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!
Lisa M Daly says
I will be trying this recipe this coming weekend. OMG i just saw you on TV. Your group made an AMAZING scary Halloween display. Congratulations on the win, it was well deserved!!!!!
Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you!!!
Zane says
Can I use my electric hand mixer? Will the peaks be stiff enough?
Sugar Geek Show says
You can! You'll just have to whip the meringue for a long time, check out my video to make sure the peaks are stiff enough 🙂
sandra witty says
Hmmmm....the ganache based on the measurements in your recipe came out like liquid....didn't thicken...is it possible there is a typo?
THank you!!
Sugar Geek Show says
The ganache needs to cool for a few hours to become thick, check out my ganache blog post recipe for more information
Rahma says
WOWWWW! I got it absolutely perfect first go! I made a silly decision to take them off the paper before cooling and they ended up crispy but delicious!!
haley says
made the shells and they turned out great but for the ganache it took me three tries to get it right because the chocolate to heavy cream ratio should be 2:1 but that’s not what the recipe said. when i did what you said the ganache turned out very liquidy so i had to go to another recipe for the right ganache 😕🙄
Elizabeth Marek says
you have to let the ganache fully cool before you use it. I use the 1:1 ratio every single time but I also use semi-sweet chocolate.
Carla says
Absolutely perfect! Thank you!!
Clare says
Second time trying to make macaroons... First time trying your recipe - they came out perfect! Thanks.
Marica says
Thank you.... they are great!
Carol says
I have tried a few recipes and there was always something imperfect about the macarons. I followed your recipe today closely and the macarons came out perfect!!! I’m so glad I found your recipe! Your video and tips are also super helpful! Thanks Liz!!
If I want a darker chocolate colored macaron- do I add more cocoa powder and reduce the almond flour by the same amount?
Elizabeth Marek says
Im not sure if that would throw off the result, if you just want the color to be darker you could add a couple drops of chocolate brown food coloring.
Sophie says
Was looking for a Chocolate Macaron recipe came along and found this recipe, it is amazing, the macarons came out perfect 👌, with feet, smooth top, peeled right off parchment paper, sweet and delicious, really recommended trying this recipe!
Crysty says
My Macarons haven’t developed the skin and it’s been an hour 😭
Elizabeth Marek says
Most likely you did not whip your meringue enough (stiff peaks). I have had that happen to me before as well.
Tina says
Made these for the first time today and they came out great. Well explained which I appreciate even as an avid baker myself. I made mine quite small (about 2.5cm in diameter) but it did not change any of the times as listed in your recipe (I baked them for 15 minutes). I did play around with the filling/ganache. It is a bit odd to switch back to US measurements for the ganache, but scales have unit change options for that reason 🙂
I plan on making your other macaron recipes. Do you have other ones as well or would recommend how to make some coffee and/or matcha based ones? Thank you for the great recipe.
Elizabeth Marek says
The ganache can also be in grams if you click the metric button in the recipe card. I usually use ounces in all my recipes but macarons are so finicky, they require measurements in grams.
Elizabeth says
I made macarons for the first time EVER using this recipe just now.I watched the video several times and was very meticulous about everything. I almost gave up because I kept second guessing every step but they are worth every minute it took! I substituted the vanilla extract for mint extract to make some mint chocolate macarons and they turned out PERFECTLY! Only one she’ll had feet that were wonky- uneven and funny shape. It was delicious though! I will be making several more batches to experiment with this recipe. I want to make these as wedding favors for my wedding next month!
Beth Nairn says
I'd planned on taking a class on how to make macarons during a trip to Paris that was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. With all of the time I then had on my hands due to quarantine, I thought, "Why not teach myself?" So, I searched recipes, found this one, and went for it. Had to buy a food processor and a food scale - but it was worth it. I've made this twice in the past two days and it was HIGHLY successful both times. The ganache filling is absolutely the BOMB and I've included a few of these treats with the meal deliveries I've been making to friends who are remaining quarantined due to underlying health issues. Feedback has been on the "OMG" and "You've changed my life." scale.
Amit says
This was a great recipe and my first time making macarons! They turned out perfect, and I plan to make the strawberry or vanilla one next.