Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
This post may contain affiliate links.
These Chocolate Strawberry Macarons are made with strawberry macaron shells and filled with dark chocolate ganache with strawberry confit. They are perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Dark chocolate and strawberry are classic flavor for macarons. Try also Chocolate Hazelut or Srawberry Rhubarb Macarons.
- Ganache is very smooth and has amzing texture. Check also Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate ganache.
- I made these macarons with strawberry macaron shells, but this filling can go well with Pistachio Macaron Shells.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Chocolate: Use good quality chocolate. I used Callebaut.
- Flour: Almond flour. Make sure you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Cream: Heavy cream. Do not substitute with milk or half and half.
- Glucose Syrup: Can be substituted with inverted sugar or honey.
- Pectin NH: Important ingredient. Do not substitute with corn starch or gelatin. I used Sosa pectin NH.
- Strawberries: Use fresh or frozen strawberries. You can also use store-bought strawberry puree for confit. For macaron shells, use freeze dried strawberries. You can also use store bought strawberry puree.
- Egg Whites: Use room temperature egg whites, I do not age them.
- Citric Acid: can be substituted with a spoon of lemon juice.
- Butter: Unsalted butter. Use good quality.
- Salt: Used for taste.
- Food Coloring: Use gel or powder food coloring. I used Super Red from Chefmaster.
How to Make This Recipe
- Bake Strawberry Macaron Shells. You can also use the Easy Macarons Recipe and make regular macaron shells. This can be done a few days ahead of assembling macarons. Keep baked macaron shells in an airtight container. For even more chocolate flavor, bake Chocolate Macaron Shells.
- Prepare Dark Chocolate Ganache. Refregerate ganache untill use.
- Make Strawberry Confit and refrigerate until use.
- Assemble Macarons. You can also decorate macarons with melted chocolate and freeze-dried strawberries. I would recommend doing that after “maturing” macarons. I’ve decorated macarons right after assembling and they were fine later. Both ways are great, pick the one you like more.
Over medium heat, bring to boil, but do not boil heavy cream and glucose syrup.
Pour hot heavy cream mixture into dark chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes.
Add butter and baking salt. Emulsify ganache with the immersion blender.
Transfer ganache into a flat container and cover with the plastic wrap “to contact”.
Mix sugar and pectin NH in the small mixing bowl.
Blend cooked strawberries with the immersion blender to make puree.
Add sugar mixture into strawberry puree, mixing with the spatula or whisk all the time.
Transfer strawberry confit into a pastry bag and refrigerate until use.
When you are ready to assemble macarons, transfer ganache into a pastry bag with a Wilton 2D pipping tip. Pipe ganache on one flat side of the macaron shell, then add confit in the center of the ganache. Sandwich macaron with another macaron shell and press lightly. Make sure there is no ganache coming out from the sides of the macarons. Place assembled macarons into an airtight container and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Macarons need to “mature” before you can enjoy them.
Expect Tips
- Measure all ingredients using a digital kitchen scale.
- Use good-quality dark chocolate.
- Emulsify ganache using immersion blender for better result.
- You will have left about half of the strawberry confit from this recipe. I would recommend keeping it in the fridge for a few weeks and filling other macarons.
My Latest Video
Recipe FAQs
Store Chocolate Strawberry Macarons in the airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes, freeze macarons in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Yes, use frozen or fresh strawberries for this recipe.
There are a few reasons for that: the most common are unstable meringue, incorrect pipping technique or wrong oven temperature.
If you make these Chocolate Strawberry Macarons, please tag me on social media and make sure to leave a rating down below. I would love to see your creations!
Recipe
Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 spatula
- 1 whisk
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 1 immersion blender
Ingredients
Strawberry Macaron Shells
- 10 gr freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 140 gr almond flour (1 cup)
- 125 gr powdered sugar
- 100 gr eggs room temperature
- 105 gr white granulated sugar
- 1 gr red food coloring
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 250 gr dark chocolate
- 250 gr heavy cream
- 15 gr glucose
- 28 gr unsalted butter
- 1 gr baking salt
Strawberry Confit
- 250 gr strawberries
- 50 gr white granulated sugar
- 5 gr pectin NH
- 1 gr citric acid
Instructions
How to Make Strawberry Macaron Shells
- In the mixing bowl, sift almond flour, powdered sugar, and strawberry powder.
- Add egg whites to a clean and dry mixing bowl of stand mixer. Whisk on low speed. Start adding sugar in a few parts. Add food coloring.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes and whip meringue. After that, change the speed in the mixer to medium and whip for 5 more minutes. Then change speed again to higher and whip for 5 minutes. The total time for making French meringue is 15 minutes, with increasing speed every 5 minutes. I am making meringue in a Classic Kitchen Aid mixer and speed in 4-6-8.
- Add sifted dry ingredients to the French meringue and fold the batter using a spatula. Do not overfold! Check the batter every 5 folds. The batter is ready when it flows fast from the spatula.
- Transfer the batter to the pipping bag with a round tip.
- Line two baking sheet pans with a baking macaron mat.
- Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start pipping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
- Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick or baking needle to remove the bobbles from the piped macaron shells.
- Let macaron shells rest (dry) on the countertop for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300oF (150oC).
- Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Baking time and temperature may be different depending on your oven.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the macaron shells cool to room temperature before removing them from the mat. Pair macaron shells with similar sizes before filling them.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate into a tall glass or cup.
- In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and glucose syrup. The mixture should be hot and steaming, but do not boil it!
- Add the hot cream mixture to the dark chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Emulsify the ganache with an immersion blender. Hold the blender at an angle and keep it at the bottom to prevent incorporating too many air bubbles.
- Add butter and baking salt. Emulsify again for 5-10 seconds. The ganache should be smooth and silky.
- Transfer the ganache to a flat container and cover it with plastic wrap "to contact."
- Refregerate ganache untill use.
How to Make Strawberry Confit
- Mix granulated sugar and pectin NH in a small cup or bowl.
- In a small saucepan, cook cut fresh strawberries over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Emulsify cooked strawberries with the immersion blender.
- Bring the saucepan over medium heat and add the sugar mixture into the strawberry puree.
- Add sugar mixture to strawberry puree, mixing with spatula or whisk.
- Bring puree to boil and boil for 20-30 seconds.
- Remove strawberry confit from the heat.
- Add citric acid and mix well with the spatula or whisk.
- Transfer confit into a pipping bag and refregerate untill use.
How to Assemble Macarons
- Pipe ganache on one flat side of macaron shell.
- Pipe strawberry confit in the center of the ganache.
- Sandwich macaron with another macaron shell and tree lightly. Make sure there is no ganache coming out from the sides of the macaron.
- Place assembled macarons into a flat container and regenerate for 12-24 hours. Macarons need to "mature" before you can enjoy them.
- Decorate with melted chocolate and freeze-dried strawberries (optional)