Chocolate Macarons
Chocolate macarons are famous for being trickier than regular shells — the cocoa powder adds fat, the batter behaves differently, and even small changes can lead to cracking, wrinkling, or shells with no feet. After teaching macarons for years through my macaron course and developing over 150 macaron recipes here on the blog, I’ve learned exactly what makes chocolate shells succeed or fail.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to make perfect chocolate macarons using the Swiss method, with a step-by-step video, the best cocoa powders to use, and clear troubleshooting for every common issue. If your chocolate shells keep failing or you’ve never been able to get them quite right, this post will walk you through the science behind the recipe and everything you need to know to finally master them.
Why you will love this recipe
There are many chocolate macaron recipes out there, but this one stands out for a few key reasons:
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- It uses the Swiss meringue method — the perfect balance of stability and simplicity.
Swiss meringue is far more stable than the French method and much less complicated than the Italian method, making it ideal for chocolate shells. Since cocoa powder adds weight and fat, a strong and reliable meringue is essential for preventing cracked, wrinkled, or hollow shells.
The Swiss method gives you consistent results, even if you’ve struggled with macarons before. - It includes two decadent filling options: A rich chocolate buttercream — smooth, dark, and ready in minutes. Or a chocolate ganache — perfect for those who prefer a less sweet, more balanced filling. Both fillings pair beautifully with chocolate shells and give you flexibility depending on the occasion.
- The post is packed with macaron knowledge and troubleshooting tips. This isn’t just a recipe, it’s a full guide. Whether you’re brand new to macarons or looking to perfect chocolate shells specifically, this recipe gives you the technique, science, and confidence to succeed.
Quick Success Tips
Before we dive in, here are the key things to know:
- Choose a low-fat cocoa powder (around 0.5 g fat per tablespoon).
- Make sure your almond flour is fresh and not oily. If it’s clumping up too much, it’s time to get a new bag, or switch brands of flour.
- Macaronage usually takes less time for chocolate batter than for classic shells.
- The Swiss method produces a stronger, more stable meringue for chocolate shells.
- If your shells consistently wrinkle or crack, try reducing the cocoa powder slightly, or rest them longer. The issue could also be due to not having a strong enough meringue. Always make sure to whip the meringue to the perfect stiff consistency.
These quick cues alone solve most chocolate macaron issues.
How to make Chocolate Macarons
This recipe uses the Swiss meringue method, which creates a stronger, more stable base for chocolate shells. Follow the steps carefully and focus on visual cues rather than rushing through the process.
1. Prepare Your Tools and Ingredients
- Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Fit a large piping bag with a round tip (Wilton 12 or a ¼-inch round tip).
Gather all the tools and ingredients you will need for the recipe.
Wipe bowls, spatulas, and mats with vinegar to remove any grease.
Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder together. Set aside.
2. Make the Meringue
Whisk the sugar and egg white powder (if using) in a heatproof bowl.
Add the egg whites to the bowl.
Whisk constantly over barely simmering water until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Rub a drop between your fingers—if you don’t feel granules, it’s ready.
Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whip on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for a few minutes.
Increase to medium-high speed and whip until stiff peaks form.
The meringue should be glossy, fluffy, and hold a peak that shoots straight up without drooping.
Read more about the meringue stage of making macarons in these two articles: How long to whip the meringue when making macarons, and The Meringue Stage.
3. Fold the Batter (Macaronage)
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the stiff meringue. Add brown food coloring if using.
Fold gently with a spatula, forming a “J” motion, cutting through the middle with a spatula, then circling around the bowl.
Press the batter against the sides of the bowl to deflate the batter.
The batter is ready when it flows slowly off the spatula, forms figure-8s without breaking, and settles back into itself within 20–30 seconds.
The Teaspoon Test
You can also perform the Teaspoon test, in which you spoon some batter on the tray, give it a few gentle taps, and watch how it behaves. The batter should spread out and lose the peak on top after a minute or so after being spooned onto the tray. This testing method works with all batters, not just chocolate. It’s the best way to tell if your batter is mixed enough if you are a beginner, or unsure of the proper consistency.
4. Pipe and Rest the Shells
Transfer the batter to the piping bag and secure the top. Pipe straight down into the center of each template circle.
Tap the trays firmly against the counter to release air bubbles. Pop visible bubbles with a toothpick.
Let the shells rest at room temperature for 20–40 minutes, or until the tops feel dry and do not stick to your finger. Depending on the weather, or how much food coloring you’ve added, it can take much longer.
5. Bake
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. But have in mind oven temperatures vary depending on your oven. Read this article to understand more about your oven and how to determine the best temperature to bake your shells.
- Bake one tray at a time.
- Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the tray if needed, then continue baking for a total of 15–20 minutes.
