Red Velvet Macarons

Stunning red velvet macarons are made to impress! Follow my step by step visuals for these crisp and pleasantly chewy macarons filled with sweet and tangy cream cheese filling.

[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.]

I’m so beyond excited, you guys!! Because I’m sharing yet another macaron recipe.

You know me, I’m obsessed with french macarons. Since you can’t find any macaron shops within 100-mile radius, I make them myself! At home. From scratch. And it’s totally doable!!

I’ve already shared handful of flavors here on my blog, including my reader-favorite lemon macarons and my personal favorite (also runner-up reader fave) pistachio macarons.

And now I’m completely head over heels with these stunning red velvet macarons! Not just for its gorgeous color (let’s admit it, it’s a stunner!), but the flavor is so, so good! The sweet n’ tangy cream cheese filling, crisp and pleasantly chewy shells with slight hint of cocoa and vanilla. I couldn’t ask for anything better!

Tips for perfect macarons

To make these red velvet version, I started with my base french macaron recipe, which uses much less sugar compared to many recipes out in the wild wide web.

I didn’t need to change much though. A little bit of cocoa powder and some red food coloring will get you there. I say some, not a little, food coloring, because it does require quite a bit of it to achieve that rich red color. I figured it’s a special treat and a little food coloring won’t kill us. What’s important is that you have to use gel food coloring though. I love this Wilton one. Liquid food coloring might throw the wet to dry ingredients ratio off. And we all know french macarons are finicky, so better not to change things up, unless, of course, you’re feeling adventurous! Also, don’t even thinking about cutting the sugar, you won’t get the same result.

And lastly, here’re step by step photos for you, but all the detailed tips and tricks are laid out in this post, along with visual troubleshooting guide. It’s worth the read, especially if it’s your first time making macarons.

You can also watch this video on how I make my macarons from start to finish. See how obsessed I’m with macarons? I’ve prepared these series of posts on all things macarons, so you can create these beauties yourself too.

By the way, did I mention you can freeze these macarons? I have a stash of these in my freezer and I actually just pulled couple out to snack while I write this post.

Mmm, you see that crisp shell and full chewy interior?? That’s exactly what you want!

Have you tried making macarons before? I’d love to hear your experience and what challenges you’ve encountered.

Red Velvet Macarons

Stunning red velvet macarons are made to impress! Follow my step by step visuals for these crisp and pleasantly chewy macarons filled with sweet and tangy cream cheese filling.

4.05 from 41 votes

serves: 25 filled macarons

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Ingredients

For macaron shells:

• ▢ 100 g almond flour
• ▢ 75 g powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 70 g egg whites
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ 75 g granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½-3/4 teaspoons red gel food coloring I use this Wilton one

For cream cheese filling:

• ▢ ¼ cup (55g) cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

• In medium bowl, sift together almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder twice.
• 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 form. Add vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute. (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. 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 dissolve 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 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.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, gently 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 cream cheese filling. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and beat until well combined.
• Transfer the filling 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.

Tips & Notes:

Yield: This recipe yields about 25 filled macarons, about 1.5-inch in diameter.

For step by step photos, read the post above.

For more tips and visual troubleshooting guide, check out this post.

You can now watch a full macaron tutorial video here. 

* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.

Author: Shinee

Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!

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