Easy French Macaron Recipe (Macaroons)
I am often asked why have my macarons failed?! Why are there no feet?! Why have the macaron shells cracked? And which recipe do you use for your macarons? So here it is… french macaron recipe and troubleshooting.
On a recent holiday I found a 200 year old cookbook on my mums bookshelf. It tells that King Henry VIII granted an estate in Leadenhall Street to a Mistress Cornewallies in reward for the fine puddings that she presented to him. Follow these easy steps to make macarons fit for a king. You will aquire such indulgence that is pleasing to the palate and if you’re lucky enough perhaps you too will be granted an estate!
The picture above shows the 200 year old macaron recipe. They called them almond puffs. Personally I prefer to make them using my electric mixer using the recipe below.
French Macaron Recipe Ingredients
4 large egg whites (or 5 small) approx 140g (4.94 ounces)
1/3 cup or 70g (2.47 ounces) caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar)
1 1/2 cups or 230g (8.11 ounces) pure icing sugar. IF you wish to use icing mixture INSTEAD of icing sugar you will need 1 3/4 cups or 275g (9.7 ounces) icing mixture
1 cup or 120g (4.23 ounces) almond meal
2g (0.07 ounces) salt (tiny pinch)
gel food colouring (optional) note too much liquid will make the macarons fail so if it is your first time making them try with no colour until you’ve got the technique sorted.
Macaron Recipe Directions
This recipe makes approximately 40 shells or 20 filled macarons
Preheat the oven to 150C (302 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sift the almond meal and icing sugar and salt together, discarding any almond lumps that are too big to pass through the sieve.
Place egg whites and caster sugar into a bowl and mix with electric mixer until stiff enough to turn the bowl upside down without it falling out. How long this takes will depend on you mixer.
Continue to whip for 1-2 more minutes.
Add gel or powdered food colouring and continue to mix for a further 20 seconds.
Fold the almond & sugar mixture into the egg whites. This is the most important step and where most first time macaron bakers have trouble.
It should take roughly 30-50 folds using a rubber spatula but obviously this will vary depending on your folding technique. The mixture should be smooth and a very viscous, not runny. Watch the video to see what you are going for. Over-mix and your macarons will be flat and have no foot, under mix and they will not be smooth on top. See the macaron troubleshooting post for examples.
Pipe onto trays lined with baking paper, rap trays on the bench firmly (this prevents cracking) and then bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Make sure you are using NON-stick baking paper or they will stick. Check if the macarons are done by quickly opening the oven and slightly pressing on top of one – if it squishes down slightly it’s not yet ready, close the oven so the oven temp doesn’t change. Taking them out of the oven too soon will mean the insides will drop and you’ll have hollow shells.
PLEASE make sure you watch the macarons FAQ and troubleshooting video. This way you can learn from the mistakes and questions of those who have made them before you.
Filling your macaroons
My favorite is flavoured ganache, but you can use jam and cream, butter cream or just eat them plain.
Ganache Recipe
100g (3.53 ounces) chocolate
30ml cream
Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for a minute and then stir. If it is not adequately melted then microwave for 20 seconds and stir – repeat until smooth. Allow to cool and thicken before piping onto macarons.
More macaron recipes for you:
easy macaron recipe
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Macaron trouble-shooting & FAQ
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nut free macarons
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orange choc macarons
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 macaron ice cream sandwich |
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chocolate macarons
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Salted Caramel Macarons
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Any idea where I went wrong? Cookies never got off the baking sheet, bubbly/rough “shell” which never hardened (but the edges browned). No feet after resting for 20-40 min.
Photos here – post of my failure
Hey Ann,
Sorry if this has been asked before but, can you use an alternative to food colouring?
Thank you
How many macarons does this recipe make?
Hi rebecca it depends on the size you pipe them but around 20 complete ones in the size pictured
Hi Ann,
I’ve been using your recipe to create macarons but they crack on the top. I find that my meringue mixture has a lot of air bubbles and by the time I get to 15 folds, my mixture is gets quite runny. Can you help please?
D
Hi Divya, make sure you are using a spatula not a spoon to fold. If it is getting runny after 15 folds there something not quite right there.
Hello,
I love the video and I have watched it several times before trying the recipe, but my batter is too runny and I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I am not going to give up because I really love them and want to learn how to make them.
