20 Tips To Perfect Macarons Every Single Time
Have fun and no stress when you bake the next batch of macarons with these 20 tips to perfect French macarons. Use my step-by-step tutorial and follow these simple and easy tips. In addition, use my no-fail macaron recipe and be on your way to making successful macarons every single time. Whether you bake for family and friends, or as a business, these tips are a must-have.
Macarons are the epitome of elegance and indulgence, offering a delicate balance of crispy, chewy shells and creamy, flavorful fillings. These French confections, made from almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, are renowned for their stunning appearance and exquisite taste. With a rainbow of colors and a myriad of flavors, from classic vanilla and chocolate to delicious fruit and floral infusions, macarons are a feast for the eyes and the palate. Whether enjoyed as a delightful treat for yourself or presented as a sophisticated gift, macarons never fail to delight and impress.
The word macaron is derived from the Italian word ‘macarone’ or ‘maccharone’ which actually means meringue. For years, I thought macarons were French because I associated them with the famous chef Pierre Herme. Until I purchased his book and realized all the recipes in his book use the Italian meringue method. One of my favorite books for macarons is ‘Le Petite Macaron‘ by Kathyrn Gordon and Ann E McBride. They have made all three methods, Fresh, Swiss, and Italian meringue method.
Making macarons can be challenging due to their precise and finicky nature. Here are some reasons why they can be difficult to make:
- Meringue consistency: Achieving the right consistency for the meringue is crucial. Over or under whipping the egg whites can result in macarons that are too dense or flat.
- Macaronage technique: The process of folding the almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue (macaronage) requires a delicate balance. Undermixing can result in lumpy batter, while overmixing can lead to flat, spread-out macarons.
- Humidity and temperature: Macarons are sensitive to humidity and temperature. High humidity can cause issues with the macaron shells, leading to cracked or hollow macarons.
- Oven calibration: Proper oven calibration is essential for even baking. An oven that is too hot or too cold can result in unevenly baked macarons.
- Resting time: Allowing the piped macarons to rest before baking is crucial for developing the characteristic smooth top. Skipping this step can result in cracked shells.
- Fillings: Choosing the right filling and achieving the right consistency can also be challenging. Fillings that are too runny can make the macarons soggy, while fillings that are too thick can make them hard to bite into.
Despite these challenges, with practice and attention to detail, it is possible to master the art of making macarons and create beautiful and delicious treats.
Tools you will need
- Mixer – While you can whip the eggs whites with a whisk, it is much easier to use your electric mixers such as Kitchen-Aid or K-Mix or a hand mixer. So, yes, if you have one – get it out from the back of the closet.
- Bowls – Ensure your bowls are grease-free! I mean no trace of any oil or butter or any food that you might have cooked in there. If you are not sure, just add a tsp of vinegar on a damp paper towel and clean the inside of the bowl.
The same with your whisk or spatula or spoons – no trace of oil. - Piping – A disposable piping bag makes things easy but you can use a ziplock bag- just make sure you have a nice round circle so your batter comes out round not as a triangle.
- Template – Always use a macaron template. You don’t need a macaron mat because you could print out a template online. Just type the word macaron template on Google and pick the size you want.
- Food processor – I prefer to use a good food processor of the right size if I need to grind the nuts at home. I have explained in more detail below, why you need to not just grind the nuts fine but also sieve them. But using a large food processor for just one cup of nuts might not give you the best results. I hope that makes sense.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Egg whites – Always use egg whites by weight not measure. As you can see, I have said 110 grams or 3.5 oz. This is very important. Also, you can use fresh eggs but make sure they are room temperature.
- Almond meal (almond flour) – Whether you buy or make it at home, make sure it’s finely ground and sifted. And if you make it yourself, use blanched almonds along with some of the powdered sugar from the recipe to prevent the almond meal from becoming too greasy.
- Sugar – Use a fine grain sugar so it dissolves easily in the egg whites.
- Cream of tartar – It prevents the separation of protein and water in the whites. It’s also flavorless, so it does not affect the flavor of your baked goods. The best substitute for cream of tartar is a pinch of salt, but lemon juice and vinegar are often used.
- Extract – Always use an extract that’s not oil-based. If you are not sure, don’t add any extract at all. But do not use any oil-based extract in your whipped egg whites.
