Step by Step: How to Make Delicious & Beautiful Macarons Consistently

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It’s here! After a solid year of almost biweekly macarons, I’ve compiled all my tips and tricks into one post to help you make the delicious and beautiful macarons consistently. Yes, it’s a lot of details. But if you’re making macarons for the first time (or the second or third but want better results), you need to pay attention to details. If you want an easier, less fussy recipe check out my other cookies recipe. This is one that once you’ve done it a few times, is actually not too bad, but the first time you really do need to be detailed-oriented and a perfectionist!

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is having multiple cues to help you understand what you’re looking for in each step. While descriptions and photos help, I’ve found that gifs are the best way to really show you the consistency and texture you’re looking for, as well as showing the methods for each step.

If you’ve made macarons before and looking for a quicker, less detailed set of directions, scroll to the bottom for a more brief version!

5 from 2 votes

Macarons with Citrus French Buttercream

Difficulty Level: 4
Servings 40 macarons
Prep Time 1 hr
Buttercream 1 hr
Total Time 2 hrs
  • 150 g confectioners sugar
  • 150 g almond flour
  • 110 g egg whites (about 4 egg whites; divided in half- 55g will go in saucepot and 55g will go with almond/confectioners sugar mixture), Be sure to use egg whites directly from eggs, not storebought. Let eggwhites sit overnight at room temperature before using OR store eggwhites in fridge for up to 2-3 weeks
  • gel food coloring, if using, I suggest Wilton’s brand.
  • 150 g granulated white sugar
  • 37 g water

Macaron Directions: If this is your first time making macarons, I highly recommend you use the directions below that contain gifs to show you what your final product should look like in each step.

  • Sift 150g almond flour with 150g confectioner sugar in a large bowl.
  • Place 37g water and 150g sugar in a small saucepan. Place on low to medium heat and heat on stove top until it registers 118c/244f, about 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on this!
  • Meanwhile, place 55g (1 cup) egg whites into standing mixer. Mix on speed 6 for about 1-2 minutes, until like a bubble bath. If egg whites are ready before sugar, keep at super slow speed.
  • With mixer running, add in the hot sugar and water mix to the egg whites. Increase to mix at a high speed (speed 8) for about 2 minutes, until like marshmallow fluff (soft peak).
  • Get the large bowl of confectioners sugar and almond flour. Add in the other divided portion of egg whites (55g; raw and not mixed) along with food coloring if using. Then add in the meringue on top of flour and fold until the batter is smooth and not lumpy, about 45 seconds. You should be able to trace a figure 8 with your spatula. Be careful to not overfold! This is a thing and will change the consistency of your macaroon.
  • Place in piping bag fitted with a .75-1.0cm tip (I use the 1.0cm tip when doing circles, the .75cm tip when doing the ghosts; if you want specifics- I used Ateco brand; 1.0cm= ateco 805; .75cm= ateco 802) When piping the macarons onto your baking sheet, keep your dominant hand on top and your non-dominant hand on the bottom. All the pressure should come from your top hand and your bottom hand is just guiding.
    1. If making circular macarons, place the piping tip in the center of the circle and begin to apply pressure with your top hand so the batter begins to come out; don’t move the piping tip at all, instead let the batter slowly fill out the circle.
    2. If you’re wanting to make ghosts, you can either draw your own or see the instagram page of @sugardevotion for a template (the one I used).
  • Lightly bang the whole sheet to pop any air bubbles and slightly flatten out batter. Let sit and dry for 30-45 minutes before baking, until a skin is formed and you can lightly touch.
    – If you notice that your macaroons have cracked on the top, it’s probably because you didn’t wait long enough.Let sit and dry for 30 minutes before baking, until a skin is formed and you can lightly touch.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350, rotating pan halfway through.
  • Let macarons sit on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Macarons should cool completely before icing (I like to wait and do this the next day).
  • Make buttercream according to directions below. Using a piping bag, pipe buttercream onto center of macaron. Gently place other macaron on top and lightly press to spread out filling. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 3 days.

