Chocolate Macarons
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Master the art of chocolate macarons at home with this detailed recipe—complete with tips for that glossy shell, chewy bite, and perfect ganache filling.
Macarons (mah-kah-rons) are whimsical, Parisian-style cookies that are as beautiful as they are delicious. Each one is made from two delicate almond meringue shells that encase a sweet center. Don’t confuse them with the coconut-based American macaroons (mac-uh-roons), or even Emmanuel Macron, France’s 25th president! This chocolate version takes it up a notch with rich, chocolate-flavored shells filled with creamy chocolate ganache.
Know Your Cookie: Macarons VS Macaroons
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Macarons
- Almond Flour: Provides the base and structure of the macaron shells.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the delicate texture of the macaron shell.
- Cocoa Powder: Adds chocolate flavor.
- Egg Whites: Whipped to make the meringue, crucial for the light and airy structure of the macarons.
- Granulated Sugar: Stabilizes the whipped egg whites by helping to form a strong and stable meringue that holds its shape when piped.
- Vanilla Paste: Adds flavor to the macarons. Vanilla bean paste is preferred over extract for its more intense and pure vanilla flavor and the specks of real vanilla bean; also will not add excess liquid to the batter.
- Gel Paste Food Color: Provides concentrated color to the macaron shells without adding excess liquid.
- Chocolate Ganache: A rich and creamy filling made from chocolate and cream, ganache adds intense chocolate flavor to the macarons (not pictured).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
French macarons can be fussy, so precision really matters here. This recipe uses metric measurements only—you’ll need a digital scale to weigh your ingredients accurately for the best results.
Step 1: Weigh and sift the almond flour, cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar. Set a fine-mesh sieve or colander over a large bowl and weigh the ingredients right into it. Sift everything together to create a smooth, lump-free mixture—this helps ensure your macarons come out shiny and even. (If your almond flour is too coarse to sift easily, combine the three ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse 10 to 15 times to blend.)
Step 2: Warm the egg whites and sugar. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk them together by hand just to combine. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture feels very warm to the touch—this takes about 2 minutes. To check, rub a little between your fingers—if you don’t feel any sugar granules, you’re good to go.
Step 3: Beat the meringue. Remove the bowl from the heat and lock it into the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on medium-low speed (about speed 4) and mix for 2 minutes to start building volume. Then crank it up to medium-high (speed 8) and whip until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks—this takes around 6 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you lift the whisk and the peaks stand tall with just a slight curl at the tip.
Step 4: The Macronage. Pour the sifted almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder mixture into the bowl with the meringue. Add the vanilla bean paste and food coloring, if using. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until it’s evenly combined—the batter will be very thick at first.
Keep folding, scraping, and gently smearing the batter against the sides of the bowl until it’s glossy and flows like lava. This usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can lift the spatula and slowly draw a few figure 8s without the ribbon breaking. The batter should also melt back into itself within 10 to 15 seconds. Go slow and test often—it’s better to slightly undermix and check than to overmix and end up with flat, spread-out macarons. When it’s ready, transfer the batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round pastry tip.
Step 5: Pipe and bake. Hold the piping bag straight up and down, about ½ inch above the pan, and pipe 1¼-inch rounds onto the parchment. Give the tray a few good taps on the counter to pop any air bubbles, then use a toothpick to gently pop any that remain on the surface. Let the trays sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or until the tops feel slightly dry to the touch. Then bake, one pan at a time, for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops are shiny and crisp.
Step 6: Make the ganache and fill. Pour the cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat it until boiling—about 1 minute. Add the chocolate and butter, let it sit for a minute to soften, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in the rum, if you’re using it. Let the ganache cool, whisking occasionally, until it thickens enough to spread.
Once the macaron shells are cool, carefully remove them from the parchment. Turn half of them over and spoon a generous teaspoon of ganache onto the center of each. Top with another shell and press gently so the filling spreads to the edges. Repeat with the rest.