20 Tips for perfect Macarons Every Single Time
- Use aged egg whites: Aged egg whites are more stable and create a better meringue, resulting in better macarons. To age egg whites, simply leave them at room temperature for 24-48 hours.
- Weigh ingredients: Use a kitchen scale to accurately measure ingredients, especially almond flour and powdered sugar, for consistent results. Volume measurements can vary significantly.
- Use grease-free bowls: Ensure that your mixing bowls and utensils are clean and completely grease-free. Any grease or residue can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together to remove any lumps and ensure a smooth batter. This step also helps incorporate air into the mixture.
- Whipping egg whites: Start whipping the egg whites at a low speed to create small bubbles, then increase the speed gradually. Add sugar gradually once the egg whites become foamy. Whip until stiff peaks form, but be careful not to overbeat.
- Use a silicone baking mat: A silicone baking mat helps prevent macarons from sticking and ensures even baking. Parchment paper can also be used.
- Rest the batter: Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour to develop a skin. This helps them rise evenly in the oven and prevents cracking.
- Avoid overmixing: Fold the batter gently and just until combined. Overmixing can deflate the batter and result in flat macarons with no feet.
- Check for stiff peaks: Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. The meringue should hold its shape when the whisk is lifted, and the tips should stand up straight.
- Macaronage technique: Use a spatula to gently fold the almond flour mixture into the whipped egg whites. Fold from the sides to the center and then press the batter against the sides of the bowl to deflate some of the air. The batter should flow like lava and form a ribbon when lifted. Stop folding once the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thick ribbon. Undermixing or overmixing can lead to issues with the macarons.
- Use a piping bag with a round tip: A round tip helps create uniform macaron shells. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet in small circles, holding the bag perpendicular to the surface.
- Tap the baking sheet: Tap the baking sheet on the counter after piping to release any air bubbles and help the macarons form feet. You can also use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles.
- Preheat the oven: Ensure the oven is fully preheated to the correct temperature before baking the macarons. A well-preheated oven helps the macarons rise properly.
- Use the double pan method: Place a second baking sheet underneath the first to prevent the macarons from browning too quickly. This helps them cook evenly.
- Rotate the pan: Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. This helps prevent hot spots in the oven.
- Cool completely before filling: Allow the macaron shells to cool completely before filling to prevent the filling from melting. This also allows the flavors to develop.
- Use a flavorful filling: Choose a filling that complements the macaron shells, such as ganache, buttercream, or fruit curd. The filling should not be too runny or too thick.
- Store properly: Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld together. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Bring to room temperature before serving: Bring macarons to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor. Cold macarons can be chewy and less flavorful.
- Experiment with flavors: Have fun experimenting with different flavors and colors to create unique and delicious macarons. You can add food coloring or flavor extracts to the batter.
- Practice patience: Making perfect macarons takes practice, so don’t get discouraged if your first batch isn’t perfect. Keep trying and adjust your technique as needed.
- Watch for signs of doneness: Macarons are done when they are set and have formed feet. They should be firm to the touch but not browned. The baking time can vary depending on your oven.
- Enjoy the process: Making macarons can be a fun and rewarding experience. Enjoy the process and savor the delicious results!
Can I make my own almond meal?
You can buy these commercially or make them home yourself as long as you can grind them into a dry, not oily powder. One way to ensure that is to add the powdered sugar from your recipe a little at a time when pulsing the nuts.
Also, I find it is best to use them commercially purchased almond meal for the simple reason that the commercially made almond meals are made in specially designed grinders where the almond is ground very fine and yet not releasing its oil. Because an oily almond meal will flatten the macarons.
Can you make Almond Meal at home – Yes!! Almond Meal is basically blanched almonds that have been ground to a fine powder. You can make it yourself but it has to be made in a food processor or coffee grinder ensuring that when you grind it does not release too much oil. One of the common causes of failed macarons is home ground almond meals.
Place the almonds in a food processor or coffee grinder and pulse. Do not do a long spin as this will cause the almond oils to be released. Add a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar from your recipe to avoid the nuts from releasing their oils. Then, sift it through a strainer. Place the big bits back in the food processor or grinder until it is all a fine powder.
When it comes to almond meals two things are very important – one that the almonds be finely ground and second that they are not too oily.