- The shells are done when they no longer jiggle and release cleanly from the mat.
- Let cool completely before filling.
6. Fill the Macarons
I have an immense amount of fillings that would go amazing with chocolate macaron shells. Here are some of the suggested fillings from my blog. Such as these delicious Snickers Macarons, filled with Caramel Buttercream and nougat. These delightful Hot Chocolate Macarons, filled with hot chocolate buttercream. If you enjoy Nutella, then these Nutella Macarons, filled with Nutella buttercream will be perfect for you. And my all time favorite, Brownie Macarons, filled with a piece of brownie in the center.
Down below in the recipe I have posted two beautiful filling ideas: Rich Chocolate Buttercream, and Chocolate Ganache. Check both of them out, and let me know which one is your favorite!
Fill the shells and place them in an airtight container in the fridge to mature overnight. Read more about Macaron Storage here.
Why Do Chocolate Macaron Shells Fail?
Chocolate shells fail more often than classic shells because cocoa powder adds fat to the batter—and fat is the enemy of meringue. A stable meringue forms when proteins in the egg whites build a structured network that traps and protects air bubbles. When fat enters the mix—whether from oily almond flour or high-fat cocoa powder—it interferes with that structure, leading to weak or unstable shells. This is something I learned firsthand through a lot of trial and error.
This leads to:
- Cracked shells
- Wrinkled or porous tops
- Weak or tiny feet
- Hollow or collapsed shells
In short: too much fat prevents the meringue from supporting the macaron structure. This is why chocolate macarons require a more precise meringue and slightly different handling than classic shells.
Best Cocoa Powder for Chocolate Macarons
Some cocoa powder brands have higher fat content than others. And depending on the fat content of the almond flour you use, the fat in the cocoa powder will also add into that, which will affect the shells greatly. The fat content matters.
Here’s why: Fresh, low-fat cocoa powder keeps the meringue stable. Older or high-fat cocoa powder releases fat into the batter and weakens the shells.
| Cocoa Powder | Fat per Tbsp | Notes |
| Hershey’s | ~0.5 g | Low fat, consistent results |
| Callebaut | ~1.5 g | Higher fat, can cause wrinkling |
| Valrhona | ~1.5 g | Amazing flavor, trickier shells |
A fat content around 0.5 g per tablespoon gives the best structure.
How much cocoa powder should you use?
My recipe uses 14 g cocoa powder. It works well for me, and I always use Hershey’s, but if you use a different brand, or have oily almond flour, or if your shells continue to come out wrinkled or cracked, you may want to reduce the cocoa powder to 5–10 grams.
If you do reduce it, replace the missing grams with powdered sugar to maintain the correct dry-to-wet ratio. Example: If using 7 g cocoa instead of 14 g, add 7 g extra powdered sugar.
Some bakers skip cocoa entirely and use brown food coloring, but you’ll miss the flavor. Even a small amount of cocoa adds richness, so I recommend adjusting — not removing it.
How to Know When to Stop Folding (Macaronage)
Macaronage is where most bakers go wrong — and chocolate batter behaves differently because cocoa powder absorbs moisture. Instead of focusing on mixing for a certain number of minutes, watch for the visual cues.
The perfect chocolate macaron batter should:
- Flow slowly and smoothly off the spatula on a V-shape
- Form two to three figure 8s without breaking
- Settle within 20–30 seconds when tapped
- Look glossy and thick, not runny
If the batter flows too quickly, it may be: overly affected by high-fat cocoa powder, overmixed, a sign the meringue was too soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my chocolate macarons cracking? Usually because of too much fat (cocoa or almond flour), undermixed meringue, or oven heat hitting the shells too aggressively.
Why are my chocolate macaron shells wrinkled? High-fat cocoa powder weakens the meringue and causes wrinkling as the shells collapse.
Can I add egg white powder to chocolate shells? Egg white powder adds protein and strengthens the meringue. If you are used to adding it to your regular shells, you can still add it to the chocolate ones, but I recommend reducing the amount. I use 4g of egg white powder for my regular shells, for chocolate ones I reduce it to 2g. If living in a dry climate, consider skipping the egg white powder.
Do the egg whites need to be at room temperature? For the Swiss method (the one highlighted here), no. The whites warm up naturally when placed over the double boiler with the sugar. It might take longer to dissolve, but won’t affect the final structure. For the French method, it’s usually required that the eggs be at room temperature. Read more about egg white powder and how to use it here.
What’s best for baking macarons, parchment paper or silicone mat? If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m team silicone mat for macarons. Silicone mat provides you with even bottoms, and if you use a mat with the circles in it, they will have uniform sizes. Also, silicone provides even heat distribution. Parchment paper can cause the shells to have uneven, wrinkly bottoms.
