Pistachio Macarons
Classic Pistachio Macarons filled with Ladurée pistachio cream. Simply the best!
I can’t believe that just 3 weeks ago, I was strolling through Champs-Elysses in Paris with my husband. Snacking on colorful French macarons from famous Ladurée boutique. Witnessing a beautiful sunset from Arc de Triomphe. I’m telling ya, I had lots of pinch-me-moments. I can’t wait to share all the photos (ok, maybe not all of them, just the highlights) with you here, but first I need to process them all.
Why am I telling you about my vacation again? Well, because today’s recipe is totally inspired by my trip to Paris. I’ve been working on pistachio macaron recipe on and off for a few months now. The biggest holdback was the filling. After having pistachio macarons from Ladurée, my heart melted a little bit. And I knew that’s the filling I want. When I came back, I quickly paged through my Ladurée Macarons book (absolutely the most gorgeous book on the planet!) to see if the pistachio cream recipe is included. And lucky for us, it sure was.
[I get a lot of questions about this white serving dish. I bought this particular one at a local thrift store, but I found similar one on amazon.com.]
Over the last couple of years, I’ve made a few macaron flavors that I’m quite proud of. They are nothing special, just simple classic flavors. In the process, I learned quite a lot about art of making French macaron and developed my own basic recipe for my macaron shells, which is a base for this recipe as well.
A few important notes for success:
- It’s crucial to sift the dry ingredients a few times 1. to aerate the mixture, 2. to mix all the ingredients, and 3. to remove any big chunks of almond or pistachio flour.
- Make sure all the utensils for beating egg whites are completely grease-free. Just a touch of oil has power of ruining your meringue. Some advise to wipe the bowl and whisk with vinegar, but I don’t really bother with that. Just washing and drying with a clean towel does the trick for me.
- Be careful not to include even the smallest drop of egg yolk in the egg whites. Egg yolk=oil. See the above note.
- Don’t beat the egg whites on high speed right away. Instead start on medium low speed then slowly increase the speed for the sturdy meringue.
- Gently fold the batter after adding the dry ingredients. If this is your first time making the macarons, it helps if you count each fold. It usually takes about 50-60 folds to get to proper consistency. I no longer count, but it helped a lot when I was just learning.
- Making macarons is all about technique, and it’s important to learn the folding technique right from the start. At the beginning the batter is quite thick, but it’ll get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over-mix, or the batter will get too runny and the cookies will spread too much. Overmixing also results in hollow macarons. And don’t be tempted to undermix the batter to avoid overmixing, because then the macarons won’t have smooth top and won’t have pretty ruffled bottom. I made this full tutorial video. At 2:25 on the video, I showed you how to know when the batter is just right.
- Make sure the macaron shells are dried sufficiently before baking. It can take from 10min up to couple hours, depending on the humidity. For me, it usually takes 15-20 minutes. If you don’t dry the shells prior to baking, your macarons won’t have those pretty feet.
Now that important non-negotiables are covered, I want to share a few useful tips:
- Egg whites at room temperature are usually whipped better and faster.
- Make your own pistachio flour by grinding shelled pistachio in a coffee grinder.
- Use gel food coloring, instead of liquid ones. I use this Wilton Leaf Green.
- Try to pipe uniform circles for even baking. Mine doesn’t always turn out perfect, but I do my best. If you want to be precise, you can print out little circles and place it under the parchment paper for guidance.
Now, let’s talk about the pistachio cream. This recipe is adapted from Laduree Macarons book, page 40. I had to adjust the ingredients amount to make just enough for my basic macaron shells recipe. This pistachio cream is rich, creamy and delicious.
It might seem like a complicated process, because of the boiling syrup and such. It’s not difficult at all though. Equipped with the right tools, it’ll will take just minutes. A candy thermometer is a must, and standing mixer helps too. Be very careful when you pour hot syrup into the beating egg yolks. Slowly and gradually is your safe speed to work. You don’t want to splatter hot syrup all over, do you?
