Basic Macaron Recipe
This basic macaron recipe is perfect for beginners. In this post, you’ll find all my tips and tricks for perfectly full shells with pretty little feet and smooth tops, as well as my detailed video tutorial to walk you through the entire process!
I’m not holding anything back!!
These dainty little almond cookies are simply divine! And I’m here to help you find your groove with these finicky cookies!
Now, a fair warning… This’s a long article! I wanted to cover all the details in making a perfect batch of macarons. And my hope for this post is to be your go-to resource for perfecting these iconic little treats.
Why you’ll love this basic macaron recipe:
While I don’t believe in foolproof macaron recipe, I can tell you that my macaron recipe has been tested by not only me, but also many of my readers with great success over the years.
3 unique pro’s of my macaron recipe:
- French meringue method, which is the easiest meringue!
- Reduced sugar amount without compromising the texture!
- Tried and tested by not only me, but also hundreds of my readers.
Yeah, this post is loong overdue an update!!!
It’s been more than 7 years (where did time go?!) since I published this basic macaron recipe.
And in that time, I’ve learned so much more about making perfect macarons and I’m excited to share them all with you!
I also tweaked the recipe just a little bit to make it a little more “fool-proof”. (It turns out a little more sugar in meringue makes it that mush stronger, so I reduced the powdered sugar and increased sugar in meringue. In the end, the same amount of sugar as my original recipe, but with a little less room to mess up!)
Disclaimer: I don’t believe a foolproof macaron recipe exists, because successful macarons are a result of more than just a good recipe.
And here’s why…
4 pillars of perfect macarons:
- Precise ingredients amount
- Stable meringue
- Proper macaronage technique (mixing the batter)
- Accurate oven temperature
So let’s talk details of each of these factors, because once you understand the technique and reasons behind certain steps, you’ll be well on your way to perfect macarons.
- Weighing the ingredients on a scale is crucial for setting yourself up for success. It’s so easy, and often unreliable, to measure the ingredients by volume. That’s why I provide only the metric measurements in my ingredients list. I really want you to have the best chance to succeed!!
- Stable meringue is the foundation of perfect macarons! If your meringue is weak, you’ll run into so many issues, like hollow macarons, no feet, etc. And I share my technique to achieve the most stable French meringue below.
- Macaronage is a step when we mix dry ingredients with meringue and fold the batter until perfect consistency!
- So, you can have the most reliable macaron recipe, measure the ingredients just right and fold the batter until the perfect consistency, and unfortunately, you can still FAIL, if your oven temperature is off. No matter how good your oven is, it’s important to find the sweet spot for YOUR oven. Every oven is different, and it’s totally normal for the oven temperature to vary 50°F up or down, which could make or break your macarons. That’s why I recommend getting an oven thermometer to double check the accuracy.
Now that you know what areas to pay attention, let’s go through every step.
HOW TO MAKE BASIC MACARONS:
Step 1. Sift dry ingredients
Sift almond flour and powdered sugar three times. Yes, three. Not only are we combining the two ingredients, we’re also aerating the dry ingredients to get that beautiful full interior.
- NOTE: Unless your almond flour is chunky, I don’t recommend processing the dry ingredients in the food processor, because you may over-process the almond flour, which would lead to blotchy shells from oily almond flour.
- TIP: If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don’t have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.
Step 2. Make the meringue
Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until foamy. Then add cream of tartar and salt, and continue beating. Once the mixture is white, start adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time, making sure the sugar is mostly dissolved before adding more.
- TIP 1: Room temperature egg whites whip better and get more volume, but cold eggs separate better. So separate the egg whites right out of the fridge, and allow the egg whites come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- TIP 2: Make sure the mixing bowl and whisk are completely grease-free and egg whites have no yolks in it. Any trace of fat may ruin your meringue and it won’t allow your meringue reach hard peaks. Glass, stainless steel or copper bowls are the best!
- TIP 3: Use super-fine granulated sugar, or caster sugar for meringue, as it dissolves easily.
- TIP 4: Don’t rush it! Beat the meringue on low and consistent speed for the most stable meringue. I continuously whisk the egg whites on speed 2 or 4 on my KitchenAid mixer the entire time. It does take a little longer this way (12-14 minutes!), but I think it’s totally worth it!
Step 3. Macaronage.
Add dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold until incorporated, using a rubber spatula. Then fold the batter until lava-like consistency, which means the batter is thick, yet runny enough to slowly flow off the spatula in a continuous flow to draw a figure eight.
- TIP: One way to test the consistency of the batter is to drop the batter into a ribbon and count to 10. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved back into the batter in 10 seconds, the batter is ready!
Step 4. Pipe the shells.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag, fitted with a round tip (I use Wilton 2A tip). And pipe 1.5-inch rounds on two baking sheets, lined with parchment paper.
- TIP: If you need a template, I made one for you. Subscribe to my e-mail list and download this custom macaron template for FREE. (This template is perfect for my recipe and super easy to use!)
Now tap the baking sheet on the counter for 3 times to pop any air bubbles trapped in the shells. If needed, use a toothpick to pop stubborn bubbles.
- TIP: I prefer parchment paper and teflon mat over silicone mat, because they’re thinner and conduct heat better. But out of all silicone baking mats, this thin silicone mat is the best.
Step 5. Rest and bake.
Rest the shells before baking until skin forms. This could take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. It all depends on humidity. If you’re in humid climate, you may use a fan to expedite the drying process.
- TIP: To test, lightly touch the top of the shell with a finger. It should be dry to the touch, and batter shouldn’t stick to your finger.
Bake the shells in a preheated oven at 300°F for 15-18 minutes. I don’t use convection settings for baking macarons. My oven is set to heat from top and bottom.
- TIP 1: To prevent browning on top, place an empty baking sheet on a top rack to shield the heat from the top.
- TIP 2: It’s better to over-bake the shells than under-bake them. If the shells are stuck to the mat, they’re not quite done yet. Check every 30-45 seconds after 18 minutes.
Step 6. Fill the macarons.
Fill the macarons with any kind of filling. The most common fillings are ganache, buttercream, jams and curds.
Once you’ve filled the macarons, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or preferably for 24 hours. This process is called maturing, which allows the filling to soften and flavor the shells.
HOW TO STORE MACARONS:
Unfilled macaron shells:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Filled macarons:
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
- Depending on the filling, you may be able to freeze them too.
Freezing Instructions:
Once matured, the filled macarons can be frozen for up to 1 month, depending on the filling.
- Freeze the filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- To thaw, place the frozen macarons in the fridge and let them thaw slowly for at least 1 hour.
- Then, bring them out 30 minutes prior to serving.
MORE MACARON RESOURCES:
I’ve shared so many macaron recipes on my blog and I’ve highlighted different aspects of making macarons in every post.
So if you’d like to dive deeper into certain areas, check out the following posts:
- Lemon French Macarons – Macaronage
- Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons – Using different nut flours and nut flours in general
- Red Velvet Macarons – Food coloring
- Pumpkin Macarons – Shaped macarons
- Chocolate Macarons – Using cocoa powder
- White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons – French meringue
- Mint Macarons – Maturing and storing
- Pistachio Macarons – Piping technique
- Pure White Macarons – Baking, how to prevent browning, etc
- Strawberry Macarons – Using freeze-dried fruits
Basic Macaron Recipe
A comprehensive macaron recipe with lots of tips and tricks for perfectly full french macarons. Plus, a full video tutorial to walk you through entire process.
Yield: About 25 filled macarons
Prep Time:1 hour
Cook Time:18 minutes
Total Time:2.5 hours (Does not include time for maturing filled macarons)
Ingredients:
For macaron shells:
- 100gr super fine almond flour (Note 1)
- 75gr powdered sugar/confectioners sugar (Note 2)
- 70gr (1/3 cup) egg whites, at room temperature
- 75gr fine granulated sugar (Note 3)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, optional (Note 4)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring, if desired
For buttercream filling:
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50gr) sugar
- 3 ½ tablespoons milk
- ½ cup (115gr) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- To make macaron shells, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or teflon sheet, or silicone mat. (TIP 1: For even air circulation, flip the baking sheets upside down.)
- To prepare dry ingredients, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Note: If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don’t have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.
- To make meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed until foamy. (I set it to speed 2 or 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer.)
- When egg whites are foamy, add cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk.
