Hot Chocolate Macarons

Hello friends! Today I am showing you a new macaron recipe: Hot Chocolate Macarons! These are the ultimate winter macarons! Chocolate shells are dipped in chocolate, topped with mini marshmallows, and filled with a delicious Hot Chocolate Buttercream.

Also make sure to watch the video on this page or on my YouTube channel, showing you exactly how to make these Hot Chocolate Macarons.

I made these Hot Chocolate Macarons for a Christmas Macaron box I am putting together.

And since it’s winter time, I figured it would be a great opportunity to make this macaron flavor which I’ve had on my list for the longest time.

Usually I am not the biggest fan of drinking hot cocoa, but I really enjoyed hot chocolate in macaron form.

For the top I used these cute hot cocoa marshmallows, I got them on Amazon. And the sprinkles are from Barry Chocolate.

I always get questions about these sprinkles which is why I am already including a link here.

Here are some tips on making these Hot Chocolate Macarons:

• Egg white powder is optional. I started using a while ago and use in all my recipes now, however I use less of it on my chocolate shells. I am using only 2 grams, half of what I usually use on my regular shells.
• If your chocolate shells tend to get wrinkly, substitute 7 to 9 grams of the cocoa amount with powdered sugar.
• The chocolate coating on top of the shells won’t get faded as the macarons rest in the fridge as long as you use good quality chocolate. I use Callebaut. Otherwise, you might consider tempering the chocolate. I never have to temper my chocolate when dipping my shells if I use Callebaut.
• You can use cocoa powder instead of hot cocoa mix for the buttercream filling if desired.
• If the buttercream is too stiff and dry, add more milk or water, one teaspoon at a time (a little goes a long way).
• Let the macarons mature for 24 hours before serving.
• These Hot Cocoa Macarons can be frozen for up to 2 months.

If you are new to making macarons, I have a lot of resources on my blog and YouTube channel that can help you. Go to Macaron School and find troubleshooting guides, tips on how to master your oven, beginner tips, lots and lots of other tips, and more!

I recommend watching as many videos as possible, and reading blog posts and troubleshooting guides, and I don’t mean just mine. There is a lot of valuable information online, on YouTube, instagram accounts and other blogs around that can be of great help in your macaron baking journey.

These delicious Hot Chocolate Macarons are some of the most delicious chocolate macarons I’ve ever made.

I have a very extensive list of chocolate flavored macarons on my blog.

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons
• S’mores Macarons
• Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
• Chocolate Orange Macarons
• Nutella Macarons
• Chocolate Caramel Macarons
• Brownie Macarons
• German Chocolate Macarons
• Pecan Turtle Macarons
• Brigadeiro Macarons
• Chocolate Macarons
• Samoa Macarons
• Espresso Peanut Butter Macarons
• Guinness Macarons
• Peppermint Bark Macarons

And for my complete list of macaron flavors, visit this page.

This is my 94th macaron recipe on the blog. By the time you read this maybe I will have much more! My list of ideas is endless, I could sit here all day and come up with macaron flavors and more macaron ideas. It’s what I love to do.

Hopefully I can show you the Christmas Macaron box I made soon. Meanwhile, you can check out my Christmas Cookie boxes from last year.

This was the Christmas Macaron box, and this was my Christmas Cookie box (which also contained macarons in it), and I even made a Vegan Christmas Cookie Box as well!

If you make this recipe tag me on instagram, I love seeing your creations! And leave a comment below, they are so helpful for me and your fellow readers! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading!

Hot Chocolate Macarons

Camila Hurst

Today we are making Hot Chocolate Macarons. They are dipped in chocolate and topped with mini marshmallows, filled with a delicious Hot Chocolate Buttercream.

4.38 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Servings 20 macarons

Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Chocolate Macaron Shells

• 2 grams egg white powder optional read notes
• 100 grams egg whites
• 100 grams white sugar
• 96 grams almond flour
• 75 grams powdered sugar
• 14 grams cocoa powder
• Brown food coloring optional to deepen the color

Hot Chocolate Buttercream

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter 70 grams
• 1/3 cup hot chocolate mix 40 grams
• 2 cups powdered sugar 250 grams
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips or chopped chocolate melted and cooled (21 grams)
• 2-4 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 113 grams chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• 1/3 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 tbsp sprinkles

Instructions

 

Chocolate Macaron Shells

• Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare a large piping bag, fitted with a large round tip, I use a 1/2” diameter tip. Set aside.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
• Measure out all of the ingredients.
• Sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder together. 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 mixture 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 high, or 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.
• Whisk until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whip 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.
• Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
• Add the food coloring at this point, if using. I have added a bit of brown food coloring to deepen the color.
• How to know when to stop folding the batter: It’s time to stop folding when the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. There are several ways to test this.
• First, pick up some batter with the spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that’s one indication that it might be ready.
• There’s another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test.
• Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.
• If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn’t spread out, 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 overmix. It’s always best to undermix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
• When you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly the batter is ready. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly.
• Transfer the batter to the piping bag.
• Place the piping bag directly 90 degrees over the center of each macaron template. Apply gentle pressure and carefully pipe for about 3 seconds, and then quickly pull the bag up twisting slightly.
• Once you’ve piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter a few times each.
• Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles in the surface of the shells.
• 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. You’ll know they’re ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry.
• Pre-heat the oven to 300ºF.
• Bake one tray at a time.
• Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
• I bake each tray for about 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.

Hot Chocolate Buttercream

• Cream the butter on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
• With the mixer off, add the powdered sugar, hot cocoa mix, melted and cooled down chocolate, 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.



Melt the chocolate.

• Dip the tops of the shells in the melted chocolate. Top with marshmallows and sprinkles if desired.

To assemble

• Place the buttercream in a piping bag. Pipe a small amount of frosting on the bottom shells. Top with a decorated shell.
• Place the macarons in the fridge and let them mature for 24 hours or more before serving.

Storage

• These Hot Chocolate Macarons will last in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

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. 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 for regular shells, and I have been using only 2 grams for each 100 grams of egg whites for chocolate shells.

Food coloring: Make sure to use gel food coloring, not liquid. If you are a beginner macaron baker, I recommend going easy on the food coloring, as it can alter the 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. Read more about how to figure out your oven here.

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.

Hot Chocolate mix: If you don’t have hot chocolate mix, feel free to use cocoa powder, same amount.

Sprinkles: I used Cacao Barry Cocoa B Chocolate Flakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1macaronCalories: 120kcal

Keyword hot chocolate, macarons

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