Step by step: No-fail Macaron Recipe
Macaron shells
- Prepare baking sheets: Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. You can also use macaron templates under the parchment paper to help with even sizing.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites: In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or stand mixer until foamy. If using, add a pinch of cream of tartar.
- Add sugar: Gradually add the granulated sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the dry ingredients: Gently fold the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. Add vanilla extract and continue to fold until the batter is smooth and shiny.
- Pipe the macarons: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe small rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Rest and preheat: Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until a skin forms on the surface. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake: Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until they are set and firm. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
Tips for Success
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together to ensure a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Stiff peaks: Beat the egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks. This is important for the macaron shells to have the right texture.
- Macaronage technique: Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites gently and slowly to avoid deflating the mixture. The batter should be thick and flow slowly off the spatula.
- Resting time: Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skin forms on the surface. This helps create the characteristic smooth top.
- Bake at low temperature: Bake the macarons at a low temperature (around 300°F or 150°C) to avoid browning and ensure even cooking.
- Cool completely: Allow the macaron shells to cool completely before filling to prevent the filling from melting.
- Use a template: Using a macaron template or guide can help ensure uniform size and shape for the shells.
- Fill sparingly: Don’t overfill the macarons with filling, as this can cause them to be messy and difficult to eat.
- Store properly: Store the assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld together. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Troubleshooting
- My macarons have no feet – usually, the most common reason is that the batter is too thin due to overmixing. Getting the right consistency is important and can take a few attempts for some people
- My macarons are cracked on top – Most often the reason for this is that the batter was undermixed. Pockets of dry flour or unmixed lumps can cause cracks during baking. You must first fold the batter and ensure everything is well mixed before you start the macronage stage.
- Macarons have large holes – which usually happens when there are air pockets in the batter. Most often tapping the baking sheets will help pop them but often you may need to take a toothpick and pop them yourself.
- Ripples on the macarons – usually happen when the piped batter is not tapped enough to help the batter settle before crusting.
- Faded macarons – often baked in a very hot oven are the culprit of faded macarons. Reduce heat considerably. You can also place another baking pan on the top shelf to prevent direct heat.
- No feet in macarons – Thin batter consistency. You must whip the meringue until stiff peaks form, then add the dry ingredients and bring it back to the macronage consistency.
- Burst macaron feet – also a sign that the oven is too hot or the heat is not evenly distributed. You can place another baking tray on the top shelf or bake on two (double) baking sheets to prevent direct heat to the macarons.
Creative variations
- Vanilla macarons – white or cream shells with vanilla bean buttercream and Vanilla pastry cream filling.
- Blueberry macarons – Blue shells with blueberry filling and Swiss Meringue buttercream
- Raspberry macarons – Red shells with raspberry filling and French Buttercream
- Strawbery macarons – Pink shells with strawberry filling or strawberry jam with Italian merinuge buttercream
- Lemon macarons – Yellow shells with lemon curd filling and lemon Swiss merinuge buttercream.
- Strawberry lemon macarons – yellow or pink shells with lemon curd and Strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream
- Matcha macarons – Green shells with macha cream and Italian meringue buttercream
- Mint macarons – green shells with mint flavored buttercream
- Chocolate macarons – brown shells with chocolate ganache
- See all my Macarons Collection here
Creative ways to serve macarons
- Macaron Tower: Stack macarons in a tower formation for a stunning centerpiece at parties or events.
- Macaron Cake: Use macarons to decorate the top of a cake or create a cake entirely out of stacked macarons.
- Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two macaron shells for a delightful treat.
- Macaron Pops: Insert lollipop sticks into macarons to create macaron pops, perfect for easy serving at parties.
- Macaron Trifle: Layer crumbled macarons with whipped cream and fruits in a glass for a beautiful and delicious dessert.
- Macaron Wreath: Arrange macarons in a wreath shape and decorate with flowers or greenery for a festive display.
- Macaron S’mores: Use macarons instead of graham crackers in a s’mores recipe for a sophisticated twist on a classic treat.
- Macaron Fondue: Serve macarons with a warm chocolate or caramel sauce for dipping.
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Frequently asked questions
If the batter is not mixed enough, too much air remains in the macarons so the macarons dry out and crack instead during baking preventing it from rising. Alternatively, if the batter is too thin the macarons’ shells don’t dry enough which prevents it from rising.