- Then slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running. Allow the sugar to dissolve after each addition.
- If you’re making colored shells, add gel food coloring when the meringue reaches soft peaks.
- Continue beating the egg whites on the same medium low speed until hard peaks form. Visual cues: Meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs. (See pictures above or watch the video.)
- To make batter, sift almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. To test, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on its own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making french macarons is all about the technique. This is one of the most crucial step. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re beginner macaron-baker, I suggest to count every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds.)
- To pipe macaron shells, transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I used this Wilton 2A tip.)
- Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (TIP 2: I made a perfect macaron template for you. Simply pipe the batter to fill inner circle.)
- Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or using your hand) a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.
- Let the macarons sit out on the counter for at least 15-30 minutes, maybe up to couple hours, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons and the batter does not stick to your finger, then it’s ready to go into the oven.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Note: I don’t use convection settings. I set my oven to heat from top and bottom.
- To bake, working one baking sheet at a time, place one tray with macarons on the middle rack. (TIP: To prevent browning, place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat.) Bake for about 15-18 minutes. It’ll take longer for larger macarons. To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move. (TIP: It’s always better to slightly over-bake macarons than under-bake them!)
- Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream filling, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks slightly with a whisk and add sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is pale and sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir in the milk. Transfer the egg yolk mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently. Continue to cook until it’s thick like pudding, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture back to the bowl and bring it to room temperature. Stir in the butter in three batches. Add vanilla extract and continue to mix until smooth. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag with round tip.
- To assemble macarons, pair the macaron shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack. Line them up so that bottom shells are upside down.
- Pipe a dollop of filling on bottom shells. Place the top shell over the filling and press lightly so the filling spreads till the edges.
- Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature, which allows the filling to soften and flavor the shells.
- To serve, bring the macarons out about 30 minutes prior to serving.
Note 1: It’s best to use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth tops. Weigh the ingredients before sifting.
Note 2: I don’t recommend making your own powder sugar, because commercial powdered sugar has cornstarch in it. And it helps with texture of the cookies.
Note 3: It’s important to use fine granulated sugar for meringue, as it dissolves quicker. You can also use caster sugar, aka baker’s sugar.
Note 4: Cream of tartar is optional and can’t be omitted. However, it helps to stabilize egg whites and create sturdier meringue. It’s just an extra insurance!
Note 5: You can easily double this macaron recipe.
Note 6: Read this post for must-have macaron tools.
Got macaron trouble? Check out my visual troubleshooting guide and Macaron 101 post.
How to Store Macarons:
Unfilled macaron shells:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Filled macarons:
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
- Depending on the filling, you may be able to freeze them too.
Freezing Instructions:
Once matured, the filled macarons can be frozen for up to 1 month, depending on the filling.
- Freeze the filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- To thaw, place the frozen macarons in the fridge and let them thaw slowly for at least 1 hour.
- Then, bring them out 30 minutes prior to serving.
For step-by-step photos and video tutorial, read the post above.
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Excerpt from my original post from January 13, 2013:
Just a few months ago, these pretty little cookies popped on the screens everywhere I went. So dainty, colorful and tempting! Everyone was all ohs and ahs about how wonderful these treats are.
I’m curious person by nature. And since I could not find anything like this where I live (I live in the middle nowhere!), I googled the recipe for these beautiful treats. Found ton of recipes, read countless tips and tricks (apparently they are quite finicky!), drooled over many, many gorgeous photos, and I finally made them!
Oh, sweet little macarons, where have you been all my life? They were so absolutely delicious.
To make up for all the lost time without these gems, I was on the roll making them day and night. Ok, maybe a little exaggeration, but you got the idea, I was obsessed!
I can’t say I’ve perfected these delicate little cookies yet. But as you can see they’re not that bad.
Now, that I had made these gems more than handful of times and I’m pretty confident with the technique, and I thought I would share my process.
This recipe was originally published on January 13, 2013, and last updated on May 27th, 2020.
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Thank you for sharing the recipe. Every steps are clearly explained and resolved all my previous problems when making macarons with other recipes. This time the result comes out perfectly. Great recipe! THANK YOU!!
Great recipe until it was changed. I used this recipe the last 4 times and my macarons came out great. This time, however, I could tell while folding the batter that something was off. The cookies didn’t come out right at all, but tasted alright—just chewier than normal.
Hi, J. Tell me more. What was wrong with your macarons this time? There wasn’t much changed in the recipe. The same amount of sugar total, just divided differently. I’ve been baking with this ratio for almost 2 years now, and it produces consistently nice full shells. So I’m curious what kind of issues you ran into.
I made this recipe last week and it was amazing but when I tried to make them this week the recipe was changed. So I tried it again it doesn’t work. Please don’t ever change the recipe it was good before but now it sucks. When I make them the first time I was so happy and excited to share them with my my friends but when I went to make them again I was annoyed and now I will not be making the macaroons I promised my friends. Thanks for the terrible recipe
Hi, G! Sorry you had trouble. The problem is probably not due to the recipe change. The only thing I changed was that I decreased powdered sugar by 25gr and increased granular sugar by 25gr. That’s all. Here’s the original ingredient amounts.
For macaron shells:
100gr almond flour
100gr powdered sugar
70gr (1/3 cup) egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, optional
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (50gr) sugar
Gel food coloring, if desired
Please let me know what was wrong with the macarons. And I’ll help you to troubleshoot the issue.
First time trying this recipe, second time trying overall and not sooo bad, a lot to work on still, but pretty satisfying for a second try it being this is a “very difficult” pastry to make. THIS specific recipe helped so much, the tips were an even greater help! THANK YOU.
We have tried this recipe and worked very well. The outcome is amazing
I’ve tried a couple macaron recipes and they all came out hollow. Very pretty, but hollow. i’m sure it was just from my lack of knowledge in technique, but i finally gave the finicky cookies another go with Shinee’s recipe after a couple month of hiatus and wow, they finally came out full! But the tops were wrinkly. I’m going to try a batch without gel food coloring to see if that is the culprit. But i’m so very happy they are finally full. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe!
Make chocolate macaroons what would I do to alter the dry ingredient list? Would be using unsweetened cocoa powder correct?
O M G they were so easy and so tasty thank so much fo all the tips and tricks . I posted the cake I made with them on it and got an order right away . not for cake but for the Macarons .yikes what did I get myself into lol lol Thank you again
Haha Welcome to the world of macarons, Diane!!! Thank you for trying my recipe and for your review!
Do o have to add cream of tartar? Or can I leave that out?
Hi, Camile. You can leave it out. It’s added to stabilize the meringue, just an extra insurance, if you will.
I’ve been baking for a few years, but I’ve always been a little too intimidated by macarons to ever attempt them. Quarantine has given me the time and now that I’m out of excuses, I had to try them. They came out flawlessly! I was actually shocked at how professional something I made in my little kitchen could look and taste, especially on the first try. I was living in France when covid broke out and had to leave abruptly, and these brought me right back to the French bakeries I miss so much. Thank you for sharing this recipe, these cookies brightened my week!
Sarah, I’m so happy you had a great success with your first macarons. Yay!!! And bummer for your trip interruption, but it sounds like you’re making the best out of the situation. Thank you for sharing such good vibes!
I’m excited to try out this recipe! But I’m wondering, do I have to use almond flour? Is all-purpose flour the same?
Hi, Angie. Yes, you’ll need to use almond flour for this recipe. And no, all-purpose flour and almond flour are not the same.
Thank you so much!! I will be making this tonight; I’m so excited!
they tasted good but they didn’t have feet what can i do next time to improve this issue?
Hi, Elizabeth. There could be number of reasons for no feet. I’d suggest reading through my macaron troubleshooting guide first, and let me know if you have any questions.
The best macaron recipe ever 🙂 just one question about this buttercream- can I add some Fresh stawberry puree in it?
Aww, thank you so much, Katerina!!! As for buttercream, if it’s not a lot, you can add add fruit puree. But it’s a little risky, as your buttercream may turn out runny. Instead crushed freeze-dried strawberries add great flavor without making it runny.
This recipe worked so well, when I made the macaroons it was so easy. This is now my go to recipe for macaroons.
So glad you tried my recipe, Mauri! Thank you for sharing!!!
