This easy French macaron recipe makes a batch of the most dainty, delicate, and delicious cookies that will float right into your mouth and disappear. I’ve packed all my tips into this post to help you out!
These French macarons make a very special treat to give your friends and family. They also look pretty on a plate for guests to indulge in when they come over. They can definitely be finicky but once you learn how to make macarons you’ll be hooked!
Even if your cookies come out of the oven looking totally wrong they’ll still be delicious if not picture perfect.
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING this MACARON Recipe
- THE MERINGUE!!!! That meringue HAS TO BE STIFF! I had no idea French meringue could be whipped to such a thick marshmallowy consistency but all it takes is a bit of extra whisking. You’ll notice the meringue start to fill the whisk when you’re getting close to the right stage.
- Age your egg whites! Separate the eggs, place the whites in a clean glass, cover with plastic wrap and let them hang out in the fridge for a few days before using. This will dehydrate them and make them perfect for macarons.
- Sift, Sift, SIFT! Those larger pieces of almond flour will mar the surface of your macarons. Best practice is to sift then whiz in the food processor and repeat two more times. Discard the larger particles, don’t try to press them through the sieve.
- The mixing will take some practice, you will fold and fold the batter and then use the spatula to GENTLY press the batter against the bowl. You want to remove some of the bubbles but not to many… Continue this until it reaches a thick “lava” consistency. It should slowly fall off the spatula in ribbons and be able to form a figure eight without breaking.
- Pipe the macarons perpendicular to the surface. If your tip is pointing a bit in any particular direction when you pipe the macarons might be oblong or malformed.
- Add your coloring to the meringue after it reaches the soft peak stage.
- When you are finishing the piping motion stop squeezing the bag and pull up with a circular motion.
- The macarons will be best after 2-3 days resting in the fridge.
- If you over-bake the shells and they’re too crisp, brush the bottom with some milk before assembly to soften them up.
Macaronage
When you fold that STIFF meringue with the almond sugar mixture it will start off looking really rough but as you continue folding if will become silkier and begin to flow off the spatula in a slow, thick and steady drizzle.
You’ll want to deflate SOME of the bubbles in the mixture so you can gently swipe the spatula over the surface of the batter to help remove some of them.
Some recipes give you a specific number of folds but I’ve found that you really need to fold and smooth the batter until it tells you to stop. If it’s humid outside or the temperature is warm or cold that day your macaronage will be affected.
As your batter reaches the desired stage you’ll see it become shiny and slowly fall off the spatula in a ribbon that can form a figure “8” without breaking. When you press the batter big air bubbles will not be present.
French Macaron Filling
I whipped up a batch of creamy, custardy French buttercream using my left over yolks to fill my macarons but you can use ANY filling you like!! Try an American buttercream, Italian meringue buttercream, a whipped ganache or a disk of ice cream!
Are macarons from France?
While macarons are heavily associated with France, they are actually thought to have been brought over from Italy to France by the chef of Catherine de Medici, queen of France in the 16th century.
What is a French macaron?
A macaron is a delicate meringue-based cookie sandwich made primarily from egg whites, almond four, and sugar. The outside is crisp but inside they’re more moist and chewy. They can be filled with a ganache, buttercream or anything desired!
What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?
- A macaroon is basically a mound of sweetened coconut flakes, egg, and sugar. Delicious but not very light!
- A macaron is a light meringue-based cookie with a layer of piped buttercream or ganache in the middle.
- The two names are spelled and sound similar but the treats are quite different!
What are the steps to make this French macaron recipe?
How to make this macaron recipe
1. Sieve the icing sugar and the ground almonds together in a large bowl and whisk together.
2. Whiz the dry ingredients in the food processor and then sieve again. Repeat this process two more times.
3. Whip the egg whites with the cream or tartar. Add salt and gradually add the sugar. Mix until the merengue reaches the soft peak stage. Add vanilla and any gel food coloring in at this point.
4. The meringue needs to be whipped to STIFF peaks so it’s actually best to finish the whisking off by hand. This way you’ll have a better feel for then the meringue is done.
5. Add a third of the confectioner’s sugar and almond mixture and fold in gently. Move the spatula in circular motions bringing material from underneath to the top. Add the remaining dry mixture and continue folding.
6. You’ll know it’s ready when it has a “lava-like” consistency, forming a thick ribbon that slowly blends back into itself when drizzled from your spatula. A figure “8” test will tell you when the consistency is correct. The batter should drizzle off the spatula and form an eight. Stop immediately at this point.
7. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip, I usually use a 12 tip. Pipe onto a sheet of parchment paper fixed to a baking sheet. You can use some batter as glue to hold the sheet steady. Pipe perpendicular to the surface and try to be consistent with the sizes. You can print a guide out and have it below the parchment paper to help you pipe uniform circles. When you are finishing the piping motion stop squeezing the bag and pull up with a circular motion.
