (also called almond flour) and powdered sugar is an important, often-overlooked step.
• It ensures your dry-ingredient mixture is as smooth and light as possible.
• I use the same technique for my Financier cookies, which creates a light, delicate cookie and is worth the extra step. 

Why Sifting Helps. 

• A fine-mesh sieve removes small pieces of almonds that are too big for the sieve and could create bumpy tops on your macarons.
• I also find that the weight of these almond morsels can deflate egg whites, and macarons can bake without “feet”—that little lift at the bottom of the macaron that gives it lift.

Step 2: Whip the Egg Whites

• Mix the egg whites with cream of tartar and granulated sugar to create a stiff, glossy mixture.
• Don’t Use Cold Eggs
• The egg-white stage has its own pitfall, and here’s what I’ve learned while perfecting this recipe.
• Start with room-temperature eggs, since they will be easier to whip up to a nice volume if they are not cold.
• If you forgot to take your eggs out, just set them in some warm water for 5-10 minutes. When you crack the eggs, you’ll see they’re at room temperature.
• This is a great trick for any baked good, since room-temperature eggs always combine better in a batter.

Do You Have to Age Egg Whites for Macarons to Work?

• Personally, I say no. I have not seen much difference between “aged” egg whites and egg whites that are at room temperature.
• “Aging” egg whites means separating eggs at least 24 hours in advance and letting them sit, or “age,” in the refrigerator.
• But in all my experience making these cookies, I have never done this.
• But if you are having trouble getting them to work, then sure, why not try this approach. Other bakers swear by this tip.

Be Generous with The Food Coloring

• Once your egg whites reach stiff, glossy peaks, add the food coloring.
• I prefer gel food coloring; I think it’s easier to control how many drops you add and separate the volume you’ve created in your egg white whipping.
• But the color tends to fade with baking. In my experience, when I add coloring past the desired shade, it fades a bit when it bakes.

Step 3: Fold in the Dry Ingredients

• You’ll gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites with a rubber spatula.
• This is usually where it can all go wrong.
• Knowing when to stop is something you really pick up with practice.
• Under mix and your macarons will be lumpy and cracked when they bake with no feet, over mix, and your macarons will be flat since you will technically deflate your egg whites with your vigor!
• Overmixed macarons won’t have feet either. The “feet” are the mark of a well-made macaron.

How Many Times Should You Fold Macaron Batter?

• In my experience, 65-75 spatula turns when folding is about the right amount.
• But again, it can be tricky; it depends on how strong you are! So it can take a few tries to get it right.
• But you’ll know you’ve gone wrong when your macarons crack and look like this! Humidity or rain can also cause this cracking!

But when you do get it (and you will!), the trumpets will blare, and you will feel SO accomplished! Nothing beats seeing smooth macaron tops, bottoms that don’t stick to the pan, and feet come out of the oven!

Step 4: Pipe and Rest the Batter

• I think the best equipment for piping macarons is a 1/2″ round pastry tip and a cloth pastry bag.
• The cloth pastry bag helps you control the bag so you don’t under- or over-pipe; plastic can get slippery, but it’s OK for the buttercream.
• If you want precise sizing, trace a quarter with a pencil onto the parchment paper, then flip the parchment over and use the lines showing through as your guide. This will help get uniform sizing.

Pipe All the Batter

This recipe makes 24 sandwiched cookies. Use two trays, pipe all the batter at once, and let it rest on the sheets (see Tip #6 below). Rather than leaving it in the pastry bag.

Releasing the Air Bubbles

After you pipe all the batter, whack the tray on the counter to release any air bubbles. That will also ensure a smooth top.

Let the Piped Batter Rest

• Let the piped batter rest on the trays for at least 20 minutes before putting them in the oven.
• This lets them become slightly tacky to the touch.
• This is the other secret to getting them to develop the “feet,” since the tackiness will force them to rise instead of spreading out in the oven.

Step 5: Bake One Tray at a Time

• As mentioned, these cookies are “divas!” and when it comes to oven space, they want the oven all to themselves.
• Bake one tray at a time, on the middle rack, at 300°F so you don’t have to open the door and rotate the trays midway through, which can cause the feet not to form.
• This also ensures even heat, helping them all bake at the same rate.

How to Make Raspberry Buttercream Filling for Macarons

• Traditionally, macarons are filled with a flavored buttercream, and the flavors can be as varied as the colors themselves!
• But you can also fill them with jam, chocolate ganache, salted caramel or lemon curd.
• For this recipe, I use raspberry juice to create a raspberry buttercream.

Use Room Temperature Raspberries

• To prevent your buttercream from separating, make sure your raspberries are at room temperature!
• If they’re straight from the fridge, the juice won’t combine with the softened, room-temperature butter.
• The butter will seize up, and the raspberry juice will slosh around your bowl, looking for somewhere to go!
• It’s a bit like making a vinaigrette. They need to “play nice” with each other, and room-temperature juice helps them get along.

How to Store French Macarons

• In my experience, French Macarons are best eaten the day they are made.
• But if you have to make them in advance, I’d bake them a day ahead, keep them refrigerated, then bring them to room temperature before serving.
• If you make them any farther ahead, the macaron shells start to become brittle and crispy. They lose their “chew” the longer they sit. This is why fresh is best! But you could make the buttercream up to 3 days ahead.

F.A.Q

Is Almond Flour Necessary?

• Yes. Almond flour is the perfect nut for achieving the right chewiness.
• Some people have had success with cashew flour and pistachio flour, but I can’t say it has worked for me. I ended up with horrible cracks, whereas almond flour is smooth sailing. 

What Does Cream of Tartar do in Macarons?

• The acid in the cream of tartar helps to stabilize and strengthen the egg whites.
• Strong, stiff egg whites hold up better during the folding stage when you mix in the dry ingredients.
• If you cannot find cream of tartar, substitute 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or the same amount of plain white vinegar.

How To Make Macarons Less Sweet?

• French Macarons typically have two types of sugar. The powdered sugar is in the dry ingredient mixture, and the granulated sugar is in the egg white mixture.
• If you are trying to lessen the sweetness of the cookie, reduce only the granulated sugar by a tablespoon or so, not the powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives the macaron shells their pretty glossy finish.

Can You Freeze the Macaron Shells

• I would not recommend freezing the shells. These cookies are finicky as can be, and freezing the shells would allow ice crystals to form, which would then ultimately defrost and create moisture, which could affect the texture of the shells. 

The Sweet Taste of Success!

There’s nothing quite like seeing smooth macaron tops, bottoms that don’t stick to the pan, and feet come out of the oven!

And believe me, it took several tries and endless revisions to get it right! Yes, I too have “been there!” Did I mention these cookies can drive you crazy? But the more you practice, the more you will get it, until one day the trumpets blare for you too!

More French Dessert Recipes!

• Caneles
• Foolproof Crepes
• Honey Lavender Crème Brûlée
• Pot de Creme

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