Chewy chocolate macarons with a crispy outer shell and chocolate ganache filling
Chocolate macarons are such a tasty treat. I love that first bite that cracks through the crisp outer layer before you sink your teeth into that chewy goodness in the middle. These chocolate macarons are based on my super-viral, no-fail French macaron recipe. Follow my tips and tricks in this blog post to make the perfect chocolate macarons.
Why are chocolate macarons so hard to make?
There are a lot of things that can go wrong with such a simple cookie if you don't know what to look out for. Make sure you follow each step as close as you can to avoid these problems.
I find that a lot of people don't really follow a recipe when they are trying something new. They read the ingredients and tend to skim the instructions (I am totally guilty of this too) but this is not one of those recipes you can get away with doing that.
Making chocolate macarons is more about the way you make them and less about the actual ingredients. If you want to watch my vanilla macaron video, you can watch it here.
Chocolate Macaron Ingredients
Almond Flour - Provides structure, flavor and texture to the macarons. I prefer using Bob's Red Mill super fine almond flour or you can make your own.
Powdered Sugar - Gives the cookie a little bit of sweetness
Cocoa Powder - Can't have chocolate macarons without chocolate!
Aged Egg Whites - Provides structure and texture that is iconic to the French Macaron
Vanilla Extract - Enhances the flavor of the macaron. You can use other flavors too!
Granulated Sugar - Helps the egg whites whip up properly
Salt - Enhances the flavor of the chocolate
Chocolate Macaron Recipe Step By Step
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and almond meal. This is important so you can remove any hard lumps that might be in the mixture which will ruin the shiny surface of your cookie later.
- Place the almond flour mixture into a food processor and pulse 8-10 times to make the mixture finer in texture and to get it mixed together really well.
- Whip your egg whites until frothy with the whisk attachment then slowly add in your granulated sugar while mixing on low.
- Continue mixing until the egg whites become white and you can see some lines being made in the meringue. Add in your cream of tartar.
- Whip until soft glossy peaks form. Now add in your extract and food coloring if you are coloring your macarons.
- Continue whipping on medium-high until the meringue is at stiff peaks. The meringue will feel dense and will start gathering on the inside of the whisk.
- Add in ⅓ of your almond mixture and fold by taking your spatula and going around the edge of the bowl just under the batter, then cut through the center. Repeat this until you don't see any dry spots.
- Add in the rest of your dry ingredients and continue folding
- Place your spatula flat on top of the batter and turn the bowl to knock out some of the air from the batter. You want the batter to fall from the spatula like a ribbon and move similar to lava.
- Once your batter falls from the spatula in a ribbon, try and draw a figure 8. If the batter doesn't break, it's ready. You will also notice the edges of the batter begin to turn glossy and the mixture oozes very slowly. The ribbon should dissolve back into the batter after about 20 seconds.
- Place the piping bag into a cup while you pour in the batter. The cup helps hold up the bag so you can scoop every last drop of that batter into the bag.
- Now you can pipe your macarons onto your parchment paper and bake! I use a #802 round piping tip and a template. Hold your tip straight up in the center of the circle, about ¼" away from the paper and squeeze until the batter fills the circle ¾ of the way then lift straight up quickly to break the batter off.
- Lift your tray up about 5 inches and drop onto the table to pop any bubbles that are under the surface of your macaron and the batter should spread to the edge of the circle.
- Let your macaron sit at room temperature until a crust forms over the surface. Depending on your room, it can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours. You should be able to touch the top lightly and it doesn't feel sticky.
Tips for success:
- Use room temperature egg whites (if you forget to bring them to room temp, put your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes)
- Age your egg whites overnight by putting them in a bowl in the fridge. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate and experts say, produce a stronger meringue.
- Sift your ingredients
- Weigh all your ingredients in grams for the best and most accurate results
- Make sure you use fresh egg whites that have been aged overnight.
- Wipe the inside of your bowl and attachments well to make sure they are grease-free
- Don't over-whip your egg whites, make sure they are at the firm peak stage but still glossy and moist
- If your room is very humid, put a space heater next to the macarons to help dry them out
Troubleshooting macaron problems
Perfecting your macaron recipe will take time. After your first try you might notice some problems. These are the most common and how you can fix them.