This was probably my twentieth batch of macarons using several recipes out there. Unfortunately, I ran into one problem or the other. Tried this one for the first time and I can proudly say—I nailed it! All thanks to your amazing recipe! It was sweet but not overly sweet and it yielded approximately 23 macarons. Highly recommend this!
Yay, so happy to hear your macaron success, Maddy! Kuddos to you for not giving up, girl!! Thank you for your comment!
First time ever making these. They’re currently in my oven and they have cracks on all of them… I’m not sure why this would happen though… do you???
Hi, Hannah!There could be number of reasons for crack. Here’s my visual troubleshooting guide, you may find helpful.
I’ve never baked anything that didn’t come out of a box, and these turned out perfect. Thanks!
Wow, so happy for your macaron success, Emily! Thank you for your feedback!!
Oh, thank you very much for these macarons, we decided to make French-style daughter’s birthday, and of course I came up with some real French macarons. They turned out just amazing, thanks!
Yay, so glad your macarons turned out great! Thank you for your feedback, Sportegana!
So great! I tried making these before with a different recipe but these turned out perfectly! So good with the perfect texture. Highly recommend!!!
Aww, thank you so much for your feedback, Soobin. So happy you had a great success with my macaron recipe.
Sorry but this recipe was a disaster. I was so excited to find a detailed recipe. I followed it step by step but no matter how much I folded it, it never reached the right texture. It felt like the dry ingredients were too much for that amount of egg whites. I’m not a beginner but this was the first time ever that I threw something out. Such a frustration and waste of good products.
Bummer, Anna. I understand the disappointment. How did you measure the ingredients, both dry and egg whites? I wonder if the error was made in measuring the ingredients. This recipe has been made for years (7+ years, to be precise) and I know the ratio is correct.
Hi …I’ll be fast…made MANY macs so far…i have it down and make decent ones. Here’s my issues1. mine are well-formed but like you say mine are a tad flat, i use silpat…there’s ALWAYS seemingly undercooked residue on the silpat and the bottoms are sticky and dont have a hard shiny surface like I’d like – why aren’t my feet more robust and the bottoms somewhat sticky? Shud I switch to parchment? Where is best spot for me to place the oven rack? What temp and time do you find the best? I’ve started using 310 degrees for 12 minutes.2. I’ve used both regular egg whites and cartoned egg whites….have found both to work – last time tho the cartoned egg whites failed to whip up…what’s your experience relative to cartoned egg whites.3. Why can’t you bake two sheets of macarons at time in an oven? 4. Does using the convection feature in an oven help, change, or hinder the macaron baking process????Thanks
Hi, Gary! Thank you for such good questions and providing details!!
1. I’d highly suggest trying parchment paper. I personally prefer parchment paper over regular silicone mat. But sometimes, I use this thin silicone mat, which is thinner than most common silpats. Here’s why I suggest this: silicone mats are thick and doesn’t transfer heat well, which leads to underbaking the bottom of the macarons. Hence the sticky bottoms.
Since every oven is different, you’ll have to play around the rack placement, and temperature and time to find the perfect temp and time with your oven. I always bake mine in the middle rack, about 18 minutes at 300°F. And this time and temp worked in my old and new oven. I also have an oven thermometer to make sure my oven isn’t lying, which is very common.
2. I’ve never baked with carton egg whites, but I know people use it.
3. You can bake 2 trays at once, but you’ll need to rotate the sheets half way through. I’ve used to do that in the past. However, I suspect it leads to hollow macarons, because you open the oven door, creating draft and decreasing oven temp half-way.
4. If you play around with the settings and find an ideal time and temp with convection feature, I don’t see why you couldn’t. Convection oven is supposed to circulate the air evenly, which supposedly should bake the macarons evenly. However, it could also lead to lopsided macarons if the air is not circulated well.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you improve your macarons with any of these suggestions.
Hiii!!!! I simply love your work. I will be trying your macaron recipe, kindly let me know how many eggs is 1/3 cup Of a cup approx. Thank you in advance.
Hi, Salsabeel. Thank you!!! 1/3 cup of egg whites is about 2 large eggs.
Hi again! ❤️ I made your recipe and they turned out quite well for a first timer. Thank you for sharing. But I do have a question, how can I reduce the sweetness a bit in the cookie itself? Plus the feet were barely visible. If you could elaborate on why they had almost no feet. Thank you so much for your time.❤️
Hi, Salsabeel. So glad your macarons turned out well. Unfortunately, I don’t think you can reduce the amount of sugar in the shell. My recipe has already reduced amount of sugar, less than many other recipes. Did you add a little bit of salt? It usually balances out the sweetness nicely. As for no feet, there could be multiple reasons. You can check out my troubleshooting guide here and see if any of the reasons caused your issue.
How many drops of food coloring should I use and is there a recommended brand/type that works best? My macarons don’t come out bright colored. Thanks.
How many cups is A 100 grams of ALMOND Flour? Thank you
Hi there, this is 100% a fair question, as using google to give you the answer gives multiple results depending on what product you are using (flour vs sugar vs liquids). I’m going to try it today using my kitchen weight scale. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Hi, Sam. I want everyone who tries my recipe has the best results possible. And it’s really important to use the exact measurements for this recipe. That’s why I removed the volume measurements, because it’s not reliable.
And yes, please let us know how your macarons turn out. Good luck and have fun baking!
P.S. I totally didn’t mean to ignore Mare’s question. It must have fell through the cracks. Oops.
I often go to your site to read a new recipe, thanks for teaching me how to cook delicious and healthy food.
You’re welcome.
You have many recipes that I take for myself, especially often I make desserts according to your recipes, thanks)
Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy you find my content helpful!
Makes 25-30 macarons…is that 25-30 single sides or is that 25-30 finished sandwiched cookies? I’m not sure if worded that properly lol Thank you!
Hi, Cathy. This recipe makes 25-30 complete macarons, so about 50-60 individual shells, about 1.5-inch rounds.
I only got 13 (26 single sides). Must have made them too big!
Hi, Katie. If your macarons are bigger than 1.5-inches, that’s probably why. 😉
First attempt to make macarons and they turned out beautiful. Thank you so much!!!! I will be making more for sure especially the flavored ones. Can I reduce the amount of confectioners sugar (find it too sweet)? Add more almond flour? What should i do so these don’t come out too sweet?
Hi, Lyn. So happy to hear your macaron success. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend reducing the sugar for macarons. My recipe is actually uses the lowest possible sugar amount, and I’m afraid it won’t turn out quite perfectly if you reduce alter the amounts. Thank you for your feedback!!
My macaroons are always hit or miss. This recipe was PERFECT!!! I can’t wait to try the red velvet next! This was the first time I’ve ever made a whole entire perfect batch, not a single crack or hollow shell. No sticking to the tray, just perfect shells. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Oh, Lindsey, I’m so happy for you!! Nothing beats the feeling of victory when it comes to macaron success! Thank you for sharing!
Macarons have been the bane of my existence. I must have made 12 batches over the stretch of a week last year and every batch ended with the same problem – hollow cookies. I threw my spatula across the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine and have never spoken of these evil cookies since. Until now…I must redeem myself. I came across your recipe and have read all the comments. So I made a trip to the store to get all the ingredients and I’m standing in my kitchen with your page bookmarked and praying to the macaron gods that I have a successful batch. Will keep you posted. Wish me luck.
Hi, Judy. Thank you for sharing your experience. And I totally understand macaron frustration! I’ve been there too! Hollow macarons are mostly caused by over-beated meringue. Let me know how yours turned out and if you need further troubleshooting. And thank you for your giving my recipe a try!
I love how you put exact minutes of how long you should bake the macarons or let them just sit on the counter until they are ready! I also appreciate how you counted how many folds are best to mix the batter properly! You recommended folding the batter 50 times! I never knew you should put an empty baking sheet above the sheet with the macarons on it! Then you said that silicon baking sheets aren’t what you would recommend. I agree with that! I prefer parchment paper too! To be honest I have bought my parchment paper from Marshalls! I am not sure if that’s a good idea or not though. Anyway, I love how you give such precise descriptions on how to mix the batter properly, what happens if even the tiniest bit of oil or grease can potentially mess up the of the look macarons, and other examples of what happens if you fold the batter too much or not enough! It’s actually quite fascinating and very helpful how your directions say what to expect when making these amazing pastries! I don’t think I read any directions that are this precise even on Martha Stewart’s website on how to make macarons! For example putting the empty baking sheet over the sheet with the macarons on it! I don’t think she mentioned that! If I remember correctly! Thank you so much for your amazing and helpful in-depth advice for making macarons! I can see why this got 51 reviews with 5 stars! Truly fascinating and interesting! I’m going to try to follow these directions whenever I get the time to make my macarons!
