This French Macaron recipe is specifically for beginners. If you’ve ever wanted to make perfect French macarons with that signature crispy shell, puffy feet, and no hollows, this is the post for you. Plus I have TONS of tips and trouble shooting in the blog post below.
If you’re in a hurry, you can skip to the recipe, but honestly… reading the whole post is your best chance for perfect macarons on your first attempt.
What's In This Blog Post
Ingredients
This is one of those recipes where you really can't substitute anything other than the flavoring, filling, and coloring. For a full list of ingredients and tools I use you can check out my macaron essentials storefront.
Egg whites are the heart of every french macaron recipe. Fresh egg whites aged in the fridge for a couple of days whip into a more stable meringue. Avoid carton egg whites from your local grocery store—they rarely whip well. You want the proteins to relax so that when you combine egg whites with sugar, the meringue stays strong rather than collapsing. Room temperature eggs whip faster than cold ones, so place egg whites on the counter before mixing.
Almond flour (not almond meal) gives macaron shells structure. If large pieces remain after sifting, discard them and add back the same weight of fresh flour so your ratios stay accurate. I like Bob's Red Mill superfine almond flour because it's a very good quality.
Powdered sugar and granulated sugar work together to give structure, sweetness, and that shiny finish. Some people prefer superfine sugar, but regular granulated sugar or caster sugar works perfectly.
Food coloring is optional, but I prefer gel food color or powdered color. Liquid colors can ruin your macaron batter. Just a small amount of liquid can change batter consistency if you add too much.
Vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and cream of tartar help create a stable meringue. You can switch out extracts and add in small amounts of spices with no issue.
Before You Begin
- Age the egg whites in the fridge for 2–4 days, then remove them and let them reach room temperature. This relaxes the protein in the egg whites, making for a stronger meringue.
- Wipe every tool with vinegar to remove grease. This is one of the important steps that beginners skip, and it’s a good thing to get in the habit of doing.
- Preheat your oven to 300°F and line prepared baking sheets with parchment paper or pre-printed silicone mats.
- Trim the mats or paper to fit your sheet pans. If you use a macaron template, place it underneath your parchment, trace the template onto the parchment, then flip the parchment over before piping.
- Measure every ingredient using a kitchen scale. Accurate measurements matter for perfect macarons.
Making the Macaron Batter
- Process the almond flour, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor 2-3 times.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl to remove any large pieces. Repeat this process 2-3 times to get nice and shiny macarons and ensure even mixing.
- Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and meringue powder (optional) into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Whip on medium speed until foamy.
- Then add in the granulated sugar slowly while mixing.
- Increase to medium speed or high speed until the meringue reaches stiff STIFF peaks.
- Add in the vanilla and gel food coloring.
- Fold in ⅓ of the almond mixture into the meringue mixture. Bring the spatula up from the bottom of the batter, around the sides, and over. Rotate the bowl and repeat. This type of mixing is called macaronage and is the secret to getting perfect macarons.
- Fold until the batter flows off the spatula in a "V" shape and settles into itself within 10–20 seconds.
- If the batter stays clumpy or breaks, keep folding. If it spreads too fast, you’ve overmixed, but good news—your next time will be better.
Piping the Macarons
- Prepare a pastry bag fitted with a round piping tip.
- Transfer the macaron batter into the piping bag, squeezing out air bubbles.
- Hold the bag straight up and down while piping. Squeeze until the batter almost meets the line of the template then stop squeezing. Make a quick "C" shape when you're done piping to reduce the look of a "point" on the shells. Watch the video for more on this.
- Tap the baking trays to release air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to prevent cracks.
- Let the shells rest at room temperature until they form a skin. They should be dry to the touch. This drying step helps form puffy feet and prevents cracking. This can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on how humid it is out.
Baking the Macarons
- Bake macarons at 300°F. Rotate trays halfway through. Bake time varies based on your oven temperature, but most batches finish in 12-15 minutes.
- Test a baked macaron by sliding a knife under it andiIf it releases cleanly, it’s done.
