These Vanilla Macarons are deliciously flavored, airy, and light. These delicate French treats are not as hard as you think, and this recipe will show you how to make the perfect ones at home.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love these wonderful Vanilla Macarons because they are full of sweet vanilla flavor and they are the perfect dessert to serve when you want something light, but delicious. They also never fail to wow people when they find out they are homemade! This dessert is a crowd pleaser and not as hard to make as you think.
- TASTE: These Vanilla Macarons are sweet and rich. The delicate shells are full of vanilla flavor, and the filling is buttery and a little tangy.
- TEXTURE: The light, airy macaron shells are filled with smooth, creamy buttercream that makes these sweet sandwich cookies a delicate delight.
- TIME: This recipe takes about 2 hours, but one hour is letting the shells dry.
- EASE: You may have heard that making macarons is very difficult and getting them just right to create “feet,” which are the ruffly edges at the bottom of each shell, is tough. But I promise, making Vanilla Macarons is not as hard as you think.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Egg whites– These need to be at room temperature. When you whip them, they create the airiness of the shells.
- Cream of tartar– This ingredient helps stabilize the egg whites and increase leavening in these delicate desserts.
- Vanilla extract– This gives these macarons their delicious flavor.
- Granulated sugar– This sweetens the macaron shells.
- Powdered sugar– This fine sugar is used to sweeten the shells and the smooth buttercream filling.
- Blanched almond flour– This type of flour gives the macarons a smooth texture that is a little chewy and adds a touch of nutty flavor.
- Butter– Use unsalted butter that has been softened. This adds a creamy texture and rich flavor to the filling.
- Cream cheese– Soften it to make it easier to mix. This gives creaminess and some tangy flavor to the buttercream.
- Milk– This adds moisture to the filling so it’s not too thick.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add fruit flavors– Change up the flavor profile with some blueberry, strawberry, orange, or lime added in to the shell batter and filling.
- Try other flavors- Coffee, salted caramel, lavender, cookies and cream, and red velvet are great ones to try. Or add some dark, milk, and white chocolate drizzled on top.
- Add nuts– Chop some coconut, pistachio, or hazelnuts and mix them into the filling for a nuttier flavor.
- Substitute the filling- You can make a cream cheese filling, raspberry filling, lemon filling, or anything else you like.
How to Make Vanilla Macarons
Making the Vanilla Macaron batter
- Prepare the baking sheets. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, mix at high speed. Then add the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract. Once the egg whites begin to get foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar. Beat for another 4-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar, and mix to combine. Sifting well is important here for the texture and smoothness of your vanilla macarons.
- Fold in the egg whites. Now add the whisked egg whites to a large bowl, then add 1/3 of the almond flour mixture. Fold them together with a large rubber spatula. When there are no more dry patches, add the next 1/3 of the flour mixture. Repeat until the macaron mixture looks like brownie batter. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill a piping bag. Place a round piping tip, like a Wilton 1A, into a pastry bag and begin filling it with the batter. Twist the bottom end of the bag to reduce any mess.
- Pipe the vanilla macarons. Now pipe out 1-inch mounds of the macaron batter onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave 1-2 inches between each piped macaron since they will continue to spread a little.
- Let the macarons dry. Bang the cookie sheets on the counter a few times and then let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 30-50 minutes, or until they are no longer tacky to the touch. This dry time may vary depending on your climate.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit on the conventional setting and bake 1 tray at a time for 16-18 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t underbaked and sticking, or browning too much. Then let them cool down to room temperature.
Pro Tip: You don’t want air pockets in your macarons so bang the baking sheets hard on the counter as many as 10 times to get rid of any. This will ensure even rising as the macarons develop “feet.”
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- Make the buttercream. Add the softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Then use an electric hand mixer to mix until the buttercream is light and creamy.
- Assemble the vanilla macarons. Place a round Wilton 10 piping tip into a pastry bag and fill the backside of 1/2 of the macaron shells. Then place the other half on top to complete the macrons.
Recipe Tips
- Sift the dry ingredients well- It’s vital for the consistency of your macarons to sift the almond flour to get rid of any larger pieces of almond. You can also pulse the almond flour in a food processor to make it super fine.
- Get the right batter consistency– It should be similar to brownie batter and able to drip off the spatula. You can also tell when you are able to make a figure 8 in the batter. Just be careful not to overmix and create air pockets in the vanilla macarons.
- Avoid a piping mess– I find that twisting the bottom of the pastry bag when filling it with vanilla macaron batter helps keep it closed so the batter doesn’t ooze out and make a mess.
