Colorful Macarons

Hello friends! Today we are making these beautiful colorful macarons, decorated with melted chocolate and sprinkles. They are filled with a cream cheese frosting and apricot preserves, and I will also show you how to make all the different colors from one batch of macarons.

Watch the video here on this page or on YouTube to see how to make these colorful macarons.

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

Making different colors from the same batch of macarons can come in handy, you can make a variety of pretty colors and you don’t necessarily have to make several batches of macarons.

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Basically you will just stir the dry ingredients with the meringue just until they are incorporated, and then stop stirring immediately.

The next step would be to divide the batter between the amount of bowls you would like to make the different colors. This time I divided the batter between 4 different bowls.

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles cut in half with apricot preserves filling.

After dividing the batter between the bowls, work with one batter at a time, keeping the remaining ones covered meanwhile, so they don’t dry out.

Add food coloring to each batch, and stir until the perfect consistency has been achieved, then transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. I also like to use bag ties to secure the top of my piping bags, so the batter doesn’t scape through the top while piping, and also so it doesn’t dry out.

Here on Macaron Tools you can find the tools I use and most like, including piping bags, bag ties, and more.

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

Tips for splitting the batter to make colorful macarons

  • Stir the dry ingredients and meringue just until combined, because you don’t want to end up over mixing the batter.
  • After adding the color, be mindful of how much you are stirring, don’t forget that the batter has already been stirred a bit, so you have to be careful.
  • Keep all the batter that isn’t being used covered. I like to use bag ties, and also to cover the bowls with a towel.
Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

For the drizzle on top of the shells, I used Valhrona chocolate wafers in two different flavors, the yellow drizzle was made with melted passionfruit wafers, and the red drizzle was made with the melted strawberry wafers.

You can find these chocolates at any chocolate specialty store online!

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

If you like these macarons here are some more colorful macaron ideas for you:

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

And if you would like to learn more about macarons, check out Macaron School, a space where I share all of my tips, tricks, the science behind macarons, troubleshooting guides, guides for beginners and more.

Thank you so much for reading!

Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles cut in half with apricot preserves filling.
Colorful macarons, pink, red, yellow and white, with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles.

Colorful Macarons

Camila Hurst
Today I will show you how to make these colorful macarons, beautifully decorated! We are making all colors from the same batch and I will show you how to do it.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 22 macarons
Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients
  

Macaron Shells
  • 4 grams egg white powder
  • 100 grams white granulated sugar
  • 100 grams egg whites
  • 105 grams almond flour
  • 105 grams powdered sugar
  • A few drops of food coloring read notes bellow to see the colors I used
Filling
  • 1/3 cup apricot preserves or any jam you want
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 85 grams cream cheese softened 6 tbsp
  • 42.5 grams unsalted butter softened 3 tbsp
  • 125 grams powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Decoration
  • 1/4 cup melted chocolate check notes below to see which ones I’ve used
  • 1/4 cup sprinkles

Instructions
 

Macaron Shells
  • Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare three piping bags fitted with 1/4” piping tip.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  • Measure out all of the ingredients.
  • Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour. Set it 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 feel any sugar granules just keep whisking the mixture over the water bath.
  • Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the simmering water because you don’t want the whites to cook.
  • Also, don’t overheat the sugar syrup, this may cause issues down the line, such as wrinkly macarons.
  • Transfer the syrup to the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • With the whisk attachment, start whisking the syrup on low for about 30 seconds, then gradually start increasing speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until the mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. Raise the speed to medium-high and whisk 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.
  • 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 and almond flour into the stiff meringue.
  • Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
  • Fold the dry ingredients with the meringue just until you see no more dry ingredients in the meringue.
  • As soon as you see no more dry ingredients in the meringue, stop stirring. Divide the batter between four different bowls.
  • Work with one bowl at a time, leaving the other ones covered meanwhile.
  • To the first batter add white powder food coloring and stir until the perfect consistency is 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 first batter achieves the perfect consistency, transfer it to a piping bag. Secure the top with a tie, so the batter doesn’t scape while piping, and to keep the batter from drying out while you work with the remaining batter. Set the piping bag aside.
  • Now, it’s time to work with the second batter. I colored the second batter yellow, I added a bit of gold and also egg yolk gel food coloring from americolor. After adding food coloring, stir until the perfect consistency is achieved, like I’ve explained above.
  • Transfer the yellow batter to the piping bag. And secure the top with a tie.
  • Now, it’s time to work with the green batter. I added a bit of electric green and a touch of avocado gel food coloring also by Americolor. After adding food coloring, stir until the perfect consistency is achieved, like I’ve explained above.
  • Transfer the green batter to a piping bag. And secure the top with a tie.
  • Next, let’s make the pink shells. I added some electric purple and violet gel food coloring from Americolor.
  • After adding food coloring, stir until the perfect consistency is achieved, like I’ve explained above.
Transfer the pink batter to a piping bag and secure the top with a tie.
  • Time to start piping! 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.
  • Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles on the surface of the shells.
  • If you want to apply sprinkles to the shells, now it’s the time to do so.
  • Let the 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, how much food coloring you have added, and on the consistency of the batter. You’ll know the macarons are ready to be baked. 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 300ºF.
  • Bake one tray at a time.
  • Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the tray in the oven to bake evenly on all sides. And then continue baking.
  • I bake each tray for about 15 to 20 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.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer, for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

