# French Macarons Recipe (Step-by-Step for Beginners) Source: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/french-macarons Author: Trevor Farias (Trevor's Kitchen) Published: 2026-09-13 · Updated: 2026-09-13 Category: Cookies · Cuisine: French > French macarons are made by whipping egg whites with granulated sugar into a stiff, glossy meringue, then folding in a sifted mixture of superfine almond flour and powdered sugar until the batter flows like slow lava. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds, tap the trays, and let them rest until a dry skin forms, 30 to 60 minutes. Bake at 300°F for 16 to 18 minutes, cool, then sandwich with buttercream and let them mature in the refrigerator for 24 hours. ## At a glance - Prep time: 45 minutes - Cook time: 36 minutes (two trays) - Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes (Includes resting and cooling; best after 24 hours in the refrigerator) - Yield: About 24 filled macarons - Servings: 24 - Calories per serving: 95 ## Ingredients ### For the shells - 100 g superfine blanched almond flour, about 1 cup - 100 g powdered sugar, about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons - 75 g egg whites, from about 2 1/2 large eggs, room temperature - 75 g granulated sugar, about 1/3 cup - 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, optional - 1 small drop gel food coloring, optional ### For the vanilla buttercream - 115 g unsalted butter, 1 stick, softened - 150 g powdered sugar, about 1 1/4 cups - 1 tablespoon heavy cream - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste - 1 pinch fine salt ## Instructions 1. **Prepare.** Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. If using parchment, draw 1 1/2-inch circles 1 inch apart on the underside as a guide. Fit a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. 2. **Sift the dry ingredients.** Pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor for 10 seconds, then sift together through a fine sieve. Discard any large pieces left in the sieve, up to about 1 tablespoon. 3. **Whip the meringue.** In a very clean bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Add the granulated sugar one spoonful at a time, then increase to medium-high and whip until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks that stand straight up, 6 to 8 minutes. Beat in the food coloring in the last minute. _Tip: The meringue is ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and it does not move._ 4. **Fold the batter.** Add the sifted almond mixture to the meringue in two additions. Fold, scraping around the bowl and cutting through the center, until the batter flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon that you can draw into a figure eight without breaking. This usually takes 40 to 50 folds. 5. **Pipe.** Transfer the batter to the piping bag. Holding the bag straight up, 1/2 inch above the tray, pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds, stopping and flicking the tip sideways to finish. 6. **Tap and rest.** Firmly tap each tray on the counter 4 or 5 times to release air bubbles, and pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick. Let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, until the shells are no longer sticky when touched lightly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). 7. **Bake.** Bake one tray at a time on the center rack for 16 to 18 minutes, until the shells have risen with feet and do not wobble when gently touched. Cool completely on the tray before peeling off. 8. **Make the buttercream.** Beat the butter until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 9. **Fill and mature.** Match shells into pairs of similar size. Pipe a small mound of buttercream onto half the shells and sandwich with the others, pressing gently. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hours, then bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. ## Equipment - Digital kitchen scale - Stand mixer or hand mixer - Fine-mesh sieve - Piping bag with 1/2-inch round tip - 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone macaron mats - Oven thermometer ## Notes - Weigh all ingredients in grams. - Stop folding as soon as the batter forms an unbroken figure eight. - Let the filled macarons mature in the refrigerator for 24 hours for the ideal chewy texture. ## Why this recipe works - Aged, room-temperature egg whites whip into a more stable meringue. - Adding the sugar gradually and whipping to stiff, glossy peaks gives the meringue enough strength to hold the almond flour. - Folding the batter to the right consistency, which the French call macaronage, gives smooth tops and even feet. - Resting the piped shells until a skin forms forces steam out the bottom as they bake, which creates the feet. - A low 300°F oven bakes the shells through without browning them. ## The macaronage test: how to know when to stop folding This is the step that makes or breaks macarons. Fold the almond flour mixture into the meringue by scraping around the bowl and cutting through the middle, pressing the batter against the side to deflate it slightly. Check often. When you lift the spatula, the batter should fall in a thick, continuous ribbon, and you should be able to draw a figure eight without the ribbon breaking. The ribbon should sink back into the batter within about 15 seconds. Under-folded batter is stiff and holds peaks; the shells will be lumpy and may crack. Over-folded batter is thin and runny; the shells spread flat and have no feet. Stop just as the batter reaches the figure-eight stage; it is always better to fold once or twice more after a test than too far at once. ## Macaron troubleshooting - Hollow shells: meringue was under-whipped or the oven was too hot. Whip to stiff peaks and check the oven with a thermometer. - No feet: shells did not rest long enough, or the batter was over-folded. - Cracked tops: not enough rest time, air bubbles not tapped out, or the oven was too hot. - Lumpy tops: the almond flour was not sifted, or the batter was under-folded. - Browned shells: the oven runs hot; lower to 285°F or put an empty tray on the rack above. ## Coloring and flavoring macarons Use gel or powdered food coloring, which do not add liquid. Add it to the meringue near the end of whipping. Flavor the shells lightly, with a pinch of cocoa or freeze-dried fruit powder in place of some almond flour, and put most of the flavor in the filling: lemon curd, raspberry jam, pistachio buttercream or chocolate ganache. ## Storage - Refrigerate filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. - Freeze filled or unfilled macarons in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator, still covered, to prevent condensation. ## Variations - Chocolate macarons: replace 10 g of the almond flour with cocoa powder and fill with chocolate ganache. - Raspberry: color the shells pink and fill with buttercream plus a small dot of raspberry jam in the center. - Lemon: fill with thick lemon curd piped inside a ring of buttercream. - Pistachio: replace 30 g almond flour with finely ground pistachios and fill with pistachio buttercream. ## Frequently asked questions **Why are my macarons hollow?** Most often the meringue was not whipped stiff enough, or the oven was too hot so the shells rose too fast. Whip until the peaks stand straight and use an oven thermometer. **Why didn't my macarons get feet?** The shells did not rest long enough to form a skin, the batter was over-folded, or the oven temperature was off. Rest until the tops are dry to the touch. **What is the difference between macarons and macaroons?** Macarons are French sandwich cookies made from almond flour and meringue. Macaroons are dense mounds of sweetened shredded coconut, often dipped in chocolate. **Can I make macarons without almond flour?** For a nut-free version, use finely ground, sifted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in the same weight. Sunflower seeds can turn slightly green when baked; a teaspoon of lemon juice in the meringue helps. ## Nutrition (per serving, estimated) - Calories: 95 - Fat: 5 g - Saturated fat: 2.5 g - Carbohydrates: 12 g - Fiber: 0.5 g - Sugar: 11 g - Protein: 1 g - Sodium: 10 mg - Cholesterol: 10 mg --- Recipe by Trevor Farias. Full page with photos: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/french-macarons Structured data (JSON): https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/french-macarons/recipe.json