If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making Macarons, these adorable Vanilla Bean French Macaroons are a great place to start! I’ve broken this post down into helpful tools, tips, and steps to do in preparation, so you’ll end up with perfect, delicate almond flour meringue cookies.
This gourmet pastry is made simply in a Sharp European Convection Wall Oven. Everyone will be left speechless when you tell them that these treats were made at home and not purchased from a bakery.
Shoutout to our Sharp Chef Michelle, blogger for Sunkissed Kitchen, for providing us with another delicious gluten-free dessert recipe!
If you try this recipe or have a dish you to share, snap a picture or video and share it with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok by tagging us and using #SharpHome!
Delicate Almond Flour Cookies with Vibrant Fillings
French macaroons are delicate almond flour and egg white meringue cookies, with fillings sandwiched in between. They are often vibrantly colored, with flavors ranging from vanilla and almond to exotic passionfruit or tangy lemon.
For Christmas, I wanted to make bright white vanilla macaroons (see my tips for keeping the shells white, instead of turning beige while baking!), filled with red and green buttercream.
I keep them dye-free by using freeze-dried raspberries and matcha green tea, to serve as both flavorings and colorings!
The result is beautiful, festive-looking cookies, perfect for adorning your goodie tables.
These adorable cookie shells have a crunchy exterior that melts into a chewy center, with a layer of creamy buttercream.
Making French macarons is an art form! Plan this French cookie recipe for a day when you’re wanting to learn something new. Read this guide entirely before you start.
Macarons are an exacting recipe, meaning ingredients should not be substituted, and a kitchen scale is needed to accurately weigh ingredients by grams.
Follow this recipe step-by-step, and you’ll fall in love with making these adorable cookies!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
A kitchen scale: The ingredients in this recipe are listed in grams, and it’s important to weigh the ingredients out to ensure the right ratio of egg whites to almond flour to sugar. I don’t often use scales for cooking, but it’s essential here.
Macaron Stencil Baking Sheets: These silicone baking mats have the 1-1/2 inch and 2-inch circles drawn on, so there’s no need to draw circles on parchment paper yourself. If you plan on making macarons more than once, this is a time saver that’s worth the investment. This set comes with all the piping bags and tips you need and is really high quality for the price!
A sifter or fine mesh sieve: The almond flour and powdered sugar are sifted together, to form a light and soft mixture that easily stirs into the egg whites without any clumps.
Pastry Bag Fitted with Tips: The Macaron stencil baking sheets I linked to above come with piping bags and the correct-sized tips for both the macaron cookies and the fillings.
Sharp European Convection Oven: This oven is perfect for macarons! The interior is roomy, it heats accurately and evenly, and has a timer so you know exactly when to pull these delicate cookies out of the oven.
I love my Sharp appliances. They have great features, are easy to clean, and are stunning additions to my kitchen.
Hop on over to the Sharp USA website to see if this state-of-the-art oven is the right fit for your dream kitchen!
Macaron Ingredients
- Egg whites (separated from whole eggs, not from a carton)
- Cream of Tartar
- Sea Salt
- Superfine Sugar (also called Caster Sugar or Baker’s Sugar, or make it by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor.)
- Powdered Sugar (confectioners sugar)
- Almond flour (blanched almond flour, one that has an even, fine texture).
- Vanilla Bean (or vanilla bean paste)
Prepping A Day Ahead
Step 1: Age Egg Whites
For the best success with your macaron baking, age or “dry out” the egg whites.
This is done by separating egg whites from the yolks (this needs to be done carefully! Any amount of fat from a yolk can prevent the egg whites from forming stiff peaks).
Measure out 100g of egg whites (approximately 3-4 large egg whites), and store them in a clean metal or glass container. For best results, use lemon juice to wipe out the container, in case any residual oil is left in it.
How to Make Vanilla Bean French Macarons
*Before beginning to work, take the egg whites out of the fridge and allow to warm up to room temperature (I do this at least 1 hour prior to working).
Step 2: Sift Almond Flour & Powdered Sugar
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together to break down any clumps. Once sifted, the almond flour and sugar are soft and light and stir evenly into the egg whites.
There shouldn’t be very much leftover in the sifter. If there is, use a spoon to press the clumps through the holes of the sieve. Only a small amount of the mixture should be leftover and discarded, otherwise, there won’t be enough of the dry ingredients in the macaron batter.
Step 3: Beat Egg Whites to Soft Peaks
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. This can also be done with a hand mixer.
