🍪🍫 French Macarons with Chocolate Ganache
Delicate French macarons with smooth, crisp shells, soft chewy centers, and a luxurious chocolate ganache filling.
These elegant little sandwich cookies have the classic lightly crisp exterior and tender almond center that makes French macarons so irresistible. A rich chocolate ganache brings everything together, while a touch of pink food coloring gives the shells a beautiful bakery-style finish.
They’re perfect for celebrations, afternoon tea, Valentine’s Day, gifting, dessert tables, or whenever you want an elegant homemade treat.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 30–60 minutes
Bake Time: 12–15 minutes per tray
Chill Time: 2–24 hours
Total Time: About 3 hours
Yield: 20–24 filled macarons
Difficulty: Intermediate
Method: Oven-Baked
🛒 Ingredients
🌸 For the Macaron Shells
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 1¾ cups (175g) powdered sugar
- 3 large egg whites (about 90g), room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pink gel food coloring, as needed
Important: For consistent macarons, measuring the ingredients by weight is strongly recommended.
🍫 For the Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz (170g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Pinch of salt, optional
👩🍳 Instructions
🌸 Make the Macaron Shells
1. Prepare the Baking Sheets
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone macaron mats.
If using parchment, you can place a macaron template underneath it to help create evenly sized shells.
Set aside.
2. Sift the Dry Ingredients
Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in a bowl.
Sift them together at least once, breaking up any almond flour lumps.
For especially smooth macaron shells, sift the mixture twice.
Discard any large almond pieces that won’t pass through the sieve.
Set the dry mixture aside.
3. Whip the Egg Whites
Place the room-temperature egg whites in a completely clean, dry mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the whites become foamy.
Add the cream of tartar.
Continue beating until soft peaks begin to form.
4. Gradually Add the Sugar
Slowly add the granulated sugar while continuing to beat.
Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and whip until the meringue reaches stiff, glossy peaks.
When you lift the whisk, the peak should stand upright without drooping.
5. Add Vanilla and Food Coloring
Add the vanilla extract.
Add a small amount of pink gel food coloring.
Gently mix until the color is evenly distributed.
Avoid adding too much liquid food coloring, as excess moisture can affect the macaron batter.
🍪 Make the Macaron Batter
6. Fold in the Dry Ingredients
Add approximately one-third of the sifted almond flour mixture to the meringue.
Fold gently with a silicone spatula.
Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients in two additions.
7. Macaronage
Continue folding the batter until it reaches the proper consistency.
The batter should flow slowly from the spatula in a thick ribbon.
When you lift the spatula, the batter should fall back into the bowl and gradually disappear into the mixture.
You should be able to draw a figure eight with the batter without it breaking.
Do not overmix.
Overmixed batter can become too thin and cause the macarons to spread.
🎀 Pipe the Macarons
8. Fill the Piping Bag
Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip.
Hold the bag vertically above the prepared baking sheet.
Pipe circles approximately 1½ inches (4cm) in diameter.
Leave approximately 1 inch (2.5cm) between each shell.
9. Remove Air Bubbles
Firmly tap the baking sheet against the counter several times.
This helps release trapped air bubbles.
Use a toothpick to pop any visible bubbles on the surface.
If desired, gently smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip.
10. Let the Shells Rest
Allow the piped macarons to sit at room temperature for approximately 30–60 minutes.
The exact time depends on the humidity.
The tops should develop a dry, smooth skin.
When lightly touched, the batter should no longer stick to your fingertip.
Don’t skip this step. Proper resting helps create the characteristic macaron “feet” during baking.
🔥 Bake the Macarons
11. Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
For the most consistent results, allow the oven to fully preheat before baking.
12. Bake
Bake one tray at a time for approximately 12–15 minutes.
The shells should develop their characteristic ruffled feet around the bottom.
The tops should look smooth and firm.
The shells are done when they can be gently touched without wobbling or sliding.
Avoid overbaking, which can make the centers dry.
13. Cool Completely
Remove the tray from the oven and allow the shells to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Once completely cool, carefully peel them away from the parchment.