The recipe calls for pistachio paste, but I had none on hand. I did have a bag of pistachio though. It turns out it’s unbelievably easy to make a homemade pistachio paste. Sure, you can buy a ready-to-use version online, or at the store. If you want to make your own, I shared the detailed directions here.
I hope I inspired you for a weekend project with these dainty little sweets.
Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for stopping by!
Pistachio Macarons
Yield: About 25 filled macarons
Cook Time:20 min
Total Time:2 hours (including resting and cooling time)
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup (60gr) ground almond flour
- 1/3 cup (40gr) ground pistachio flour*
- ¾ cup (100gr) powdered sugar
- 2 large egg whites (about 70gr)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup (50gr) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup (65gr) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
- 2 egg yolks
- 2oz (55gr) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons (20gr) pure pistachio paste (I used my homemade version)
Directions:
- In medium bowl, sift together almond flour, pistachio flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks. Add the food coloring (I used Wilton Leaf Green). Beat on medium speed for one more minute.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the whipped egg whites. 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. I posted a few pictures above to show you how just a few folding changes the consistency of the batter. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over mix the batter.
- Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I use this Wilton A1 large plain round tip.)
- Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. You should get about roughly 54 shells.
- 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.
- 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. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, remove one macaron. If the bottom does not stick, they are done.
- Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets.
- While macarons are drying, prepare the pistachio cream. In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar and heat it over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then bring it to a boil and cook until the syrup reaches 250°F (120°C).
- In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks for 2 minutes. While the mixer is running on low, slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg yolks. Increase the speed to medium high, and beat the mixture until it cools down to 104°F (40°C). The mixture will become smooth and white.
- Add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then add the pistachio paste and food coloring, if desired. Continue to beat the cream until nice and smooth.
- Transfer the pistachio cream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons. It’s best to serve macarons the next day.
- Store the filled macarons in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the filled macarons in airtight container for up to 5 months.
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8 Tools You Need to Make Perfect Macarons
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can i use this filling as a tart filling? do you think it will work?
Hi, Farah. It’s similar to buttercream, but better. So if your tart pairs with that kind filling, I don’t see why you couldn’t.
These look delish and I believe will compliment the pistachio cake I am going to make as well. My mother was a professional cake maker, as a child there would be beautiful wedding cakes, In my house cake did not come from Betty Crocker. I love to bake for my 3 small children. I’ve never felt as home as I do in a kitchen, as cliche as it sounds. Baking has always been theurapituc and a joy for me. Thank you so much for the lovely recipe.
Aww, Rachel, thanks for sharing your beautiful memory. I too grew up eating homemade cakes, my mom is quite a home baker. 🙂 So glad you stopped by and I hope these macarons would compliment your pistachio cake, which sounds amazing! I love pistachio desserts.
I can’t imagine I could ever make something so perfect! Your Macaroons are amazing!! Wanted to pop by and thank you for sharing & let you know I’ll be featuring your cookies tomorrow on #FoodieFriDIY!
Thank you so much, Debra, for sharing, featuring my recipe and stopping by! 🙂
My mom and I were talking about making these just yesterday! I tried them once before but they did not look right at all lol, hopefully this recipe will turn out better! Thanks for sharing all the great tips 😉
Dropping by from the DIY Sunday Showcase
Thank you, Shehla! Hope you give it a try. 😉
I’m extremely intimidated to try and make these. I tried one for the first and only time at Disneyland this summer! I love how they are yummy but also so pretty! I’m going to pin this when i get the courage to try it.
Lara, do try making these. So much cheaper than buying. And if they turn out as pretty as store-bought ones, you’ll be happy dancing in your kitchen. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Shinee! Seriously, please move to Mississippi where I live and open up a macaron shop. I would be your best customer! lol! But really, these look so pretty. And I love how detailed you are with your instructional photos. I keep saying I’m going to make macarons; you will be my inspiration to finally make that leap, I just know it! Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful dessert art with all of us 🙂
Aww, thanks so much, Whitney! Definitely give this a try! They are so worth it.
