Hello friends! Today let’s make Chocolate Macarons! In this page you will find a video with the best Chocolate Macaron recipe, plus many tips showing you how to make chocolate macarons with the Swiss method!
Also make sure to watch the Chocolate Macarons video on this page or on YouTube, showing you exactly how to make these delicious macarons!
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There’s always a lot of buzz around chocolate macaron shells, it can cause many bakers to question their skills because chocolate shells are prone to have issues. But why is that? Today we will cover that. We will talk about why your chocolate macaron shells might be failing. I will give you the best tips for success, how to troubleshoot your chocolate macaron issues, what is the best brand of cocoa powder to use.
We will also talk about the best fillings for chocolate shells, and at the end I will discuss my favorite macaron baking surface: parchment or silicone!
Why do my chocolate macarons always fail?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? I get this question on a daily basis.
Making chocolate macarons can be tricky because of the cocoa powder. That’s because when you add cocoa powder to the shells, you are also adding fat.
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.
Fat particles disrupt the meringue by bonding with the proteins.
The proteins are forming a very organized structure to protect the air bubbles from deflating and the water particles from getting into contact with the air bubbles. If there’s too much fat in the mix, the proteins will bond with them, which will weaken the structure of the meringue. So when that happens, you will come across cracked, wrinkled, porous macaron shells, or macaron shells with no feet.
So what is the solution?
Best cocoa powder for Chocolate Macarons
Does the type of cocoa powder matter when making chocolate macaron shells? Absolutely does.
As I mentioned above, the cocoa powder you are using could be the reason why your chocolate shells are failing.
Here are a few things to look at: the cocoa powder should be fresh (old and stale cocoa powder will have released fat, and that’s not good for macarons). Second thing, make sure the cocoa powder you are using to bake your macaron shells has low fat content.
I’ve analyzed my favorite cocoa powder brands: Valrhona, Callebaut, and Hershey’s. While Callebaut and Valrhona are amazing brands, their cocoa powder has 1.5 grams of fat per tbsp. Hershey’s has 0.5 grams of fat per tablespoon, so as you can see, 3 times less fat.
You want to use a cocoa powder that has about 0.5 grams of fat per tablespoon or so. That’s not to say that Callebaut or Valrhona won’t work for macarons at all, might work for some people. Other things may impact this also, such as the almond flour brand you are using. Perhaps the almond flour you are using already has increased fat as well, so that combined with the extra fat in the cocoa powder will also cause the issues mentioned above: cracked, porous, feet-less, or wrinkled shells.
On top of that, something else we should look at is the amount of cocoa powder in the recipe. My recipe, as you can see below, has 14 grams of cocoa powder. To some people that’s considered super high. For me and others, it works, so I continue to use this amount. However, if you have switched the cocoa powder brand, if you have made sure your cocoa powder is fresh, and if you have made sure your almond flour isn’t oily, but still the macarons are failing, you can consider lowering the amount of cocoa powder in the shells.
If using my recipe, reduce the amount of cocoa powder to 5 to 10 grams, you choose! Maybe you want to use 7 grams instead of 14 grams, it’s up to you to experiment and see if you land in a good measurement. However, if you reduce the cocoa powder, make sure to substitute the same amount you’ve substituted with powdered sugar.
So for example, if you decide to use my recipe and use 7 grams of cocoa powder instead of 14 grams, add another 7 grams of powdered sugar to the dry ingredients when sifting them together.
Some people even prefer omitting the cocoa powder altogether and just using brown food coloring to dye the shells instead. I honestly love chocolate shells and I won’t consider doing this, so if you do want to perfect your chocolate shells, try the substitutions I’ve suggested above first. Even a small amount of cocoa will add amazing flavor to the macarons, it’s worth it!
How to know when to stop folding chocolate macaron batter?
Once you add the dry ingredients (almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder) to the meringue, how long should you fold the batter?
This is a question I get a lot, to which there is no right answer for. I can’t give you an exact number of minutes that you should fold the batter. It takes me about 5 minutes to do the macaronage, however, it may take you longer or less time.
Depending on the consistency of the meringue, on the weather (humid weather will make the batter absorb water from the air, which can make the batter seemingly softer), it will affect how long you should fold the batter. If the meringue is softer, the batter will take less time to come together, if you add a lot of food coloring, it will make the batter runnier as well, so all of these are things to take into consideration.
Instead of focusing on the number of minutes, focus on what should the perfect batter look like.
The batter should be flowing off the spatula slowly and effortlessly. If you grab some batter with the spatula, you should be able to draw several figure 8s with the batter that’s flowing off the spatula without having it break up, and even after the batter breaks up, it will still continue to flow slowly off the spatula. If the batter is just running non-stop at a fast speed, it means it’s been over mixed, or it can mean the meringue was too soft to begin with.
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.
Do the egg whites need to be at room temperature to make chocolate macarons?
I don’t use egg whites at room temperature, unless they were already on the counter. I don’t purposefully go out of my way to bring the egg whites to room temperature to make macarons. But that’s because I use the Swiss method, and in the Swiss method, we make a sugar syrup with the egg whites and granulated sugar over a double boiler, so the whites will not be cold by the time we start whipping them.
If using the French method, it’s best to use room temperature egg whites, but with the Swiss method it will make no difference.
The only thing that will be impacted is how long it will take for the sugar to melt over the double boiler. If the whites were cold from the fridge, the sugar may take a bit longer to dissolve.
Can I add egg white powder to Chocolate Macaron recipe?
Read more about egg white powder here, the science behind it, how and why it works.
Egg white powder acts as a stabilizer for the meringue, it is basically dried egg whites, and it adds more protein to the meringue without the extra added water content.
