These Chocolate Macarons make for the perfect treat. With their caramel chocolate ganache filling, these macarons are sure to be a new favorite!
Table of contents
- How to Make Chocolate Macarons
- Tips & Tricks
- Variations
- Chocolate Macarons FAQs
- Why do chocolate macarons crack when baking?
- What can I substitute for almond flour in macarons?
- Do all macarons use almond flour?
- Why is my macaron lopsided?
- Why is my macaron chewy?
- Can I substitute all-purpose flour for almond flour in macarons?
- Should macarons be refrigerated?
- How do you make macarons without a piping bag?
Macarons are small sandwich cookies filled with ganache that melt in your mouth. They are fancy and elegant, making them great for tea parties.
Other tea party favorites include these savory Polenta, Parmesan, Chidden and Garlic Madeleines and these classy Deviled Egg Ribbon Sandwiches.
Though it can be intimidating to make something new, these chocolate macarons will prove much easier than you expected! And each time you make them, you'll discover a new trick to making the perfect macaron.
This chocolate macarons recipe is...
- vegetarian
- gluten-free
- French-inspired
- a fancy, delicious treat
And don't forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet too! It's packed with my favorite easy substitutions to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
How to Make Chocolate Macarons
- Start by combining almond flour, confectioner's sugar, and cocoa powder in a food processor until well combined.
- Place the mixture in a large mixing bowl and set it aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites until they get frothy.
- Slowly add the caster sugar into the egg whites while whisking.
- After all the sugar has been added, sprinkle in the cream of tartar and whisk until it is fully incorporated into a thick meringue.
- Add a portion of the meringue into the dry mixture, and use the spatula to fold the batter together into a thick paste.
- Then add the remaining meringue and gently fold into the batter.
- After all the meringue is mostly mixed into the batter, start testing the batter. When the batter is ready, you should be able to drop the batter from the spatula into a figure-eight with your spatula.
- Place the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pipe dollops of batter onto the parchment paper.
- Carefully tap the tray on the work surface a few times to knock out any extra air bubbles that got trapped in the batter.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature until there is a firm film on top of the macarons.
- Bake the macarons.
- Let them then cool to room temperature before removing them from the parchment paper.
- While the macarons are baking, you can start making the caramel chocolate ganache.
- Add the sugar to a non-stick saucepan.
- Once the edges of the sugar start to melt and turn golden, stir it and let it cook until all the sugar has melted.
- Take the sugar off the heat; stir in the butter and then the cream.
- Once the butter and cream are fully incorporated, add the chocolate pieces.
- Stir in all the chocolate until it is melted and evenly combined.
- Add the salt and stir.
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature, and then place it in the fridge to cool.
- Once the macarons are out of the oven and the filling is cooled, you're read to assemble them.
- Add the ganache to the piping bag.
- Flip half of the macarons over so that the underside is facing up, and pipe a big dollop of the ganache onto the flipped macarons.
- Place the rest of the macarons on top of the ganache like a sandwich, pressing it down gently until the ganache spreads to the edges.
Scroll down for the full recipe with measurements and detailed instructions.
Tips & Tricks
Using Weighted Measurements
Macarons can be tricky, so it may be best to use weighted measurements (such as in grams). You can do this by using a kitchen scale. But you can also just use typical U.S. measurements, which I've included in the recipe.
Storing the Macarons
Store the chocolate macarons in an airtight container. This will keep them nice and fresh.
Whisking the Egg Whites
When you whisk the egg whites, you can use a standing mixer or an electric hand mixer. You just want to make sure to whisk them long enough so they become frothy.
Piping the Macarons
If you need help making your macarons evenly sized, you can use a stencil and draw small circles on the parchment paper. This will help you pipe the macarons. Make sure to turn the ink side of the parchment paper down before piping.
Variations
Ganache Flavor
Instead of using dark chocolate for the ganache, you can melt butterscotch chips, semisweet chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
If you use white chocolate chips, you can add food coloring to make your ganache different colors.
Chocolate Macarons FAQs
Why do chocolate macarons crack when baking?
Your macarons may crack when baking if you had too much air in the batter. This can be fixed by tapping the tray against counter after piping your cookies to remove any air bubbles.
This may also happen because your oven has hot spots.