Your macarons look perfect! So yummy ^^ I love macarons but it’s a pitty they’re so small xD
Haha agreed! When you make your own, you can make as big as you want it though! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!
These look phenom, and the colour makes them perfect for St. Patrick’s Day too! I’m so envious of how gorgeous these macrons turned out – I have definitely not mastered that skill at all!
These look beautiful! I’ve never tried making macaroons before (but I love buying them!). I love your tips and instructions, now I need to try them! Pinned.
You make it look easy. I think I may just give these a try, my daughter loves pistachios and macarons, so she’ll be in macaron heaven.
Do try, Celeste. Your daughter will be so happy. Thanks for stopping by!
We’ve never attempted macaroons and it’s about time we give it a go! Thanks for the inspiration!
Yay, let me know how they turn out. Thanks for visiting, Trina and Tina!
Hi! Just wondering if I can do without the cream of tartar because I don’t think I have any. Also, is it just regular sugar? I’ve seen recipes that use castor or powdered sugar. Thanks!!
Yes, you can omit cream of tartar. It just helps to stabilize egg whites, but it’s not required. Actually, my recipe calls for both regular sugar and powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is sifted with almond flour, and regular sugar goes into egg whites. Hope this helps! Happy baking, Kerry!
Hi, I had trouble making the filling… as soon as i poured the hot syrup into the whipped egg yolks, huge chunks of the syrup hardened in the mixture and wouldn’t mix with the yolks… could it be I didn’t pour the syrup slowly enough? Not sure where I went wrong because I did use a candy thermometer…
Hmm, that’s weird. Was the mixer running while you poured the hot syrup? And how fast did you pour it?
Hi Lily,
Can you grind up pre-packaged roasted and salted pistachios to make the pistachio flour and paste? Or will that make the macaron taste salty…
Thanks!
Yeah, that’d be fine, Christina. That’s what I actually used to make my pistachio flour.
Hi,
Do you make your own pistachio paste? Can i use ground pistachio instead of paste? Thanks.
Hi Lily! Yes, I make my own pistachio paste. Here is the instruction how I do it. I don’t know how it’ll work if you use ground pistachio though. Hope this helps.
I tried the macaron recipe today and it turned out perfect! I also had trouble with light browning on top but I will try the tray above it next time. I made pale coloured green so that probably accentuated the light brown colouring. It is the fourth macaron recipe I have tried and it is by far the most successful in terms of flavour and texture! Thanks so much for your guidance & recipe. xxx
Milena, I’m so glad to hear you loved my recipe! Yeah, next time try to put a tray above to minimize the browning. Thank you for leaving your feedback!!
Your ratios for the pistachio cream are way off. That’s not a syrup, that’s slightly sugared water. I’m a baker who makes Italian meringue buttercream icing every day, which is pretty much this same idea just with egg whites instead of yolks. Against my better judgement I followed the directions, but obviously only ended up with a fluffy… mess. Definitely not cream at all. I’d revise your recipe.
Oh my god, Rozz, I just checked the recipe and I’ve no idea why I put that much water there! You’re so right, I put down way too much water. It should have been only 2 tablespoons. I feel so horrible, and I’m so sorry about the mistake. And thank you for leaving a feedback and letting me know. I corrected the recipe now.
hello, i was looking at this recipe and the one for buttercream and the one for homemade pistachio paste doesn’t show the recipe. i totally want to make all three. Thanks!
Rosalva, I added the pistachio buttercream recipe back in the post (for some reason, it got disappeared). As for pistachio paste, there is no recipe box, as I had described the process in the post itself. Hope this helps. Have fun baking these pistachio macarons.
Thank you for this post. I am going to adapt my base macaron recipe for pistachio. Where did you find/buy the adorable macaron serving platter?
You’ll love the pistachio macarons. It’s one of my faves. I got that dish from a thrift store. Isn’t it perfect for macarons?
