Easy Macarons Recipe
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Macarons are gluten-free cookies that taste delicious but are considered difficult to make. However, you don’t have to be a pro to bake macarons like a pro. If you are looking for perfect macarons with full shells and gorgeous feet, this Easy Macaron Recipe and step-by-step instructions are the ones you need.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The recipe is easy to make. Whip meringue, mix with dry ingredients, and pipe macaron shells. Try also Italian Meringue macarons.
- This classic recipe uses four ingredients plus food coloring. It does not include cream of tartar, salt, lemon juice, or egg white powder. Check also the French Meringue Macarons recipe.
- This recipe is great for round or shaped macaron shells. Try Heart, Snowman, or Flowers Macarons.
Ingredients Note
- Almond flour: Make sure you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Powdered Sugar: Do not use homemade.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar.
- Egg Whites: I use room-temperature egg whites.
- Food coloring: Powdered food coloring, I used Haute. The gel food coloring will also work, just make sure you are using water-based, and not oil-based colors.
Tools Needed
- Stand an electric mixer with a bowl and a whisk attachment.
- Baking tray with Silpat baking mat.
- Digital kitchen scale.
- Medium mixing bowl.
- Fine sieve.
- Flat rubber spatula.
- Piping bag. Use a large piping bag, 18 or 24 inches.
- Round pipping tip. I use Wilton 12.
Macarons Template
How to Make This Recipe
Get all ingredients and tools ready before making this recipe. Line two baking sheet pans with a baking mat. Place the piping tip into a piping bag. I use a tall pitcher to hold the bag; this also helps with the transferring macaronage. Mix powdered food coloring with white granulated sugar before adding it to egg whites.
In the mixing bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar. Sometimes, I sift 2 or 3 times, depending on the almond flour. I like to use Blue Diamond or Bob’s Red Mill flour.
Add egg whites to a clean and dry mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk on low speed. Start adding the sugar mixture in a few parts. Set the timer for 5 minutes and whip the meringues. After that, change the speed in the mixer to medium and whip for 5 more minutes. Then change the speed again to a higher speed for 5 minutes.
The total time for making French meringue is 15 minutes. I am using a classic Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and the speed is 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. The consistency of the batter is also known as “lava.”
Transfer the batter to the piping bag with a round tip. Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start piping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
How to Bake Macarons
Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick or a baking needle to remove the bubbles from the piped macaron shells. Let macaron shells rest (dry) on the countertop until no batter sticks to your finger when you touch it. This takes about 15 minutes, maybe longer or shorter, depending on your environment. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150 °C). Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Baking time and temperature may be different, depending on your oven. Macarons are ready when they do not move on the baking mat when you lightly push the side of the shell.
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. For the filling, you can use American Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or Ganache. I also have Savory Macaron fillings, like Beetroot or Smoked Salmon. In my opinion, macaron shells can be filled with anything you like.
Expert Tips
- Measure all ingredients correctly using a digital kitchen scale.
- Egg whites need to be at room temperature. I do not age egg whites.
- Do not use liquid or oil-based food coloring; it will ruin meringue.
- Make sure all tools are clean and dry before starting this recipe. I clean the mixing bowl and baking mats with vinegar before baking macarons.
- Do not overmix macaronage.
Recipe FAQs
Macaron shells need to form a thin layer on the top. When you touch macaron shells with your finger and none of the batter sticks, they are ready to bake.
This happens if the macaron shells have not had enough time to rest before baking.
There are many reasons for this; the most common are unstable meringue, incorrect folding technique, or wrong oven temperature.
The most common reasons are the piping technique, an uneven baking sheet pan, or a fan in the oven.
Macarons are ready when they do not move on the baking mat when you lightly push the side of the shell.
Store at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Yes, freeze macaron shells in an airtight container for a few months.
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Recipe
Easy Macarons Recipe
Equipment
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 2 baking sheet pan
- 2 baking mat
- 1 large pipping bag
- 1 round pipping tip
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 140 gr almond flour
- 125 gr powdered sugar
- 100 gr egg whites room temperature
- 105 gr white granulated sugar
- 1 gr water based powdered food coloring
Instructions
How to Make Macaron Shells
- Get all ingredients and tools ready before making this recipe.
- Line two baking sheet pans with a baking mat. Place the piping tip into a piping bag. I use a tall pitcher to hold the bag; this also helps with the transferring macaronage.
- In the mixing bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar. Sometimes, I sift 2 or 3 times, depending on the almond flour.
- Mix powdered food coloring with white granulated sugar before adding it to egg whites.
- Add egg whites to a clean and dry mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on low speed. Start adding the sugar mixture in a few parts.
- Set times for 5 minutes and whip meringues. After that, change the speed in the mixer to medium and whip for 5 more minutes. Then change the speed again to a higher speed for 5 minutes. The total time for making French meringue is 15 minutes. I am using a classic Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and the speed is 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 piping bag with a round tip.
- Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start piping, 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 until no batter sticks to your finger when you touch it. This takes about 15 minutes, maybe longer or shorter, depending on your environment.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150 °C).
- 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 of similar sizes before filling them.
Video
Notes
- Measure all ingredients correctly using a digital kitchen scale.
- Egg whites need to be at room temperature. I do not age egg whites.
- Do not use liquid or oil-based food coloring; it will ruin meringue.
- Make sure all tools are clean and dry before starting this recipe. I clean the mixing bowl and baking mats with vinegar before baking macarons.