This recipe for chocolate macarons will show you the most straightforward method to make these French-style sandwich cookies. So decadent & impressive!
Chocolate macarons are quite popular in high-end bakeries. But, where did they come from? There is much debate about whether macarons originated in France or Italy. I’ll tell you, there is no definitive answer here. But, for this recipe, we will be using the French macaron technique.
Want to learn all the tips and tricks (and a little bit of history) on the macaron? Read my guide for The Perfect French Macarons to go more in depth on this delicious little cookie.
Baking Mats Tip: One of our favorite tools for making macarons are silicone mats in lieu of parchment paper. Not only are they reusable, but they are also less prone to sticking to the cookies.
How to Make this Chocolate Macarons Recipe
Here is a brief overview of the process so you can see that this impressive cookie is actually not that hard to make:
- Make the Meringue: Beat your egg whites (save the egg yolks for a breakfast omelet) with the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment at medium-high speed until you see soft peaks form.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients: Sift your cocoa powder and almond flour with a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. This is a crucial step in making your macarons smooth and uniform.
- Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue: Lightly fold the sifted dry ingredients into your meringue. Be careful not to over mix! This will result in flat discs, versus light and fluffy wafers.
- Pipe the Batter: Transfer the macaron batter to a pastry bag (also called a piping bag). Pipe small, circular discs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow the wafers to “dry out” at room temperature on the counter for around 20 minutes before baking.
- Bake the Wafers: Preheat your oven. Bake for at least 13 minutes. Depending on the oven, I have had to go up to 20 minutes.
- Make the Ganache & Assemble: Make your ganache filling. Allow it to cool. Then assemble your macarons!
Note: Macarons are best when they have been refrigerated for at least 24 hours (or up to two days) before serving. They are never eaten straight out of the oven. This process is called “maturing”, but what it means in plain terms is allowing your cookies to develop the best flavors possible!
Making the Chocolate Ganache Filling
We absolutely love this ganache filling. Why? Because it is delicious and it only requires two ingredients to make. This is a relief after making the delicate (and at times fickle) sandwich wafers. Here’s how to make the ganache:
- Melt the Butter & Chocolate Chips: First, melt the butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can also use dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips or even equal parts Nutella if you’d like) together in a small saucepan over medium-heat. Continue to stir the ingredients together with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth in consistency.
- Cool the Ganache: Allow the ganache filling to cool to room temperature.
- Pipe the Ganache: Lastly, transfer the ganache into a piping bag. Next, pipe the ganache onto the flat side of one wafer and then place another on top.
Note: You can also melt the ganache using a double broiler or by creating your own by putting heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water.
5 Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Macarons
Making macarons isn’t as hard as it’s “cracked” up to be (see what we did there?). Follow these 5 foolproof pointers to make French-bakery worthy cookie sandwiches.
- Sift the dry ingredients for the best texture. Sifting the dry ingredients isn’t optional. You must remove any lumps from the almond flour and cocoa powder to get those perfectly textured shells.
- Don’t over mix the batter. Only mix the batter until the dry ingredients and meringue are just combined. Over mixing will result in flat macaron shells.
- Enlist the help of a piping bag. A piping bag will help you get the perfect macaron discs and will also assist with piping the ganache. Whatever you do, don’t try to form the wafers or pipe the ganache by hand – it will just cause a mess.
- Give the macaron batter time to set. Giving the piped shells at least 20 minutes to rest at room temperature will help them to form that signature shiny shell in the oven.
- Bake the macarons on the center oven rack. To prevent the tops of the macarons from getting scorched, bake the shells on the center rack of the oven.
Hot Tip: Add a little bit of raspberry jam on top of the ganache for a pop of fruity flavor.
Why Almond Flour is Necessary for Macarons
Almond flour is what gives macarons their signature texture and flavor. For most recipes, you will be asked to use blanched almond flour, which means the skins of the nuts were removed before they were milled (or ground into a fine flour). This type of almond flour will result in the silkiest and most uniform of macarons. If you used unblanched almond flour (which is totally fine), you will get a more coarse texture and a cute, speckled appearance.