Perhaps the macaron shells are too wet. There is too much moisture in the batter. This often happens due to high humidity too. Place the tray below a fan or dehumidifier. Aged eggs work better in places with high humidity.
Tapping the macarons on the counter tap helps remove air bubbles trapped in the batter. If too much air remains trapped in the shells they tend to cause cracks. Another reason could also be oven temperature is too high.
This can be heartbreaking but often the reason is that the batter was too thin so the shells were very delicate. They usually won’t have any feet either. Under mixing the batter can be the cause of moisture retention and too much air remaining inside the batter creating delicate shells.
yes, when baked the macarons should have ‘feet’. Feet is that bottom-frilled ruffled look. When you touch the top will be hard but still firm and not move around. If it’s still moving it’s not baked enough put it back in the oven. Check at 2-minute intervals.
A tablespoon of almond flour helps thicken macaron batter. One cause of runny macaron batter usually is food colors. Always use gel food colors these do not affect the consistency of your macaron batter.
Under mixed – If the batter is not mixed enough, too much air remains in the macarons so the macarons dry out and crack instead during baking preventing it from rising as well as getting feet. OR
Excess moisture – If the batter is too thin the macaron shells don’t dry enough which prevents it from rising and getting feet.
Often the problem with hollow macarons or exploded French macarons is oven too hot. When you bake at a high temperature the macarons. The batter at the edges heats and expands too quickly causing the feet to explode.
Often this means that the batter is not mixed enough. The under-mixed batter can cause a lot of issues mentioned above from cracked shells, no feet to hollow macarons. Best to mix well with the spatula.
Ideally between 300 F to 350 F / 150 C to 175 C. They should take around 15 to 18 minutes (3-inch macarons)
Ideally, about 13 to 30 minutes. In high humidity, it can take up to an hour to dry as well. When touched the top of the macaron should be dry to touch. Rainy, humid weather is not good macaron baking days.
You can fill macarons with a simple buttercream or explore different fillings and frosting. For example, my favorite is gourmet buttercream recipes like French, Swiss, or German. They are rich and less sweet than classic American buttercream. I also like adding fruit fillings and curds in the middle of the frosting. This is a great way to take your macarons to the next level. And here you will find 30 plus buttercream frosting recipes.
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20 Tips to Perfect Macarons with Macaron Recipe
Have fun and no stress when you bake the next batch of macarons with these 20 tips to perfect French macarons. Use my step-by-step tutorial and follow these simple and easy tips. In addition, use my no-fail macaron recipe and be on your way to making successful macarons every single time. Whether you bake for family and friends, or as a business, these tips are a must-have.
Video
Ingredients
- 100 g (3 large) Egg white
- 35 g (2½ tbsp) Granulated Sugar fine grain
- 200 g (1⅔ cup) Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar, icing sugar)
- 120 g (1 cup) Almond meal
- ⅛ tsp Cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) Jams or fruits curds for filling
- 2 cups (470 ml) Frosting – Swiss or Italian meringue
Method
- Prepare baking sheets: Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. You can also use macaron templates under the parchment paper to help with even sizing.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.200 g Powdered sugar, 120 g Almond meal
- Whip the egg whites: In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until foamy. Add the vanilla extract.100 g Egg white, 35 g Granulated Sugar, ⅛ tsp Cream of tartar, ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
- Add sugar: Gradually add the granulated sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Fold in the dry ingredients: Gently fold the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. Add vanilla extract and continue to fold until the batter is smooth and shiny.
- Pipe the macarons: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe small rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Rest and preheat: Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skin forms on the surface. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake: Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until they are set and firm. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Assemble: Once cool, you can sandwich the macarons together with your choice of filling, such as vanilla buttercream or jam.½ cup Jams or fruits curds for filling , 2 cups Frosting – Swiss or Italian meringue
- Storage: Store the assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
I love the post. I’ve had my share of failures and have gradually achieved a consistent bake when it comes to Macarons. I do have a question. What type and brand of coloring do you use? I use a gel and this is one of the pitfalls I have had to over come and have for the most part. I am trying to eliminate any potential problem.
I use Magic colours or [eafl id="43942" name="Food Gel Colors - Amazon" text="Ameri gel food colors"]. Always,