Pair similar-sized shells together.
🍫 Make the Chocolate Ganache
14. Heat the Cream
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is hot and just beginning to simmer around the edges.
Do not allow it to boil vigorously.
15. Combine the Chocolate and Cream
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
Let it sit undisturbed for 2–3 minutes.
Then gently stir from the center outward until the chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth and glossy.
16. Finish the Ganache
Add the butter, vanilla, and salt if using.
Stir until completely smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature until it thickens enough to pipe.
If necessary, refrigerate it for 10–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The ganache should be firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to pipe.
🍫 Assemble the Macarons
17. Fill the Macarons
Transfer the ganache to a piping bag.
Pipe a small mound of ganache onto the flat side of half of the macaron shells.
Leave a small border around the edge.
18. Sandwich the Cookies
Place a matching macaron shell on top.
Gently twist and press until the ganache reaches near the edges.
Don’t press too hard.
Repeat with the remaining shells.
❄️ The Secret to Better Macarons
19. Mature the Macarons
Place the filled macarons in an airtight container.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
This resting period allows moisture from the filling to gently soften the inside of the shells while keeping the exterior delicate.
Before serving, allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for approximately 15–20 minutes.
This is when their texture is at its best.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Weigh your ingredients: Macarons are sensitive to ingredient ratios. A kitchen scale gives much more reliable results than volume measurements.
Use room-temperature egg whites: They whip more easily and create a stable meringue.
Keep everything grease-free: Even a small amount of grease can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
Use gel coloring: Gel food coloring adds strong color without introducing too much liquid.
Don’t overmix: Macaronage is one of the most important steps. The batter should flow slowly but shouldn’t become runny.
Tap the trays: This removes large air bubbles that can cause hollow shells.
Rest before baking: The shells should develop a dry skin.
Bake one tray at a time: This provides more consistent heat and airflow.
Let them cool completely: Warm shells are fragile and can stick to the parchment.
Mature before serving: Freshly assembled macarons are good, but resting them in the refrigerator significantly improves the texture.
🍓 Delicious Variations
🍓 Strawberry Chocolate Macarons
Add a small amount of strawberry jam beneath the chocolate ganache.
🍋 Lemon Chocolate Macarons
Add finely grated lemon zest to the ganache and use pale yellow shells instead of pink.
☕ Mocha Macarons
Add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to the warm cream before making the ganache.
🥜 Peanut Butter Chocolate Macarons
Pipe a small amount of peanut butter buttercream into the center of each ganache filling.
🍫 Dark Chocolate Macarons
Use 70% dark chocolate for a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor.
🤍 White Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
Replace the dark chocolate ganache with white chocolate ganache and add a small amount of strawberry puree or freeze-dried strawberry powder.
🧊 Storage
Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For the best texture, allow them to sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving.
❄️ Freezing
Macarons freeze exceptionally well.
Place completely assembled macarons in an airtight freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then bring them to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze the unfilled shells separately and fill them later.
🍪✨ Troubleshooting
Hollow Macarons
Possible causes include:
- Meringue was under- or over-whipped
- Batter was overmixed
- Oven temperature was too high
- Shells weren’t baked long enough
Cracked Tops
Often caused by:
- Not resting the shells long enough
- Air bubbles trapped in the batter
- Oven temperature being too high
- Excessive moisture
No Feet
Possible causes include:
- Batter was too thin
- Meringue wasn’t whipped enough
- Shells weren’t rested properly
- Oven temperature was too low
Sticky Shells
The macarons may need additional baking time, or they may have been removed from the oven before the centers were fully set.
🍪🍫 Final Result
These French Macarons with Chocolate Ganache have the perfect combination of delicately crisp shells, soft chewy almond centers, and rich, silky chocolate filling.
The pretty pink shells make them especially elegant for celebrations, while the chocolate ganache gives them an indulgent finish.
Elegant enough for a pastry case, delicious enough to disappear straight from your kitchen counter. 🍪🍫🌸