Troubleshooting French Macarons
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Ahhh the glorious French macron, a delight surely to behold! But for many of us achieving success is like the search for the Holy Grail. I’ll be honest, these cookies can drive you completely insane! I too have had my battles. You can read more about that in an article I wrote for the Huffington Post.
While going through so many trials and errors I kept wishing for some sort of troubleshooting guide! So here it is, my own guide with some tips and tricks on Troubleshooting French Macarons! Best of luck!
So if you have watched my video below and followed my French Macaron recipe, and you are still having issues. Not to worry you’ve come to the right place! Here are my top 10 tips for Troubleshooting French Macarons.
6 Tips to a Foolproof French Macaron
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OK so here are the answers to the Top Ten Macaron Fails…(these are the most common issues I have seen since my video posted 3 years ago, and if any of your individual dilemmas are not answered here, please leave me a comment on this blog post, and I can keep adding answers to this list!)
If you are looking for some added assurance with your efforts, here are my Top 8 products for Making French Macrons!
#1: HELP MY FRENCH MACARONS TURNED BROWN. WHY?
- A lot of issues with French Macarons can be traced back to the oven. Specifically, the oven temperature.
- Step one is to assure your oven is actually running properly. I know, you’ve set it at 300F(150C) and figure why wouldn’t it run at that heat? Well, because of an underestimated fact involving oven calibration. Huh?
- I know it’s deceiving but most ovens don’t run at the temperature they are set for. Most run too hot, and some run too cold.
Here’s a quick video that explains this more in detail.
The Benefits of an Oven Thermometer
- Your best solution for this is an inexpensive oven thermometer it’s a handy little gadget that will tell you exactly what temperature your oven is actually running at, despite what you have set it at. Oh yes, the numbers can be different my friends!
- This is important to first verify that your oven is running at 300F(150C) before troubleshooting further. If it is, then assure that you are putting your tray on the lower third rack of your oven. It should not go on the top rack, or it will brown.
- If both things are covered, then the next thing to do is reduce the baking time, instead of 20 mins, try 15 mins. Don’t remove the tray, but rather try to remove just one cookie. If it slides off it’s done. If it sticks it’s not done and needs another 5-7 mins more.
#2: MY FRENCH MACARONS ARE STICKING TO THE PAPER!
- Macarons sticking to the paper indicates that your macarons are not fully baked. The process of baking your macarons is really more like “drying out” the cookie, so if they are still sticking and not slipping off your tray, your cookies need more baking time in the oven, probably another 5-7 mins.
- However, you may also want to assure your oven is running at the correct temperature (refer to issue #1 above and watch the video on oven temperature calibration above)
#3: MY FRENCH MACARONS KEEP CRACKING!
Another classic issue. Macarons that crack means the batter was “under-mixed” I find about 65-75 strokes or folds, in a figure-8 pattern is the sweet spot.
That batter should look like this, smooth a viscous, but not runny! If the batter is runny, you’ve overworked your egg whites in the folding stage and they deflated. Unfortunately, at this stage, it’s best to start again.
#4: MY FRENCH MACARONS EXPLODED?!
- If your macarons are not coming out of the oven fully round, but have somehow exploded into deformed shapes…yep, it has happened to me too, you are not alone.
- This usually means the oven is too hot and should be reduced by 25F (13C). To assure success it’s best to invest in an oven thermometer so you know what temperature you are actually reducing it to.
#5: MY BUTTERCREAM IS ALL WATERY AND SEPARATING.
My buttercream recipe for these macarons involves mixing raspberry juice (a liquid) with butter (a fat) which are two opposing forces. Think about when you make salad dressing with oil and vinegar. A bit hard to combine right?
So in order to assure these two foes play nicely together and combine, two things have to happen. First, both must be at room temperature before you add the juice to the butter.
If the juice is cold (due to berries being in the fridge) and the butter is at room temp, it’s a non-starter folks, these two ingredients will not play nice.