Maggie, I’m SO glad you’ve picked up all the tips I’ve included in my recipe and post, and that you found them helpful. Please let us know if you try making macarons! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Hi Shinee. I tried your recipe. It was perfect. I have to address the issue of browning in my convection oven. I will be trying out the other mac recipes on your blog and will let you know the results of the same. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome, so glad you had success with my recipe, Mary! For browning, I’d recommend placing an empty tray on the top rack and see if that helps.
How do you store them? I was thinking adding them to my Christmas cookie trays but need to make sure they freeze well for about a month?
Hi, H. Yes, macarons freeze really well. You can freeze both filled macarons (assuming the filling is freezer-friendly) or just the shells. Good luck!
So I made these today at work & blew away my boss (thank you!) Not all of them came out well…many stuck to the silicone mat, but I honestly think it was the mat…? I will try a silkmat next time. I baked them in a conventional oven for 18min at 300’F…do you think I should have given them another minute or 2 to counteract this? (The tops were already beginning to brown)Thank you!!!
Yay, so happy for your macaron success, Sheyna! They may have been underbaked. But it may have to do with silicone mat too. I don’t like to bake on silicone mat for the very reason, they seem to underbake on the bottom, yet they start to brown on top. 2 tips that may help: 1. Try baking macaron on parchment paper, or these super thin silicon mats work great too. 2. Or try baking them longer, but place an empty sheet on top tray to shield the heat from the top to prevent browning. Hope this helps. Let me know if you see any improvements.
Excellent suggestions!!! Funny how things seem so obvious when someone ELSE says it lol. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge so freely! I will have lots of practice as my friends are already requesting Banana Split, S’mores, & Fruity Pebble versions lolThank you,Sheyna
Do you have to add the cream of tartar??
If you don’t have it, you don’t have to, Maura. It helps to stabilize the egg whites, but it’s not essential.
Hi Shinee,
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. Its so easy and quick to make. I particulary liked the lemon macaron recipe. It tasted delicious. when i made these macarons, some of them had tiny little bumps on the top surface while others were really smooth and perfect. One another problem i noticed was the macarons were little crunchy. Could you please lemme know what could be the reason for these issues? I tried making these macarons using silicon mat as well as parchment paper.
Hi, Apoorva. Thank you for reaching out. Were those bumps grainy? If so, that’s maybe because the almond flour isn’t really fine. And as for crunchy macarons, you could try 2 things: 1. Bake a minute or so less. 2. Also mature the macarons in the fridge with the filling for 24 hours. Typically, macaron shells will absorb moisture and flavors from the filling in that 24 hours and soften nicely. Hope this helps. Let me know.
It was my first time making macarons when I tried this recipe and they came out perfectly! I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who is new to making macarons.
That’s awesome, Molly. Thank you for sharing your macaron success.
I think this is a very good recipe. I just use eggless buttercream but he macarons themselves turned out great except that where your pictures show very flat tops, mine have a little curl or peak that still shows after drying. I did bang the sheet on the counter but it didn’t seem to help.
Hi, Sandra. I’m happy you liked the recipe and had success with it. If the shells didn’t completely smoothed out while resting, it means they were slightly under-mixed. Next time, fold the batter a few extra times. Good luck!
Fantastic guide. Until I made these I had never even had a maracron but with your guide I nailed it (according to people who have had them). Thanks so much!
Yay, so happy for you, Jk! Thank you for your feedback!
Is the cream of tartar a necessity? What difference does it make?
Hi, Isy. No, cream of tartar is not essential. You can omit it, if you don’t have it. It helps to stabilize the egg whites and create better meringue.
It was ok. I had to change my thermostat just so the cookies would settle, I let the butter cream cool down to room temp, added the butter but it still didn’t work so I had to add like five 1/4 cups just so the icing would form!! The cookies tasted ok but I made this recipe three different times and the macaroons would not form and for some reason formed bubbles. Any tips would be appreciated.
Hi, Auna. Thank you for your feedback. Not sure what you mean by macarons would not form and formed bubbles. Were they spreading too much? If so, that means the batter has been over-mixed. Next time, don’t mix it for too long. You can read this post for troubleshooting tips, or let me know more details on the issue. As for buttercream, it sounds like your buttercream turned out too runny? In that case, the egg mixture should be sufficiently cooled before adding butter. And butter should be super soft. IF the buttercream did turn out too runny, my suggestion is to put it in the fridge to firm up, instead of adding powdered sugar. Adding powdered sugar won’t help much.
This was great I’ve tried so many recipes and they don’t work. but I don’t like putting egg yolks or eggs in my buttercream so I just cream butter then and my powdered sugar and milk then my vanilla.
Hi, Mimi. So happy my recipe worked for you. Thank you for your feedback!
Hi! I just made this recipe and the cookie part turned out great the only thing I don’t think i did right was the buttercream. It looked more like pale, creamy egg yolks than buttercream and i have no idea where i went wrong🤷♀️
Hi, Nicole. So glad your macaron shells came out good. On the buttercream, was it a bit runny? If so, maybe your butter was too soft, or the egg yolk mixture was a bit too warm and melted the butter. Hope this helps.
Is there a way I can replace the milk in the buttermilk filling with something like coconut milk since I tend to have negative reactions to milk?
Absolutely!
Yes, you can, Brynley.
Remember to have not soft butter but soften the butter. Mine did not fluff until after I chilled it. But oh my goodness that is so good!!!
Oh my I posted in the wrong recipe. I used this for my macaroons this was the best. I filled with the buttercream. My cookies came out grainy. I siffed three times. But did not buzz it. All I have is a blender so I will try that today. But great recipe
Thank you, Crystal, for your feedback. If your almond flour is not super fine flour, then I’d advise to run in your blender for a little bit. But be very careful not to overprocess it, or it’ll release too much oil and it won’t work out well for your macarons.
Hi! I’m planning to make pistachio macarons this weekend. Would it be possible to replace 25 grams of the almond flour with finely ground pistachios?
Hi, Affy. Here’s my pistachio macaron recipe. It’s based on this basic macaron recipe, but some of almond flour is swapped with pistachio flour. Hope you’ll like it.
Love the macaroons still can’t believe I made them my self they taste better than anything I have ever tried your recipe sure came from heaven!!!
Thanks for the tip of how to check if the batter is ready or not. I’ll be trying it and hopefully will have better results.
Thank you so much for finally allowing me to get this these beauties right!!
Happy to hear your macaron success. Thank you for your feedback!
I am 12 years old and mine came out beautiful. Your instructions were really helpful. Thank you 👍
SO happy to hear this, Turtledani!! Thank you for your feedback!!!
Hi Shinee,
Just wanted to check is it mandate for the almond flour to be super fine ? Saw few other videos where they have put the almond flour in the food processor to be super fine ..
Thank you ,
Rekha
Hi, Rekha. I recommend super fine almond flour to achieve nice smooth shells. However, if you don’t have fine almond flour, food processor will work too. I’m just too lazy to bring out a large food processor, if I could help. 😉
Mined turned out great. The only issue i had was that it was a bit lumpy on the top. Could it be because I did not sift the almond flour enough? I sifted twice.
So glad yours turned out great, Naley. Did you use finely ground almond flour? If it was coarse almond flour, the shells won’t be smooth.
thank you for the recipe. I followed it and made my first batch of macarons ever. I managed to get feet! I did find them really dry. I wonder if my oven is running hotter then it says or to try the trick of putting a baking sheet above? Any other idea’s? Thanks!
Hi, Cindy. So happy to hear your macaron success. Yeah, it’s possible your oven runs slightly hotter.
You can try 2 things:
1. bake for shorter time, start checking for doneness couple minutes sooner.
2. lower the temp by 10°F.
Putting a baking sheet above will prevent macarons from browning too much.
Hope this helps. Keep us posted if you try again.
