Vanilla French Macaron Recipe
- Hallie Baier
- Feb 26, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 11, 2023
Hi everyone! It's been just over a year since I started my small business selling macarons, and it's been SO much fun!
It took a lot of trial-and-error for me to get my macarons just right, but after making thousands of macarons over the past year (yes... literally thousands), making them is now second nature. Macarons are notoriously finicky cookies, so if you try making them and they don't turn out right, don't give up! Just keep trying, and I promise it will get easier.
When I decided to learn how to make macarons, I tried multiple recipes/techniques to find what worked the best. This recipe is the combination of a few different recipes that I developed to make PERFECT macarons! I use this recipe as a baseline for all of my macarons, and I wanted to share it with all of you.
A few notes before we get started:
- Today I'm making vanilla macarons and filling them with vanilla buttercream. Depending on what flavor you want your macarons to be, you can use all kinds of different fillings. You can try different flavors of buttercream, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, lemon curd, jam, etc. Have fun with it!
- In this recipe, I add vanilla extract to the macaron shells. Most of the flavor from macarons comes from the filling, so this step is completely optional. However, I do like adding the extract to enhance the vanilla flavor. Depending on what flavor you want your macarons to be, you can use other extracts as well. I've found that vanilla, almond, coconut, and raspberry extracts work very well with this recipe. Extracts that contain stronger flavors such as peppermint or lime do not work as well.
- There are a few different methods for making macarons including Swiss, Italian, and French. This recipe uses the French method.
- This recipe requires egg whites. You MUST use fresh egg whites, rather than liquid egg whites from a carton. It's a bit more work to crack your own eggs and separate the egg whites, but it's worth the extra step.
- This recipe is measured out in grams, so you will need a food scale to measure out your ingredients. It's very important that your measurements are as exact as possible.
- If you're having a hard time getting your macarons to turn out right, here are some great resources for further help:
Macaron Troubleshooting:
Common Macaron Mistakes:
Recommended Tools:
- Digital Food Scale: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0113UZJE2
- Mesh Sieve: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TUQF9O
- Gel Food Coloring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KCUXRLC
- Piping Bags and Tips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KW524DR
- Silicone Baking Mats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077XR38W3
Let's get started! If you would like a visual guide as well, check out my YouTube video walking you through this recipe:
Vanilla French Macaron Recipe
Ingredients:
Macaron Shells
125 grams finely ground almond flour
125 grams powdered sugar
100 grams egg whites (usually 3-4 large eggs)
80 grams granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
A few drops of gel food coloring (optional)
Vanilla Buttercream Filling
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Splash of heavy cream
Instructions:
1. Prepare your baking sheets by lining them with either silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. Crack your egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Make sure you do not get ANY egg yolk in the bowl. Even a drop of egg yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
3. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature (this takes about 30 min).
4. While the egg whites come to room temp, use a mesh sieve to sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar in another large mixing bowl. Whisk the almond flour and powdered sugar until they're super combined.
5. When the egg whites reach room temp, use either a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to whip your egg whites on medium speed. As it whips, add the cream of tartar and extract (if using).
6. After a few minutes, your egg whites will get thick and foamy. When the beaters begin to leave tracks in the eggs whites, add about 1/3 of your granulated sugar. Whip for about 10 seconds, then add another 1/3 of the sugar. Whip for another 10 seconds, then add the final 1/3 of your sugar. Keep the mixer running this entire time!
7. Increase the speed on your mixer to medium-high, and continue to whip until your meringue forms very stiff peaks. When you reach stiff peaks, you should be able to lift up your beaters and the meringue sticks straight up and doesn't move.
8. When your meringue is getting very close to reaching stiff peaks, add your gel food coloring (if using).
9. Once stiff peaks have formed, add 1/3 of your sifted almond flour and powdered sugar. Use a spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Fold the batter by scraping your spatula along the edges of the bowl, then folding towards the center. Repeat until dry ingredients are fully combined.
10. Continue to fold your batter until it reaches the proper consistency. You want the batter to be not too thick, but not too thin. It should have a consistency resembling honey or lava when it's done. You can test if the batter is ready by lifting your spatula and drawing a figure 8 with the batter. If the batter flows off the spatula and you can draw a figure 8 without the batter breaking, it's reached the right consistency.
11. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch round piping tip.
12. Pipe batter in 1.5 - 2 inch circles about 1 inch apart on your prepared baking sheets. While piping, hold the bag completely vertical, and squeeze from the top of the bag.
13. Bang the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles, then use a toothpick to smooth over any areas where the bubbles popped.
14. Allow the macaron shells to rest until they are dry and no longer shiny. This can take anywhere from 30 min - 2 hours. I've found that it usually takes closer to 1-2 hours, so don't be afraid to let your batter rest for a bit longer than you may think- especially if you live somewhere humid. When the batter is dry enough, you should be able to gently run a finger along the top of one of the macarons and the batter doesn't move.
15. Bake each tray at 300* F for 14 minutes. Use the middle oven rack when baking.
16. After baking, allow macarons to cool on the baking sheet. DO NOT try to remove them from the baking sheet until they are completely cooled off.
17. After cooling, match up each macaron shell with another shell of the same size. Fill them with a filling of your choice, then sandwich them together. For this recipe, I filled the macarons with vanilla buttercream.
18. Eat right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
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