- Slide the parchment off the hot tray onto a wire rack so the shells don’t keep baking.
- Fill the macaron shells with your desired filling, and you're done! Some other ideas for fillings are easy buttercream, raspberry filling, lemon curd, chocolate ganache, or pretty much anything you'd use as a cake filling works for a macaron filling.
What's A Macaron (Mack-UH-RONE)
The very first time I tried a macaron (not a macaroon) was back in pastry school. I had never eaten a cookie like that in my life. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and that little bite of creamy filling sandwiched inside two delicate round shells. French macarons instantly became one of my favorite cookies to make because they seem SO fancy, but once you nail the technique, are easy to make.
There are two types of Macarons, French and Italian. Funnily enough, I once posted a video explaining the difference, and it went crazy viral with people arguing that macarons were invented in France, not Italy or vice versa. But the name is not where the cookie is from. It refers to the method.
The French method refers to the type of meringue we start with. French meringue is made by whipping egg whites and sugar together over a bain marie. When it's dissolved, you whip it all up to make your macarons.
Italian macarons are made almost the exact same way, but they start out with Italian meringue. This meringue is made by cooking the sugar first and then whipping it into the egg whites. Italian meringue is more stable than French meringue and can make better macarons but some people are intimidated by the hot sugar step.
The whipped meringue then gets folded into sifted powdered sugar and almond flour. The water from the egg whites turns into steam during bake time and lifts the piped macarons to create those tiny feet. That folding process is called macaronage, and it’s the most important step of all—the one that determines whether your shells come out smooth or cracked, full or hollow, perfect or well… next time.
After a long time making these, I can tell you that even pastry chefs mess up macarons occasionally. They’re sensitive. Oven temperature matters. Your mixing bowl matters. Even the humidity in your kitchen can affect your first batch. So take a deep breath. Making homemade macarons isn’t about perfection the first single time. It’s about understanding what’s happening in that bowl of a stand mixer and learning from each batch
Once you make a batch of macarons both ways, you’ll understand the differences immediately. None of them is better or worse; they just work differently in different kitchens. Depending on your environment and personal preference, you may eventually gravitate toward one.
Troubleshooting Macaron Problems
Macarons can fail for many different things: air bubbles, undermixed batter, overmixed batter, inaccurate measurements, too-hot ovens, or even trying a fancy flavor combination on your first attempt. Every french macaron recipe requires patience and practice. Here are common signs:
• Cracked shells: too many air bubbles or the oven temperature is too hot
• Hollow shells: overmixed batter or an unstable meringue
• No feet: the macaron batter was too wet or it didn’t rest long enough
• Lopsided shells: uneven piping or airflow in the oven
Homemade macarons take hard work and practice, but with practice and some luck—you can absolutely nail them. Follow the french method closely, trust your kitchen scale, and keep notes on each batch. Every first attempt teaches you something, and before long you’ll be piping full, shiny shells like a pastry chef.
FAQ
This macaron recipe works best with exact measurements, so you must use a food scale.
- Hollow shells can be from egg whites that are not aged, therefore the protein structure is not strong enough to make a proper shell. Age your egg whites for at least 48 hours or be sure to add the meringue powder to strengthen your shells.
- Another cause could be trapped air before baking. Be sure you bang your tray a couple of times to release any trapped bubbles in the macarons before baking.
- The oven temperature could be too hot. Decrease the temperature by 25 degrees the next time you bake.
- Improper mixing. Make sure you are mixing your batter to the correct consistency
- Undermixing can be the cause of no development of feet. Make sure you are mixing your batter to the proper consistency before piping.
- Oven temperature can cause your shells to dry out before they fully bake. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn't running hot or cold. If the temperature is too low, increase the temperature by 25 degrees the next time you bake.
- Not letting your macarons rest and developing a skin.
Your macarons will be wrinkly on top if they haven't rested long enough after piping. Or if your oven temperature is too low.
- The egg whites could have been whipped for too long. Try whipping a little less or use aged egg whites.