I have always wanted to try to make macarons. But I thought it would be beyond my skills. I am so pleased to say that 2 out of 3 trays were perfect. The others tray puffed and cracked and had no feet, which is weird because they were all from the same batch. Maybe I slammed the others harder on the counter. I made a dark chocolate and marmalade filling. The orange flavor soaked in. Fabulous!
Yay, so happy your macarons turned out mostly great, Lisa. Thank you for your feedback. Which of the trays came out puffed and cracked? I assume you baked each tray separately, right?
Maybe that was the problem. I put all 3 trays in the oven at once.
Made these macarons last weekend and they were a success! I followed every little step exactly, and they were delicious! My only issue (which was my fault) was that they turned out with brown speckles because I didn’t toss the brown pieces in the almond flour after sifting. Just a heads up for anyone making them!
Awesome. Thank you soooo much for your feedback, Lauren!
Shinee, thank you for this macaron recipe! I’ve made it for mu son’s birthday party, children liked it so much!
I was looking for recipes that at kosher for Passover and it came to my mind that this may be, and it is!! I found the instructions clear and concise, and I folded the mixture 53 times. It was a great idea to count them. The shells came out perfect!! They have good feet and are the right amount of chewy. The only part I had issues with was was the filling. I definitely did not do the recipe right. Consistency was great… I didnt have any unsalted butter so i used salted. DON’T USE SALTED BUTTER. Please. Just don’t. Not worth it. Out of laziness in respect to the filling (specifically the egg bit) I ended up going with another person’s filling recipe. It is just ok, very very sugary. Next time I’ll be better prepared for the filling bit!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Leah, so happy your macarons turned out. And bummer on the filling. But you’ll get it perfect next time. 😉 Thank you so much for your feedback!
Can i use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Hi, Ericka. Unfortunately, no. You’ll need nut flour.
Worked beautifully on the first try! 😍😍😍 Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yay, so happy to hear your macaron success! Thank you for your feedback, Jen.
Hey so I made this recipe twice now and both times I found that the batter was too runny and was very hard to control when piping. The first time it was very difficult to pipe but it turned out fine at the end. However the second time most of the batter just spilled out of my piping tube, and it was impossible to work with. I was wondering what I did wrong though because I am fairly sure I didn’t overmix it – I did 50 folds as you said.
Hi, Aanya. Thank you for your feedback. It sounds like the batter is being over-mixed. The main culprit to runny batter is over-mixing. The number of folds isn’t the most important factor here. It’s important to keep an eye on the consistency. If you feel like the batter is reaching the right consistency even after 30 folds, you can safely stop at 30 folds. Hope this helps. Keep trying and you’ll find your groove.
Couple of questions, if I may.
You mention freezing the macarons. Do you freeze them filled and all finished? Can you explain how you freeze them and thaw them (in detail for us novices)?
Also, do you have any tips for which almond flour to use?
Thanks for the info!
Hi, Judy! You can freeze both filled and unfilled macarons. It really depends on your filling, but most buttercream and ganache fillings are great for freezing. To thaw them, you want to transfer the frozen macs from freezer to fridge for a few hours, or overnight. Then bring it to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. I’ll update the post with this information. Thank you for asking. As for almond flour, I’ve used many different ones. This’s what I’m using right now.
Shinee, t’s really awesome! This will quickly become a favorite in our house!
That’s awesome, Olga. Thank you for your feedback!!
Are you sure the almond flour and icing sugar are to be the same quantity? My batter was super thick!
Hi, Bev. Yes, I’m sure. My recipe does call for reduced sugar amount than a lot of macaron recipes online. But it definitely works for me and many other fellow bakers. Did you weigh your egg whites?
FInally turned out ! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay, so happy for you, Tina! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
macarons are my favorite treat but i have always been too intimadeted to make them. Today i finally tried and for my first attempt I am so pleased! Mine were a bit grainy and didnt have the gloss tobthe shell i think i may have undermixed from reading similar comments above. My experience did not yield as many cookies as it should have, but im wondering if my poor piping skills are to blame. Seriously thabk you for your detailed approcahable recipie. I plan on making them again and again until I perfect my technique.
For my first attempt I think it came out lovely tasting and the texture wonderful. My piping skills however need work though. Great recipe!!!
Thank you, Rachael, for your feedback!!! Practice makes everything better. You’ll get the piping perfected in just a few tries. 😉
Have always made macarons using italian meringue but decided i wanted to give the french method a go. Made this recipe following the steps and the texture and taste is perfect and the shell is nice and full (something i havent been able to achieve with the italian method) but the shells are wrinkly. Different to lumpy, the skin is smooth as such but it has wrinkles that head towards the centre of the macaron. Couldn’t find anything on wrinkly shells in the troubleshooting guide. What do you suggest?
Hey, I just made this recipe again and not sure what i did different but the shells were perfect and smooth, although i have another question. Are the shells on french macarons meant to be reasonably soft? As i mentioned earlier, i normally make the italian macarons and the shells have always been quite crisp. The shells on these macarons are quite soft and easily dented. Look forward to hearing from you
Hi, Bea. Sorry for delayed response. First of all, thank you for trying my recipe and your feedback. The soft wrinkly shells are usually caused by excess moisture. Is it humid where you live? Also did you add any extracts or liquid food coloring? My macarons come out with nice crisp shells, so it’s not due to french meringue method. Hope you’ll be able to find the cause soon. 🙂
This was my first attempt at French macarons because I finally got a new stove with a properly closing door 😋They came out PERFECT! Thank you for the awesome recipe and great tips. I especially like the pictures showing the steps. It’s important to see what your batter should look like and a lot of recipes just assume you should know this.
Awesome. So happy to hear your macaron success, Kristin. Thank you for your feedback!
I normally toast my almond flour as it helps with the flavor can I do this before I try your recipe, I will let it cool back to room temperature before I start. Also can I use caster sugar instead of “normal” cane sugar in the egg whites? I have found that using a egg white from a duck and chicken weighs out perfect. Of course most don’t have duck eggs about but here on our farm were loaded with them. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions in advance.
Hi Medody. So sorry foe my delayed response. You can use caster sugar in meringue.
P.S. Glad to hear duck eggs works just the same. 😉
I love your (basic) macaron recipe. This is a whole new experience for me. I made it several times & always came out delicious. & beautiful feet too.
I would love to try these Hazelnut-Almond ones too. I noticed the total nut flours gram is 120 vs the usual 100 gr of almond. But egg whites & sugar are the same. Just curious why this needs 120 gram ? does it bake firmer or fluffier ??
I have made a different recipe but my shells have been hollow both times. I’m going to try your recipe tomorrow. My question is what is the difference between soft peaks and firm peaks. I’ve gone through multiple recipes and they bounce between soft and firm so not sure the difference and when do I stop whipping the meringue?
the soft peak curls over itself. The stiff peak stands straight up (Tip: when you turn the bowl upside down over your head, the stiff peak stay put in the bowl!) That’s the perfect stiff meringue. Stop mixing then. my experience !
Why did you instruct to sift the almond flour and icing sugar together, then to add them separately? Completely messed up the recipe and now a load of expensive ingredients have gone to waste.
Where in the recipe does it say that the powdered sugar is sifted and then later, added separately? I see in step 2 to sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together and that is added to the whipped egg whites in step 4. In step 3 the 1/4 of regular suger is added to the egg whites. I keep rereading the recipe and just do not see where the almond flour and powdered sugar are added separately.
Your correct Jill it says to sift the icing sugar and flour together twice and set aside. You add regular sugar to the egg whites, she goofed. You should ALWAYS read a recipe two or more times first.
Such a rude comment😠
You should read and reread a recipe or just make your own.
It helps to read through a recipe twice, espeically if you are buying “expensive” items.
Is the 150 degree for a fan or conventional oven please? I’m baking them at 130-135 degree fan for 20-25 minutes and they’re coming out wrinkled and a little flat. Please can you help, I’ve tried this 4 times now.
Hello, the 150 C is for Celsius temperature ovens. Use 300 F on regular bake.
OMG I’ve been wanting to try and make these, I absolutely love the ones from my local bakery. I liked how your recipe is the “basic” one. On my first attempt they turned out great, I’m so excited!! Can’t wait to try more and with flavors and colors!!
Hi Christina – sorry for the direct comment! Could you please let me know if you used a fan oven or conventional oven (or otherwise) at 150c/300f? That would be very helpful and much appreciated!