The cookies are best when they’ve had a few days to “age” in the fridge, which allows the shells and filling to meld together into one cohesive cookie. Place the assembled macarons inside an airtight container, refrigerate them for 1 to 2 days, and then let them to come to room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Macarons
These chocolate macarons are crisp on the outside, chewy in the center, and filled with rich chocolate ganache—classic, elegant, and totally worth the effort.
Ingredients
For the Shells
- 105 grams finely sifted or super-fine almond flour, preferably Blue Diamond Finely Sifted Almond Flour
- 95 grams confectioners' sugar
- 10 grams Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 grams egg whites, from approximately 3 large eggs
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 to 2 drops brown gel paste food color
For the Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon rum (optional)
Special Equipment
- Heavy-duty stand mixer
- Digital scale
- Pastry bag with ½-inch tip
- Parchment paper or Silpat baking mat/template
Instructions
- Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a simmer on the stove over medium-low heat. Line two 13x18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats. Place the pastry bag fitted with the ½-inch tip in a wide glass with the tip at the bottom of the glass but facing up (this prevents the batter from spilling out when you fill the bag). Fold the bag over the rim of the glass to form a cuff.
- In a large bowl, sift the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa powder together through a fine sieve. Alternatively, if your almond flour is too coarse to go through the sieve, combine the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse 10 to 15 times to blend.
- Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer; whisk with a handheld whisk to combine. Place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are very warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. (To see if it's ready, rub the mixture between your fingers to see if you can feel any sugar granules.)
- Remove the bowl from the heat and attach to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-low speed (speed 4) for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 8) and mix until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you lift the whisk out of the bowl and the peaks stand straight up, curling over just slightly at the tip.
- Pour the sifted almond flour, confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder mixture into the bowl with the meringue. Add the vanilla bean paste and food coloring. Using a rubber spatula, fold until evenly incorporated. At this point, the batter will be very thick. To achieve the right consistency, continue folding, alternately smearing the batter against the bottom and sides of the bowl, until it is glossy with a lava-like consistency. This process is called "macronage" and takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes. You'll know the batter is ready when you can lift up the spatula and slowly form several figure 8s with the batter without the ribbon breaking. Additionally, the batter from your figure 8 should dissolve into the batter that’s already in the bowl in 10 to 15 seconds. (Another test to be sure the batter is properly mixed: Scoop up a teaspoon of batter and place it onto the parchment paper. Wait a minute to see how it behaves. It should gently spread and the point should dissipate into the batter. If the batter fails to spread out, continue folding and then test again.) Be careful not to overmix or you'll end up with macaron puddles; it's always best to undermix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
- Transfer the batter to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round pastry tip. Hold the bag straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan, and about ½ inch above it, and pipe out 1¼-inch diameter mounds onto the parchment paper. (To avoid leaving a point on the mounds, finish piping by releasing pressure and pulling up as you quickly twist with a flick of your wrist.) Tap each tray several times on the countertop to pop any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles on the surface of the shells. Allow the trays to rest for about 20 minutes, or until the shells have dried out slightly.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake, one pan at a time, for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops are shiny and crisp. Set the pans on wire racks and let cool completely.
- Make the shells up to a day ahead of making the final macarons; store the shells in a covered container in the refrigerator. (It's fine to stack the shells; just be gentle with them.) You can also freeze the shells in a tightly sealed container for about two weeks. Make sure to thaw them in the refrigerator for a few hours before assembling.
- Prepare the chocolate ganache filling: Pour the cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until boiling, about 1 minute. Add the chocolate and butter; let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and glossy. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl, bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan, and then pour the cream over the chocolate and butter.) Whisk in the rum, if using. Allow the ganache to cool, whisking it occasionally, until it is thickened enough to spread with a knife. (Don't let it cool for too long, or it will be too firm to spread.)
- Remove the macarons from the parchment paper, and turn half of them over. Spoon a generous teaspoon of ganache in the center of an upside-down macaron. Top with a second macaron and press gently to spread the filling to the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons. Serve the macarons on the day they are made or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
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