Fixing Buttercream that Separates
- The other thing that needs to happen, is that the juice is added slowly while mixing (again, think of the salad dressing). If you start to see the watery situation creep up, and your buttercream appears to separate, start adding more confectioners sugar which will help bring it back together.
- You may also find better success by not adding the full 3 tablespoons of juice. Start with 2 tablespoons, adding a little at a time, watch if it combines, if it does then taste it, and if you are satisfied with it, stop there, no need to go to the full 3 tablespoons. Why mess with success?
#6: WHY ARE MY FRENCH MACARONS HOLLOW?
- If you have hollow shells, it can be that your French macarons “dried out too much” (see tip#2)
- This can be easily solved by removing the cookies out of the oven sooner, and not going the full 20 mins. It could also be that you’re oven is running too hot (see tip#1)
#7: MY FRENCH MACARONS DON’T HAVE SMOOTH TOPS
- Often times this can be caused by the sieve you are using. It’s really best to have a fine-mesh sieve that will catch all those little almond meal pieces and not let the big ones slip through.
- I also find that the confectioner’s sugar helps with the glossy smoothness. So don’t reduce that if you find your macs are too sweet instead see tip#8 below on reducing the sweetness.
#8: MY FRENCH MACARONS ARE TOO SWEET
Yes, macarons are one little sweet cookie! But you can reduce the sweetness by omitting the granulated sugar in the egg white stage (as opposed to the confectioner’s sugar in the dry ingredient stage) don’t reduce the confectioner’s sugar or your tops will not have a smooth, glossy finish to them.
#9: MY FRENCH MACARONS SPREAD OUT ALL OVER MY TRAY?!
This is typically due to fallen egg whites. This occurs if your batter was mixed too much in the folding of the dry ingredients stage (remember to stay within the 65-75 stroke sweet spot).
Why Cream of Tartar Matters
- Or you omitted the cream of tartar perhaps? Cream of Tartar is the “wonder agent”. I find it really is the secret to success!
- The acid in the tartar helps stabilize the whites and prevent it from falling. Consider it the “egg white bodyguard”, without it you are left unprotected, and vulnerable…in a very dark alley.
Cream of Tartar can be hard to find outside the U.S., so you can substitute it for another acid like plain white vinegar, try 1/4 tsp. Or you can also purchase Cream of Tartar online.
#10: MY FRENCH MACARONS DON’T HAVE FEET?
If you find your French macarons don’t have those little “ridges” at the bottom or the “feet” as they are called, it usually means either #1 they didn’t sit out long enough on your counter before baking, to dry out slightly and become “tacky”.
Yes, The Weather Matters!
- Or another common issue, and don’t laugh, because it’s true, is the weather.
- Yes, the cookies won’t perform well if it’s raining or is too humid. Yes, these cookies are little divas and they don’t like humidity (sigh, I know) but it’s true they don’t.
- So if it’s raining, or really hot and humid in your area the day you set out to make these cookies, make some madeleines instead. They are another delectable French cookie that is much more forgiving!
Best of luck with your French Macaron pursuits! (and keep me posted…!)
My macarons have too much feet. It rises so much so when it cools, the feet become bigger than the top.
I am now the queen of macaons here in Rockland All Saints in Norfolk, UK, thanks to your very detailed recipe. The link for it has been passed to so many of my chums who were full of praise at a recent garden party. I’ve only had one failure and that was this week when they were so so runny. I can only think it was the heat as you’ve pointed out that can affect them. I diligently count my strokes but wonder if using a spatula knocked the air out of them.
I wish everyone who put recipes up would put a ‘Things that can go wrong and how to fix them’ section.
Enormous thanks!
Oh I’m so glad they have been a hit all around 🙂 And YES heat matters! Mostly the humidity will deflate those poor whites and literally take the volume down. So best to wait until it’s cooler or blast on the air conditioning before making them 🙂 These cookies are so high maintenance! Ha!