Hi, I used conventional oven at 300. Partway through the cooking I opened the oven door for about 15 seconds to let any moisture escape (I learned that from a pastry TV show). Make sure before you bake them you’ve let them rest on counter to dry, this is very important.
I tried this recipe today and finally was able to make macarons!! Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome!!! Thank you so much for your feedback, Kristin!
Can you add food coloring to the buttercream?
I have! It turned out great! But just a warning, the egg yolks make the buttercream a yellow tint so colors with purple will not be a true purple. Hope that helps! 🙂
These are awesome! I had a little trouble with the first round, but between your blog and the internet at large, I determined that I had just undermixed. Using the figure 8 trick proved to be immensely helpful, and this time they came out gorgeous – no cracks, lovely feet.
Powered sugar means icing sugar
Hey why you have to put it in grams?!? I ain’t that smart…
Well Hellen you can just look up a conversion chart.
Hey hun. Im.not either but with baking to be as accurate as possible an electric scale is a essential tool. I picked up one online for 10 bux and its AMAZING!
Hi, Hellen. Macaron recipe is very precise, and I found that it’s easier to mess up when the ingredients are measured by volume. For the best chance of success, I highly recommend weighing all the ingredients. And that’s why I provided only the weight info.
I actually looked for a recipe in grams. I find it easier for recipes where proportions have to be just right.
Beause baking is a science! An I’m not being sarcasting. Why any baking recipe would not include grams is beyond me. Measuring flour, for example, can be off by a lot of grams in cups…usually in the direction that you add too much flour by weight and make your baked good dry.
If you want to bake well, you need a food scale. Consider it an essential item you need in the kitchen, like a spatula and baking sheet.
This is the first recipe I tried and it came out perfect the first time! I’ve tried several recipes since and have had disasters, I’m sticking to this one!
i tried this recipe and my batter was stiff and grainy. i don’t know what i did wrong.
Great recipe. These turned out very well.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing your feedback, Helen.
I wanted to bake something sweet that all my teachers would love for the holidays. My mom has tried to make macaroons before and it went terribly, so I was hesitant trying to make them myself. Thankfully, your recipe was easy to follow and the cookies turned out perfect! Thank you so much, these were amazing! Definitely going to make them again!
Awesome, Emma. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Can I use regular flour instead?
Hi, Julie. No, for french macarons, you need nut flour.
Omg omg omg they’re perfect!!!!!!! Seriously perfect! I look like a hero right now with my kids hahha thank you!!!!!
I subbed half coconut Cream for butter and coconut milk for milk (both from same can from Trader Joe’s) and it is unbelievable ❤️
AWESOME!! So happy yours turned out, Sara. Thank you for your feedback.
you subbed the full 1/2 c butter with cream? or only half the butter ?
would love to try that way
You have to use powder or gel colouring or they will not turn out I’m guessing….. I only have liquid colouring I don’t want plain whit macarons. Also I thermo wave everything as bake on my oven is not great so would I just drop the temp a little?
The recipe was very easy to follow. But I have a question about the almond flour. The macarons have a slight grainy texture. The almond flour bag says almond meal/flour – finely ground. Is that the right flour or should I look for something else?
Just try sifting it twice before adding. You can even put it in your food processor and then sift again
Hi, Diane. Mine usually says “Almond Flour”. I also prefer finely ground, with blanched almonds. Another thing is that when the batter is slightly under-mixed, you’ll get kind of grainy shells as well.
I made a double batch and they came out just fine. I do agree with orhers that this recipe when compared to other recipes trends more toward a moist shell and I can see why it might fail in humid areas. For me, the most special part of this recipe is your amazing buttercream. Now, I did sub half brandy for the milk, but the texture of the buttercream was silky and creamy without being overly sweet. Fantastic! I bake a lot and I think this buttercream will quickly become my favorite go-to recipe for fillings on cakes, cookies, and eclairs. Bravo!
Thank you so much for your feedback, NurseBaker! Glad my recipe worked for you.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I have made my second batch now and both times they have come out perfectly. I followed the directions exactly as well as reading other comments and other recipes that are available. The only thing I missed was how much vanilla you should add to the egg white mixture. I added a splash on the first batch, and on the second, I added 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract for a change. Thank you!!
Hi, Ellen. Thank you for your feedback. I forgot to update the recipe direction when I removed the vanilla extract from the ingredient list. Since some people have issue with too much moisture, I removed it. But up to 1/2 teaspoon of extract is usually fine.
This recipe turned out absolutely terrible for me. They didn’t have feet and they were uneven and brown. I followed the recipe exactly! I would not recommend this recipe.
Hi, Sarah. Thanks for trying my recipe and for your feedback. Sounds like your oven runs hotter. Your macarons shouldn’t have browned at 300F, unless you baked them way longer than specified. I recommend getting an oven thermometer and double check the accuracy. Most ovens fluctuate 10-15 degrees either way.
Sounds to me like you may have an oven problem. Get a temp. checker at your local walmart. If you find your oven cooks hot…then just adjust for this OR most oven temps you can change yourself! Look your model on Internet and follow how to do this. Really pretty simple. Also, could it be something like a “small” wall oven. My early married years I had regular size oven. We moved and the oven was smaller. I’ve had to adjust recipes for years until that dreadful thing FINELY died! Ha! My new regular oven is great with no adjusting. Best of luck to you! Jan
Hi Shinee thank u so much for the recipe😍 ..how many macaroons will it yield for this amount of batter
Hi, Epcibha. It depends on the size of macarons. I usually get about 25-30 filled macarons, around 1.5-inch round.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!! I have failed so many times and today, I have feet!
AWESOME. So happy you finally had your macaron success. Thank you for your feedback!
I using a gel food coloring but they are not bright. What brand gel colours you use for macarons?
Hi, Wanda. On these pictures, I’ve used Ateco gel food coloring. But I also frequently use Wilton as well with great results.
Hi, I have really learned how to make macarons by following this recipe and the 101 tips too. It has been like a fun science experiment to see what went wrong with each batch. I’m happy to say I have graduated to adding flavor successfully. The lemon macarons are the best I’ve ever tasted (and we have Laduree where I live). I’ve also made raspberry and the chocolate ones are in the oven. Thank you for sharing your skills!
Hi, Julie! Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy to hear your macaron success. I know the excitement, and I appreciate you sharing it with me. Hope you enjoyed those raspberry and chocolate macarons as well. Keep at it and never get discouraged by failed ones. 😉
So I’ve made this recipes 3 times and it just doesn’t work out. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Anytime I leave the macarons out to dry they don’t dry. I’ve tried leaving them out for over an hour and they were still wet. And when I put them in the oven the barely have any feet and just rise up a little. At first I thought it was cause my meringue was to soft but nope. Any tips?
Hi, Farwah. Sorry to hear you didn’t have a good luck with my macaron recipe. Typically, the macarons don’t dry quickly when it’s humid. If you live in a humid climate, I suggest running a fan nearby, but not directly at the macarons. I’ve heard some people dry their macarons for 2 hours. Also, do you have an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of the oven. Every oven heats differently, and if your oven is off by even 10-15 degrees, it could affect the rise of macarons. Let me know if any of these help, and if you have any more questions. Thanks!
Was not a macaron, more like a cakey cookie…
Hi, Tagan. How would you describe a perfect macaron?
A French macaron IS a cakey cookie, sort of. These are very difficult to make even for top bakers. Your recipe is perfect if followed properly. 😉
Thank you, Katie. I agree with you. I like macarons with soft and chewy interior (slightly cakey) and crisp thin skin on the outside.
Thank you for this recipe! This was my 3rd attempt to make macarons and by far the best batch. The other two batches (following a different recipe) did not work at all. And while I have plenty I can still work on these turned out great for a beginner. Thank you again!!!
Katie, glad to hear your feedback. Thanks for sharing!
Great recipe, thanks so much! Very pleased with the results 🙂
Awesome. Thank you, Hayley, for your feedback.
My Macarons did not form a firm top even after letting them stay out for about 30mins to an hour, why could that be?
Hi, L. If it’s humid in your area, it takes a while to form a skin. You can also try running a fan if it’s humid.
Hi, I want to make this recipe but I can’t use cream of tartar due to dietary restrictions. Is there a substitute or can I leave it out altogether?
Hi, Allya. You can omit cream of tartar. It just helps stabilize egg whites, but not mandatory. Good luck!