What can I substitute for almond flour in macarons?
You can substitute almond flour in a one-on-one ratio. You can use all-purpose flour or even pumpkin seed flour. Just grind the seeds in a food processor until you have a fine flour.
Do all macarons use almond flour?
Almond flour is one of the main ingredients in macarons. It provides just the right amount of moisture to make perfect macarons.
Almond flour gives macarons a unique texture and flavor that makes macarons the fancy treat they are!
Why is my macaron lopsided?
Your chocolate macarons may be lopsided for a couple reasons. It may be that the oven's convection fan is too strong, the baking pan is warped, the macarons rested for too long, the mixing technique was wrong, or improper piping techniques.
Why is my macaron chewy?
Macarons may be too chewy if they were overbaked, if the mixing method was wrong, or if there was too little almond flour in the batter.
Your macarons should not be super crunchy or crispy.
Can I substitute all-purpose flour for almond flour in macarons?
Yes. You can substitute all-purpose flour for almond flour. Just remember that almond flour requires more egg or binding agent than all-purpose flour, so you'll have to alter the recipe some.
Should macarons be refrigerated?
You can refrigerate your chocolate macarons for up to three days. Just place them in an airtight container. For the best flavor though, macarons should be eaten at room temperature.
How do you make macarons without a piping bag?
While piping tips are useful for making perfectly circular macarons, they aren't necessary. You can use a gallon or quart sized plastic bag instead. Just cut off a small corner of the bag so that you can pipe out the batter.
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the macarons
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup caster sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
For salted caramel chocolate ganache
- 1 cup double cream
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 ¾ tablespoon butter
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the macarons
- Combine the almond flour, confectioner's sugar, and cocoa powder in a food processor, and pulse to break up any big pieces of almond. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, take the egg whites and whisk with an electric mixer until it starts to get frothy. (You can also use a stand mixer.)
- Slowly add one tablespoon of caster sugar into the egg-whites, while whisking.
- Add the next spoonful of sugar once the previous one is fully incorporated into the egg whites. Keep the speed of the whisk at low to medium during this entire process, and continue adding the sugar in one tablespoon increments.
- Once all the sugar has been added, sprinkle in the cream of tartar and whisk for a couple of minutes until it is fully incorporated. You should have a thick meringue.
- Now add approximately one third of the meringue into the dry mixture.
- Using a spatula, mix to form a thick paste.
- Now add the remaining egg whites and gently fold them into the batter.
- Once most of the egg whites are mixed into the batter, start to test the batter by making a figure-eight motion with your spatula after every fold. When the batter is ready, you should be able to drop the batter from the spatula into a figure 8 without the batter ribbon breaking.
- Place the batter into a clean piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- If you need a little help making your macarons evenly sized, you can use a stencil to draw rounds on the parchment paper to help you pipe the macarons. Turn the ink side down before piping.
- Now start piping dollops of batter into the middle of the circles.
- Tap the tray on the work surface a few times to knock out any extra air bubbles trapped in the batter.
- Now let the piped macarons sit undisturbed at room temperature for 30-45 minutes until a film forms on top of the macarons.
- Bake the macarons at 325°F (or 160°C) for 18-20 minutes.
- Let the macarons cool to room temperature before removing them from the parchment paper.
For the caramel chocolate ganache
- Add the sugar to a heavy non-stick saucepan, and place it over medium heat.
- Once the edges of the sugar start to melt and turn golden, stir and let it cook until all the sugar has melted completely.
- Now take it off the heat and stir in the butter, followed by the cream.
- Once the butter and cream are fully incorporated, add the chocolate pieces.
- Stir until all the chocolate is melted and evenly combined.
- Add the salt and give it another stir.
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature and then let it cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
Assemble the macarons
- Add the cooled ganache into a piping bag.
- Now flip half of the macarons over so that the underside is facing up.
- Pipe a big dollop of the caramel ganache on these flipped macarons.
- Place the remaining macarons on top of the ganache like a sandwich, pressing down gently until the ganache spreads just to the edges.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Given the delicate nature of macarons, I strongly suggest using the weighted measurements (grams) when making this recipe. However, since I know not everyone has a kitchen scale available, I've also included an approximation in typical US measurements. These are estimates!
- Store the macarons in airtight container to keep them fresh.
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