Mam,my macrons have hollow inside the feet is not formed kindly help
Ahh OK sounds like your oven was too hot (hollow) or they were left in too long and no feet usually means the egg whites fell, usually too much folding of dry ingredients or not enough stiffness in the first stage. But this Troubleshooting guide will help too. These cookies just take practice 🙂
I Beth!!
I ust have one question:
Do we have to use Cream of tarter??
Oh yes! This is what will prevent your egg whites from deflating and ending up with flat cookies. Alternatively, you could use 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) of plain white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. It’s the acid that stabilizes them 🙂 Hope that helps!
You can omit cream of tartar if you temper your eggs slightly via a double boiler.
Hi Beth, my macaroons are turning out with great feet, great consistent size, but they are crinkly on top….not quite cracked but the top looked stressed. When mixing, it seems like the batter gets thinner at first but never quite as thin as yours no matter how many times I fold. There are no air bubbles when I tap the tray on the counter. Thanks for your help!
Ahh OK it sounds like maybe your egg whites were whipped too stiffly? Maybe next time beat them a bit less. That would be my first hunch?
Hi, my macarons were not do ne on the inside and brown on the bottom I did everything the exact way have been doing it 300°f for 15 minutes but they were still raw? Help!
OK I would try 250F for 20-25 mins. And place them on the lower thirds rack of your oven. That may work better next time!
Hi there, hope your super, I would love to try your recipe. Just one question, I need multiple pastel Colours, is there a way I can do this, with one single batch?
Thanks
Sure you could separate the batter into 3 bowls and gently swirl in the color to each one, then proceed as directed 🙂
Best FOOLPROOF recipe I’ve tried! Thanks! I would love to say mine were perfect on the first try, but I think my oven must run hotter than the set temp. Going to try again and pull them out early! Thanks!! That 65-75 strokes really helped!
Great! So happy to hear you had success! And yes pulling them out earlier could help if they were too browned or crispy 🙂
Hi there I tried your recipe five times,, with no luck
First time they were kind of okay but a little crinkly and sticks to the paper.
All the other times they formed a nice skin on top after the resting period. Everything looked perfect until they were in the oven. After about ten minutes, it all started to open up. I am so devastated,, please help,
I beat the egg whites until stiff peaks formed
Added the batter in thirds
Mixed exactly 50 times.
Until thick ribbon stage.
Rested for half an hour. And baked at 160 Celsius.
Where could I be going wrong?
Thanks!
Your Oven is too hot! Go for 140C.
Hi Beth
I’ve watched your YouTube video umpteen times and tried to follow every possible step – except the colouring – and my macaroons still have no feet. This is my 5th attempt. The first two attempts resulted in cracked macaroons. The 3rd attempt was just disastrous. My 4th and 5th attempt (today) – it didn’t crack but it still has no feet/ridges 🙁 What else do you think could have gone wrong?
Hmmm it sounds like your macarons are not getting “tacky” before hitting the oven. Is it raining where you live? Or humid in some way. Believe it or not that can really mess up a macaron! They need dry air without any moisture while they sit out, or they crack! And won’t get the feet 🙁
Hi Beth
Thanks for replying ? I’m in Malaysia and our weather is hot and humid. I left the macarons around for 4 hours just now and it looked terrible ? – no feet and out of shape. Is there anything else I can do? My friend told me I could use a hairdryer but hmmm… Should I put the aircond on when waiting for the macarons to rest? I am determined to try until I get it right.
Helloo,
Greetings Beth! May i ask ,why are my macarons smooth and shiny and looks perfect outside but it’s hollow and too mushy on the insides???second attempt.
Ah OK so hollow macs mean they have dried out too much and probably spent too much time in the oven, or were positioned too high on an oven rack. Try the lower third rack of the oven and maybe decrease the baking time by a few minutes and see if that helps! 🙂
Hi Beth! My macarons turned out beautifully, but they’re very tall. Like the feet are taller than the top part, I feel you know what I mean. What do you think I did wrong?