With the mixer off, add powdered sugar to the bowl.
  • Turn mixer on low to incorporate the powdered sugar with the cream cheese and butter.
  • Once you see no streaks of dry powdered sugar, beat mixture on medium high for one minute.
Add vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
  • If the frosting is too runny, add more powdered sugar as needed. And if the frosting is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water or milk to thin it out.
  • 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 decorate
  • Melt white chocolate and place it in a piping bag, snip the end with scissors.
  • Drizzle the melted chocolate over the macaron shells, and place sprinkles on top. You can do straight lines, swirls, and top them off with sprinkles or leave the drizzles plain. Check out the video to see the different decorations I made with each macaron.
To assemble
  • Line a piping bag with a small round tip or a small star tip. Fill it with the cream cheese frosting.
  • Once the macarons have cooled down, simply pipe a ring of cream cheese frosting around the edge of a bottom macaron, fill it up with about 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves. Top with another macaron cookie.
  • Macarons are best after they’ve matured in the fridge for a day or more.
Storage
  • Store the macarons in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes

Colors: For the white shells- Master Elite white powder food coloring from The Sugar Art. All of the following colors are gel food coloring from americolor- egg yolk and gold for the yellow macarons, electric green and avocado for the green macarons, and electric purple and violet for the pink macarons.
Chocolate Decoration: I used melted chocolate wafers from Valhrona in two different flavors, the yellow is passionfruit and the red is strawberry.
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. 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 4 grams for each 100 grams of egg whites.
Food coloring: Make sure to use gel food coloring, not liquid. For all the colors here I used Americolor. If you are a beginner macaron baker, I recommend going easy on the food coloring, as it can alter your batter a lot, and it can take extra mixing time, specially if you continue to add the food coloring as you do the macaronage.
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 after 5 minutes, but I do have to with my oven, or I will get lopsided macarons. Please adjust this according to your oven.
Keyword macarons

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8 Comments

  1. Hi Camila. Some macaron recipes require you to replace any large bits of almond flour that won’t go through the sifter with enough to keep the weight required in the recipe and some say to just throw the large bits out and not to worry about replacing the lost volume of almond flour. Do your recipes need exactly 105 grams almond flour in the batter or do you start with 105 grams and not replace the large bits that get thrown out? Thank you! And thank you for your wonderful website and recipes!
    Marty

    1. Hi there, so the almond flour I use barely leaves anything left in the sifter, I use blue diamond flour. I really recommend finding a brand that will do the same for you, because it just means that overall the flour is just finer and drier and it will be better for the final results, for a smooth shell.
      If the flour you use isn’t fine enough and you have a lot of leftover in the sifter, you definitely need to substitute to make up for the rest. I do use exactly 105 grams of flour. You can either weigh it after sifting, or the best option would be to find a brand that is very fine and doesn’t leave much behind.

      1. Thanks so much! I use Bob’s Almond Flour, so I don’t usually lose much if any at all, but I just wanted to check. Thanks so much for getting back to me. I can’t wait to try your recipes. And congratulations on your citizenship! We’re glad you’re here! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    These are beautiful! Would tinted royal icing work to decorate the tops? I don’t have candy melts and don’t want to purchase as I won’t use for anything else.

  3. 5 stars
    Shells worked like a charm! And they look beautiful! I used my own filling because I had leftover frosting from some cupcakes.

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