Set the mixer to a medium-high speed, and whisk until the egg whites are foamy and begin to form soft peaks. Soft peaks don’t stay formed but melt back into the mixture slowly.
Step 4: Mix the sugar into the egg whites slowly.
Increase the speed of the mixer to high, and very slowly beat in the superfine sugar. It should take about 1 minute to add the sugar while the mixer is running.
Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Stiff peaks will not dissolve back into the mixture. The egg whites should be so stiff, you can tip the bowl upside down and they will not move.
Step 5: Add Vanilla Bean (and color, if desired)
Scrape a vanilla bean into the egg white mixture, and then mix in.
Other flavorings, like lemon or almond extract, or vanilla, can also be used.
This recipe doesn’t use coloring. The macaron shells stay white. If you’d prefer to add color, mix in the food coloring gel at this stage.
Step 6: “Macaronage” – Mixing the Egg Whites into the Almond Flour
Macaronage is a French term for how to mix egg whites into the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture.
It’s a 3 stage process. First, add 1/3 of the egg whites into the bowl with the almond flour and powder. After stirring it in, the mixture will be dry and resemble sticky cookie dough.
After mixing in the 2nd 1/3 of the egg whites, the mixture will loosen up and start to come together.
It’s with the addition of the last of the egg whites that the mixture becomes smooth and will flow off the spatula.
Stir by running the spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl, then up to the top, and continue until the mixture is even, and when you drizzle the batter back into the bowl, it takes about 10 seconds to melt back in.
Step 7: Pipe the macaron batter onto a baking sheet
Add the macaron batter to a pastry bag with a large round tip.
Prepare a pan with either a macaron stencil baking mat, or use parchment paper, and draw on 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch circles.
The macaron batter will spread a little after being piped, so draw the circles slightly smaller than you want them to be. Try to make all the cookies a similar size (follow the same lines) so they make even sandwich cookies.
I draw a little swirl in the centers. The lines of the batter should settle into a circle with a flattened top.
Step 8: Allow Macarons to Rest, and then Bake
Allow macarons to set for 30-60 minutes while the oven preheats to 315º F.
The macarons are ready to bake when you can gently tap them and feel a hardened film. Macarons should no longer feel tacky.
While a standard baking temperature for macarons is 325º F, this will result in beige-colored cookies from the almond flour beginning to brown.
By baking them at a lower temperature, the cookies will stay bright white.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes, open the oven door to release heat and then let the cookies stay in the oven another 5 minutes to harden more.
If your cookies start to brown, lower the oven temperature by 5-10º F, or lessen the baking time by 1-2 minutes with your next batch.
Allow the cookies to cool and fully harden for at least 20 minutes before removing them carefully with a cookie spatula.
Step 9: Pipe in Macaron Filling
Pipe filling onto 1 macaron shell, and then sandwich the filling with another shell.
I used raspberry buttercream and matcha-mint buttercream, to make them look festive. Using just the raspberry and a vanilla buttercream would look great for Valentine’s Day, and the Matcha Mint and a vanilla buttercream would look perfect for St. Patricks Day!
What Filling Should I use for French Macarons?
A classic filling for French Macarons is buttercream.
I made two kinds of buttercream: raspberry, and matcha-mint.
Raspberry Buttercream
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Freeze-Dried Raspberries (fresh raspberries cannot be substituted. They have too much water and would result in a running frosting.)
- Vanilla Extract
Matcha-Mint Buttercream
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Matcha Powder
- Peppermint Extract
Tips for Successful Macaron Baking!
How to Store Macarons
Are you wondering, “Can I freeze French macarons?”
Absolutely! That’s my favorite way to store these delicate cookies. Prepare the cookies, and then wrap them in air-tight containers, and freeze them for up to 3 months until ready to serve. This keeps the macaron shells from becoming too soft. They will defrost with a crunchy exterior and chewy center!
Can’t find Superfine Baker’s Sugar?
It’s easy to make on your own. Add granulated white sugar to a food processor or blender, and pulse until the sugar is broken down. Do not fully process the sugar or it will turn into powdered sugar.
Why did my macarons crack?
Macarons are an art form! If your cookies don’t turn out perfectly the first time, know that they will get better as you practice the process.
Either under-mixing the batter or over-mixing the batter can lead to hollow or cracked macaron shells. Watch the video and look at the photos to make sure you understand proper macaronage!
Are all French macarons gluten-free?
French macarons are made with egg whites, almond flour, and sugar, so they are gluten-free as written.
Most macarons in stores will also be gluten-free, but beware of flavorings and colorings that might contain gluten.