Oh really tall feet! Hmmm I’m thinking they may have sat out too long before baking?
hello, Beth!! i’m sorry to be here replying to comments that were directed to you, but i was just so inspired by your video and went a little crazy in my research due to several problems that arose, and so, as a person that is naturally a helper, i saw a few questions and had loads of details to impart. sorry? 🙂
your video is amazing, kitchen impeccable, standing mixer for envy, and closeups that are so professional!! your videos are so polished!! just curious.. who films them?
🙂
-greg
Awe thanks Greg! That’s so SUPER helpful! Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of all the comments coming in from the blog, YT, IG and FB that having the community help out when they can is just so wonderful! So glad you enjoy the videos! They are shot by a crew I hire to film them. They are the best and always do a great job! 🙂
Beth, your recipe is god sent! My much more experienced mom has tried making macarons twice and failed, but I got it on first try! Your troubleshooting really tells me what to avoid, so thank you so much!
YAY! Glad to hear you had success! Bravo!
Hello Beth!
I don’t have a kitchen aid mixer. I have a small hand mixer. Does this work? Thanks!
Oh sure that will work too!
Hi Beth,
Two questions,
I’ve seen some people say you need gel food coloring, does this matter?
Also, is it ok to use silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper?
Thank you!
I do like the gel coloring better as I think you get a stronger more consistent color and sure silicon baking mats are great too! Enjoy!
hello, i’m sure Beth is going to hit me over the head with a premium silicon spatula for replying to comments here, but i just wanted to say that liquids (other than egg whites) aren’t really part of this recipe, and can really mess with the consistency, and gels don’t really mess with the meringue, and if you want a really rich, dark color like many people do, that’s a lot of liquid food coloring. some end up with runny batter without even adding any other liquid other than the egg whites! for instance, i wanted blue, and i ended up adding the whole little bottle, and the batter was runny, the macarons ended up being sticky and sticking to the parchment paper, and they were still only *pastel* blue :T ..so gels and powdered coloring is best… however.. if you care to go the extra mile for flavor and consistency (which effects the resulting combination of textures if you allow the cookies to mature for a couple days as the French do, and should be achieved by removing the cookies slightly before they are done, which is usually only possible with a non-stick mat, so that there is some moisture to last for the 2 day maturation period), you can use the Italian meringue method, which involves cooking the sugar with water, and then adding the hot syrup to the whipping egg whites. this is a great opportunity to add flavors you never thought of, like teas and coffees instead of water, and also, it’s a good idea to add your gels or even liquid coloring into the heated sugar at that stage, since it will cook out any water in it. the Italian meringue method is not complex, but it is a great way to add the juices of fruits and other wet flavoring to the macarons. as the French do, if you have at least 2 flavors in your macaron shells, and at least 2 to 3 flavors in your filling, you will *wow* those you share them with, especially if you intend to sell them!! be ahead of the rest!!
hope this helps!!! 😀
Hello Beth !!
I think your recipe is awesome! it has been my first one I tried. Just today. I’m excited to say on my first try I did get a good amount of feet. One huge problem I had was that the batter was so runny it was super hard to drop on to the sheet. My first one ran over and they stuck together. My second I had no choice put I left the piping bag out for a while because my family was beyond starving. But when I dropped onto to the sheet to my surprise they didn’t run as much and came out better. Do you know why it was so super runny ? Would so love to hear back from you. I’m running my last badge now. Thank you!
Oh sure a runny batter sounds like your egg whites deflated a bit. This can be due to over mixing the folding, or not having them be stiff enough from the onset. You might try a bit more cream of tartar next time which will help stabilize them in the folding stage and help prevent deflating 🙂 maybe another 1/4-1/2 tsp more? Best of luck!
Heyyyy…. my macarons will have perfect feet but suddenly turning spreaded feets….why??