When making regular shells, I like to add around 4 grams of egg white powder to each 100 grams of egg whites, however when making chocolate or matcha shells, I only like to add about 2 grams of egg white powder per 100 grams of whites, that’s because the cocoa powder and matcha powder will already dry the batter a bit, since they absorb a lot of water.
If you live in a dry climate, I don’t recommend adding egg white powder to your shells at all. But during summer or humid months, you can benefit from experimenting with it.
What are the best fillings for Chocolate 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:
- Snickers Macarons (favorite alert!)
- Hot Chocolate Macarons
- Peppermint Bark Macarons
- Caramel Macaron Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Macarons
- S’mores Macarons
- Chocolate Caramel Macarons
- Pecan Turtle Macarons
- Nutella Macarons
- German Chocolate Macarons
- Brownie Macarons
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!
This super dark and rich chocolate frosting is amazing and only takes 5 ingredients, and about 5 minutes to put it together. The ganache is fairly easy too, and many people prefer it since it tends to be less sweet than regular American Buttercream, specially if using dark chocolate to make the ganache.
This super dark and rich chocolate frosting is amazing and only takes 5 ingredients, and about 5 minutes to put it together.
I also use it on my Brownie Macarons, by the way, on this Brownie Macarons post, I also give a lot of tips on how to troubleshoot your oven when baking macarons!
After many requests for a different chocolate filling for macarons other than buttercream, I am also providing a recipe below for a ganache filling, which can be made with the chocolate of your preference, milk, dark, semi-sweet.
You can find instructions below on the recipe card! I know many people find the American buttercream to be too sweet. So I thought it was important to provide another option of chocolate macaron filling.
Parchment Paper versus Silicone Mat
Do you use silicone or parchment to bake your macarons? I’d love to know, let me know down below in the comments.
I love using silicone mat. Before, I used to bake my macarons on parchment, however, once I started baking on silicone, I never went back.
What’s better for baking macarons: parchment paper or silicon mat?
Hands down silicon mat in my own personal opinion. With the parchment paper, I would often get uneven bottoms on my macaron shells. You can even see it on some of my older macaron posts.
Ever since I started making macarons using a silicon mat instead of a parchment paper, I never looked back!
Check out below what I mean about the uneven bottoms. The first picture is my Neapolitan Macarons, and the second is my Banoffee Macarons.
As always, I really appreciate you being here and reading my posts, and recipes!! Thank you! Have a lovely day. Happy baking!!
Chocolate Macarons
These are some rich chocolate macarons, with a dark and indulgent filling. Enjoy this detailed recipe to make your favorite gluten-free cookies!
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.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Vinegar: Before starting make sure to wipe down the bowls, whisks, silicone mats and everything you are going to use with vinegar, to avoid any grease particles of coming into contact with the meringue and batter.
Egg white powder: Egg White Powder is not the same as meringue powder (though some people do use meringue powder successfully). Egg White Powder is made of only egg whites. They help with getting fuller shells, and specially when adding a lot of food coloring to the batter, because they make the shells dry faster. I recommend experimenting with it if you can find it. I use 2 grams for each 100 grams of egg whites when making chocolate shells.
Scale: Please use a scale when measuring the ingredients for accuracy.
Macaron amount: it will vary greatly depending on how big you pipe the shells, and on how runny or thick the batter is.
Baking time/temperature: Baking time and temperature will vary according to your own oven. I recommend experimenting with your oven to find out the best time, temperature, position of the baking tray.
Oven thermometer: Make sure to have an oven thermometer to bake macarons. It’s one of the most important things about making macarons. Home ovens aren’t accurate at all at telling the temperature, and even a slight 5 degree difference can make or break your whole batch.
Tray rotation: Lots of bakers don’t have to rotate the trays 180 degrees in the oven every 5 minutes, but I do have to with my oven, or I will get lopsided macarons. Please adjust this according to your oven.
Tools: Click here to check out my macaron tools.
Chocolate dipped macarons: melt 2 ounces of chocolate and dip half of the assembled macarons in the melted chocolate. Then place them in a baking sheet and let them dry.
Chocolate Macaron Filling: after many requests I decided to provide an option for the Chocolate Buttercream filling. So I added to the recipe a Chocolate Ganache filling for the Chocolate Macarons. Make either or, or make both and freeze whatever is leftover. Both buttercream and ganache will freeze wonderfully if well packaged, and can be thawed in the fridge before the next use.
Covardia esses macarons, fantásticos, muito fantásticos!!!!!!!!
Can I take away some sugar? And can I swap the white sugar for golden granulated sugar?
I really don’t recommend doing that. The sugar is really important for the structure of the macarons, and I’ve made several recipes with different ratios until I came to this one. About the golden sugar I do believe it could work.
Why it can’t be dry
Mine couldn’t dry either… and I have made macarons many times before. Is there a reason why it wouldn’t dry? I ended baking them and some cracked for the first time in my macaron baking experience. Did anyone else see the same results ?
Maybe it’s too humid? Or you under whipped the meringue or folded the batter too long. Sometimes my macarons take almost 2 hours to dry depending on the weather.
Mine did too twice. I’ve used Pies and Tacos recipes before and I never had this problem. Today is not humid at all, so it’s not the humidity, could it be the ratio of the dry ingredients, they’re different than the other recipes.
Hi I followed the exact measurement for the recipe- however, I had puffed up shells with very little or no feet. Could you help why this happened?
hard to tell without seeing them, probably didnt rest enough tho if i had to guess
I’ve had the same problem twice now!!! I followed the recipe exactly and have had tons of success doing the non-cocoa Swiss macaron recipes, so I thought I had the technique down. But for some reason, the chocolate ones rise nicely but with practically no feet. And I didn’t see a difference between my first and fourth batch (45 minute difference in resting time) so it’s not resting time.
maybe you need to rest even longer. depending on the weather, sometimes I rest mine for 2 hours. If you have a dehumidifier turn it on.
