Chai Macarons

Hello friends! Let’s make Chai Macarons today! These macarons are filled with a Chai Spiced Buttercream.

Chai Macarons

The spices used in chai can vary a lot, which is perfect, because it makes it easy to customize to your liking.

For example, in this Chai Buttercream, I’ve used cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Sometimes I will add nutmeg, or allspice too. Feel free to substitute any of the spices you don’t care for too much and use others you might prefer.

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Chai Macarons

I also sprinkled some chai spice on top of the macarons after they were done baking.

Usually when I am baking macarons and I want to top the shells with a powder, or any sprinkles, I will do so before baking the shells, right after piping, and before they start to dry out.

The reason I didn’t sprinkle the chai spices on top of the Chai Macarons before baking them is because cinnamon can affect the shells. I am sure it would be fine to just sprinkle a bit of it on top of the shells before baking, however, I didn’t want to risk it.

3 stacked macarons

Even though I’ve seen people do it and the macarons turn out fine, I’ve also seen people add cinnamon to their shells and have them completely deflate because of it.

Once I sprinkled some dry lemon zest on top of my shells and they baked awful! After that day I am very careful with what I sprinkle on top of my shells. I stick to sprinkles, maybe espresso powder, matcha powder, and stuff like that, which I know won’t react with the meringue.

Chai Macarons

These Chai Macarons were delicious, because I simply love Chai spices!

Another tip I have for making the filling, is to add milk infused with chai tea to the buttercream.

When I made these Chai Macarons I had actually infused some milk with chai tea for another recipe (cupcakes), and I had some leftover, so I used it in the buttercream. Feel free to do the same. Totally worth it!

Chai Macarons

I chose to color these Chai Macarons in this baby blue color, because something about Chai just gives me all the chill vibes, like the blue in the shells.

Plus, I have been doing a lot of brown/beige macarons lately, so I felt like adding a pop of color.

Chai Macarons

If you are new to making macarons, and would like some more tips, please check out my resources. I have lots of videos on Youtube, as well as many articles and blog posts written here on my blog.

Click here to see all of my Macaron posts.

Chai Macarons topped with a dusting of chai spices

If you liked these Chai Macarons, you may also like these other macaron flavors and ideas:

stack of blue chai macarons dusted with chai spice

Thank you for reading my blog! Have a lovely day!

Chai Macarons

Chai Macarons

Camila Hurst
Chai Macarons filled with creamy Chai Buttercream.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
0 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 22 macarons
Calories 112 kcal

Ingredients
  

Macaron Shells
  • 100  grams  egg whites  3.5 oz
  • 100  grams  granulated sugar  3.5 oz
  • 105  grams  almond flour  3.7 oz
  • 105  grams  powdered sugar  3.7 oz
  • Food coloring optional, I used a drop of blue
Chai Buttercream
  • 1 1/3  cups  confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • tablespoons  unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2   tablespoon  milk* as necessary

Instructions
 

Macaron Shells
  • Before you start, get all of your ingredients ready. Prepare a large piping bag, fitted with a large round tip. Set aside.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  • I use a baking mat with the macaron template already in it. You can make your own or print it from the internet, and just place it under silicone mat, or parchment paper. I recommend using a silicone mat.
  • Measure out all of your ingredients.
  • Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together. Set aside.
  • Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat proof bowl or in a double boiler. Over a pan of simmering water, whisk the whites and sugar until frothy and sugar completely melted. It will take a couple minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you feel any sugar granules just keep whisking mixture over the water bath.
  • Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the simmering water.
  • Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • With the whisk attachment, start whisking mixture on low for about 30 seconds, then gradually start increasing speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. Raise speed to high for a few minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites. Once they get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to stop.
  • Whisk until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whip up, the peak should form a bird’s beak shape, but shouldn’t be falling to the side, the peak should be stiff, forming a slightly curved shape at the top.
  • Pour sifted powdered sugar and almond flour into stiff whites.
  • Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
  • Add the food coloring at this point, if using.
  • It’s time to stop folding when the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. There are several ways to test this.
  • First, I pick up some batter with my spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that’s one indication that it might be ready.
  • There’s another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test.
  • Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.
  • If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn’t spread out a bit, I start folding a little bit more, about 3 folds.
  • Test again.
  • Once the batter spreads out a bit and starts to look glossy and smooth on top, on the parchment paper, I transfer my mixture to the piping bag.
  • You don’t want your batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to overmix. It’s always best to undermix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
  • The best way I can describe this stage being perfect is when you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly.
  • Place piping bag directly 90 degrees over the center of each macaron template. Apply equal pressure and carefully pipe for about 3 seconds, and then quickly pull the bag up twisting slightly.
  • Once you’ve piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter a few times each. This will release air bubbles that are in the batter and prevent your macaron shells from cracking.
  • Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles in the surface of the shells.
  • Let your trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out a little bit. I usually leave about 20-40 minutes, depending on how humid the day is. You’ll know they’re ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 300ºF.
  • Bake one tray at a time.
  • Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
  • I bake each tray for about 18 minutes.
  • When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. If you try to move a macaron, it shouldn’t feel jiggly. If the macaron is still jiggly, keep baking.
  • Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
  • Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.
Chai Buttercream
  • Start by sifting the powdered sugar with the chai spices. Set it aside.
  • Now, cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  • With the mixer off, add powdered sugar/chai mixture to the bowl.
  • Turn mixer on low to incorporate the powdered sugar with the butter.
  • Once you see no streaks of dry powdered sugar, cream mixture on medium high for one minute.
  • Add vanilla extract and milk. Mix to combine.
  • If the buttercream is too runny, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar in. If the buttercream is too stiff, add a bit more milk, by the teaspoon, until you achieve the desired consistency, which should be firm, but not stiff, and should also be creamy and smooth.
  • This frosting will store well in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered.
  • Make sure to always leave your frosting covered. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, because otherwise, the surface will dry out and get hard.
To assemble
  • Place the Chai Buttercream in a piping bag, and then pipe some buttercream on half of the shells. Top with another shell. I sprinkled some extra chai on top of the shells.
Storage
  • These Macarons will freeze well for up to 2 months in an air-tight container, or up to 1 week in the fridge.

Notes

*You could just use 3/4 teaspoon of chai spice instead of mixing the spices listed in the recipe
**I added chai tea infused milk to the buttercream. I infused one cup of milk with a bag of chai tea and let it cool down (to be used in another recipe), and then ended up using some of that milk on this Chai Buttercream, which I totally recommend if you want to enhance the Chai flavor.
Keyword chai, macarons

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15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these today and they were delicious! It was my first time doing a Swiss meringue instead of a French meringue and I felt like it was quite a bit easier. Loved the chai buttercream 🙂

  2. I followed your directions exactly and they burned at the 7 minute mark. I think my oven is too fast (it’s about 3 months old). I think I’m going to lower temp to 300F. Placed them in middle. Thoughts?

  3. So the buttercream with the chai infused milk… you did everything exact with the spices in your recipe and then just added the infused milk to get the right consistency?

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