Note: You may have an allergy to almond flour or are simply wondering if there is any other type of flour you can substitute. I know some people have used pumpkin seed flour, but to be honest, I don’t have any experience or tips here.
Why Did My Macarons Crack?
There are a couple of reasons why your macarons are cracking. The main one is most likely that you didn’t let them dry out at room temperature long enough before baking them. We recommend a minimum of 20 minutes. You will notice that this allows them to form an outer shell, which will protect them from cracking in the oven.
Hot Tip: After piping your macarons, tap the outer edge of your baking sheet lightly a couple of times. This will release any air bubbles that may be lurking within your macaron batter. During the baking process, these pesky bubbles will expand and crack through the top of your cookie.
Storing Chocolate Macarons
Macarons are awesome rainy day treats because you can store them in the fridge and freezer and they have a longer shelf life than other cookies.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. Never store them at room temperature, or else they will go stale and lose their signature chewiness.
- Freezer: Freeze macarons by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and popping the baking sheet into the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the macarons to a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 3 months. To thaw the macarons, allow them to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
FAQ
What is the difference of a macaron and a macaroon?
Macarons are delicate French sandwich cookies made with almond flour, while macaroons are haystack-style cookies made with coconut shreds. Although the spelling is similar, they couldn’t be more different.
Are chocolate macarons supposed to be soft or crunchy?
Chocolate macarons are supposed to be soft on the inside with a slightly crunchy outer shell. You’ll know your macaron is perfect when it kind of cracks as you bite into the shell.
Can you make chocolate macarons with all purpose flour?
Unfortunately, you cannot make chocolate macarons with all-purpose flour. Almond flour is what gives them their signature soft, yet chewy texture.
Why are my chocolate macarons crumbly?
There’s two main reasons that your chocolate macarons turned out crumbly. The first is that the meringue wasn’t strong enough and whipped to soft peaks. The other reason is that the shells were baked at too high of temperature, causing them to crack and dry out.
Will chocolate macarons soften in the fridge?
Yes, macarons will soften as they mature in the fridge. This gives them their signature chewy and irresistible texture.
Macarons Recipes
- Cranberry White Chocolate Macarons – Holiday season macarons
- Coffee Macarons – Chocolate and coffee macarons
- Dulce de Leche Macarons – Ridiculously caramely macarons
Recipe
Ingredients
Macarons
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup almond mill flour
- 2 egg whites kept in room temperature for 24-48 hours
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
Macaron Chocolate Cream
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Instructions
Macarons
- In a bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites with granulated sugar until they begin to rise and hold their shape.
- Sift powdered sugar, cocoa and almond flour to get rid of any lumps.
- Stir in dry ingredients into egg whites. Be sure not to over mix the ingredients.
- Place plastic bag or pastry bag into a cup to hold it straight. I would suggest a pastry bag, hence once you cut off the edge of a plastic bag it may not be a round shape. In this case, I wasn’t going to make a trip to the store, so I did use a ziplock bag. Pour the entire mixture into the bag.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe circles into the baking sheet, making them thick. Tap baking sheet at least 3 times on each side, this will get rid of any air bubbles and will prevent from cracks. Let macarons sit in room temperature for about 20 minutes, they will create a bit of a shell, also helps from cracks on top.
- Bake macarons at 350 °F for 13-15 minutes, depending on your oven. I would suggest checking them after 13 minutes or so.
Macaron Chocolate Cream
- Place butter together with chocolate chips in a glass bowl.
- Microwave chocolate with butter in 30-second increments. Stir to combine it together every 30 seconds to ensure that the mixture is perfectly creamy. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
i was wondering if i could use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Tessa, I dont think the result would be the same. Macarons are typically made with almond flour. Sorry, probably not helpful to you.
I really want to make these macarons, but I don’t have almond flour. Is it possible to use all purpose flour instead?
Hi Betty, Almond flour is absolutely necessary for this recipe. I do not recommend that you use all purpose flour. Hope this helps. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. The one question I have is how do I make the tops of my macaroons flat. I have tried piping in many different ways and even banging it on the table multiple times but they still seem to have some sort of peak or swirl to them. They taste delicious but they don’t quite have that perfect macaroon look.