A copper bowl will do the trick, might be worth investing in one of you cannot use cream of tartar 😊
My macaroons did not come out with feet.
Hi, Bella. There’re couple of things may cause no feet. The batter may have been over-mixed, or oven temp was too low. Take a look at my troubleshooting guide to learn about troubleshooting. And feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Thank you!
What is the subs for almond flour
Hi, Loren. You can use hazelnut flour instead, or pistachio flour.
My first attempt at making macarons and they came out PERFECT thanks to this recipe.
YAY! So happy for you, Kathleen. Thank you for your feedback!
I’ve never made macarons before a few days ago when I used this recipe. Worked really well and I was very impressed.
So happy to hear that, Nina! Thank you for your feedback!
best one with the best tips I have come across
Yay, so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback!
There seems to be more almond flour than other recipes I’ve tried. I ended up with a thicker end product that did not resemble a macaron when baked. Most recipes call for 3/4 c instead of 1 c. No matter how much I folded it was still far too stiff when piped. Disappointed with the results.
Same thing happened to me, I was standing in my kitchen for 10 minutes folding my batter and it was still staying too thick. I definitely think that’s it’s because of the almond flour to icing sugar ratio. Other recipes I’ve tried making the batter has always turned out too thin, but not this time.
Hi, Sandra. Thank you for your feedback as well. I’ve used this basic macaron recipe for many years now and adapted it for different flavors, and it works great despite the ratio is different from many macaron recipes. My suggestion is to weigh the egg whites to make sure you’re getting enough egg whites, because it’s an important part to the ratio as well. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hey Melissa. Sorry I missed your comment. And I’m sorry to hear the batter was too thick for you. How did you measure the ingredients? By weight or by cups? Also did you weigh the egg whites by chance? You’re right in that my base recipe calls for more almond flour than most recipes. But that’s exactly why my recipe is different from others because it yields less sweet, more almond-y macarons that I really love. I highly encourage anyone who’s making macarons weigh the dry ingredients as well as egg whites.
I tried it recipe it’s good vand amazing.can I keep in freezer????
Thanks
Hi, Nishanth. Yes, you can freeze the macarons. 🙂 Thank you for your feedback!
This was a great step-by-step recipe! I was a little nervous for my first attempt at macarons but you broke the steps down in perfect form and made it easy.
Hi, Di! I’m so happy you find my recipe helpful. Thank you so much for your feedback.
It’s an amazing
Does this yield 25 to 30 halves or cookies?
Hi, Sean. About 25 filled cookies, so about 50-60 rounds.
WOW. We were only able to get 12 cookies out of this recipe :(. I think perhaps folding it even more?
Hey, Sean. How big were your cookies? Mine are 1.5-inch rounds, so they’re pretty small.
It’s good tasty
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze them?
Yes, you can! Filled macarons especially with buttercream filling, freezes beautifully. Just make sure to wrap them tightly, but carefully. Hope you’ll enjoy baking these, Evelyn!
Tasty very good
Hi! I made this for my daughters birthday and after trying so many recipes this worked perfectly. Thank you so much for the Recipe and clear instructions. My Guests raved about it and the best compliment I think i got was they were delicious and not overly sweet which I found the problem with other recipes. Thanks much again. I finally found my best Macaron recipe.
So, so happy to hear your macaron success, Juveria! And I’m so glad you agreed that my macaron recipe is less sweet than others, which was my experience as well. Thank you for trying my recipe and for your feedback!
Hi Shinee,
I will try your recipe for the first time and I bought all the ingredients but I think I buy the wrong almond flour.
I buy the I bleach almond flour. Is this ok to use?
Pls let me know and thank you in advance.
Leila
Hi, Leila. Do you mean blanched almond flour? If so, it’ll work just fine. It simply means the skin is removed. I also use blanched almond flour. Let us know how your macarons turn out. Thanks!
Hi!
Just wondering how much food colouring you recommend using?
Hi, Lyd. I usually just eyeball it. I start with couple of drops of gel food coloring and then add more until the desired shade.
Thankyou – also what brand of food colouring do you use?
I use Wilton gel food coloring.
Can you use rice flour instead of almond flour?
Hi, Margie. I don’t think you can.
Came out gorgeous I baked mine at 150c for 13 min…
Hi, I’ve baked Macorons two times and they have come out different each time. The first time they had the ruffle, but they didn’t smooth out at the top when after I piped them out onto the the trays and they baked into those shapes. Even after I let them sit.
Then, the second time to solve that I folded the batter more, but they’ve come out cracked on the top.
Both times the batter has been extremely grainy looking like the ingredients haven’t dissolved.
Do you have any recommendations?
I was thinking that I might not have enough egg whites. Could that be it?
Thank you!
Hi, Breahna. Sorry for delayed response. How did you measure your egg whites? Did you weigh them? If not, you may have been short on egg whites, and the batter didn’t thin out well. Also, do you think your almond flour is on chunk side? I always use fine almond flour and I don’t have much problem with bumpy texture.
Dear Shinee,
I watched your video and noticed you mentioning that there will be some leftover almonds after sifting. Do you have a measurement of how much dry ingredients you actually end up adding to the 70g egg whites (minus the almonds you sift out)? I’m always getting hollow shells, so I’m wondering if it might have to do with the dry ingredients to egg whites ratio. Thanks!
Hi, Karen. At most you should get about 2 tablespoons of dry ingredients to toss. I don’t measure the weight of the dry ingredients after the sifting. Hollow shells are usually caused by over-beaten egg whites. Maybe try keeping a close eye when whipping the egg whites and stop as soon as meringue reaches stiff peaks.
The recipe says it yields 25-30. Is this shells or actual macaron cookies? I only got 20-22 shells. I undermixed the batter (since I have bumpy tops) but I’m not sure what else I could have done wrong! My macarons have feet but are a little dense and chewy.
Hi, Melissa. I usually get 25 filled macarons with my basic macaron recipe, which means I get somewhere around 50 shells. But my macarons are about 1.5-inch rounds, pretty small. When piped they’re about 1-inch or so, and they spread a little and come out around 1.5-inch rounds. How big macarons did you pipe? Also did you weigh your egg whites, or did you just used 2 large egg whites? The reason I ask is that maybe you had slightly less egg whites, which made the batter thicker than it should be?
Hi Shinee,
My rounds were about 1.5-2″. I didn’t weigh the egg whites. I only have a non-digital kitchen scale at the moment which is why I didn’t. I guess a digital kitchen scale is on my list for future baking endeavours!
Yeah, it sounds like you were a little bit short on egg whites. Also undermixing will yield thicker batter, which will tend to be less and make denser shells. Hope you’ll get a digital scale (it’s not expensive on Amazon) and try again. Good luck! 😉
Made these with my 16 yo son. Your tips were incredibly helpful and other than a little odd shaped (we need to work on our piping) they came out great and they are delicious. We will double the recipe next time!
Yay, so happy you enjoyed baking macarons with your son, Amy! Thank you for your feedback!
Hello these look delicious. Im afraid ill make a mistake while making the macarons. If it’s possible could you post a video?
Hi, Tasha. Sorry for delayed response. Here’s a video of my funfetti macarons. Hope it’s helpful. And you can also read this Macaron 101 post before you start. Good luck!
Hello, can i use ultra fine sugar or does it need to be caster sugar. Thank you
Hi, Lacy. If you’re wondering about the sugar that goes into the egg whites, then yes, you can use ultra-fine sugar.
Hi Shinee,
I apologize in advance for this really long comment:
I was wondering if you remembered what made your macarons perfect on the outside but completely hollow? That’s what happened to mine yesterday. I think the oven temp may be inaccurate so I’m buying a thermometer, but other than that? I have a tendency to beat my meringue about a minute after it gets glossy and stiff just to make sure I’m not under beating it. It’s still glossy and stiff but I suspect that I whipped too much air into it? I also am really careful with folding in order to not over fold, but I know that I get it to ribbon stage because it passes the infinity test and moves slowly and consistently in ribbons off my spoon but maybe I should deflate a bit more aggressively and check for ribbon stage earlier? Yesterday I cracked one shell in the oven and it wasn’t hollow but when I removed the macarons to cool a few minutes later, they were all completely hollow. I’m just pretty confused but also really motivated to get it right.
