How to Make French Macarons at Home That Look and Taste Like They Came From a Pâtisserie (2024)

Macarons are French almond meringue cookies, sandwiched around a filling. They're fun to make, impressive, and endlessly variable. You can flavor the cookies and fillings (buttercream, jam, or chocolate ganache, perhaps?) and customize the colors, so they can match the décor for a party or look appropriate as a gift.

French macarons are made from almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, so they are light, delicate, and gluten-free. They look like a treat best left to pastry chefs, but they're not difficult to make; you simply need to be precise and nail the technique. Our foolproof macarons recipe shows you all the steps, from making your own almond flour (which is so easy) and combining the almond mixture, to beating the meringue and sandwiching the cookies. You'll feel like a master pâtissier when you make these colorful, dainty dessert sandwiches.

Macarons vs. Macaroons

Macarons are French almond meringue cookies, sandwiched around a filling. Macaroons are ooey-gooey, coconut mounds.Both macaroons and macarons are gluten-free and made with egg whites, not whole eggs, and it seems likely they have a similar origin, although they each branched off at a certain point. Both are kosher for Passover, because neither contain flour or leavening agents, which are forbidden to be eaten by anyone celebrating the eight-day Jewish holiday. But don't confuse them, because while both are tasty, they are a very different treats. French macarons are more light, delicate, and elegant than macaroons, though the latter are easier to make.

Macarons Should Be Made Ahead

Macarons improve with time. Sandwich them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Once you sandwich them around a filling, the insides of the cookies begin to soften, creating the contrast we associate with the best macarons. This can take from 24 to 72 hours, depending on the filling—something liquid like jam will be ready overnight, while a buttercream that firms in the fridge can take up to a week. The perfect macaron should have a crisp outside and a soft, chewy middle.

Macaron Fillings

There are many delicious ways to fill macarons. Choose a filling that complements the flavor of your macaron cookies. You can use store-bought ingredients or make your own filling:

Store-bought options include: Various fruit jams and preserves, lemon curd, or chocolate-hazelnut spread

Homemade fillings include: Our Macaron Filling, Chocolate Ganache, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or lemon curd

1. Preheat oven and grind almonds:

   Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
   

   

2. Sift the almond mixture:

   Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
   

   

3. Whip egg whites:

   Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
   

   

   See Also

   5 Common Problems When Making French Macarons

4. Customize the meringue:

   The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavoring and food coloring, if desired, and beat on highest speed for 30 seconds after adding.
   

   

5. Fold in almond mixture:

   Add the dry ingredients all at once. Fold in with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
   

   

6. Prepare to pipe:

   Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment paper—the batter will prevent them from slipping.
   

   

7. Pipe rounds:

   With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
   

   

8. Bake and fill macarons:

   Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of the cookies; gently top each cookie with filling with another cookie. Wrap the macarons in plastic and refrigerate.
   

   Let cool completely before moving from the baking sheet as the macarons are very fragile when warm. Use an offset spatula to release the cookies from the parchment-lined sheet.
   

   

Frequently Asked Questions

What are macarons made out of?

Macarons are not difficult to make, but you do need to be precise and allow enough time for the macarons to "cure" after they are baked. Making macarons is not like making many other cookies because they are not made with regular flour and need to be piped, so you may find them more complicated until you have made them a few times and are used to the process.

When Martha made this recipe on Martha Bakes episode 305 she used strawberry jam for the filling.