Hey! I followed your recipe today, shells came out alright, but the cream! I tried it twice… both times, the cream turned into a liquid after I added the butter (tablespoon by tablespoon). Then there was no way to thicken it after it turned into a liquid. No idea what I did wrong! My only thought it that the sugar and water mixture never could reach 120 celcius, max temp it would go was 101… Not sure what was happening there and why after boiling for minutes the temperature wouldnt go up! Guess I’ll have to try again next time…
Hi, Jessie. Sorry you had trouble making the cream. I wonder if you added the butter while the egg mixture was too hot. If that’s the case, it’ll definitely melt the butter. If the syrup doesn’t reach 120°C, then I would suggest increasing the heat to high and let it boil longer. Hope next time, it will turn out fine.
Your macarons look so good! I also love the fact that your recipe doesn’t use as much sugar as other macaron recipes I’ve tried. The only thing is that I’ve tried your recipe twice but for some reason, each time, they don’t come out like macarons but like soft cookies. When I fold the flour/sugar mixture with the egg whites it doesn’t come out smooth but the edges do disappear after 10 seconds and I’m only able to make 16-17 shells in total. I’m so confused, I follow your recipe step by step the only difference is that I use a hand mixer. Do you think that could be the reason why? I whip my egg whites to stiff peaks but it doesn’t look like there’s that much egg whites when I compare it with your picture. What could I be doing wrong? Please help.
Hi, Chasity! Thank you for trying my recipe. And I’m sorry you didn’t get the perfect result.
1. Soft cookie-like texture, could it be your oven is not hot enough? I’d recommend to check the oven temp with a oven thermometer just to make sure it’s at 325°F.
2. When you say the batter doesn’t come out smooth, do you mean it’s kind of grainy from almond flour? What type of almond flour are you using? And are you thoroughly sifting the dry ingredients 3 times?
3. Only 16-17 shells? That’s weird. I usually get about 50+ shells (about 1.5 inch rounds). Maybe you’re piping too big circles?
4. The hand mixer shouldn’t be an issue, as I also used hand mixer on occasion. Do you, by chance, weigh the egg whites? Maybe you’re not using enough egg whites? That might be a pretty big thing. I usually use about 80gr egg whites, which is usually from 2 large eggs. Hope we can find a solution for your issue. 🙂
Thanks for reaching out!
Hi Shinee!
I tried it a third time and it came out much better. This time I weighed out my egg whites and I needed 2.5 eggs. It browned a little on the top but overall came out really good. Now I just have to figure out the right baking time so they won’t brown on the top. Thank you for your help and great recipe! I’m so glad my macarons came out good.
Yay!! So glad to hear you saw an improvement! Doesn’t it feel awesome to get the perfect macarons out of the oven?? 🙂 Here is a little trick you can try to prevent the macarons from browning too much: Place the second oven rack on the very top slot, then place an empty cookie sheet on it. This should block the heat from the top, preventing the browning issue. Hope this helps. Thank you, Chasity!
These look gorgeous! i love pistachio macarons and would love to attempt making my own! PS; What pistachio flour did you use?
Hi, Michelle. Thank you! I ground the pistachios myself in the coffee grinder.
How did I miss these?!!!! These macarons are perfect and beautiful!!!! LOVE!!!
Thank you, dear!
Hi Shinee! These are beautiful! I featured these glorious macaroons as one of my faves on #foodiefriDIY! Check it out! And thank you for linking with us!
Thank you so much, Mila! I will check it out. 😉
So gorgeous! I wish I had a few of these now. Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Shinee, these are gorgeous, and lots of other people thought so, too- they are being featured as Most Viewed at Treasure Box Tuesday this week! Yay! We get started Monday evening (3/23) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time! Thank you for linking up with us! 🙂
Yay, so happy to hear that! Thanks for hosting such a fun party, Joy! See you on Monday. 😉
I’ve only made macaroons once and they were a disaster! I’ll try again and hopefully if I follow your tips they’ll work this time!
Hope you don’t give up on macarons. They are a bit fussy, but it’s so much fun when they turn out great! Keep trying. Good luck, Anna!
Hopping over from The Weekend re-treat Link Party. I love pistachio anything and these look amazing! Can’t wait to try them.