I’m going to try out your recipe next because I also suspect that the ratio I used called for too much egg whites (3eggs for 1 cup of almond flour and 1 and 2/3 cup of icing sugar), so maybe with your recipe there won’t be an excess of air in the macarons?
Thank you so much!
Nina
Hi Nina! Thanks for reaching out. Hollow macarons are usually due to over-mixed meringue, which sounds like exactly what you’re doing. I don’t advise beat the meringue after it reaches stiff peaks. Hope this resolves your issue, and please do let me know if you try any of my macaron recipes.
Hi Shinee,Thank you for your blogsite!French Macarons are my signature cookie with my wife, family, and friends.My wife bought me two silpat sheets with the macaron borders to help me stay size consistent. Should the macarons stay in the oven longer due to the silpat mat? Sometimes they are “glued” to it. Your thoughts?Thank you and Merry Christmas,Patrick
Hi, Patrick! Yeah, I think they need a bit more time in the oven because silicone doesn’t transfer the heat as well. And if yours are still stuck to the mat, that means they’re under-baked. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you Shinee.
We have a natural gas oven and I used to bake them to 25 minutes when I used parchment. What do you think, 30 minutes now that I am using the Wilton silpat?
Thank you again!
Patrick
I’d increase by 2 minutes and check.
Hello, after several attempts I have just about got it! Just wondering if there is a better measurement for egg whites. Sometimes I feel like a need a little bit more than just 2. But 3 might be too much. Is there an ideal amount? Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You have the best blog and my mission is to finally accomplish baking a perfect batch of French Macarons. Your posts are inspiring me and I’m on a macaron high now to “get them right” ha! …
I made fruity cereal french macarons this weekend … Any tips on transferring the batter into a piping bag… silly question it may be, but I struggled with my batter and ended up making it thin after the 10+ min. it took me to transfer it. 🙁 It made my macarons spread together on the parchment and not bake upright – they were more like flat cookies, such a disappointment.
They were also extremeeely chewy and made my jaws hurt from chewing them … I let them sit for 15/25 minutes to get “skin” and then baked them at 325º for 15/20 minutes.
Thanks!!!
Hi, Bryn! Thanks for your kind compliments. I’m glad I inspired you to make some macarons. I made this video tutorial and I hope it answers your questions. Let me know if you have any questions.
Yes exactly. Thought I used parchment paper not silpat.
Hhmmm, those bulging feet happens to me only when I use silpat, and never on parchment paper. So I’m kind of baffled.
I will try using two baking sheets in top of each other, maybe that will solve the problem
Sounds good. Let me know if it helps.
Dear,
To prevent browning of macarons you mentioned to place an empty baking sheet on a top rack. What do you mean by that? I place the baking sheet with macarons on a bottom rack in an oven, and at the same time an empty baking sheet on a top rack of the oven?
Hi, Hiba! My oven has two racks. I usually place one in the middle of the oven and the other one on a very top. I put the baking sheet with macarons on the middle rack, and if they start browning, I just an empty baking sheet on the very top rack. Hope it make sense.
Ohhh now I get it! Thanks for the tip. Sometimes when I bake plain macarons (without any dye) they dont remain white after, but turn slightly yellowish. Does the top tray tip help with keeping the macarons white?
It’s been a while since I baked just plain white macarons, but I don’t think they ever been true white because I usually add some vanilla extract. They are a little on off-white side. But if your macarons are becoming brown due to overheating, I think the top tray tip should definitely help.
Ok thanks. Just one more question. Sometimes the macarons form feat and then while baking bubbles come out of the feat. Im not sure if that is normal or I am doing something wrong. I appreciate you taking time to reply to my inquiries 🙂
Not exactly sure what do you mean by bubbles come out of the feet? You do want those feet to form, and they kinda look like bobbles. Do you mean they expand and bulge like I’ve shown in my pictures above?
Sain bnuu… Ene almond flouriig haanaas olj avah ve??? Tgd bas vanilla extract gedeg ni vanilla zucker mun uu?? Bayarlalaa 🙂
Sain, sain bn uu? Almond flour Mgl-d haanaas olohiig helj medehgui ni. (Bi Mgl-d bdaggui yumaa.) Vanilla extract gej vanilinii ohi. Vanilla zucker/sahar hiij bolno, bur hiihgui ch bj bolno.
Sain bna uu?
Neg yum asuuh gesen yuma dund tald ni yu hiideg ve hariuu pls
Bayarlalaa
Sain, sain bn uu? Yu ch hiij bolno, durtai krem, vareni geed durtai zuilee hiij bolno. 🙂
Hi bi ih olon udaa french macaron hiih gej uzej bna. Eroosoo neg tiim hovsgor tegeed gadna heseg ni mash jijighen jijighen nuhtei ch yum shig , holgui, bas dundaa hondii bolood bnaa. Bi 55 orchim hutgasan. Chinii bichseneer heterhii baga hutgaad bna u? Zuurmagni otgon shingen ni her baih estoi yum?
Bayarlalaa
Zolboo, ta minii zaavariig neg burchlen dagasan uu? Esvel uur joroor hiisen uu? Jijig jijig nuhnii uchir bol listen deeree shahaj tavichaad listee 3-4 udaa shireendeere sain tsohij hiig ni gargaj uguhgui bolohoor tegdeg. Hulgui bolohiin uchir ni jigneheesee umnu sain hataagaagui bol tegne. Hundii boloh ni olon yanziin shaltgaantai bdag. Bi 50 udaa hutgachaad zuurmagnaasaa jijig tavgand dusaaj uzej bgaad urgeljluulen hutgadag. Dusaasan zuurmag chini 10-15 sekundiin dotor jigderch bval bolson gesen ug. Amjilt!
Za bayarlalaa, oldson buh joroor l hiij bna barag 10 garui udaa. Surahgui bol sanaa amrahgui bna. Chinii zaavraar hiisen, listee hed hed gazar tsohison. Hataah geed barag 3-4 tsag orhison tegeed hataagui gart jaahan naaldaj bhaar ni huleej yadaad hiisen. Video oruulahgui yum uu?
Za bayarlalaa
Neg joroo bariad hed heden udaa hiigeed uzeerei. Tegj bj yun deer aldaj bgaagaa olohod amar bdag yum. Hataaj bgaad jignehgui bol hul garahgui shuu. Chiigtei gazar bdag uu? Tiim bol macaron-iig chiigtei gazar, esvel chiigtei borootoi udur hiigeed demii bdag. Odoogoor video hiih zav bdaggui ee. Gehdee daraa hiihdee bichleg hiihiig bodoj l bn 🙂
Shinee, merci beaucoup for all your French delights. I am now following you on Bloglovin. Hope to see you again soon. Cheers
Carole, thank you so much! I love both of your blogs as well. 🙂
macaron daa ymar filling uud hiideg ve? bi macarondaa buttercream guzeelzgenii variantai holiod hiisen estoi nyaluun boldogiin bna lee. jornoosoo huvaaltsaach?
Hi, bi ihevchlen buttercream filling hiideg. Nadad ih taalagddag yum. Jor ni end bgaa: http://sweettreatsbyshinee.blogspot.com/2013/01/basic-buttercream-filling.html
Chocolate ganache ih dajgui boldog yum bn lee. Jor ni: http://sweettreatsbyshinee.blogspot.com/2013/05/chocolate-ganache.html
Strawberry Jam bas hiij uzsen, nadad ih nyaluun sanagdsan shd.
Hi Shinee, ene ungunuudee yaj gargaj avsan be?
Hi Ariunchimeg, bi zugeer Wiltonii hunsnii budag hiigeed l ungu oruulchdag shd. Gel-g ni.
Aan za, thanks shuu.
I see, bayarlaa. Bas neg yum.
Convertoroor 3/4 cup 177ml bolood ard ni bichsen 2,5 oz ni 70 ml bolood bhin. Ali ni zuv be? Sain medku bolhoor iim yum hurtel asuuhnee.
Aan, huurai, shingen, za tegeed hemjij bgaa yumnaasaa shaltgaalaad yumnuud uur uur hemjigdene. Almond powderiin huvid 3/4 cup bol oiroltsoogoor 95gr boldog yum.
Cream of tartar gej yu bile?
Cream of tartar gej undugnii tsagaaniig togtvorjuulah uuregtei nuntag tsagaan yum bdag yum. Bhgui bol hiihgui bj bolno.