- Over-mixing your batter will produce very flat macarons that will be hollow in the center and won't have any feet
- Oily blotches on the surface of your macaron is from over-mixing and causing the oil from the almond flour to release into the batter. Try folding more gently.
- Macarons that have a raised nipple in the center after baking. This is caused by under-mixing and the batter is still too stiff.
- Under-mixing your batter or not using super fine almond flour will make lumpy/rough textured macarons.
- Cracked macarons are from not letting them sit at room temp for long enough so they haven't had time to develop a shell or they were not mixed enough.
- Macarons won't be round when you don't hold your piping tip directly in the center of the template or your parchment isn't flat.
- Hollow shells can be from not popping the bubbles in the surface of the macarons before baking or from the meringue being under whipped.
••Download the template to make perfectly-sized macaronsFrench Macaron Template
Want more macarons? Try these recipes!
Strawberry Macaron Recipe
French Macaron Recipe
Cream Tart
Recipe
Servings: 18 filled cookies
Calories: 81kcal
Equipment
- Digital food scale
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve
- Macaron template
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Bag
- 802 Round Piping Tip
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 50 grams almond flour
- 114 grams powdered sugar
- 7 grams cocoa powder
- 57 grams egg whites aged overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 28 grams granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 ounces heavy cream
- 2.5 ounces chocolate semisweet, milk or dark
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Before you Begin
- Make the chocolate ganache the day before and refrigerate. Age your egg whites the night before by separating them and leaving them loosely covered in the fridge overnight. The day of baking, bring the egg whites to room temperature before starting. Have all ingredients measured, a macaron template under your parchment paper, and your piping bag set up before you start the meringue.
For the Macaron Shells
- Preheat oven to 320º F. Line a half sheet pan with the macaron template underneath parchment paper.
- Sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, twice. Discard large almond pieces that don't pass through the sieve.
- Pulse the sifted mixture in a food processor 8 to 10 times to create a very fine, uniform texture. Set aside.
- Wipe the stand mixer bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to remove any grease. Dry completely.
- Whip the egg whites on low until frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar in thirds while mixing on low. Once white and leaving lines, add the cream of tartar and continue whipping on medium to soft glossy peaks. Add vanilla. Increase to medium-high and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Add ⅓ of the almond mixture to the meringue and fold until no dry spots remain. Add the rest and continue folding until batter reaches ribbon stage: it falls from the spatula like thick lava and a figure eight drawn with the ribbon holds for 10 to 20 seconds before dissolving.
- Transfer batter to piping bag fitted with a #802 round tip. Hold tip straight up about ¼ inch from the paper. Pipe 1-inch rounds. Drop the pan firmly from 5 inches above the counter 3 to 5 times to release air bubbles. Pop surface bubbles with a toothpick.
- Let dry at room temperature uncovered until the tops feel completely dry to the touch, 30 minutes to 2 hours.
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Combine chopped chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Let stand 5 minutes without stirring, then whisk until smooth. If not fully melted, microwave another 15 seconds and whisk again.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Before using, let sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes and whisk until smooth and peanut-butter thick.
To Assemble
- Pair shells by size. Pipe or spread a generous amount of ganache on the flat side of half the shells. Sandwich with the remaining shells.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably 24 hours to mature.
- Remove from fridge 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Cocoa powder: Use Hershey's Natural Unsweetened or Ghirardelli Unsweetened. Avoid high-fat artisan cocoa powders (more than 1g fat per tablespoon), which can cause wrinkly tops and fragile shells.
Egg white aging: Age overnight in the fridge in a loosely covered bowl. If you forget, warm eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Room temperature is non-negotiable.
Maturing: The 24-hour fridge rest after filling is what transforms the texture from dry and crisp to fudgy and chewy. Do not skip. Bring to room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Storage: Refrigerator, airtight container, up to 5 days. Freezer, up to 2 months assembled or up to 6 months for unfilled shells. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Critical do-nots:
- Do not use a plastic bowl for the meringue.