What kind of chocolate powder do you use for the chocolate macaron shells?
hersheys
just reading the recipe and checking the pics just makes me salivate and drool for this….
thank you that’s really kind!
So my macarons recipe says to bake them at 300F but I’ve been trying to make these at work . Do you have a tip on how to adjust the timing ? Because at work we have a convection oven with the option of low fan or high fan that’s it ! Not sure if you know about ovens much but obviously the higher the fan the faster things will bake. When I make them at home On my regular oven no fan ! They’re typically done in 15 min. Any suggestions?
Hey there Rosa, I would just bake them for longer. After the 15 minute mark you can start checking, and just try to lift one off the tray, if it lifts up easily without having a wet batter in the center sticking to the paper/mat, you are good to go!
Best of luck!!
hi ! i want to make these macarons tomorrow and i wanted to ask if there’s a way to use actual melted chocolate for the frosting?
Yes absolutely and I have two different chocolate frosting recipes on my blog that feature melted chocolate, but you will have to make less because they are meant for frosting cakes/cupcakes, so they make a lot of frosting. You may also freeze leftover frosting, or place it in the fridge for up to 7 days if you want to.
https://www.piesandtacos.com/chocolate-strawberry-cupcakes/
https://www.piesandtacos.com/smores-cake/
Thank you so much, I hope you like the recipe!! 🙂
I’ve wanted to try macarons for ages but never had the time and always been too nervous to try as I know they can be tricky. I followed your recipe for chocolate macarons to the letter and they came out perfectly. I can’t wait to try some other flavours.
That’s so awesome!! I am so happy to hear!!!
What brand of cocoa powder can you recommend?
ghirardelli, or callebaut
So, there is no creme de tarter in this recipe? Also do you use unsweetened cocoa? Thanks!
No cream of tartar needed in the Swiss method. Yes I do use unsweetened cocoa powder
Thank you!
Great recipe! So rich and fudgy. I prefer the French Method but these proportions still worked well. Could you simply double the quantities to make a double batch?
Hey Courtney,
I believe it would be fine to double the quantities to make a double batch! It will work just fine!! Thank you so much!
Is there a reason why you start the macarons in a double boiler?
yes, because in the Swiss method you have to melt the sugar and egg whites together to form a syrup, which then will be whipped into a stiff meringue before it’s folded with the dry ingredients.
thank you! have a great day!
We tried these and they’re delicious! Thank you for your detailed instructions and tips on what to look for. Definitely will be making them again!
Thank you so much Christina! That’s awesome that you found this recipe helpful!! Have a great day!
If I wanted to make these with matcha powder instead of cocoa how much should I add? Ps I made these and they were a huge hit! I just didn’t boil the egg and sugar and they still turned out wonderful
Hi Cass! so I do have a matcha macaron recipe and I use 1/2 tablespoon of matcha powder in the batter, but I use more powdered sugar than in the chocolate macaron batter. If you wanna check out the recipe here it is https://www.piesandtacos.com/matcha-macarons/ it’s the same method and everything else stays the same, the only things I change is using 1/2 tablespoon of matcha powder instead of 2 1/2 of cocoa powder, and 90 grams of powdered sugar instead of 75 grams.
Thank you so much for your feedback!! I appreciate it so much!
Have a fabulous day!!!!
Can you explain why you choose to use more powdered sugar in the matcha recipe? I’d love to learn more!
because I use a lot of cocoa powder in this recipe and cocoa powder soaks up a lot of moisture, so you have to make it up for it by reducing the powdered sugar.
Hi I just made these macarons. They turned out pretty well. I have been learning how to make macarons for several years now and have had many failed batches. And I have been searching for a good macaron recipe. I came across yours and decided to give it a try because you do something that I have never tried before when making the macaron batter. You put the egg whites and sugar mixture over a double boiler to dissolve the sugar and froth up the mixture before whipping it in the mixer. I think I really like this method because the sugar is full dissolved. Thank you so much for this recipe! I will continue to experiment with this recipe. Hopefully I will have more success than I’ve had in the past.
I am so glad you like it!! The Swiss method where you dissolve the sugar and whites together is indeed my favorite and most reliable method to make macarons! Best of luck on your macaron journey! Let me know if you have any questions!
Have a great day!
Followed the recipe and came out with a great batch of macarons. only question, how do I avoid the pimple on the macaron shell? after piping the macarons, I slammed the tray to let the macarons settle but the pimple remained. How do I get the flat surface? did I miss a step?
That means the batter needs to be mixed a bit longer.
This is the first time I ever succeeded macarons ! I am thrilled and it came out beautifully! Thank you so much. Thousand thumbs up!
Yay!!! I am so happy! Thank you so much!!!
While making the frosting, it was just powder. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hello Amber, please add a bit more milk, or even heavy cream to the frosting to make it come together! Thank you for your question!
Ok thanks so much… it worked!!!
yay!!
Thanks for posting this! I was worried about the same thing since it seemed that the milk was optional. I came back and read through the comments and added the heavy cream and, like magic, I had frosting! 🙂
I had this same issue. 5 Tablespoons are not enough to handle 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar!! It’s just powdery powder. The recipe says to cream the butter, sugar & cocoa together BEFORE adding the vanilla and milk. I think that’s impossible? Anyway, I just added some milk before the recipe said to…
They were delicious but I had very chunky frosting and had to use strawberry jam instead. any tips on making sure the frosting is perfect and not lunpy?
