French Macaron Recipe
This French macaron recipe delivers crisp, airy shells with soft centers and creamy fillings. Beautifully colored and irresistibly delicious, these homemade macarons are ideal for holidays, parties, or gourmet gifts.
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shells:
- 1 cup 100g almond flour
- 1 ¾ cups 200g powdered sugar
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
- Gel food coloring a few drops per batch, optional
For Vanilla Buttercream Filling:
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 –2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Alternative Fillings:
- Chocolate Ganache: ½ cup chocolate chips + ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together; discard lumps.
- Whip Egg Whites: Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding granulated sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Macaronage: Fold dry ingredients into meringue. Batter should flow like lava.
- Add Coloring: Divide and color batter using gel food coloring.
- Pipe the Shells: Pipe circles onto a lined baking sheet. Tap to remove air bubbles.
- Rest the Shells: Let sit 30–60 minutes until dry to the touch.
- Bake: Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 12–15 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Fill: Pipe filling onto one shell and sandwich with another.
- Mature: Refrigerate for 24 hours for best texture, then enjoy!
Notes
Use aged egg whites for better structure.
Don’t skip the resting step—it helps prevent cracks.
Fillings can be flavored to match the shells.
Avoid overmixing; batter should not be runny.
Store macarons in the fridge and bring to room temp before serving.