These mint macarons are here to impress! Light and crisp, with a satisfying chew in the middle, these delightful little cookies are filled with minty chocolate ganache. Or you’d prefer a boozy filling, I also included minty Baileys ganache!
Also, in this macaron recipe, we’ll talk in depth about how to pair and fill macaron shells, how to mature and store them properly. Keep reading…
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re stressed? For me, it’s baking. But definitely not macarons!
- Chocolate brownies, sure.
- Indulgent chewy cookies, yes!!
But never ever french macarons!
Because if those finicky macarons come out less than perfect, it’ll just make a bad day worse! You know what I mean, right?
Anyhow, I still love baking macarons. Because it brings SO much joy when you pull out a tray full of perfectly round and smooth macarons with beautiful feet. Pure bliss!
If you’ve ever baked macarons, you know what I mean, right?
But if you’re new to baking macarons, I highly recommend starting with my basic macaron recipe.
Table of Contents
How to make mint macarons:
- Make the meringue – make sure to whip your meringue until stiff peaks and it balls up inside your whisk.
- Sift the dry ingredients to aerate and remove large chunks.
- Mix meringue with dry ingredients until perfect consistency – runny enough to draw a figure eight.
- Pipe 1.5-inch circles on 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and bake.
How to fill macarons:
Before you fill macarons, we need to pair them. This basically means we’ll find equal size macarons and put them together.
When ready to fill, place one shell upside down and other pair next to them, as pictured below. Pipe a dollop of ganache filling on bottom shell and place the other shell on top. Gently press to distribute the filling evenly. Voila, your mint macarons are ready!
Well, almost. Let’s talk about maturing…
What does maturing macarons mean?
Many macaron recipes direct you to fill the macarons and store in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature. But what does that mean?
Maturing macarons basically means letting the filled macarons rest in the fridge to allow the filling seep into the shells, softening and flavoring it. This’s especially important if the macaron shells have no flavoring.
That’s being said, I have no problem devouring a few macarons right away, with and without filling!!
To mature filled macarons, place them in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Bring the macarons to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
How to store macarons:
Once the macarons matured in the fridge for 24 hours, you can either keep them in the fridge or you can also freeze them!
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-5 days, depending on the filling.
- Freeze in airtight container for up to 1 month.
You can also freeze unfilled macarons shells in airtight container for up to 3 months.
Mint French Macarons with Minty White Chocolate Ganache Filling
Ingredients
For macaron shells:
- 100 gr fine almond flour
- 100 gr powdered sugar
- 65-70 gr 1/3 cup egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar optional (Note 1)
- 50 gr fine granulated sugar Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 drop green gel food coloring
Filling #1 – Mint White Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips
- ½ cup 120ml heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Filling #2 – Minty Baileys Ganache:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup 60ml heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup 60ml Mint Baileys
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- To make macaron shells, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To prepare dry ingredients, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice.
- To make the meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites at speed 2 until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to mix on medium speed.
- Start adding sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating for 30 second between each addition. Increase the speed to 4 (medium low) and beat until hard peaks form. This takes 8-10 minutes, but this method makes the most stable meringue.
- Add peppermint extract and green food coloring. Continue to beat for a minute or two at speed 4. The meringue should be balled up in the middle of the whisk, and you should see sharp ribs and pointy end. (Watch this meringue video for more information.)
- To mix the batter (macaronage): sift the almond flour mixture over the beaten egg whites once again.
- Very gently fold the mixture, running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though. Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready. I repeat, do NOT mix again. If you still see edges, fold the batter couple more times and test again. (TIP: Making french macarons is all about the technique. This is the most crucial step of all. 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 the macarons, transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I use this Wilton 2A round tip.)
- Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells. And who wants cracked macarons, right?
- Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. On a humid day, it might take an hour or so. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready.
- To bake, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Place one baking sheet with macarons on the middle rack. And place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat from above and to prevent excess browning.
- Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for about 18-20 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.
- Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the filling, bring heavy cream to a simmer, not a boil. (If you’re making filling #2, heat the cream and Baileys together.)
- Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate chips and let stand for 2 minutes. Then mix until smooth with a rubber spatula.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until silky smooth, which means the mixture is emulsified. Cover with a plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the ganache. Chill the ganache in the fridge until nice and thick, about 1 hour.
- To assemble macarons, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag with round tip. Pair the macaron shells by size and pipe a dollop of ganache on half of the macarons shells. Place the other shell on top and press lightly so the filling is spread till the edges.
- Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature. Then bring them out about 30 minutes before serving. These macarons with white chocolate ganache also freeze beautifully. (Read more about maturing, storing and freezing in the post above.)
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
This mint macarons recipe was originally published on April 7th, 2014, and last updated on March 2, 2020.