Thank you for being here and baking with me! I hope this guide helps you perfect your chocolate macarons and gives you the confidence to troubleshoot whenever something goes wrong. Once you understand the way cocoa powder affects the batter, chocolate shells become much easier — and so much fun to make.
Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
Chocolate Macaron Shells
- 100 grams egg whites
- 100 grams white sugar
- 2 grams egg white powder optional (read notes)
- 96 grams almond flour
- 75 grams powdered sugar
- 14 grams cocoa powder
- brown food coloring (optional to deepen the color)
Rich Chocolate Frosting
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter (70 grams)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (40 grams)
- 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar (343 grams)
- 2-4 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache Filling option
- 200 grams chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (156 ml)
Instructions
Chocolate Macaron Shells
- Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare a large piping bag, fitted with a round tip, I like to use a Wilton 12 or a tip measuring 1/4" in diameter.
- 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.
- Wipe the mats and bowls you will use down with vinegar, this gets rid of any grease particles that might be in the tools.
- Measure out the ingredients before starting out.
- Sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder together. Set aside.
- Whisk the sugar and the egg white powder (if using) in a bowl, and place it over a pan with barely simmering water.
- Add the egg whites to the sugar and whisk the mixture until frothy and the sugar is completely melted. It will take a couple of minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you don't feel any sugar granules you can remove it from the heat.
- Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the simmering water.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- With the whisk attachment, start whisking the syrup on low (speed 2 KitchenAid) for about 30 seconds.
- After 30 seconds I’ll increase the speed to 4 and let the meringue whip for another couple of minutes here. Now I will finish whipping my meringue on speed 6 for about 10 minutes or so. Some people like to whip their meringue at a higher speed, and some people like it to be at a slower speed. I know of people who whip their meringue for a long time on speed 4, which can take a little while. And others like a faster speed. It all depends. Experiment with different speeds to find out how it affects your meringue. Generally, a faster speed will add lots of air bubbles to the meringue way too fast, which can create an unstable meringue, or hollow shells. Which is why I like to stay at a medium speed for the most part.
- Continue to watch the meringue whip to avoid over whipping.
- Once the whites get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to start checking.
- Whip until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whisk up, the peak should be stiff and shooting straight up, with possibly a slight bend at the top, but not bending down to the side.
- Pour the sifted powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder into the stiff meringue. Add food coloring if using. Adding a little bit of brown food coloring can help deepen the color of the shells, specially if you've reduced the amount of cocoa powder.
- Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula. Fold the dry ingredients with the meringue until the perfect consistency has been achieved.
- The batter should be flowing slowly and effortlessly off the spatula, you should be able to pick up some batter with the spatula and draw several figure 8s with the batter that’s flowing, without having the batter break up. And even after the batter breaks up, it should still continue to flow off the spatula slowly.
- 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, fold 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, it’s ready.
- You don’t want your batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to over mix. It’s always best to under mix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
- Once the batter achieves the perfect consistency, transfer it to the piping bag. Secure the top with a tie, so the batter doesn’t scape while piping, and to keep the batter from drying out.
- Now position the piping bag over the center of the circle template, and start applying gentle pressure to release the batter. Then pull the bag up twisting slightly at the top.
- Once you’ve piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter. 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 on 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 and doesn't stick to your finger.
- Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
- Bake one tray at a time.
- Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray. Not everybody has to rotate their trays, depending on your oven you may not have to do this. If I don't rotate my trays, the macarons come out lopsided.
- Bake the macarons for a total of 15 to 20 minutes, until you try to move a macaron and it doesn't feel jiggly. You can also gently touch the top of the shell and it shouldn't feel soft.
- When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. And they will peel off the tray easily.
- Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
- Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
- Start by sifting the powdered sugar, and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add softened butter to the mixer bowl, and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- With the mixer off, add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk.
- Mix on low until dry ingredients are incorporated with the butter.
- Raise the speed to medium-high, and cream from 30 -60 seconds, until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- The frosting should be smooth, thick, not too stiff. Add more milk if the frosting is too stiff, and add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny and you went overboard with the milk.
- Always remember the a little bit of liquid here goes a long way, so you don’t want to be adding too much milk to the frosting.
For the Ganache filling option
- Chop dark chocolate very finely. Place it in a bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a small pan over medium heat, or in the microwave. No matter what method you choose, be very careful not to boil the heavy cream.
- Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a minute.
- Start stirring with a spatula until completely melted.
- Let it come to room temperature. Refrigerate for a bit before using, until it has piping consistency.
- To achieve the piping consistency for the ganache, you will have to rely a lot on the temperature of the ganache.
- If it has been in the fridge for a while, and it’s too thick and hard to pipe, insert it in the microwave for a few quick seconds, and stir it again. Test for consistency and keep going until you achieve the desired consistency.
