Macarons Recipe

This classic Macarons Recipe creates delicate, bakery-style cookies with crisp, lightly crackled shells and soft, chewy centers. Each airy meringue cookie is filled with rich, homemade vanilla buttercream, making the perfect sweet treat for holidays, tea parties, showers, special occasions, or an elegant dessert tray. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you’ll be able to master these beautiful macarons right at home.

Easy French Macarons Recipe

Macarons have that light, delicate meringue-style flavor and texture, and they’re totally different from macaroons, those chewy coconut cookies. These little French cookies are crisp on the outside, soft and airy in the center, and can be piped into just about any shape you like. Most often you’ll see them in petite rounds, which makes them perfect for everything from showers and tea parties to holidays. Shape them into hearts, though, and they’re about the sweetest way to say “I love you.”

They’re made with almond flour, and for the smoothest shells, you’ll want to give that flour a spin in the food processor until it’s extra fine. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in the final result. This recipe uses simple ingredients, but does require patience for the perfect macarons. A little patience and bakers of all skill levels from beginners to seasoned cook’s, can be successful making a batch of macarons.

Key ingredients to make French Macarons: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Flour – Almond flour forms the base of the cookie batter.
• Sugar – Powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) for sweetness.
• Eggs – Whipped egg whites only with cream of tarter to stabilize the stiff meringue. Freeze the yolks for another recipe.
• Salt – A pinch of salt helps balance the flavor.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract expands the flavor profile.
• Buttercream – Powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract and heavy cream. When making the buttercream, add just enough heavy cream to make it easily spreadable, not too much.

How to Make the Best Macarons Recipe

• Grind Almond Flour – Pour the almond flour into a food processor and grind until it is a fine powder then combine with powdered sugar. Sift three times to remove large pieces and clumps.
• Whip the Egg Whites – Use a mixer to beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat for 1 minute until you have a stable meringue and stiff peaks form.
• Vanilla and Food Coloring – To the egg whites, add vanilla and 4-5 drops of the food coloring. 
• Combine – Slowly add the sifted flour mixture to the egg white mixture folding into the meringue by hand. .Transfer the batter to a piping bag.
• Make Template – Use a cookie cutter or a heart shaped template to make the heart shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Fill each heart shape with batter.
• Let Dry – Let sit at room temperature to dry.
• Oven – Bake in preheated oven per the baking time in the recipe until lightly toasted on the edges.
• Let Cool – Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make the Buttercream Filling – Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with vanilla extract until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar then add heavy cream in small amounts until desired consistency is reached.
• Assemble – Pipe buttercream onto one cookie, placing another on top to form the cookie sandwich. 

Kitchen Equipment to Make Homemade Macarons

• A stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Make sure the whisk and bowl are super clean!)
• Fine mesh sieve.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Food processor.
• Large mixing bowl and medium mixing bowl.
• Baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (For round macarons use a silicone mat)
• Balloon whisk and rubber spatula.
• Two medium pastry bags or one large pastry bag.
• Heart shaped cookie cutter or paper template.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Flour – Almond flour is a must for macarons and isn’t interchangeable with all purpose flour or almond meal. Although the almond flour may be labelled as fine grind, the food processor step called for in the recipe is still a must. Running it through the food processor at least 3 times is recommended to achieve the right texture for the macaronage.
• Room Temperature Egg Whites – The egg whites must be at room temperature. This will help get the meringue to the desired fluffiness.
• If Time Allows Go the Extra Step – It also helps if the egg whites are slightly dehydrated. To do this, separate the eggs two days prior to making the macarons. Place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge until you are ready to use them. Next, take the egg whites out of the fridge and allow them to warm to room temperature. This step will help the macarons bake properly. While it’s not an imperative step, it does help with the preparation. If you forget, bring the egg whites to room temperature and proceed with the recipe.
• Shape – Round is classic for macarons and you can absolutely make these cookies any shape you like.
• Flavorings – You can change the flavor profile by changing the flavor of extract used. Strawberry extract, lemon extract or orange extract would all be delicious options.
• Humidity – Just like Southern Divinity, a super humid day can be tricky when making a french meringue and can affect the batter consistency. If your first batches don’t turn out, don’t worry you may not have done anything wrong, it can take practice to get it just right.
• Food Color – You can use liquid (only in a small amount) or gel food color for more intense color tinting these cookies.
• Alternate Fillings – If you’d like to take a shortcut (especially if you’re a beginner) you can sandwich these macarons together using white chocolate ganache. jams, lemon, lime curd or milk chocolate ganache.

How to Make Heart Template

• Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make indentations on parchment paper then follow the lines when piping the macaron batter.
• Knife – You can also use the tip of a knife to outline the cookie cutter, allowing at least 1-inch between each macaron for baking. This will help keep them uniform in shape.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Macarons can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days but will last much longer when stored chilled in the refrigerator. You can store them chilled for up to 1 week.
• Freezer – You can freeze macarons for up to 3 months. I recommend chilling them in the fridge in an airtight container for 24 hours, then transferring them to the freezer for longer storage. You can freeze the macaron shells or sandwiched together as demonstrated in this french macaron recipe 

More Easy Cookie Recipes to Make

• These Turtle Cookies are baked in a muffin pan to form a cup for the turtle toppings.
• Sour Cream Sugar Cookies can be made into any shape and decorated to suit the occasion.
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are rolled in powdered sugar and baked to form the crackle appearance.
• Glazed Lemon Cookies are soft and fluffy.
• These Easy Peanut Butter Cookies can be served with or without a dip of chocolate.
• Flourless Chocolate Cookies melt in your mouth.
• White Chocolate M & M Valentine’s Day Cookies won’t last long in your cookie jar.
• Crinkle Cool Whip Cookies from Bread Booze and Bacon.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheets
• Measuring Set
• Mixer