Add more milk, heavy cream, or even water to the frosting. And I’m talking 1 teaspoon at a time, until achieving the perfect consistency 🙂
I made these and they were so good! I tried another recipe before this one and it was a total disaster despite being a pretty savvy baker. This time, my macarons got super puffy. They cooked through perfectly but were more similar in shape to pate choux. Did I over whip my meringue? I’m not sure where I went wrong.
Do you have a picture I can see? Did they crack? Cracks could be due to oven temperature being too high, under whipping the meringue, not resting the macarons enough, overmixing the batter. It gets easier to pin point by looking at a picture.
Do you have an oven thermometer?
Over whipping the meringue actually won’t cause cracked or puffed macarons, but can cause extremely tall and large feet, as well as hollow macarons.
Hi!
This is such a cool recipe! I’m yet to try it out, but I just wanted to ask, do you have to use super fine almond flour, or will regular almond flour work?
Thanks!
You don’t have to use super fine almond flour. Regular almond flour will work, just make sure to sift it 🙂
Thank you!
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe in such details 🙂
I tried it out, and got wrinkly tops. They had nice feet though! Any idea why?
Wrinkly tops can happen from oily almond flour. It could also be from too much cocoa powder, did you weigh the cocoa powder with a scale? Under baking could also cause wrinkly tops.
Let me know if I can help with anything else 🙂
I made these and they were going so well but while they were baking all the shells cracked at the top… I have no idea what I did wrong 🙁 please help.
Cracked shells happen because of under whipped meringue. Or too much heat in the oven. Do you have an oven thermometer?
It can also happen because of humid climate, combined with under whipping the meringue, or over mixing the batter.
Not resting the macarons enough on a humid day can also cause cracked shells.
This recipe turned out well for me. I didn’t quite read all of the steps because they were too detailed, but am now realizing it would’ve benefited to follow all the details.
Heavy cream or milk?? I’m in the process of making them now….it says milk one place and cream another place. SOS
You can use either. sorry about the confusion.
thank you! awesome recipe they look great already!
My batter started to get crumbly and dry while mixing I have no idea what happened. Help!
While mixing the almond flour and powdered sugar in with the meringue? Do you have any pictures you can dm me on instagram or email camila @ piesandtacos.com?
Yeah, when I was mixing the flour with the meringue. I redid it and it worked perfectly though.
Oh great to hear!!!!
Where did you buy your silicone macaron mat. I cant find that brand anywhere
Hey Robyn, so this is the mat https://amzn.to/36NY4Sj and I really recommend it, it’s a great mat, I’ve had it for a long time and it’s still going strong for me. However, the set comes with 2 mats, one with the template and the other one without the template, so you’d need to place a template under the mat without the circles to pipe the macarons.
I was wandering if it would taste ok if I added some raspberry jam in the middle next to the frosting? I would love for you to visit my blog at fromyourchum.blogspot.com!!! I am getting ready to do a post on all of my bakes!!!
Yes it will absolutely be ok! it will taste delicious! Thank you
Hi! How long can I let these dry before cooking them? Is 2 hours too much?
Also, if the feet are stuck to the mat did I take them out too early?
Thanks!
2 hours is too much, the batter was probably over mixed, or the meringue under whipped, which made the batter too wet. And if they stuck to the mat it could be because they were pulled out too early, or because the batter was too wet due to one of the factors I mentioned above.
How did the feet turn out after baked?
Thank you for this recipe … they are great … my first time making macarons ever… 🥰
Yay! I’m so happy thank you!
Can you make the shells ahead and freeze them. Then another day do the filling. I made theSalted caramel Macarons and they were delicious thank you
Yes, you can absolutely do that. The shells will stay frozen for a couple of months 🙂 and thank you!
my macrons did not have feet. any idea what i did wrong?
Many things can cause macarons not to develop feet. Without seeing a picture gets harder to tell, but even seeing a picture may be hard to determine what could have happened. Did they also crack? Or just didn’t develop feet but were smooth on top?
Well anyway, not developing feet can be a cause of:
-over mixed batter
-under whipping the meringue
-baking temp being too low
-not letting the macarons dry enough before putting them in the oven
some cracked and some didn’t but i tested the batter before i piped them
UM. OKAY. I’ve been watching Great British Bake Off like too much lately and this is my third recipe attempt at macarons and it slayed. My husband threatened to eat them all before I took them to the superbowl party. I will be making like all of this angel who writes “pies and tacos” ‘s macaron recipes in the next few months.
awe that’s so nice to hear!! Thank you so much Callie!!! 🙂
I love all of your macarons! Can you help me figure out why some of my shells seem to not completely make a smooth bottom? Some of them have an area that doesn’t form to the silpat, not moist and sticky, just not there. Thank you.
yes! This is a classic sign of over mixing the batter. so some shells won’t even have a chance to develop a bottom, and the macaron will end up being concave. Try mixing a bit less. When you pipe the shells, they should spread out slightly and slowly. Try to do the teaspoon test. Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the silpat, tap the tray gently a few times, and watch how the batter spreads out. It should spread out slightly, not having a point forming at the top, but without spreading out too much. Also, watch my youtube videos, I show how the batter should be flowing off the spatula before the macaronage should be done. Thank you!!
Do the eggs need to be aged? and what does that do. So excited to try this recipe out!
I don’t age my eggs! Some people do, but I don’t unless I’ve used yolks the day before and had the whites separated already. I don’t notice any difference between the batches made with aged egg whites and new ones. Thank you!