8. Tap the tray several times to remove air bubbles. Allow to sit for 40-60 minutes so the macarons form a skin. You should be able to touch the shell and feel a dry surface. Heat oven to 300F. Bake for 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when if the shells don’t wobble when you move them. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
9. Pipe your filling onto the back of half the shells. Form a sandwich and enjoy!
Can you make macarons on parchment paper?
Parchment paper is actually the best surface to piping macaron shells. You can still use a silicone mat for the macarons, but the silicone is a bit sticky for the batter. Don’t use wax paper or a buttered/greased surface.
What is the texture of a French macaron?
A French macaron should have a delicate light texture. On the outside it’s crisp and airy, on the inside ever so slightly chewy.
Do macarons need cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites when you whip them up. It’s not necessary but can help you on a humid day.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this French macaron recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Macaron recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- 100 g egg whites room temperature 3 large eggs
- 140 g almond flour 1 1/2 cups
- 90 g granulated sugar just under 1/2 cup
- 130 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 1 tsp vanilla 5mL
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 800mg
For the Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened 226g
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp water 30mL
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
For the Macarons:
- Sift the confectioners sugar and almond flour into a bowl.
- Add the room temperature egg whites into a very clean bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites. Once they begin to foam add the cream of tartar and then SLOWLY add the granulated sugar.
- Add the food coloring (if desired) and vanilla then mix in. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Begin folding in the 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
- Be careful to add the remaining dry ingredients and fold gently.
- The final mixture should look like flowing lava, and be able to fall into a figure eight without breaking. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium round piping tip and you’re ready to start piping.
- Pipe one inch dollops onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this should be glued down with dabs of batter). Tap on counter several times to release air bubbles. Allow to sit for about 40 minutes before placing in oven.
- Bake at 300F for 12-15 minutes, rotate tray after 7 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
For the French Buttercream Filling:
- Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan. Heat over low heat while stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium- high and bring to a boil
- Put egg yolks in a stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until thick and foamy.
- Cook the sugar and water syrup until it reaches 240 degrees F. Immediately remove from heat. With mixer running, SLOWLY drizzle hot syrup into bowl with yolks.
- Continue mixing until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and the yolk mixture has cooled to room temperature.
- Add in butter one cube at a time allowing each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Add vanilla and salt. Continue mixing until buttercream is smooth and creamy. (About 5-6 minutes.) Add food coloring if desired.
For Assembly
- Pipe your filling onto the back of half the shells. Form a sandwich and repeat. Macarons should be aged in the fridge for 1-3 days for best results. This allows the filling to soften the shells inside.
Video
Notes
- THE MERINGUE!!!! That meringue HAS TO BE STIFF! I had no idea French meringue could be whipped to such a thick marshmallowy consistency but all it takes is a bit of extra whisking. You'll notice the meringue start to fill the whisk when you're getting close to the right stage.
- Sift, Sift, SIFT! Those larger pieces of almond flour will mar the surface of your macarons. Best practice is to sift then whiz in the food processor and repeat two more times. Discard the larger particles, don't try to press them through the sieve.
- Use a scale if possible, accuracy helps with this recipe.
- The mixing will take some practice, you will fold and fold the batter and then use the spatula to GENTLY press the batter against the bowl. You want to remove some of the bubbles but not to many... Continue this until it reaches a thick "lava" consistency. It should slowly fall off the spatula in ribbons and be able to form a figure eight without breaking.
- Pipe the macarons perpendicular to the surface. If your tip is pointing a bit in any particular direction when you pipe the macarons might be oblong or malformed.
- Add your coloring to the meringue after it reaches the soft peak stage.
- When you are finishing the piping motion stop squeezing the bag and pull up with a circular motion.
- The macarons will be best after 2-3 days resting in the fridge.
- If you over-bake the shells and they're too crisp, brush the bottom with some milk before assembly to soften them up.
Nutrition
Great Recipe! My macarons came out perfect. Thank you for the video and the recipe, it totally helped me learn how to make a beautiful macaron. Also the French Buttercream is an amazing filling/frosting I had never tired before. It is so good. Thank you.
Thank you so so much for this recipe! It was my first time making them and they turned out GREAT! I only ran the dry ingredients through the food processor once, but that was enough. (I also ran the sugar through the food processor to make it extra fine for the meringue.)
We only had one tiny problem, when the cat jumped up onto the counter and stepped on some of the cookies as they were setting up before baking. We got one with a cute paw-print out of it.
Excellent tips. I’m very new to baking. My daughter mentioned to me few years ago about this type of cookie, so I made it for her birthday. It’s delicious, and looks so pretty. Thank you so much John. You are my new hero! I also made the spider cake, the French butter cream frosting, the Italian butter cream frosting and EVERYTHING came out perfect. Your video instructions is so easy to follow. I basically visit your website everyday now and attempt to try the German chocolate cake next.
YAY! Hope you love the German Chocolate Cake!