These delicious cookies are made with almond flour. The shells are baked with a crisp exterior and chewy center, that melts into the filling inside. These are made with no dyes! I kept the shells white (read notes to see how to keep them from browning!) and made vibrant and flavorful fillings with real raspberries and matcha green tea. Customize the fillings to your preference!
For best results, the egg whites need to "dry" overnight, so weigh them out the day before, and remember to pull them out to bring them to room temperature an hour before you start baking. A day before baking, separate egg whites from the yolks (this needs to be done carefully! Any amount of fat from a yolk can prevent the egg whites from forming stiff peaks). Measure out 100g of egg whites (approximately 3-4 large egg whites), and store them in a clean metal or glass container. For best results, use lemon juice to wipe out the container, in case any residual oil is left in it. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together to break down any clumps. Once sifted, the almond flour and sugar are soft and light and stir evenly into the egg whites. There shouldn’t be very much leftover in the sifter. If there is, use a spoon to press the clumps through the holes of the sieve. Only a small amount of the mixture should be leftover and discarded, otherwise, there won’t be enough of the dry ingredients in the macaron batter. Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. This can also be done with a hand mixer. Set the mixer to a medium-high speed, and whisk until the egg whites are foamy and begin to form soft peaks. Soft peaks don’t stay formed but melt back into the mixture slowly. Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. This can also be done with a hand mixer. Set the mixer to a medium-high speed, and whisk until the egg whites are foamy and begin to form soft peaks. Soft peaks don’t stay formed but melt back into the mixture slowly. Add the sea salt. Increase the speed of the mixer to high, and very slowly beat in the superfine sugar. It should take about 1 minute to add the sugar while the mixer is running. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Stiff peaks will not dissolve back into the mixture. The egg whites should be so stiff, you can tip the bowl upside down and they will not move. Scrape a vanilla bean into the egg white mixture, and then mix in. Other flavorings, like lemon or almond extract, or vanilla, can also be used. This recipe doesn’t use coloring. The macaron shells stay white. If you’d prefer to add color, mix in the food coloring gel at this stage. First, add 1/3 of the egg whites into the bowl with the almond flour and powder. After stirring it in, the mixture will be dry and resemble a sticky cookie dough. After mixing in the 2nd 1/3 of the egg whites, the mixture will loosen up and start to come together. It’s with the addition of the last of the egg whites that the mixture becomes smooth and will flow off the spatula. Stir by running the spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl, then up to the top, and continue until the mixture is even, and when you drizzle the batter back into the bowl, it takes about 10 seconds to melt back in. Add the macaron batter to a pastry bag with a large round tip. Prepare a pan with either a macaron stencil baking mat, or use parchment paper, and draw on 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch circles. The macaron batter will spread a little after being piped, so draw the circles slightly smaller than you want them to be. Try to make all the cookies a similar size (follow the same lines) so they make even sandwich cookies. I draw a little swirl in the centers. The lines of the batter should settle into a circle with a flattened top. Allow macarons to set for 30, but no longer than 60 minutes. They are ready when you can lightly tap them and they are no longer tacky. The macarons are ready to bake when you can gently tap them and feel a hardened film. Macarons should no longer feel tacky. While a standard baking temperature for macarons is 325º F, this will result in beige-colored cookies from the almond flour beginning to brown. By baking them at a lower temperature, the cookies will stay bright white. Bake cookies for 12 minutes, open the oven door to release heat and then let the cookies stay in the oven another 5 minutes to harden more. If your cookies start to brown, lower the oven temperature by 5-10º F, or lessen the baking time by 1-2 minutes with your next batch. Allow the cookies to cool and fully harden for at least 20 minutes before removing them carefully with a cookie spatula. Pipe filling onto 1 macaron shell, and then sandwich the filling with another shell. Raspberry Buttercream (enough for a whole batch of macaron shells) Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixer with the paddle attachment, and process until they are creamed together. Use a spatula to loosen the mixture from the edges of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, raspberries, and vanilla extract. Process on low speed until the sugar is mixed in, then increase the speed and whip until the frosting has a light and airy texture and the raspberries are fully incorporated. Matcha-Mint Buttercream Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixer with the paddle attachment, and process until they are creamed together. Use a spatula to loosen the mixture from the edges of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, matcha powder, and peppermint extract. Process on low speed until the sugar is mixed in, then increase the speed and whip until the frosting has a light and airy texture. Adjust the peppermint flavorful to your preference (start with only 1 teaspoon of peppermint. Some brands are much stronger than others.)French Vanilla Bean Macarons
Ingredients
Instructions
