Raspberry Macarons v2.0 (Improved)

Why you’ll love this recipe:

I originally shared this recipe back in 2017, and I’ve tested it many times before publishing the recipe.

Although a lot of my readers raved how flavorful the macaron shells were, many were having trouble with thick batter issue.

So, I finally re-worked the recipe with the feedback I’ve gotten from my readers, and I hope this v2.0 is more foolproof.

You’ll love these raspberry macarons for many reasons:

• Incredibly flavorful shells thanks to freeze-dried raspberries – I totally eat the shells on their own a lot of the times!
• White chocolate buttercream filling complements the shells perfectly!
• Specks of crushes raspberries in the shells add slightly rustic and natural look. Super lovely!

Key Ingredients:

• Freeze-dried raspberries – Use high quality freeze-dried raspberries and open a new package when you’re ready to make macarons, because freeze dried fruits absorb humidity from the air and loose its crispness quickly. I don’t recommend already crushed raspberry powder. 
• Almond flour – It’s best to use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth tops. Weigh the ingredients before sifting.
• Powdered sugar –  I don’t recommend making your own powder sugar, because commercial powdered sugar has cornstarch in it. And it helps with texture of the cookies.
• Egg whites – I’ve had success with carton egg whites (Bob Evans brand, #notsponsored). You’ll need 1/3 cup of egg whites.
• Cream of tartar is optional and can be omitted. However, it helps to stabilize egg whites and create sturdier meringue. It’s just an extra insurance!
• Sugar – It’s important to use fine granulated sugar for meringue, as it dissolves quicker. You can also use caster sugar, aka baker’s sugar.

Freeze-dried vs dehydrated raspberries:

Yes, there is a difference between freeze-fried and dehydrated raspberries!

• Freeze-dried raspberries are raspberries that were quickly frozen and then slowly heated in a vacuum chamber, drying the fruits by evaporating ice before it turns into water. The end result is beautiful dried berries in its original shape and color, that’s feather-light.
• Dehydrated raspberries are berries that were dried by evaporating moisture through heating process, which yields withered and harder berries.

How to make raspberry macaron shells:

1. Prepare the dry ingredients

• Place the freeze-dried raspberries between two sheets of parchment paper and crush them with a rolling pin until fine powder.
• Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar and crushed raspberries 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.

2. Make the meringue

• Whisk the egg whites until foamy and add cream of tartar and salt. Then slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running.
• When the meringue reaches soft peaks stage, add couple drops of pink gel food coloring.
• Continue beating the egg whites on the same medium low speed until hard peaks form, about 20 minutes.

3. Macaronage

• 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 fall into a ribbon. 

To test, scoop some batter with spatula and let the batter drop into the bowl. It should fall into a ribbon like pattern. Slightly tilt the bowl to allow the batter move gently.

Carefully observe the batter. If the edges of “ribbon” 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.

• Transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip.

4. Pipe and bake the shells

• Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or using your hand) 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 sit out on the counter for at least 15-30 minutes, maybe up to couple hours, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons and the batter does not stick to your finger, then it’s ready to go into the oven.
• Bake the macarons for about 15-18 minutes, one tray at a time.

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.

Macaron Filling Ideas:

You can fill these raspberry macarons with any kind of filling you desire!

In the recipe card, I’ve provided white chocolate raspberry buttercream filling, which is simple yet tasty filling!

You can also fill your macarons with:

• White chocolate ganache with raspberry jam
• Easy French buttercream mixed with raspberry jam, or crushed freeze-dried raspberries
• Raspberry ganache with raspberry confi in the center. The recipe you can find in my Macaron Fillings eBook.

Buy this ebook

Macaron Tips for Success:

• Stable meringue is key for macaron success. Watch my Meringue 101 video for all the tips to make a stable meringue.
• Don’t over-mix your macaron batter. In this real-time macaronage video, I show you how to test the batter when to stop folding it.
• Pipe the macaron shells properly for nice and full shells. Here’s the proper piping technique.
• Get an oven thermometer, because every oven is different. Watch this video for more tips on baking macarons.