Super helpful video! On the third try, my macarons looked perfect but they still had hollow tops. Gah! I get nervous about the meringue not being the right consistency since there’s no turning back from there. Should it feel like mixing melted marshmallows? Should the tops of the meringue barely fold over or not move at all when you check the whisk? Thx from a #macaronnewbie!
It should be STIFF peaks and yes, thick like marshmallows.
I tried this recipe after trying another recipe 2 times and failing. The third time worked. However, as I was filling them, I had to be very careful to handle the macaron cookie by not putting even the slightest pressure b/c they dented in. What could be the cause? It seemed the longer they sat to cool, the softer the tops became.
Hi Lorrie! Was it humid that day? My guess is they were not totally done baking and if the air was humid then they became soft.
I haven’t messed up a single batch of macarons because of your video on technique! Even when I use other recipes. I’ve been baking my tuckus off to give these as holiday treats. On behalf of all my gift recipients, AND ME, thank you!!!
I’ve been on a macarons baking mission lately and this recipe is by far the best. I appreciate all of the helpful tips. Also, and I cannot stress this enough, French buttercream is n absolute revelation! How did I not know about this before? Honestly I have to stop myself from eating it with a spoon!
So happy you liked it! French buttercream needs to be more popular.
As a former professional baker it had been many years since I actually baked anything beyond cupcakes. I have been relearning my previous craft and it was with great excitement and trepidation that I have been researching and preparing to make macarons. Most of what I read and saw left out important steps and details until I came across your video. I saw it and you covered cream of tartar and vinegar rinsing the mixing bowl…you know egg whites! So I tried yours and my macarons came out perfect right on the first try. Been many years since I made a French butter cream but will be doing that tomorrow. Seems like nothing less will do. Thank you for such an informative video!
So happy it was a success!
Hello! I recently made a batch of macarons using the Italian meringue method and they failed spectacularly!! Cracked tops, sticky bottoms… will try yours next!
Question: have u any advice on how to repurpose those ugly shells ? I meant to bring these babies for a party but now I have to use them to make something else more presentable!
You can crush them and add onto things like icing sugar would be used. 🙂
This recipe was the third recipe I’d used to attempt macarons and this one worked! I think partly down to the tips you provided, thank you so much!
This recipe was the third recipe I’d used to attempt macarons and this one worked! I think partly down to the tips you provided, thank you very much.
Quick question. In the blog post before the recipe it says to bake at 300 for 20 minutes. In the directions of the recipe, however, it says bake 12-15 minutes. I have another recipe I found that says you are the author that says 320 for 12-15 minutes. I don’t think they are baking long enough as they are sticking to the parchment a bit. Please help. They are turning out great except for the bit of sticking. Thank you!
Try letting them dry out in the oven when it’s off if they’re sticking. And is it sticking or they’re tearing apart when you peel them from the paper?
The bottoms are tearing off as I peel them from the paper. I just bought some silicon mats to see if that helps. 🙂
Thank you so much for the most perfect and easy recipe! I’ve always been intrigued by these cookies because of their aesthetics and difficulty. I attempted making them following you IGTV video and they were a major success!! I was so impressed and stunned at how beautiful they turned out. Now I’m trying all sorts of flavors. I wish I could attach a picture!
I have been baking for most of my life…but I was also too afraid to try macarons.
But I love your tutorials and trust you immensely…so I love in. I followed your instructions to the letter and my very 1st try I have nearly perfect macarons.
I had wanted very white shells for snowman faces but these are a pale yellow. Need to add more titanium white coloring.
Thank you so much!!!
I decided to bake macarons as gifts for the holiday season and stupidly chose to use other recipes for gingerbread, hot chocolate and eggnog macarons. When those recipes flopped, I decided to use your recipe as the base and just add 1-2 teaspoons of the spices to each different batch. They can out perfectly!!! This will forever be my go to recipe for macarons!
Thank you!! I made both the macarons and the French buttercream, utterly amazing. Making my fourth batch tonight and it’s time to start playing with more flavors, what tips do you have for infusing the cookie with flavor? Freeze dried fruit powder? Or do you recommend adding flavor extracts to the meringue at soft peak stage?
Best macaron recipe I’ve ever used, hands down! Comes out perfect every time! You must follow every step. I live in California and have no problem with this recipe. If you live in a more wet climate or humid climate you will need to do some changes. Thanks so much for your amazing recipe John, this one is definitely going into my recipe box!!!!
You mentioned adding salt to your egg whites in your video but it isn’t listed in the recipe. Was this a modification you added later?
I sometimes add a pinch of salt out of habit, it’s only for flavor 🙂
Love Love Love the recipe. Wad super easy to follow and the video made it even easier. Thank You some much for the tricks and tips. One question though, the buttercream had little chunks in it. What is that?
#Love the recipe #The best macaron EVER!
so i’m a new cook and my mom says this recipe is hard even for pros and I should try easier things first but macarons are so yummy and i don’t agree so i’m going to try this recipe a couple times