- Do not skip wiping the bowl with vinegar.
- Do not rush the skin-forming step before baking.
- Do not use high-fat artisan cocoa powder.
- Do not eat immediately after filling; always mature first.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sheila says
Happy Friday 🙂
I was going to attempt to make these Macarons today (first attempt at making a Macaron) but will now do them tomorrow after learning what an "aged egg white" is. I am confused by the 57 grams of egg whites - am I correct in thinking that is basically two large eggs? Also I have store bought eggs, no where to get fresh eggs - will they do?
The Sugar Geek Show says
By Fresh eggs, I mean eggs out of the shell, not from a box (pasteurized egg whites) By 57 grams, I mean exactly 57 grams. Macarons require very specific measurements (using a scale) to work and even then they can be tricky.
Bashir says
Does vanilla in the Ingredient list for the ganache refer to vanilla extract?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, vanilla extract
Rosemary Orzo says
What type of cocoa do you recommend?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I use dutched cocoa but any kind is good 🙂
Jamie says
I know grams are the most accurate. But when switching back and forth between the metric and US customary they have different gram measurements for the powdered sugar and almond flour. The almond flour says both 50 and 57 grams. And the powdered sugar says both 107 and 114 grams. So which do I use?!?!
The Sugar Geek Show says
That is very strange, it should stay 50g and 114g
Kathryn Stathis says
Thanks so very much for your video I have been working on these. Cookies over a year and today they worked I loved your video of the macronage like a washer. Thanks so very sorry
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you so much <3
Rowyn says
I was just wondering if the US customary or the metric recipe is correct. I would love to try this recipe but I am not sure which recipe to use because they are slightly different. Thank you!
The Sugar Geek Show says
grams are the most accurate for a recipe like this
Brianna says
When you switch between us and metric the cream of tartar measurement changes between 1/8 and 1/4 tsp. Which one is correct?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's 1/8 tsp
Hailey Bemrich says
Your video says that it is 4 oz of heavy whipping cream but the ingredients say only 2 oz. So which one is it?
The Sugar Geek Show says
The recipe is correct
Audrey Bayless says
First time making macarons and these turned out PERFECT!!!! Thank you!!
I watched some videos beforehand and tried to ensure success by leaving the egg whites out for 6+ to denature and come to room temp, and double sifting the ingredients. We also doubled the recipe.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hooray! I'm so glad!
Jenn says
My macarons turned into flat meringue cookies ? They were too wet and had no feet. Did I overmix or undermix the egg whites? ?♀️
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's hard to say exactly what went wrong but if your macarons are wet then they need to be dried for longer until they develop a skin. If the shell is still wet, you will not get feet. If it's humid out, this can take a long long time which is why I use a space heater. Make sure your egg whites (fresh not from a box) are aged to reduce moisture. Make sure your eggs are whipped to stiff peaks but not over-mixed to the point where they become dry and crumbly.
Ava says
I really want to make this macaron but i can't. Because there isn't ounces in my country. And if i want to convert it to gram it will be so hard. Please help me.
The Sugar Geek Show says
The recipe is already in grams, just select the metric option underneath the ingredients 🙂
Alicia Cincotta says
Hello there! It mentions to add salt to the macaron mix but salt is not a listed ingredient in the recipe ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Oops! I fixed it for you 🙂
Shirley says
Hi is there anyway that the ingredients be in cups or teaspoons instead of oz?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Macarons require very precise measurements for them to turn out well. Even with precise measurements, they can be tricky
Ayana M says
This has been a great week of firsts using your tutorial! I'm really happy with this membership. do you have any suggestions for substitutes for cream of tartar (like vinegar or lemon juice)?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I have heard you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice but I haven't tested this with macarons because they are such a finicky cookie
Morgan says
These look great! How should they be stored? How long will they last?
The Sugar Geek Show says
The last instruction in the recipe says how to store them 😀 3 days in the fridge or six months in the freezer in an airtight container (shells only, no filling)