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These dulce de leche macarons are filled with rich caramelized milk and sandwiched between two perfectly cooked shells. Worthy of the fanciest French bakery!

macarons with dulce de leche filling

Macarons with dulce de leche are one of my favorite renditions of this beloved French sandwich cookie. The combination of rich caramelized milk and the delicate, chewy almond flour cookie shells is to die for. Over the years, I’ve shared hundreds of these little morsels with friends and family and am constantly asked to share the recipe. Today, I’m stoked to pass it along to you…

Obsessed with macarons? We have a variety of different flavors for every single palate, including chocolate, cranberry white chocolate, and coffee. Try one at a time or make an impressive dessert platter for your next party!

While we’re here, thank you to all of you who’ve been tagging Momsdish on Instagram with all of your amazing macaron creations. They look amazing!

What exactly is dulce de leche? Despite popular belief, it’s not the same as caramel. While caramel is made by slow cooking granulated sugar down with a bit of water, dulce de leche is made by slow cooking sweetened condensed milk or a combination of cow’s milk and sugar.

How to Make Foolproof Macaron

You may have heard a lot of chatter surrounding how hard macarons are to make. While they can be challenging without the right direction, all you to do is follow this recipe step-by-step and you’ll be golden. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself jumping for joy when you assemble your first, perfect macaron! Below, find a quick hitter overview of the recipe before you dive in.

  • Make the Meringue: In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold in the food coloring until well distributed.
  • Sift the Dry Ingredients: With a fine mesh sieve or flour sifter, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together to remove any lumps.
  • Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue with a spatula. Be extra careful not to over mix or the shells will turn out flat!
  • Pip the Shells: Place a pastry bag or plastic storage bag with the tip cut off into a cup so it holds upright and transfer the batter inside it. Next, twist the bottom to secure the batter within the bag. Pipe even-sized shells onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Tap the sides of the pan to remove any air bubbles and allow the shells to harden at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  • Bake the Shells: Bake the macaron shells at 300°F for 13-20 minutes.
  • Make and Pipe the Filling: Beat the softened butter with the dulce de leche until combined. Place the filling inside a piping bag and pipe it onto a cooled shell. Next, place another shell directly on top. Repeat until your run out of shells and filling.
  • Refrigerate the Macarons: Place the macarons into an airtight container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Below, find out top tips and tricks to help you nail this macarons recipe on the first dry.

  • Allow the egg whites to rest overnight at room temperature. Allow the egg whites to rest at room temperature for 24-48 hours before baking. This helps the egg proteins relax and makes for super fluffy meringue.
  • Tap the pan to remove any air bubbles. After piping the shell batter onto the baking sheet, tap each side of the pan 3-4 times to remove any air bubbles. This will prevent your delicate shells from cracking in the oven!
  • Let the macaron batter rest and harden. After piping the shell batter and tapping the pan, dive your shells at least 20 minutes to rest at room temperature. This will allow them to harden, prevents cracking, and also creates that signature macaron shell sheen.
  • Let the cooked macaron shells cool. After baking, allow the shells to completely cool at room temperature before piping the dulce de leche filling. This will prevent the filling from melting and creating a sticky mess.
macarons with dulce de leche filling

Storing Macarons

  • Refrigerator (Assembled Cookies): Keep your macaroons stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. They have such a long shelf life and should keep fresh for up to three weeks!
  • Refrigerator (Shells): If you want to prep the cookies ahead of time, make the shells and store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks before piping them with filling.
  • Freezer: To freeze assembled macarons, allow them to fully cool at room temperature. Next, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop the sheet in the freezer uncovered. After the cookies are completely frozen, place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store them for up to a month. To defrost the cookies, place them on a wire rack at room temperature for a couple of hours or allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also freeze the shells in the same fashion!

FAQ

How do I make dulce de leche from scratch?

You can make your own dulce de leche with a single can of sweetened condensed milk. To do so, bring a large pot of water to boil and place the entire unopened can in the water. Allow the can to simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours (2 hours = lighter dulce de leche, 3 hours = darker dulce de leche), flipping the can halfway through carefully with tongs. Pull the can out of the water and allow it to cool at room temperature. Open the can and you’ll have perfect dulce de leche!

Can you use normal flour to make macarons?

You can not use normal flour to make macarons. You must use almond flour to create the signature shell.

Should macarons be chewy?

Macarons should be chewy on the inside with a nice crispy outer shell.

Why did my shells crack?

Your macaron shells likely if you didn’t tap the air bubbles out of the piped macaron batter and allow the raw shells to harden at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

Is it a bad idea to make macarons on a rainy day?

It’s not necessarily a bad idea to make macarons on a rainy day. However, you will want to refrain from making macarons in ultra-humid weather or environments, as moist air will prevent the batter from properly drying out before you bake the shells.

Other Recipes Using Dulce De Leche

Recipe

macarons with dulce de leche filling

Dulce De Leche Macarons Recipe

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Servings
24 Units
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
These dulce de leche macarons are filled with rich caramelized milk and sandwiched between two perfectly cooked shells. Worthy of the fanciest French bakery!

Ingredients

US Units – Metric

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with granulated sugar until the mixture begins to form stiff peaks.
    Egg whites and sugar being beat in a KitchenAid mixer
  • Add peach food coloring (or two drops of red coloring and one drop of yellow) to the meringue. Mix only until the color is distributed.
    Egg whites and sugar being beat in a KitchenAid mixer with red and yellow food coloring added it the mixture
  • Using a fine mesh sieve or flour sifter, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour to get rid of any lumps.
    Almond flour and powdered sugar being sifted
  • Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. Be extra cautious not to overmix the batter.
    Mixing bowl with colored, beat egg whites and sugar and bowl with the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour
  • Place a plastic bag with the tip cut off or a pastry bag into a cup to hold it upright. Transfer the batter into the bag, remove the bag from the cup, and twist the bottom to secure the batter inside.
    A ziploc bag corner placed into a cup and being filled with the macaron batter
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully pipe equal-sized circles onto the baking sheet, making them fairly thick. Tap the baking sheet 3-4 times on each side to remove any air bubbles and prevent your shells from cracking. Allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or until they create a bit of a hard outer shell.
    Macarons on a baking pan lined with a silicon mat
  • Depending on the strength of your oven, bake the macaron shells at 300°F for 13-20 minutes. You'll know they're ready to be removed from the oven when you can easily lift them off the baking sheet. Avoid over baking the shells, as they will turn out dry.
    Macarons on a baking pan lined with a silicon mat
  • Whisk the softened butter with the dulce de leche until well-combined.
    A stick of butter and dulce de leche in a large mixing bowl
  • Place another plastic bag with the tip cut off or pastry bag into a cup to hold it upright. Fill the bag with the butter and dulce de leche filling.
    Ziploc bag placed into a cup and filled with cream
  • Pipe the dulce de leche filling onto one of the macaroon shells and immediately top it with another shell to create a sandwich. Repeat until you run out of shells and batter.
    macarons lined up in rows and having the cream pipped on them
  • Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them. They will stay fresh for up to a week. If you wish to prepare them in advance, the cookie shells can be made up to two weeks in advance so long as they are stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
    Dulce De Leche Macarons spread out on the table
Nutrition Facts
Dulce De Leche Macarons Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 109 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 7mg0%
Potassium 7mg0%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 118IU2%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted October 13, 2021

About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.