I made these and used a dab of lemon curd in the middle to give it a nice tart filling and they came out perfectly. Well almost perfectly, everyone that tried them loved them but I think I may have over baked them a bit, it was hard for me to tell when they were finished. I ended up baking them for about 12-14 minutes per pan. I thought they were a little too crisp with not enough of the soft chew that I remember. The only thing I can say is that letting them sit for a day(in a container) definitely helped them out! I would post a photo if I could.
Omg! That sounds fantastic with the lemon curd!!! And yes letting the macarons sit for a day or two will definitely help! Thank you so much for reporting back!!! Wish I could see them you can email them to me camila @ piesandtacos. com or send them to me on instagram if you have an account there 🙂
Hi. Do you cool your macarons on the tray? Looking forward to trying some of your delicious looking recipes!
Yes! Cool them on the tray and don’t remove them until they have cooled down all the way, or the bottoms may stick to the mat 🙂
I think it was bad because my stuff was all very runny and nothing worked how it should have.
If it was runny it means you either over mixed the batter, or under whipped the meringue.
Hey where you have said white sugar should I use castor or granulated
I use granulated usually but have used caster sugar before and works fine as well.
My macaron batter is always very thick and no matter how much I work it, it does not thin out. Any suggestions? We are at about 7k feet. TY!
Hello, I’ve never baked macarons at high altitude, but this recipe here indicated a much much lower amount of granulated sugar than what I use on my recipe, maybe you could give this one a go, since she is at high altitude. Best of luck!
Hey there! I went to culinary school 6 years ago and worked in a few restaurant kitchens (on line and doing pastry) but I’ve been a stay at home mom recently so have had more time to bake at home. This was my first time making macarons; I didn’t watch your videos until afterwards and saw that I could have mixed the batter more right before piping. I was definitely baby-ing the meringue haha. So between my batches I got some good ones but they were a tad stiff- now I know how to make them better! They were very delicious and the Swiss method was straightforward! thank you for this recipe and all of your helpful tidbits!
I am so happy!! Thank you for this wonderful feedback, specially from an experienced chef! 🙂
All I’m going to say is I’ve tried about 10 different recipes with ALL of the tips for the past 6 months. I finally came across this recipe and it is the most successful recipe I’ve tried. Absolutely amazing! I will not look anywhere else for any other recipes.
Aweee that’s awesome!!! Thank you so much!!!! I’m so so happy!
What kind of cocoa powder is best for this recipe?
I tried it with some but I just don’t know.
unsweetened and non dutch processed
Hi. I am reading through the comments to try and figure out where I went wrong with the chocolate macs. I have tried twice today and both times no feet and rounded cracked tops. I see that you specified non dutch process cocoa powder in the above response. I used Saco natural and dutched blend. Could that have an effect on my outcome as well?
You can use dutch cocoa, I personally don’t, but I highly doubt that that’s the reason why your macarons have no feet and cracked tops.
No feet and cracked tops can be due to several things.
First and foremost, make sure to have an oven thermometer, because one of the biggest reasons for cracked macarons is a heat issue. Home ovens arent accurate and the temperature you set the oven to won’t be the temperature that the oven is on the inside in the majority of the time.
Second, it could be due to under whipping the meringue. Under whipped meringue will cause cracked macarons with no feet.
Also, over mixing the batter will cause the same.
Not letting the macarons rest until they feel dry to the touch and baking them will also cause cracked macarons.
Thank you for your reply. I read this in the earlier comments and I will try again. I really thought I was being so careful with both the meringue and the macronage. They are not pretty but they are delicious! We will eat them !
Do the egg whites need to be room temperature or will they work ok with cold eggs?
I make the Swiss method with whatever temperature egg whites, since the whites will be melted with the sugar over a double boiler, so it doesn’t really matter.
I keep my almond flour in the freezer, should I make it room temperature before using? And other than the butter do any other ingredients have a preferred temp?
Some people say that keeping the almond flour in the fridge makes their almond flour humid, so they dry them in the oven for a few minutes at 200F, and then let it cool down before using in the recipe. But I’ve never had to do that, since I keep mine in my cupboard. But if you feel like the almond flour feels humid or wet, I would do that.
And the other ingredients such as egg whites don’t necessarily have to be at room temperature for the Swiss method, since you will have to whisk it with the sugar and melt it over the double boiler.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thank you 🙂
This icing y’all. It’s a situation. Honestly I don’t know if I already left a review because this is not my first time using the macaron recipes from this website but like FABULOUS.
Awe thank you SO much!!!!
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making macarons for awhile now. I found your recipe and decided to give it a try. Thanks to your clear instructions I was able to do it right the first time! Thanks so much ❤️
That’s so sweet! I am so happy to hear! Thank you Jessica!!! 🙂
I just tried this and it turned out so great! This is my second time at making macarons the first one i used a different recipe and it didn’t turn out so well, but this recipe I am keeping 😊. Thank you for sharing💕
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much!
Lovely recipe! Where did you get the silpat? I’ve searched online for the “For Bake” brand but can’t find it. Thanks!
I don’t think it’s available anymore. Which is a shame cause these mats are really good! They got a bit stained over the years, but they are seriously great!
Hi! I’m a teen baker and i’m planning on making macarons for the first time after seeing them in Shari Franke’s Youtube Video. I was just wondering since my oven has conventional and convection bake, which one would have a better outcome? Super excited to make these!
Lots of people use convection bake. They recommend lowering the temperature by 20-30 degrees. I have never baked with convection but I know of a lot of bakers who do, and this is what they recommend. 🙂 best of luck!!!
My macarons took forever to dry and when I baked them, they had no feet. Is it because my egg white was not stiff enough? I used egg white from pasture raised egg. I also used Hershey’s cacao powder, do you think this caused my batter to become too wet? Thank you!!!
Yes, the meringue was probably not whipped enough. Or the batter was over mixed. But most likely the meringue was under whipped.