Lisa says
Hi Shinhee, I tried making macarons for the first time and the taste was spot on but for some reason I couldn’t quite get the folding part and the batter was a little too thick I think! I am motivated however to try again soon! thanks for the tips and great recipe!
Shinee says
Hi, Lisa. Thank you for trying my recipe and reaching out!! How many grams of egg whites did you use? Make sure to weigh all the ingredients on a scale. And if you already have done that, I’d increase the egg white amount by 2g and try again. Here’s the video on macaronage (folding the batter) technique.
jess says
These did not turn out well for me. I have made macarons successfully several times before and I use a scale to measure carefully. I realized after that every other recipe I have used calls for about twice a much (by weight) powdered sugar than almond flour… this recipe calls for equal amounts?? They didn’t taste good and the batter was too thick. They cracked. Possibly my fault somewhere but, esthetics aside, they should at least taste good!
Shinee says
Hi, Jess. Such bummer my recipe didn’t work out for you. And I’m quite surprised that you didn’t even like the taste. I pride the flavor of my shells, because while they have reduced sugar amount, the texture also comes out perfect.
I have dozens of flavored shells, and my base recipe has been successfully made by hundreds of people all around the world, so I’m pretty confident about my recipe. That being said, I highly recommend sticking to one recipe. You said you’ve successfully made macarons before, so I’d stick to that one and then make minor changes to add different flavorings.
But I appreciate your feedback.
Cherie says
Just made these for my first time ever making Macarons. They were great. I followed everything you said and there was no problems. I even made at high altitude and no problems. Thanks for a great recipe. I was always so intimidated by them before.
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you had macaron success, Cherie! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Cherie says
First time trying Macarons and it worked great! Even at high altitude. Just made these for St Patrick’s day and we loved them. Didn’t wait the 8 hours to try one but still great ! Thanks for the tips and tricks. Seeing “feet” made my day.
Claire Petras says
Here I go, my first time making macarons! Is there ANY vanilla in this recipe? The ingredient list does not include any, but step 3 says to add vanilla and mint extracts, along with the green food coloring.
Shinee says
Hi, Claire. Sorry for confusion. I used to add vanilla extract. But since it’s additional moisture, some people have issues with the batter, so I removed it.
Brenna says
Just tried this and now my kitchen smells like Christmas! Oh. My. Lord these taste like heaven! I had to redo the filling though because I used white chips instead of white CHOCOLATE chips. Though that was my fault. This recipe is amazing! Question, I used parchment paper but the footing of the shells still stuck out! I read that the parchment paper was supposed to prevent that, so I’m just wondering what went wrong. This recipe is great though, I will use it again! Much love to you Shinee!
Shinee says
Hi, Brenna. Your macarons may have been slightly under-baked. Also, I read a great tip in Lauduree macaron book: When you pull out the baking sheet, drop a small amount of water (not too much!) under the parchment paper and let cool completely. The steam will make it easy to remove the shells, once they’re cool. Maybe try this trick next time.
Maxine says
ur tip wig mixing is false, it came out too thick and the baking didn’t turn out as the pictures here…i imagine reversed ur photos, are you sure those are yours??
Shinee says
Hi, Maxine. I’ve shared dozen of macaron recipes for different flavors on my site and make macarons with the same base recipe all the time. So yeah, I’m pretty sure these photos are mine. Instead of being suspicious of the source of my photos, you could have asked what YOU may have done wrong. Macaron is not an easy thing to make, and mixing technique comes with an experience, but with your attitude, I can’t be any help to you. So I hope you’ll find a recipe that you’ll be happy with. Good luck!
Cassie :) says
hi Shinee i am back with another question. how many macarons does this recipe make?? and if it is a little amount is it possible if i could double the recipe or would that wreck the batter???
Shinee says
Cassie, I get about 20-25 filled macarons (about 40-50 shells). They’re about 1.5-inch rounds, so they’re small cookies. I’ve never tried doubling the batch, so I can’t say for sure if it’ll be the same or not.
cassie says
thanks shinee for the tips it was so helpful
Shinee says
Awesome! So glad you found it helpful, Cassie!
Cassie says
Hi Shinee,
i am making these Macarons for a school project and i am REALLY NERVOUS because this is my first time making macarons and i need these to be amazing. Are there any tips you can give me???
Shinee says
Hi, Cassie!! So excited for you to try baking macarons. I’ve written a detailed Macaron 101 guide and this helpful tools for making macarons. Hope you’ll find them useful.
Mariam Peters says
Hi Shinee
I have never made macarons, but will be trying them tomorrow as a 50th birthday gift for a friend. However, I would like to make two different flavours to be gift-boxed.
How do I halve one batch and flavour each half differently? At what stage do I add the flavouring and colourant? I would like to make the mint macarons as you’ve shown on this post, as well as salted caramel macarons ( I will leave these white/cream and sprinkle rock salt on top of the unbaked macarons).