Step by Step Directions with Gifs:

  • Sift 150g almond flour with 150g confectioner sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. (I actually use my strainer/colander and it works just fine!! No need to buy a fancy one.)
  • Place 37g water and 150g sugar in a small saucepan. Place on low to medium heat and heat on stove top until it registers 215-230F, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk until is is a clear syrup and then just let sit. Keep a close eye on this to make sure it doesn’t get too hot (anything beyond 240F is no good!).
  • Meanwhile, place 55g (1 cup) egg whites into standing mixer. Mix on speed 6 for about 1-2 minutes, until like a bubble bath. If egg whites are ready before sugar, keep running at super slow speed.
  • With mixer running, add in the hot sugar and water mix to the egg whites. Increase to mix at a high speed (speed 8) for about 2 minutes, until like marshmallow fluff (soft peak).
  • Get large bowl of confectioners sugar and almond. Add in the other half of egg whites (raw and not mixed) along with food coloring if using. Then add in the meringue on top of flour and fold until the batter is smooth and not lumpy, about 60-80 seconds, or about 50 folds. The batter should be loose enough that it drops from the spatula a bit when you raise it, but it shouldn’t be so loose that it falls very quickly. Essentially think about how you want the batter to fall from the piping bag- it should need a light squeeze to come out but not run out so just a bit stiff but not overly so.
  • Place batter in piping bag with medium tip. When piping the macarons onto your baking sheet, keep your dominant hand on top and your non-dominant hand on the bottom. All the pressure should come from your top hand and your bottom hand is just guiding the tip of the bag.
    – If making circular macarons, place the piping tip in the center of the circle and begin to apply pressure with your top hand so the batter begins to come out; don’t move the piping tip at all, instead let the batter slowly fill out the circle.
  • Lightly bang the whole sheet to pop any air bubbles and slightly flatten out batter. Let sit and dry for 30-45 minutes before baking, until a skin is formed and you can lightly touch.
    – If you notice that your macaroons have cracked on the top, it’s probably because you didn’t wait long enough.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350, rotating pan halfway through.
  • Let cookies sit on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let macarons cool completely before icing (I like to wait and do this the next day).
  • Make buttercream according to directions above. Using a piping bag, pipe buttercream onto inside of macaron. Gently place other macaron on top. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 3 days.
5 from 2 votes
Tried this recipe?Mention @Kate_Cooks_ or tag #katecooks!
5 from 1 vote

Citrusy French Buttercream

Adapted from Dessert Person
  • 2 eggs, (100g)
  • 2 egg yolks, (32g) (at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (43g) water
  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
  • zest of 1 small orange (or 1/2 large)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Place egg yolks and eggs in bowl of standing mixer.
  • Place sugar and water in small saucepot. Place on low heat. During this time, begin to whisk the egg yolks on medium speed until it is pale and increased in volume (about 4-5 minutes). While the egg yolks are going, whisk the sugar in the saucepot until it has dissolved into a syrup. Then let sit over medium heat until it reaches 225-230 degrees.
    – If egg yolks finish early, just let the mixer continue going at the lowest speed until the sugar is ready.
  • Slowly stream the sugar into the egg yolks with the mixer running on speed 3 or so (low to medium). Once all sugar is added, bring up speed to high and mix until it is room temperature, about 10 minutes. Check the sides of the bowl- they should feel cool- or use a thermometer until it reaches about 70 degrees.
  • **During this time, make sure the butter is at room temperature as well (around 60-65 degrees).
  • Add butter in a few cubes at a time- no matter what, I’ve found that it often looks funky after I’ve added the butter, but if you just keep the mixture running at high speed for about 5-10 minutes, it evens out and incorporates.
  • Add in vanilla and citrus zest. Store in fridge until ready to use. It may need to sit out for about 20 minutes if it’s too cold/stiff.
    – If you have extra, you can freeze this and then defrost in the fridge for about a day beforehand.
  • When ready, place in piping bag and use!
5 from 1 vote
Tried this recipe?Mention @Kate_Cooks_ or tag #katecooks!

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