Best macaron recipe ever!! I’ve made Macarons several times before and they’ve never turned out as good as these turned out! I was nervous making them, because I have had trouble with making them before, but the end result was fantastic! Thank you for such detailed instructions! Love, love love, this recipe! Will definitely make again!
Yay!!! I am so happy! Thanks Laura!!!
Hi there, if I want to make the frosting less sweet, do I just cut out some of powder sugar? Thank you, can’t wait to try it!
It really won’t make it less sweet, as the added powdered sugar is just for consistency. What you can do is make a dark chocolate ganache instead. And you can even add some melted (and cooled) dark chocolate to this frosting recipe in place of some of the milk, that will tone down the sweetness a lot.
This is the first time I’ve used one of your macaron recipes and in turned out terrible, I really have no idea what happened. I followed every instruction then I stopped when I mixed the egg white a sugar mixture with the dry ingredients. It made a grainy and really hard texture so I just decided to make them into cookies last minute. I do feel like it was the cocoa powder that did it because I mixed the cocoa powder in with the dry ingredients. I would love to know what I did wrong and try again. I hope to hear back from you soon!
It’s hard to tell without seeing pictures, maybe you over whipped the meringue too much? if you have any pictures feel free to email them to me.
Hi! I left a comment a few weeks ago and absolutely loved this recipe! When I made them again today, they still turned out, just the Macarons were a little lopsided and the feet at the bottom were off to one side and the top of the macaron was on another. The feet also weren’t as big and tall as when I last made them. Do you have any idea why this may have happened? The recipe also says that it makes 20, but it only made 12 for me. I will still for sure use this recipe, I’m just not sure what went wrong. Thank you!
lopsided can be from over resting, or maybe from uneven oven temperature. And the quantity will vary depending on how “liquid” the batter is, how stiff you whipped the meringue, how big you pipe the macarons, etc. 🙂
Hi, when you say almond flour, is that the same as ground almonds? Thanks
Yes that’s the same. They need to be finely ground, and not be ground so much that they will release fat, and become moist and start to clump up.
the macarons turned out having a bread like texture. May I ask for some tips on how to make it actually turn out like a macaron?
what do you mean bread texture? do you have any pictures to send me so I can help you troubleshoot it?
This is the 3rd Macaron recipe I’ve made in quarantine and this is the first one I’ve had turn out with feet and flat and no hollows!! They also taste fantastic. Thanks for the Recipe.
Awe thank you Ashley! I am so happy to hear that!!!
I’ve made macarons a couple of times and every time I’ve had the issue with them being hollow, but they always had feet. This was my first time trying this recipe and the first time using a silicon mat. The texture turned out perfect and 75% weren’t hollow, but none of them had feet and some were cracked. I don’t know if it was something I did wrong or if it was the silicon mat.
it could be the silicon mat. I had a gray one who would cause my macarons to crack and not have feet because it was dark, so it would retain more heat, and I would have to balance out by turning the temperature of the oven down.
cracked macarons with no feet can be due to not resting enough, or under whipping the meringue, which sometimes slips to the best of us.
Where did you purchase your mat from?
can you replace the almond flour with almond meal?
almond flour and almond meal arent too different. Almond meal I believe it’s supposed to be from almonds with skin, and almond flour from blanched almonds. You can use flour from whole almonds, you just have to make sure the flour is finely ground and dry. it can’t be moist, and it can’t be thick or coarse.
Hey! I was thinking about making these and I had a few questions. I love macaroons but they are always do expense I assumed it was because they were difficult to make, I also love baking but I am not amazing at it. Is this something that anybody with the write materials and ingredients could make?
Making macarons is all about practicing. For some people it can take months or even years to get them right and master them. Even after years baking them I would still make mistakes and find out things I should change. So yes it is something anybody can make, but often times, and I would say most times, it takes people a LOT of practice to get them right.
Is the cocoa powder unsweetened?
yes
So I’ve made twice now, this and another one of your recipes…. both DELICIOUS.
But, both times the shells have been a little gritty.
Tried another brand of almond flour and extra sifting.
When I did the egg whites, it felt smooth to the touch- but is it the granulated sugar that’s making them this way?
I don’t believe that is the granulated sugar. were both brands that you tried finely ground? Sometimes you have to keep trying until you find the best brand. And have you been disposing of the big pieces of almond flour on the sifter, or just pushing them through?
Anyway, I am very glad they turned out delicious 🙂 thanks for writing!
I made these a few weeks ago and they were a hit! My brother told me he’d be glad to take macarons off my hands. The instructions were easy to follow and very helpful. I’ve tried macarons in the past and they haven’t turned out, so I was grateful for your tips along the way! I had a lot of leftover filling, so I froze it for another time. Can’t wait to make these again and try other flavors.
Thank you so much Sara!!! That’s great to hear!!!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is always a crowd favorite! The texture of the macarons turns out every time, and the chocolate filling is so rich and delicious.
Awesome! Thank you so much Courtney!
hey there, was wondering if i could make this recipe with the French method? hope you can answer soon! thanks xx
some people say they have made it with the french method and it has worked. I have never tried it with the french method and these measurements, butit’s worth a try!
thankyou! however when i make the filling, it tastes like plain sugar. what could i be possibly doing wrong?
American buttercream tends to be very sweet, options here are to add a bit of melted and cooled down chocolate (I’d say about 1/4 cup melted chocolate chips, and it’s very important that it’s cooled down. Another option is to make a chocolate ganache instead. Here is a recipe that has a chocolate ganache https://www.piesandtacos.com/orange-macarons/ you can make just the ganache for that recipe (possibly having to double it) ganache is less sweet too 🙂 hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
Omg. These are the most foolproof Chocolate Macarons recipe I have come across the internet. I have tried to make so many batches of it using different techniques and recipes but it was a disaster every single time. This time when I tried to bake using this recipe, it came out to be perfect. Thank you so much for sharing your tried and tested methods with all of us Camila. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes soon. Much love.