Hey Natalie, a few things come to mind, maybe flour has too much texture and it creates bumps. It could be that batter needs to be mixed more. I hope that helps.
My egg whites and sugar wont rise. I tried adding the sugar after i whisked the eggs an it just sunk down and became runny again. Help
Hi Charlie- are you using room temperature egg whites? Also, are you using an electric mixer? Perhaps they need a bit more time of being whipped before they reach the desired stiff peaks.
How many does it make?
Hi Hailey, this recipe makes about 15 macarons. But depending on the size, the amount may change. Enjoy them. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe twice in the past two days, and it is a very big hit. I was wondering if I am able to switch out the cocoa powder for a different flavor, such as strawberry or blueberry?
Hi Alyssa- so glad to hear you're loving the chocolate macs. I haven't tried substituting for different flavors like strawberry or blueberry in this particular recipe. If you're wanting to add some fruity, tangy flavor I suggest adding it to the inside of the macaron, with the filling. Add a dollop of raspberry jam or even a fresh raspberry and you'll have an amazing chocolate raspberry macaron!
Also, I DO have cranberry white chocolate and a vanilla macaron recipes on my blog you can search for, you may want to try those if you want to change the flavors up. Hope this helps and Enjoy!
Do the egg whites have to be at room temp?
Hi- yes, the egg whites do need to be at room temperature.
Batter came out incredibly thick, no matter how much I mixed it. Any idea why? My bakery uses a high quality cocoa powder so perhaps it’s the cocoa butter percentage?¿
Hi Emilia - Thanks for reaching out. The batter is supposed to be on the thicker side. Did you sift all the dry ingredients to remove any lumps? Also, I would caution you not to overmix the batter - this really affects the texture and the ability for the cookies to get that essential chewy texture and sleek shell. Hope this helps!
Hi my macaron dough came out to be too thick and grainy. I mixed the flour mixture into the merengue but it wouldn’t thin out. Do you have a video of the recipe you could share?
Hey Priti, the batter becomes runnier and runnier the longer you mix things together. I currently don't have a video for this recipe. Hope you find the comment helpful.
Can I use coconut flour
Hey Kelly, I have never tested this recipe with coconut flour. What makes a macaron a macaron is almond flour. so.. I honestly don't think it would be the same outcome.
I’m in the process of making these and my egg whites and powdered sugar mixture haven’t formed that stuff peaks shape, they been whipping for at least ten minutes and never got to that point. Do you know what the issue is?
You said powdered sugar. Once you whip the egg whites a bit, you beat in regular sugar until peaks form. Not powdered sugar. Then you fold in the powdered sugar, coco, and almond flour into that mixture. Hope that helps
Talia, I am not sure how thats possible. How high is the speed?
I don’t know what happened to my eggs and sugar, because when I mixed them they got to be runny. Not sure what happened? Maybe I didn’t let them sit out for long enough, or I got some of the yolk in them? I repeated this process twice, by the way and It didn’t change. I don’t know but I hope their good - they smell amazing!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe😋
Try putting your granulated sugar in a mixer to make it more fine. And make sure you beat your eggs until they foam a bit BEFORE putting in any sugar. Then beat the sugar in a little at a time until it forms peaks. I hope that helps
Hey Hadley, what you do mean by "got to be runny". I am hoping to understand better to help. Thanks
My macarons cracked and I left them to set at room temperature for 25 minutes. Could over mixing them cause the batter to be more runny, and therefore crack in the oven?
I usually let mine sit for 40 minutes to an hour and they do well. Try leaving them out a bit longer and make sure you tap the tray to get the bubbles out
You want the tops to dry a bit as they sit. They could have cracked because they are still air bubbles on the inside. Did you tap them?
Can you freeze these after you make them?
Yes for sure! They can be frozen for months in an air-tight container. Enjoy
I make these yesterday. I nailed getting feet on my macarons, only thing was the tops got slightly wrinkly. I looked it up and it said the oven might not have been the high enough or I might have overmixed the batter. I know that when baking anything in the oven, if it is glass or non-stick, that you should lower the temperature 25°. Which I did because I used non-stick cookie sheets. But they have that delicious chewy, crispy outer texture and are delicious. Do you have a raspberry flavored macaron recipe but you could share?