Victoria says
Hello! Once you measure out the almond flour and powdered sugar, do you compensate for any flour/sugar that did not fully sifted well? I have been following your recipes for a few weeks and I love them! I just always seem to have flour/sugar that won’t sift so I’ve been adding more, and the mixture is always thick, but bakes well. My question is, once you measure and sift, do you have any remaining flour/sugar bits that you can’t sift and just throw them away? Or add more to make a full 1cup and 3/4 cup? Thanks!
Shinee says
Hi, Victoria! I don’t compensate for the leftover chunky dry ingredients after sifting. Up to 2 tablespoons is fine, but if you get more than that you would want to add a bit more of dry ingredients. I used to have a lot of chunky pieces left in the sieve, but since I switched almond flour brand I no longer have that issue, everything goes through the sieve. Hope this helps.
Sandie says
Hi Shinee, I made these for my son who loves mint- the whole family loved them and although I was nervous, they worked perfectly. I am wondering if the recipe can be doubled? Also I have heard filled macaroons freeze well – have you ever tried freezing this recipe? For the lady having trouble, I’ve read on other sites to lay out the almond meal on a tray to dry out for a day (or two) use egg whites at room temp, and even drain through a sieve overnight to remove water content, and wipe out egg white whisking utensils with a vinegar wash to remove any oils. Thank you, Sandie
Shinee says
Yay, I’m so happy you made these, Sandie! I bet your son was happy too. So yes, filled macarons freeze beautifully! I freeze mine all the time now. I put in two layers of ziplock bags to prevent freeze burn.
Je says
For the ganache can I use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Shinee says
Yes, definitely. Thanks, Je.
Megan Claar says
Hello! For the ganache, can I substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate instead? If i did, are there any other changes that need to be made to the ganache instructions? Thanks!
Shinee says
Hi, Megan. Yes, you can use dark chocolate. No change is necessary. Hope you’ll enjoy!
Bryanna Sanchez says
I’ve done tons of macaron recipes but I always fail. I don’t know what I did wrong. I had the ingredients, but for some my macarons never have the feet, or are too bumpy, or come out just flat. What am I doing wrong? I made sure my egg whites were properly whisked, really I’m on the verge of giving up. What can a girl do after trying forever
Shinee says
Hi, Bryanna! Don’t give up yet, you’ll get there. 🙂 I know how frustrating it is when you get a failed macarons, but have you seen my French Macaron 101 guide? It has a troubleshooting guide with visuals for different issues. There’re so many little things could be affecting, so I’d suggest looking at that post very quick and see if you can spot the problem. If not, let me know and we can discuss further.
Amanda says
Hi, so for Mother’s Day I tried making these but I’m so far at the folding step and it’s like a paste but I’ve folded it over 100+ times. Is it a gonner? What should I do? Should I try finishing it out and see how it goes, considering I’ve spent a good 2 hours already because the of the moisture in the air the egg whites would not turn into stiff peaks they would get to medium but not stiff stiff so I gave up and mixed in the almond flour and the powered sugar and it’s giving me a paste that looks grainy but when you pinch it it isn’t grainy at all almost like it’s all air bubbles.
Shinee says
Oh no, so sorry to hear you’re having a trouble. If it’s not getting any more runny, then I guess you could try baking it now. Yeah, meringue doesn’t like humid weather, hope you give it another try on a dryer day.
Amanda Kaufman says
It’s been raining ever since and I did actually bake them, they turned out great besides how ugly and big they were cause the batter was so hard to pipe out. It’s a great workout though ????
fernanda valdez says
hi I am so exited they seem just so delicious, and I am about to do your recipe but I have a question….
100gr of almonds and 100gr of powder sugar ? or 1cup of almonds and 3/4cup of powder sugar ?
Shinee says
Hi, Fenanda! Excited that you’re going to try these macarons. What is your question? 1cup of almond flour= 100gr almond flour, and 100gr of powdered sugar = 3/4 cup powdered sugar.
Sarah says
I made these macarons and they came out hollow. I know I didn’t over mix my batter and I was sure I didn’t beat my meringue wrong. Can you tell me what happened?
Shinee says
Hi, Sarah! It might also be due to high oven temperature. Have you checked your oven temp with an oven thermometer? What could happen is that the macarons get raised in too hot oven too quickly setting the outter shell, then the inside isn’t cooked long enough and it collapses. That’d be my only other guess.
Michelle says
Can you add some very finely shaved pieces of chocolate into the macaron batter to make it a mint chocolate chip macaron? My friend is having a birthday and she loves that ice cream flavor.
Shinee says
Hi, Michelle! I’ve never tried that so I can’t be sure. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Melody says
Out of curiosity, did it work?