- Take your climate into account- If you live in a humid climate, your vanilla macaron shells may not dry as fast as in other areas. So add a few minutes to the dry time if you’re having a humid day, allowing them to form the right “skin” before baking.
- Avoid using a fan in your oven- Set your oven to the conventional setting when you preheat it. This should keep any internal fan from blowing and upsetting the baking process of these delicate cookies.
- Don’t underbake them. Be careful NOT to underbake these macarons or they will stick to the parchment paper.
- Adjust the bake time for the second tray- Because the second tray is sitting out longer and drying further, they will bake faster than the first tray. Adjust the time to avoid burning them.
FAQs
How long macaron batter can sit depends on your climate. The more humid it is, the better off you are not letting it sit out for excess amounts of time. I think an hour is the most you will need, as you just want a skin to form on the shells and for them to not break when you lightly touch them.
Overmixing the macaron batter causes the meringue to weaken as the airiness you incorporated begins to break down. You’ll find air bubbles forming on top of the shells when you pipe them as the air escapes. The batter is also more watery, changing the texture of the macarons, so be careful not to overmix.
Serving Suggestions
These homemade Vanilla Macarons are delicate and delicious. Serve them with other cookies, cakes, or your favorite beverage for an afternoon snack.
- Cookies: Serve them alongside White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Vanilla Macarons, Easy Cream Cheese Cookies, and Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Cakes: Pair these cookies with a slice of Easy Oreo Cheesecake (VIDEO), Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Easy Napoleon Cake (VIDEO).
- Chocolate treats: Serve these vanilla macarons with Coffee Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Covered Dates, Chocolate Bark, or Chocolate Caramel Pretzels Bars.
- Beverages: Enjoy these macarons with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Hot Chocolate, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or Brown Sugar Boba.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make the macaron shells ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to fill and serve them.
Storing: Macaron shells usually last for 4-6 days in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. Once they have been filled though, they should be stored in the refrigerator in a container with some plastic wrap or parchment paper in between layers to avoid sticking. They will last for 2-4 days.
Freeze: Both the buttercream and macaron shells handle freezing well. Just store these vanilla macarons in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Yummy French Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Vanilla Macarons
These Vanilla Macarons are light, airy, and delicious. This easy recipe will have you making these decadent sweet treats in no time!
Servings: 32 macarons
Calories: 138kcal
Instructions
-
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
-
Add 4 room temperature egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer at high speed using the whisk attachment. Then add a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Once the egg whites begin to get foamy, slowly add 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Beat for another 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
-
In a separate bowl, sift 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar into a bowl and mix to combine. Sifting is crucial because you want to get rid of any larger pieces of almond. Tip: To get really smooth macarons, you can pulse the almond flour in a food processor to make it super fine. This is optional but definitely results in a prettier macaron.
-
Now add the whisked egg whites into a large bowl, then add 1/3 of the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Once you don’t see any more patches of almond flour, add another 1/3 of the almond flour mixture. Fold again, and add in the remaining third. Fold the macaron mixture just until the batter looks like brownie batter. You want to be careful not to over mix this mixture or the incorporated air will cause your baked macarons to have air pockets. A good way to know that you are done mixing is by letting the batter drip off the spatula and you should be able to make the figure 8.
-
Next, place a round piping tip such as Wilton 1A into a pastry bag and begin filling it with the batter. This step can be very messy so I find it helpful to twist the bottom end to keep it closed so the batter doesn’t ooze out.
-
Now pipe out 1-inch mounds of the macaron batter onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave 1-2 inches between each piped macaron since they will continue to spread a little.
-
To get rid of air bubbles, take the cookie sheets and bang them onto the counter a few times to get rid of any air. I hit them pretty hard, about 10 times.
-
Now let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 30-50 minutes or until they are no longer tacky to the touch. The dry time may differ depending on the humidity of the current day. If you live in an area with a lot of humidity, it may take longer for the macarons to form the “skin” before baking.
-
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure your oven is on the conventional setting. (or in other words, if your oven has a fan inside of it, avoid having the fan on).
-
Bake 1 tray at a time for 16-18 minutes. Be careful NOT to underbake or else they will stick to the parchment paper. I found that the second batch that sat out while the first was baking tended to burn a little since it sat out longer. So you may want to remove the second batch from the oven a minute or two earlier. Once the macarons are done baking let them cool down to room temperature.
-
To make the vanilla buttercream, add 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter, 2 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into a large bowl. Then use an electric hand mixer to mix until the buttercream is light and creamy.
-
Place a round Wilton 10 piping tip into a pastry bag and fill the backside of 1/2 of the macaron shells. Then place the other half on top to complete the macrons.
Notes
For tips, tricks, and troubleshooting, refer the the blog post above.
Nutrition
Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg