Adorable pumpkin macarons with pumpkin buttercream filling – a quick video tutorial, FREE template and lots of tips are included!!
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Well, now that summer is officially coming to an end (kind of sad, but kind of excited for fall baking!), I think it’s safe to start with all things pumpkin now. Are you as excited as I am? I hope so!
I created this pumpkin macaron recipe exactly 3 years ago. It was a huge hit around here. My mother-in-law loved this flavor the most out of all the macs I’ve made so far.
When I was developing this recipe back then, I remember brainstorming ideas on how to infuse the macarons with pumpkin flavor. As you know, macarons are quite finicky, and the thought of adding pumpkin puree into the delicate batter just didn’t sit right with me. Should I add pumpkin spice in the batter and make pumpkin buttercream with pumpkin puree instead? What if they won’t be pumpkin-y enough? Blah, blah, blah… Different thoughts came and went…
How to add pumpkin flavor to macarons:
I was clueless until I came across this magic little bottle of pumpkin spice baking emulsion! It’s like concentrated pumpkin pie in a bottle, perfect for my delicate macaron batter that hates excess moisture. Yeah, this’s powerful stuff, and a little bit goes a long way.
Note that this emulsion is water-based, which means it’s safe to add to the meringue!
Now, tell me how ADORABLE are these little pumpkins?? And those little chocolate chips complete the look perfectly, right?!!! I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself. 🙂
My main goal for re-sharing this old recipe is to show you the whole process. That’s why I made this quick video. And I hope this inspires you to get in the kitchen and bake some macarons.
FREE macaron template
Pumpkin Macarons
Ingredients
For macaron shells:
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 3/4 cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 2 large egg whites 70-75g
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice bakery emulsion
- Orange gel food coloring optional
For pumpkin buttercream:
- 3 tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, sift together almond 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 salt, and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks form. Add pumpkin spice bakery emulsion and orange gel food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute, or until the color is evenly distributed. (Watch this meringue video for more information.)
- Sift the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture 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, as shown in this video . 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. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over, or under mix the batter.
- Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I used Wilton 12 round tip here).
- Pipe the macarons in pumpkin shape on prepared baking sheets. (Watch the video above for visuals guide.)
- 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 one sheet at a time 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 15minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets.
- While macarons are drying, prepare the pumpkin buttercream. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, pumpkin puree, salt and cinnamon. Beat until well combined.
- Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on September 17th, 2014.
They look beautiful! Do you happen to have the weights for your measurements? Also during the video I had a hard time seeing/understanding what I should be looking for. Could you please explain what you mean by “if the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready.” What exactly do you mean be the edges being dissolved? I’m getting ready to try these so I really appreciate your help. Thanks!
Hi, Christy! Yep, I just updated the recipe with weight info. So, when you drop a little bit of batter, it should dissolve into the rest of the batter within 10 second. If you go to the video and fast forward to 40-41sec, the batter stays thick without melting into the rest of the batter. After a few more folds, the batter gets thinner, at 50sec of the video you can see how the dropped batter melts into the rest of the batter, creating smooth surface. I hope it makes sense. Let me know if you have any more questions.
sorry i have another question… Can i use this butter cream on another cupcake , (the butter cream was really good :). would it make a difference ?
thanks 🙂
Absolutely. As long as you love that buttercream, it should be fine. 🙂 Have fun!
hi I was wondering if there is any overnight refrigerating time or do you think i could keep it over night in the fridge ?
thanks
Hi, Ella. Do you mean how to store the macarons? If so, yes, you can assemble the macarons and store in the fridge in air tight container.
These are unreal! So beautiful and perfect.
Thank you, Shikha!
These are so gorgeous! Your photos are just awesome!!
Thank you so much, Ang! 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous! I tried making these once, but they just weren’t right. You have inspired me to try again! Thanks!!
Thank you, Teri! Definitely give it another try. It’s totally worth it!
I have a rookie question. What is “pumpkin spice bakery emulsion”?
Heidi, it’s an pumpkin spice flavored emulsion used in baking. I saw them in the baking isle in Walmart. You can also check out LorAnn’s website for more details.
These look gorgeous! fantastic photos and creative recipe. I’ve never thought about making pumpkin macarons 🙂
Thank you, Thea! Pumpkin is my #1 flavor this time of year. 🙂
Shinee – these French macarons are perfection – I don’t think you could get them to look any more beautiful than they already do! I’ve still never tried my hand at macarons, even though they’re one of my favorite desserts to eat. I promise to add this to my to-do list! Pinning:)
Thanks so much, Sarah, for your kind compliment! You have to make this. They are so good, and so much cheaper. 🙂
Wow! Your pictures are stunning! I love how the macarons turned out 🙂
Thanks so much, Kacey! This is my proudest work so far in the macaron baking experience! 🙂