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…
Table of Contents
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.
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 g fine almond flour Note 1
- 65 g powdered sugar Note 2
- 70 g egg whites Note 3
- 75 g fine granulated sugar Note 4
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Note 5
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 drop green gel food coloring
Filling #1 – Mint White Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Filling #2 – Minty Baileys Ganache:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Mint Baileys
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
To make macaron shells:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or teflon sheet, or silicone mat.
- 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, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt and beat the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. (I set it to speed 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. It takes 30-40 minutes to whip the meringue, but it's well worth it for nice and full shells.)
- When the meringue reaches soft peaks, add peppermint extract and a few drops of green gel food coloring.
- Continue beating the meringue at the same medium 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.
- 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 use 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: Download my free macaron template. Simply pipe the batter to fill inner circle.)
- Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or slap the bottom of the baking sheet with one of your hands) 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 rest on the counter for 15 minutes before baking.
- To bake, bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, one baking sheet at a time, on the middle rack. 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 complete and then remove the shells from the baking surface. (TIP: Don't remove the shells while warm, you may risk breaking the shells, or the bottom might get stuck to the baking surface.)
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.
- 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.
- Refrigerate the filled macarons in an airtight container 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.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This mint macarons recipe was originally published on April 7th, 2014, and last updated on March 2, 2020.
Hi there! Saw your recipe and will give it a try. But quick question – your recipe states 1 cup almond flour and 3/4 powdered sugar, but Mateo wrote in asking about the convergence of 3/4 almond flour and 1 cup powdered sugar. Which do i use to make this recipe?
Thanks in advance for writing back. I cant wait to try out this new filling also!
Hi Pammy! Please follow the measurements in the recipe box, which is 1 cup almond flour and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. 🙂 Hope you have fun making the macarons!
Thank you Shinee. I had a typo earlier. I meant to say 1 cup of ‘almond flour’ instead of 1 cup of ‘almond sugar’. As you suggested to go by weight measurements. I will measure 100g of almond flour instead of I cup.
Oh, I see, I thought you meant powdered sugar. 🙂 Yeah, it’s best to go by weight, it’s always more accurate. I weight all my ingredients for baking. Hope you have fun making the macarons. Let me know how they turn out.
Hi Shinee, I was just wondering’ in this recipe, you stated 2/3 cup powdered sugar is 100 g. On the lemon macaroons recipe, you stated 3/4 cup powdered sugar is 100g. Which one is correct? Also, when I measure 1 cup of almond sugar, it actually is 120 g. Should I be following the cup measure or the weight measure? Thanks
Diana, so sorry for confusion. Follow the weight measurements. I go by 1 cup of powdered sugar = 130gr. So 3/4 cup is about 100gr. I’m not sure why I put 2/3 cup here. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’ll update the recipe.
Hello. Thank you for sharing. These look great! I really want to try them, but I do not have any almond flour at the moment. Would the result be different if I use regular flour?
Hi, Taylor! Thanks for reaching out. No, you can’t use regular flour. The most important ingredient is almond (or any nut) flour, that sets this cookies apart from the rest. Hope you’ll get some almond flour soon and make these beauties. 🙂
Hello Shinee,
I want to try making your macaroons and was wondering what suggestions you have for storing them and for how long can they be stored?
Thank you in advance!
Hi, Sirvart! Store the macarons in the fridge in airtight container. They should be good for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to a month. Have fun!
I’ve played around with this recipe about 4-5 times now and I have to say it’s amazing! I’ve finally gotten the right consistency for flat macarons with feet and I switch up the flavour profiles, using this recipe. It’s also the perfect amount for two trays.
Great recipe and tutorial!
Kira, I’m so excited to hear you love this recipe. I too use the base recipe and change up the flavors. Thank you, Kira!
I just died when I saw rhis post! I am not good at baking but these macarons look amazing and so delish that I might just have to attempt to make them! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome. They’re awesome! Thank you for visiting, Anda!:)
Hi Shinee! Thanks for the step by step and helping me with the holy grail of baking! I followed the recipe to a T, and the cookies turned a light brown. They aren’t over cooked and tasted delish… Have you seen this with a macaron that wasn’t over cooked? Thanks again, my first try went very well!!
Hi, Michelle! First, congrats! And yes, it’s possible to get the macarons brown a bit on top. If you see them browning while baking, I suggest to place the second oven rack above the macarons and place an empty baking sheet. The browning is happening because the oven is heating too much from the top, so putting a sheet block the excess heat. Does that make sense? Hope this helps the browning issue in the future. Enjoy the macarons! Thanks for reaching out.
I came to your website after finding your beautiful lemon macarons recipe. I always had an impression that making macarons is hard and time consuming process. But after watching your video and reading step-by-step instruction I decided to give it a try. Thank you very much for a great recipes!
Thank you, Viktoria! Macarons are not that time-consuming. I’m glad you were inspired by my recipe. Let me know how they turn out.
I used Pure Mint Extract from McCormick and it was awful! It tastes incredibly fake, like toothpaste. Do you have a preferred brand of mint extract?
Hi, Ben! I also use McCormick one. It’s very strong, so little goes a long way. I used only 1/4 teaspoon and it wasn’t overpowering.
I used 6-8 drops of mint essential oil in mine. Turned out amazing and gave it a real mint taste.