Hey Dora, we do have a few other recipes on the blog for macarons but none of them are specifically with raspberries. Maybe in the future 😉
I have a question do you fold the batter until it ribbons and you can make the number 8 shape?
Yes, thats a great way to describe it. Enjoy it
I literally just finished making this recipe and WOW, they taste amazing! I usually don't like macarons, but I am a lover of chocolate and now I can say I love chocolate macarons. Thank you so much for this simple and amazing recipe.
I'm so glad you gave this recipe a try! They really are so rich yet delicate.
Wow...just wow. I made macarons before and they did not come out well, but I just made these and they came out absolutely FLAWLESS. Thank you so much for providing this extremely easy recipe that I can continue to make. It was HEAVEN with nutella in the middle! Now I am more interesting in baking, just thank you so much!
Anna, I'm so glad that you were inspired to bake more with this recipe, that may be the greatest feedback 🙂 Thank you for your comment!
Hey, how much aquafaba can I substitute for 1 egg white?
Hey, I haven't worked with aquafaba. I would suggest googling for options.
What kind of cocoa powder is best for making macarons? Thanks
You can use any that you have on hand, plain nonsweet.
These macarons are amazing! Tried them today and they dried up before I could finish piping all of it. I guess it's really hot where I live 😅 though when I bake them at 170, they grew tall feet but spread out uneven... At 160 they grew tiny but even feet. .. Nevertheless they are very delicious
Di, Macarons can be tricky. But I am so happy that you like the outcome!
help! We did something wrong. Maybe over whipped the eggs? Our dough was very thick and not smooth. Any suggestions?
One of the things that could be is under mixing the dough. If you were to keep on folding in the flour it should become runnier. Another thing that's possible is adding too much almond flour.
It was my first time making macarons and this was so easy! They turned out so well and I changed a few things because my family likes less sugar. I did 1/2 C powdered sugar and 3 T granulated sugar to reduce it and they still turned out so well!
Amari, wow, I didnt know the recipe would still work with less sugar. Thank you for sharing this tip! Enjoy!
Does humidity affect how the cookies turn out? I live near the equator so it’s normally 85-90 Fahrenheit daily.
I heard that it does but I had good success with them on different occasions. We live in Seattle and weather is always changing here.
Great recipe except the ingredients above say 2 eggs but down at the comment section, you reply to someone to use 3 eggs? Wondering if that was a typo?
It was a typo, I was thinking of this recipe, https://momsdish.com/recipe/p…. But Chocolate Macarons have 2 eggs, sorry about the confusion.
I would give it a 4.5 just because the instructions weren't very detailed, but if you do a little bit of background research, these can turn out amazing, just like mine did! I still have to wait to taste them, but I sneaked one and it was good! Slightly grainy, but overall delectable.
Hey Dear, what would you suggest we add to the recipe? I would love to hear your feedback.
These came out just great! Very impressive! Just one question: do you allow the cookies to cool before you remove them from the parchment paper? or do you take them off the paper once they are baked? Thanks.
Hey Carrie, I allow them to cool, its easier to slide them off the parchment paper.
These came out just great! Very impressive! Just one question: do you allow the cookies to cool before you remove them from the parchment paper? or do you take them off the paper once they are baked? Thanks.
Hi, this recipe looks really good and delicious but can I half the recipe?
Hey, because you need exactly 3 eggs for this recipe. It would be hard to split the recipe. Macarons can be a bit tricky so I wouldn't recommend splitting it.
Hello I went to the comments just to see if I should make any changes, and I saw that you said three eggs but in the recipe it says 2?
This is the recipe I was thinking of, https://momsdish.com/recipe/p…. 🙂
Gosh, I am sorry, I was thinking of the regular macarons, not the chocolate macarons. Sorry for the confusion. 🙂
Hi. I wanted to know what the metric units are for the recipe. The metric unit button is not working