- You over-folded the macaron batter. Make sure you stop mixing when your batter forms a "V" as it falls off the spatula.
Macarons taste even better after they have been refrigerated. The interiors turn wonderfully chewy and the flavors have time to develop. Place your finished macarons into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze your macarons for a long time and just take them out of the freezer whenever you have the desire to enjoy your tasty homemade macarons.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Equipment
- Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Sifter
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Bag
- 802 Round Piping Tip
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 4 ounces almond flour
- 8 ounces powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces egg whites aged overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon meringue powder optional
- 2 ounces granulated sugar super fine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 drop gel food coloring optional
White Chocolate Ganache
- 7 ounces white chocolate
- 4 ounces heavy cream
- 1.5 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon extract
Instructions
Before you Begin
- Age your egg whites 2-4 days ahead of making your macarons. Crack and separate the eggs and store the whites in a container covered in plastic wrap.
- Take your egg whites out of the fridge 2-3 hours in advance. Room-temperature egg whites whip up better than cold egg whites.
- Begin by wiping your bowls, whisk, and tools down with some white vinegar. This will remove every trace of oil from the surface and help ensure the perfect macaron.
- Preheat your oven to 300ºF (148ºC).
- Trim the parchment paper to the size of your pan so that it fits perfectly inside or use silicone mats with pre-printed macaron templates on them.
- Place the macaron template under the parchment or make your own template by tracing circles that are roughly 1.5" wide and spaced about 1" apart. Turn the parchment over so that the marker does not transfer to your cookies.
- Measure out all your ingredients carefully using a food scale and set them aside. Having your ingredients ready to go will help ensure success.
Making the Macaron Batter
- Place your dry ingredients (almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt) into your food processor. Process for 5-second increments, three times. Shake the container as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Place your strainer over a large bowl.
- Sift the almond flour mixture to remove any large bits of almond. If you have to remove a lot, make sure to add the same amount of almond flour back in so that your batter ratio is not thrown off.
- Place your egg whites, cream of tartar, and meringue powder (optional) into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached.
- Begin whisking your egg whites on medium speed until you reach soft peaks. Medium speed will produce smaller, stronger air bubbles than whipping at high speed.
- Sprinkle in the granulated sugar slowly while whisking on slow until it's all added and continue whisking on medium until you reach stiff peaks.
- Add ⅓ of your almond mixture into your meringue and fold together by scooping up under your batter, running along the side and bringing the batter up and over the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat.
- Add in your food coloring, vanilla, and salt.
- Continue folding until the batter flows off the spatula in a "V" and sits on the top of the batter for a few seconds before it dissolves back into the batter.
- Another test you can do is to firmly bang your bowl onto the counter to see if the batter settles into itself. If it does, it's ready. If it doesn't move it still needs more mixing.
- Prepare your piping bag with a #12 round piping tip by cutting the end of the piping bag off and inserting the tip into the bag.
- Twist the piping tip and bag together to seal the bottom of the piping bag and then press the bag into the tip so that the filling does not leak out of the piping bag.
- Fold the top of the piping bag down over your hand and scoop the macaron batter into the piping bag with a rubber spatula. Or you can place the piping bag into a tall glass so both your hands are free.
- Lay the bag flat on the counter and push all the batter to the bottom of the piping bag so there are no air bubbles and then twist the top to prevent leaking. Tie the top into a knot if desired.
- When ready to pipe, pull the piping tip out and move the batter down into the piping tip by squeezing the batter gently. Pro-tip: When you are not piping, hold the piping bag straight up to prevent leaking. When ready to pipe turn the bag over and immediately begin piping.
Piping the Macarons
- Hold the piping bag straight up and down over a circle, about 1" away from the prepared baking sheets.
- Begin squeezing, do not rotate or move your bag.
- The piping tip opening should be touching the macaron at all times.
- Stop piping just inside the circle (at the dotted line if you're using my template).