Your pistachio macarons came out looking wonderful… they are flat with the perfect little feet! I am 100% positive they taste delicious as I have the laduree macaron book as well.
Oh these look AMAZING! Pistachio is absolutely one of my favorite flavors. I attempted to make some macarons a while back but they were an utter fail… I’m a bit scared to try again but I might have to since these ones are just calling my name! Thanks for the helpful tips!
Give it another try, Erica. When you make perfect macarons, you’ll be hooked. They are so much fun. Thanks for visiting, Erica!
These look absolutely delicious! I love the bright green color and your pictures are gorgeous!
Those look gorgeous! I am impressed. How wonderful to actually visit Ladurée boutique!
These are beautiful! I’ve never made macarons before, but it is on my baking bucket list. I’ll definitely have to try these Pistachio Macarons. Thanks for sharing! Pinned!
Thank you, Sarah. Hope you cross the macarons off your list soon. 😉
I’ve always wanted to try making macarons but I’ve a little nervous because I’m afraid I’ll mess them up hahaha. But I think I’m definitely going to have to try this recipe!
Never give up on macarons, Julia. 🙂 Definitely give it another try. Thanks for stopping by.
WOW!!! Your macarons look absolutely gorgeous!!! I love Laduree macarons, and wish I could make such beautiful ones at home too!!!!
Holy Cow! These look divine. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Visiting from Create & Share DIY and Recipe Party.
Thank you, Kim! They are absolutely the best! 🙂
These are just lovely! And I am crazy for anything pistachio. Pinned!
Thank you, Jill!
oh my goodness, these look so pretty and so yummy!
Thanks for sharing on the #mondayfundayparty !
Thank you, Pauline!
These look wonderful! 🙂
Thank you!
Well, these look amazing! I love pistachio and I love macarons…so you really cannot go wrong!
Nope, can’t go wrong with these. 🙂 Thanks, Amanda.
I’ve been wanting to try macaroons for a while now and I think this recipe will be perfect. Thanks!
Oh, you should definitely try it. It’s fun! Thanks for stopping by, Paola!
Uneheer goy boljee . Hurdan hiij uzmeer bna shuu bayrlalaa
Bayarlalaa! 🙂
These macarons are eye-catching. Thanks for all the great tips.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by, Thao!
Hi! I found your link of the Creative Collection link party. Your macarons are perfect! Smooth tops and perfect feet! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
You’re welcome, Ashley. Thanks for stopping by. 😉
These are little works of art! Love macarons! Thanks for linking up at Best of the Weekend!
Thank you, Amy! Macarons are my favorite too.
Beautiful macarons!
Pistachio is my all time favorite flavor! Their so festive this time of year.
Thanks for the great tutorial!
Have a great weekend,
Suzanne
Thank you, Suzanne! Have a great weekend as well.
Wow, those are gorgeous Shinee! I love the color, it’s so vibrant.
Thank you, Lisa!
I was actually going to ask if these were FROM Paris, that’s how perfect they look! I seriously cannot believe you made these. They are PERFECT!!
Thank you so much, Nagi. You’re so sweet!
The pistachio flavor sounds amazing! Although making macrons are very intimidating, but with all your detailed instructions, I’d like to challenge it! Great recipe!
Also, looking forward to read about your travel. It sounds exciting by just reading through the cities you’ve been to 🙂
I hope you try making macarons. They are so fun!
These look amazing – love that vibrant green!
Thank you, Sharon!
I had beginner’s luck with these and then had one batch crack! Aaack! I need to try them with the boiling syrup. I hear that they are more stable. Beautiful!
Yeah, macarons are quite finicky. Hope you give them another try. Thanks, Karen. 🙂
I think these are out of my league, but maybe someday!
That’s exactly what I thought couple years ago, Pam. You can do it! 🙂
Shinee, I can’t wait to try these! They are absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, Mandi! You’ll love them.
These are totally gorgeous! We were in Paris a few years ago (4?? WAY too long ago!), and I think the macarons were my favorite!
Yep, best macarons ever!Thank you, Ashley.