It sounds like your egg whites are deflating. This can be caused by either not using enough cream of tartar to stabilize them. Maybe increase by 1/4 ts. Or folding the dry ingredients too much in the mixing stage which can deflate them too. Try 65-75 strokes. I hope that helps!
hi, Beverly! i know that it’s been 7 months now, but how did your macarons work out? in case you could still use more information, i just wanted to say that i found that if you are having this problem (it’s possible that it might be the eggs), you can do what i did. i employed many (but not all) measures of protecting the egg whites: i wiped the beaters, the bowl on my standing mixer, the little bowl i first poured the egg whites into before the mixer, _and_ the bowl i mixed all ingredients in (only metal or glass, as plastic holds onto oil, which is the enemy of the bubbles in meringue!!!), and the spatula down with vinegar, and added cream of tartar. (if you don’t have either, lemon juice works for the wipe down and as an addition to the egg whites when beating.) also, my egg whites were room temperature. so that meringue was SO STIFF that it clung in LARGE MEASURE to the beaters! and the macarons came out great!! this was a proud moment for me, and will be for you too, in fact, that is an achievement that will serve you in many more recipes than just macarons!
Hey Beth!
I’m thinking about making macaroons but the thing is, I don’t have FRESH raspberries and I’m so confused what I should use if I don’t have fresh raspberries?
Pretty sure that you can use any raspberries that are in date and have been kept in the fridge, then thawed to room temp. Hope I helped!
I followed your recipe and tips and it’s great! One problem that I had so far is that the macarons keep sticking to the parchment paper. I followed the tip of leaving them in the oven for an extra 5-7 minutes but no avail. Would it be a problem with the mixture or oven?
Ah OK macs that stick to the paper mean they are not quite done yet and need more time in the oven. This handy troubleshooting guide addresses that issue and more. Hope it helps!https://entertainingwithbeth.com/troubleshooting-french-macarons/
Hi Beth, I tried making these and their tops were perfectly smooth and they got feet. The problem is they were hollow AND they sticked to the paper so i dont really know if i left them too little or too much time in the oven. Thanks
Ah OK sounds like they were on too high a rack in your oven. Too much top heat creates a hallow texture and not enough bottom heat creates macs that stick or aren’t done on the bottom. Lowest rack possible is the way to go. Here’s a troubleshooting guide with a few more tips that will also help. https://entertainingwithbeth.com/troubleshooting-french-macarons/ Enjoy!
My almond meal was left with the skins on. It became way too hard to separate them, so should I use the almond sugar mixture(with skins) or should I buy a new package of almond meal? Is there any recommended brand that you like for almond meal?
Oh yes I think the best Almond Meal is made by Bob’s Red Mill. Really fine and smooth. Enjoy! http://amzn.to/2fbScH9
hi beth. what do you mean by 65-75 sweet strokes spot? sorry English is not my first language and I was confused with that words. thanks
Oh sure it mean that’s the perfect range of strokes one should do hope that helps!
If we won’t put the tartar or we haven’t tartar then what to do
Hi, I just know that we can keep the macarons refrigerated up to months (as much as I know for now), but I’d like to know, how long will it last if we just leave it in a air-tight container outside? Coz I’m worried since I’ve read somewhere that if we didn’t refrigerate them, it will only last for a few days. Hope to get enlightened by your answers.
Nick
Hi Nick! Yes these cookies really are best eaten the day they are made. They will last for 2-3 days in an air tight container at room temp, but after that they start to get hard and crumbly 🙁 hope that helps!
Thanks for the answers. But I still got another questions, sorry but I hope to get an answers as well. Let’s say I made a lot macarons batter but then, I can’t finish piping them up so, can I keep the remaining batter in the fridge and how long will it last? Sorry for asking a lot.
Hmm I’ve actually never stored the batter in the fridge before, for fear the egg whites would deflate. If you’ve tried this report back and let me know if the cookies came out OK? 🙂
I NEED the recipe. Where can I find it?
Oh sure it’s on my blog here’s the link enjoy!
Hi, thank you for all the tips which I applied and my Macs are now perfect. You’re the best. Regards Rooks
YAY! So glad they were a hit! 🙂