That’s awesome to hear!! Thank you so much!!!☺️
The best method for macaron making!! I’ve tried French and Italian and this Swiss recipe gave the best full shells and were not that difficult to make 🙂 thank you so much
Thank you so much Leann!! I love the Swiss method as well!!
I followed the receipe and got great and delicious results. The decoration was the detail that took my simple macarons to a whole new level. Thanks Camila 😊
Awe thank you so much Naomi!!! 😃
I used this recipe to make just the chocolate macaron cookies, and then did a maple bacon filling (so good, btw!) Your recipe for the cookies was so easy, they came out PERFECT and on my first try! I think I’ve spent hours pinning your recipes to my Pinterest boards and can’t wait to try more!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much Tamara!! 🙂 sounds like an amazing filling you made for the macarons with maple bacon!
These came out so beautifully it’s only right that I leave a review!
Before I start, if you’re like me, and looking for the perfect started macaron recipe. THIS IS THE ONE.
I am an avid baker but have always been intimidated by macarons. It wasn’t until I was doing some research and came across your blog (which I am obsessed
with btw) that I felt truly inspired to take my chances! Per your advice, I spent days researching as much as I possibly can. But I knew all along I would ultimately use your recipe. I went with an easier one this time just to see if I could do it, and now I can’t wait to try other flavors. Thank you for taking the time to be so detailed in your instructions, it truly made a world of difference!
Thank you so much Laura!!! I am so happy to hear this!!! That’s incredible! I feel truly honored! 🙂
The best chocolate macarons I’ve made!Every other recipe I’ve tried has come out cracked or hollowed shells but these are seriously the best macarons EVER!!Thank you so much Camila!
Thank you Sara!!😍
Not successful the first time I tried but the second time was great! Love this flavor – so simple but soooo good!
that’s how it usually goes with macarons lol takes a couple of tries!! thank you so much Zala!
These chocolate macarons are perfect for all the chocolate lovers out there !! I added a raspberry filling to these which is one of my faveeee flavor combos !!!
Thank you for all of your recipes and tips you post on this site! I’ve been making macarons for a while but your advice has made the process less painful haha… Is there a reason why cocoa shells crack in the oven more easily than other flavors of shells? I have an electric oven and usually bake at 285 for 15-18 minutes but I have yet to get chocolate shells that don’t crack. (my oven thermometer is broken, another is on it’s way… maybe the oven temp isn’t right??) Chocolate seems to be the only shell I can’t nail down. Any advice you have I would appreciate. Thank you again for all of your work!
what’s the brand of cocoa powder you are using? because cocoa powder has a high fat content, and depending on the brand you are using, it can be too high and make the macs crack. but I would wait and experiment with the new oven thermometer and check your oven temp.
I’ve been using Hershey’s 100% cocoa. Is there a specific brand you recommend?
Thank you for your reply!
These are so good. I have tried making macaroons at least 10 times and they finally came out correct. Thank you so much. Finally, a macaroon recipe that works for me.
This website is so underrated. I tried the pistachio macaroons and omg they are DIVINE! Now I’m in the process of making these but I forgot to pulse my almonds so it’s super lumpy *whoops*!
Thanks so much for sharing all these amazing recipes, and your photography skills are also 👌🏻👌🏻
P.s For those attempting these.. my oven makes the macaroons within 8 minutes, so the point about figuring a time for your own oven is really important. The first batch I made I cooked for 15 mins and they were totally burnt.
Thank you so much!! And very true about figuring out your own oven!! thank you 🙂
I have been wanting to make macarons for years, and this is the first recipe I tried that turned out! They were absolutely perfect and delicious! I am so excited! Thank you!!!!
That’s awesome to hear!! Thank you so much!
Hello Camilla,
I will try to make macarons for the first time and I have been looking for a nice macarons recipe. Yours seem to be pretty good looking. 😉
The only thing is that i have been trying to find the proper baking trays around the internet and at my local stores but it has been quite difficult. I have been also looking at good brands as well, trust me i’ve spend days trying to find one and reading hundreds of reviews but all of them seem to bend in the oven which causes the baked products to not be even or even fall out. Also because my oven fits only 15″ x 15″ so i have even less options.
Anyways on this post you showed some trays, could it be possible to know the brand and or some more specifications because i am still at a loss here :(.
I would really appreciate it. Thank you in advance
Best wishes and also congratulations on your blog, all your recipes look fantastic and the explanations are so precise and easy to follow. 🙂
Hello, I use nordic ware,
I use the half sheet size but you can get the quarter sheet size 🙂
Thank you
Hi, these macaroons are amazing! I have made macaroons three times before and this is the first recipe that worked for me. We’re did you get those chocolate flacks that you used to decorate from?
I got those on amazon they are chocolate flakes from Cacao Barry.
And so happy to hear you like the recipe 🙂
I cooked my Macarons for 12 minutes and tapped them and they were hard, I saw the feet. I didn’t remember that I had to left them off to check, so I took them out. Well, they are not coming off in one piece, so the bottoms are gooey. It’s been an hour, I didn’t take them off the silpat mat. Can I put them back in now?
sorry I missed this comment. So, yes they were under baked, and I have never put them back in the oven after a whole hour of removing them from the oven, so I don’t know if that would have worked.
Everything seemed to go well. The tops were smooth. But there’s a large hollow space between the top of the shell and the chewy part. If you don’t put the entire macaron in your mouth there will be shards flying. We’re at a loss as to where we went wrong.