- Make a small quick "C" circular motion with the tip to remove it from the piped cookie. Try not to just lift up because this will leave little peaks on top of your cookies.
- After all your macarons are piped, lift your pan up about 6" and drop it onto your work surface a few times. This helps pop any large bubbles that may have got trapped in your batter pop so they don't crack your macarons.
- Use a needle or toothpick to fix any bubbles if you still have some.
- Don't forget to remove the templates under the parchment paper before baking.
- Allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to develop a "skin" on them before baking. You should be able to lightly touch the top of the cookie and the batter will not stick to your finger. Do not leave your macarons out to dry for longer than 30 minutes or the shell can get too thick and your macaron shells won't develop feet.
- Remove the template and place a small dab of macaron batter under the corner of each piece of parchment paper to keep it from blowing all over the place in the oven.
- Bake the macarons in the oven at 300ºF for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan after 5 minutes to promote even baking as well as let some of the steam out of the oven which helps to prevent cracking.
- Test one macaron by gently lifting it from the parchment paper with a knife. If it releases, your macarons are done. If it's sticking, continue baking and check every minute until they release.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and pull the parchment off the pan by sliding it gently onto a wire rack so that your macarons do not continue to bake.
Making White Chocolate Ganache
- Combine your chocolate and cream together in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat the mixture for one minute then whisk together.
- Continue heating the mixture in 30-second increments until the chocolate is melted and everything is mixed together smoothly.
- Add the butter and vanilla, then stir together until it's melted and combined.
- Place the ganache into a piping bag and flatten the mixture out until it is pretty thin.
- Place the ganache into the freezer for about 10 minutes to help it set up.
- Push the ganache to the end of the piping bag with a bowl scraper.
- Cut a small ⅛" hole in the bottom of the piping bag and begin filling your macaron shells with the ganache.
- Place a second shell on top and now your macarons are complete!
Notes
- Egg whites are the main ingredient for making a French macaron. I recommend using fresh egg whites that have been aged in the fridge for 2-4 days. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate from the egg whites and causes the tight proteins in the egg whites to relax. Relaxed protein means stronger meringue that is less prone to over-mixing and cracking.
- Almond flour is different from almond meal so make sure you get the right kind.
- Some pastry chefs prefer superfine granulated sugar for a shinier macaron shell but regular sugar will work as well.
- Cream of tartar is an acid that helps your meringue batter keep its stability and prevents over-whipping. It's not 100% necessary but it does help!
- Powdered egg whites can help strengthen your egg whites to prevent over-mixing. Again, not 100% necessary but it does help when you're a beginner.
- A kitchen scale is a must. Some recipes can be converted to cups without too many problems but this is not one of them. Exact measurements are required. You can get a kitchen scale at most department stores.
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer - This is necessary for mixing your meringue. You could do it by hand but your arm would probably fall off before you got your meringue mixed enough.
- Glass or metal bowl - Plastic bowls hold onto fat particles which can interfere with your batter.
- Pastry bag and medium round piping tip - You will need these to pipe your macaron shells. The exact size of the piping tip isn't super important, but I typically use an Ateco 804-806.
- Parchment Paper or silicone mat (not wax paper) - I have personally found that parchment paper works best for me when piping out my macaron shells. The paper allows for even baking and they release easily from the paper.
- Two baking sheet pans - You want to pipe all of your macaron batter at once. It will not keep if you leave it in the bowl for too long after mixing.
Laveena D'Souza says
Hi , can these be made out of Cashew flour
Elizabeth Marek says
I haven't tested that
Kristy says
Can you only use extracts to flavor the actual cookie? Or can I add cocoa powder or freeze dried fruits to the batter (if so, how much)? Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Check out my chocolate macaron recipe for adding cocoa powder. You could replace cocoa powder with freeze-dried powder
Jon says
Followed your recipe to the letter, but skipped the tartar and they came out perfect! Great recipe.Thanks!!
Shannon P says
If you want to add freeze-dried strawberries to the batter, how much do you add?