- To be pipeable, the ganache should be thick, but easy to spread.
- If it happens that the ganache is too thin, you might want to put it in the fridge for a few minutes so it will harden up.
To assemble
- Place the frosting or ganache in a piping bag and pipe on top of half of the macarons. Top with another macaron.
Storage
- Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, and in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Make sure to package macarons really well in an air tight container to place it in the fridge.
Video
I’ve been making Italian Meringue macarons for a few months but had wanted to give Swiss meringue a try. I finally did, today, using your recipe. They came out perfectly, better in fact than my Italian meringue macarons. No hollow shells, great feet, and solid bottoms. I really like how Swiss meringue is kind of a hybrid, easier than Italian, more dependable than French. I’ll give your other macaron recipes a try.
Can you recommend a formula for converting an existing Italian meringue recipe to Swiss?
For readers, I did add a pinch of sea salt, the dry egg whites, and baked on silicone pads. In my oven it wasn’t necessary to rotate the pan but these did take longer to finish, 30 minutes at 300F.
I’ve had much success with your recipes! Can you please tell me how to add espresso powder to make these chocolate espresso macarons? Thank you!
yes you can add 1/2 tsp to the batter with the dry ingredients.
Hi Camila, I made these over the weekend and oh my gosh, so delicious and decadent. I dipped the shells in the Callebaut Belgian chocolate that you recommended, piped both the dark chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache in between the shells and wow, they are amazing!! The perfect chocolate lovers dessert. I have had issues with my shells being hollow with other recipes and followed your recommendation to whip at a lower speed (set at 6) and viola, no hollow shell, they were perfect. It took a bit longer for the meringue to get stiff peaks but patience paid off.
One question, I noticed you do not use the powdered egg whites in all your recipes. Can I add it to the recipes that do not call for it or will that change the meringue consistency?
Thank you for all your yummy recipes. We are all loving them
Greetings! The pistachio and hazel nut macarons came out perfectly. I’m making the chocolate ones and the batter is too stiff. Any guess why? Thank you.
could be over whipped meringue, could be the type of cocoa powder you’re using. most likely the meringue was overwhipped.
Awesome recipes but AWFUL website. All the pop ups and advertisements make it almost impossible to follow your recipes without having to print them out. The search bar is also nearly impossible to use due to all the pop ups. With a new website you’d be unstoppable.
Hi 🙂
I was just reading though a few of your recipes, and I was wondering why the chocolate macarons are baked at 325 F vs all your other macs are baked at 310F.
Do the chocolate ones require a higher temp? Thanks!
I only do French macarons so far, the Swiss and Italian intimidate me. Lol
But I’ll try your Swiss one day ☺️
No they dont, that’s because when I wrote this recipe I lived in a different house and state and the oven I used there the best temperature to bake on it was 325.
Now I bake them at a lower temperature.
I generally don’t make macarons so I followed the directions to the smallest details. The only part I did not follow was rotating the tray after 5 minutes. The recipe worked beautifully, the macarons came out perfect. Thank you for such a wonderfully tasty and detailed recipe.
Receita maravilhosa!! Que delícia 😋 😋 😋
Hi Camila. I wanted to ask where you get your chocolate sprinkles from? All I can find are chocolate jimmies and I don’t care for them much. Thanks!
I usually get them on amazon.
The flakes are called chocolate flakes by barrys.
I was wanting to make my macarons blue but I can’t do that with the cocoa powder. Do you think a regular macaron shell would still taste okay with a brigadiero filling or do you think the chocolate macaron is needed to complete the taste profile?
t sure would taste amazing!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times. I’ve learned with macarons that each recipe has to be tweaked to perfection. Each kitchen, each oven, each baker is different and macarons aren’t a one size fits all type of cookie. That being said….
Camila, can I double this recipe? Have you ever done that?
yes absolutely you can, I often do double my recipe!! Thank you so much!!!
Will try this! Thank you so much for taking time to reply ❤
Hi Camila! I’ve been making your mac recipe for a little while now (looove your recipe!). I wanted to ask if you whip your meringue or macaronage any differently with the chocolate recipe? I get beautiful feet and perfect macs with your regular shell recipe, but then use the same methods/routine with the chocolate recipe and get smaller feet every time (I use Hershey’s 0.5g fats/tbsp cocoa powder). I’m wanting to test a batch by either whipping the meringue a little longer or macaronaging a little less, but thought Id ask here first before starting the trial and error batches. I also let them sit a little longer then regular shells, might just have to leave them out longer than that. 🙂
Thank you!!!
It’s because it has less powdered sugar. you can try reducing the cocoa powder amount and substituting for more powdered sugar instead, which should help with the feet.
Your receipts are amazing, and we enjoy watching your videos too! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much!!!