As for taste…perfect!
So many reasons why they could be hollow. I have a comprehensive article here https://www.piesandtacos.com/hollow-macarons/ maybe reading the article you can try to pin point what you could do to improve, based on your experience. It can be tricky to identify the cause for hollow shells, because it can be so many different reasons. Let me know if you have any further questions after reading the article 🙂
Always a hit when I make them. Unfortunately, I don’t have a scale and don’t remember the old measurements before it was switched to weight. Could you please send me the old measurements? Thanks! I love this recipe so much!
3 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
these are approximations
thank you 🙂
Thanks, Camila! I appreciate it!
We made the chocolate macarons with the ganache in football shapes and piped white chocolate to finish them off for our Superbowl Festivities. They look great and even taste better. The ganache is incredible. Thanks for such great recipes and guidance in making this work for everyone
That sounds awesome!!! it will be great for Superbowl!!!! 🏈
Hi Camila…. This is my second batch of making chocolate macarons. The first batch I believe I mixed too much as they came out flat and cracky. In the second batch, I mixed less and some came out smooth and beautiful and some came out cracky but they all rose this time. Do you have any help you can give me. Thank you….
If some cracked and others didn’t it could be your oven having hot spots. Do you have oven thermometer?
Hey! I have tried this recipe nine times now and still am not successful. Is there something in particular I am doing wrong? I can send you my recipe records via email! Thanks so much 🙂
yes for sure send it to my email [email protected]
Hello, I noticed that the powdered sugar amount in your chocolate macarons are significantly less by about 30 grams than your other not-chocolate macaron recipes, may I ask why? Is it because of the cocoa powder? If I were to make macarons using this chocolate recipe but omitting the cocoa powder for a basic macaron, would it work? Thank you!
They probably won’t develop feet, and you may run into several other issues.
The cocoa powder absorbs liquid from the meringue, which is essential to form feet.
The regular swiss recipe I make (100 g whites/100 g sugar/105 g powdered sugar/105 g almond flour) already has one of the lowest sugar ratios compared to other recipes out there.
You can go ahead and experiment but you’ll probably be wasting the ingredients because it probably won’t work out.
I understand now, thank you!
Greetings…am a very experienced macaron maker – have successfully made thousands – some of them variations on your themes…..my biggest failure & challenge is chocolate…i’m bi-coastal so I struggle in that regard..with that said.. Making mac’s and getting them to dry in summer in New England is almost a fool’s errand…..
do you recommend a particular cocoa powder?
WHAT IS YOUR go-to ratio for PS, EW, AF, CS (caster sugar), & Cocoa? I typically make 60 (4 trays of 30 shells)…..I really need help knowing your ratio – I typically scale my desired quantity based on a standard or given ratio of ingredients.
Why do my chocolate shells typically either explode or look dry and mottled like bad brownies on the top w/0 any feet whatsoever????
Ok…while the above is major important let me ask you this….do you ever weigh out your PS, AF (and cocoa powder if doing chocolate) the night before in a single container??? I find great success in mixing the PS and AF together, running it thru the cuisinart then sifting it, and storing in a single container….i do this the night before….have you tried this? it helps the next day with time mgmt…..having pre-mixed and pre-sifted dry ingredients really saves baking day times…..I’ve been concerned that any moisture (there shudn’t be ANY) in the PS and AF adversely affects the ingredients when stored overnight.
Pls respond.
maybe youre using a brand of cocoa powder that has too much fat in it. I prefer hersheys because it has a low fat content compared to other brands. You can also decrease the amount of cocoa powder if it’s causing you issues, play around with the amount of cocoa powder.
I dont weigh them the day before. I always just do it on the day I am going to bake.
I’ve followed and learned sooo much from you here as well as on IG. I made these tonight and they are wonderful. Thank you so much for all of the knowledge and information you so willingly share! I’m really looking forward to your book. Peace and blessings!
That’s so wonderful to hear thank you so much!!!
I made the chocolate macarons…
And froze them for later…
Now when i take it, it forms a sticky sugary coating on the outside. How can i avoid this or is there anything i can do to make this better.
Can I make half of the batter ?
I’m doing a letter cake and I only wanted like 2-3 macarons.
you could halve the batter but be careful to make sure that the whip is going to touch the bottom of the bowl or it won’t whip the meringue properly.
I tried your recipe today. I’ve watched a lot of your videos and some over and over. My chocolate macs came out perfectly and perfectly full. I did not use egg white powder. I felt like I was ready to try and I’m so glad I did! Thank you so much for your attention to detail. Just a thought, how about a cannoli Mac?!
Cannoli mac sounds amazing beautiful idea!! I will definitely keep it in mind!
Hi Camila… Recently I came across your blog and watched you live on YouTube.I love your pretty macarons and I tried your chocolate macaron but failed.This is my 3rd attempt .My macaron batter spread too quickly while piping onto parchment paper and was flowing too quickly from the piping bag.what will be the reason.I am so fond of macaron and wanted to make a good batch next time.
if the batter is too runny it means you either under whipped the meringue, or you over mixed the batter during the macaronage.
Hi.Camila,
Are the measurements for the powdered sugar on the chocolate buttercream right? I tried making it and actually used only 2 cups and felt very pasty… also noticed that in other of your recipes for buttercream call for less amount.. is it suppose to be like that?
I will check it again! Thanks for bringing to my attention.
Your receipts are amazing, and we enjoy watching your videos too! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much!!!
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.
Will try this! Thank you so much for taking time to reply ❤
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!!!
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!
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.
Receita maravilhosa!! Que delícia 😋 😋 😋
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.
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.