Elizabeth Marek says
I would only add a teaspoon or two and remove the same amount (by weight) of powdered sugar
Nat says
Hi, I followed your recipe and made macrons 5 times already. Each time I failed. The problem with my macrons are that they are hollow. Can you tell me what I did wrong?
Elizabeth Marek says
A hollow macaron is not a failure. Using the Italian method might help you reduce hollows but I do not teach that method because it requires boiling of syrup and I don't enjoy that extra step. There are many tutorials on the Italian method for french macarons on youtube.
Laura says
Hi Liz! I tried to make macarons once with a different recipe and they did not turn out, the dough was thin and was a mess! Today is my parents anniversary and I wanted to make something special. THIS RECIPE WAS A TOTAL SUCSESS! It was super easy fo make! Thx for the tutorial! 😉
Elizabeth Marek says
Im so happy to hear that! Happy anniversary to your parents 😀
Wilma says
Can I use brown eggs? For this recipe
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can
Laurie says
Great Recipe. Definitely the best one I have seen, especially with all the troubleshooting advice. I forgot to age the egg whites and left out cream of tartar and they still turned out beautiful. I sandwiched the cookies with raspberry whippers cream and they were delicious. Thanks!
Robin says
This is a great recipe! I made macarons for the first time using this recipe and they turned out amazing! I was so expecting something to go wrong. Was glad I carefully read through the post and possible pitfalls to looks out for. Can't wait to try more flavor combinations. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Lilly says
Hi there, can I replace the almond flour with whole almond flour without changing the amounts in this recipe?
Thanks!
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can, you will just have speckles in your finished macarons from the skins
Ana says
Hi 🙂 i love your recipes and never have an issue however with this recipe i noticed you used ounces instead of grams and i cant seem to find proper conversions into grams online. I would really like to try this can you please give me the amounts in grams it would be much appreciated ❤
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi! In the recipe card the grams are in parentheses next to the ounces. 1 Oz= 28 grams
Peace says
Hi, Thanks so much for sharing. Please advise on what one could use as a replacement for cream of tartar.thank you
Sugar Geek Show says
You don't 100% need to use cream of tartar if you're using fresh egg whites, it just helps your meringue whip up stronger. If you use pasteurized egg whites you should use it, though.
Evette says
Hi Liz,
Thanks a million for your recipe. Have baked french macarons in the past - and you are right.... it's very tough to get it correct the first few times. I will be trying your recipe soon and let you know how it went. Much appreciated.😀
Sarita Taylor says
Liz, thanks so much got the recipe. It's step by step and easy to follow. Made one batch already. Came out so-so but am doing another this weekend for Thanksgiving. Going to make autumn leaves, pumpkins and cornucopias. THANKS SO MUCH!
Shannon Rowley says
They turn out wonderful every time thanks to your simple but specific directions. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Emily Dean says
I used your recipe and the shells came out fantastic. It ended up taking about 15/16 minutes to finish baking. I also didn’t age the eggs in the fridge but they were still fantastic. The first time my shells grew perfectly. Thanks for spending the time building this.
Donna says
Third time in a row and still I have hollow centers. I am using the optional meringue powder. Any other suggestions? I’m ready to give up🫤. I baked them until they came right off the baking sheet. They had even browned a bit on the bottom. I was just making sure they were done.
Elizabeth Marek says
Hollow centers are from improper macronage, it just takes practice so don't give up! They still taste good too!
E Lynn says
I have always been intimidated by macarons. All the baking shows and competitions on tv make them seem nearly impossible to get right. But this recipe, with all your tips, hints, and helpful information make me think I might actually be able to make them. But, I'm confused. In the section where you are describing the difference between French and Italian macarons, you say
"The French method refers to the type of meringue we start with. French meringue is made by whipping egg whites and sugar together over a bain marie. When it's dissolved, you whip it all up to make your macarons."
But in your recipe you don't say to use a bain marie. Are we supposed to use one or does the method shown in the recipe given work just as well without using one? Thank you
Elizabeth Marek says
You don't need to use one for my recipe