Carol
Hi Carol do make sure you click on the link to go through to troubleshooting and FAQ
They look really good! I can’t wait to try and make them~ I was wondering what the title of the book you mentioned in this post is? Please reply, thank you~
Hi Isa, Sorry I can’t remember anymore but I do know I have replied to that question a few times previously and linked to the book online, if you read through previous comments I’mm sure you’ll find it.
Hi it is Jessica and I love to watch you cooking all these cake but I have never made one as I am only 11 so please continue making cakes cup cakes
Never too young to start baking 😀
I made this recipe last night (first time!) and had a few technical issues with it. I found out after it’s really important to let the cookies ‘dry’ before putting them in the oven. They need to be smooth on top before they are ready to cook, or they will crack (found that out the hard way lol). I think that the oven temp is key too… since everyone’s oven is different you need to figure it out by trial and error. My oven isnt very strong and always takes longer to cook everything. I put mine in at 325 at first and it turned out to be too hot – they started browning and cracking after 12 minutes. Im going to stick with 300 F next time like the recipe says 🙂
How do I cook these in a convection microwave?
Wow, Mana. Why so hateful? It’s not that serious. Really, it’s not. I hope you get some help. It sounds like you need it – because it’s not normal to get that worked up over a mispronounced word.
Ann – I’m a big fan of yours. Love your videos. I’ve learned so much. =)
Hi there,
I was just looking up various recipes for these great confections, as I love to try different things and make mistakes. Thanks for all the fun info. But to this Mana Maniac person…seriously? Once you write (equivalent to saying it) you cannot take it bake. You must be perfect all the time…no mistakes for you Mana. Frankly, I’m a FAN of mistakes. That’s how we LEARN. Apparently you are French and extremely rude. Hope you learned your lesson. Thanks Anne for the great recipe insight!
WSL
Etc…
Thanks for great instructions. Can I freeze the shells for couple of days, fill with ice cream day before and stick back in freezer until ready to serve?
Thanks in advance
Mana – what a coward you are hiding behind the anonymity this site provides. SHAME on you.
I felt compelled to write you for the first time this evening as I have tried this recipe many times and only today have succeeded in creating these wonderful treats. Perfect outer shells, the highly prized foot at the bottom and wonderful melt in your mouth texture. I thank you for your trouble shooting guide and videos. I am so excited that I can now produce beautiful macaroons and intend on doing so to the amazement of my friends and neighbors for many batches to come. Thank you so much for these excellent posts!
Hi, I’ve been following your recipe and method to a T for 3 times now and have the same results. The shell comes out hollowed with the centre oozying out. Where am I going wrong? I’ve watched your FAQ and troubleshooting video as well, but this problem wasn’t addressed. Please help!
I’ve finally figured it out! I’ve been using a silicone “macaron baking sheet” advertised to help make perfect macarons. What a lie and waste of money! I was too scared of piping it on good old baking paper, since do such a horrible job piping. Tonight I’ve made pretty nice ones on baking paper. But I ended up with skirts instead of feet. Need to turn up the oven temperature for the next round.
Hey Sunshine, I just baked some macarons and have had exactly the same problem. I too was using one of those not so helpful silicone mats. Next batch will be on parchment paper. Thanks for posting
I had try this recipe for about 8 times, and my problem is about to bake ,
My oven has 3 different heat and i confused what should i used for baked, does anyone can tell me which heat the exactly to use? Top heat or bottom heat or just both of it? And my oven is small so in what degress does it need? Help me please…. 🙁
Pipe a few and use bottom at 150c or 300f. Do it again for both heat. Top is broil, which is usually used to char or glaze food… like a turkey or ham. Skirt (the “feet” sticks out and around instead of under) = temp is too low. If the shells burn before it comes of cleanly = too high.
This is the best instructional video I’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding. Concise, well-illustrated, beautifully explained. Well-done.
Thanks a million for sharing. You rock.
still dying to know the name of the book the recipe is from…? thanks
How many does this make?
To Mana: You do have a serious problem, it´s not the macarons,
your fowl language, your anger, everything in you indicates your frustration in life, something big is bothering you to get so excited, mad and aggressive about a mispronunciation. You do need therapy.