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You can totally make these Heart Shaped Macarons! It’s easier than you think, especially when you use this print-friendly heart template that I created just for you.
These darling heart-shaped macarons are perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, birthday’s, princess parties, and especially as Valentines Macarons! And, macarons are naturally GLUTEN FREE!
They taste irresistibly good with the tangy-sweet lemon buttercream sandwiched between the sweet almond cookies. These look just like French bakery macarons and you’ll definitely impress your family and friends. Watch the video to learn exactly how to make homemade macarons!!
Watch How to Make Heart Macarons:
If you’ve never made macarons before, be sure to read through our tips for making perfect macarons and why it’s important not to skip steps like sifting!!
Here are all of the tools that I used in the video:
Heart Macaron Template (free printable)
Boos Cutting Board
Glass Mixing Bowls
KitchenAid Hand Mixer
Cuisinart Food Processor
Silicone Baking Liner
Citrus Juicer
Mesh Strainer/Sieve
OXO Food Scale
Silicone Spatula
Wilton #2A Round Decorating Tip
Silpat Macaron Kit (with piping bag, round tip & food coloring)
⬇️ Print Friendly for Heart Macarons:
Heart Macarons with Lemon Buttercream (VIDEO Recipe)
Ingredients
For the Heart Macarons:
- 70 grams about 2/3 cup almond meal/flour, room temp
- 120 grams about 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 2 large egg whites, about 65 grams, room temp
- 50 grams exactly 1/4 cup leveled granulated sugar
- 1 " strip Red or Pink GEL food coloring
- Sprinkles, optional
For the Lemon Buttercream:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners, powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 small or 1/2 large lemon
Instructions
How to Make Heart Macarons:
- In the bowl of a food processor, add 70 gm almond flour and 120 gm powdered sugar. Pulse twice then process 1 1/2 min. Sift and discard any solids (should be less than 1 Tbsp solids in sieve).
- Put 2 egg whites in large clean/dry mixing bowl and beat until foamy, then gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat on high speed about 2 1/2 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form. Add 1" strip red gel food coloring and fold with spatula just until incorporated.
- Add all sifted almond flour/sugar mixture and fold with spatula using this method: scrape batter around the bowl, then press the flat side of the spatula firmly through the center. Repeat until batter flows like lava and thick ribbon forms as it flows off spatula (35-40 complete strokes).
- Print 4 copies of heart template and place on 2 baking sheets under silicone liners or parchment paper (AVOID WAX PAPER) - you'll be able to see the hearts through your liner to guide you as you pipe hearts. Transfer batter to large piping bag fitted with 3/8" round tip. For each heart, pipe at the top left and pull down towards the bottom center then pipe at the top right and pull down towards the bottom center and flick the end up if it gets long.
- Add sprinkles to as desired. Firmly tap baking sheets over counter 15-20 times to release air bubbles. Poke any remaining obvious bubbles with toothpick. Let cookies sit at room temp 30 min or until no longer sticky to the touch - they should form a thin film on top. Meanwhile preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 min at 300˚F. I usually do 15 minutes for the first batch and 12 minutes for the second batch - somehow my oven gets hotter the second batch. Let cookies cool to room temp before removing them from baking sheet. Once cool, they should slide off easily. Meanwhile make buttercream (see instructions below).
- To assemble, flip over half your cookies and pipe generous amounts of frosting onto the flat sides, piping in a heart shape. Find a well-matched unfrosted second half and sandwich cookies together.
How to Make Lemon Buttercream:
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream 6 Tbsp softened butter on high speed for 2 mins.
- Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time and beating to incorporate between additions), along with 1/8 tsp of salt and once sugar is incorporated, increase to high speed and beat 2 mins.
- Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and beat another 1 minute or until whipped and fluffy. Transfer to the same clean piping bag fitted with the round 3/8" tip.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Love macarons? Make sure you try our well-loved raspberry macarons!
Q: Do you have any fun plans for Valentines Day? Whether you’re spending it with your best girl fran or your special someone, I want to know how you celebrate. I love hearing from you! I’m pretty certain we’ll be dining in with either filet mignon or lobstaaaa!! 🙂
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
How far in advance can I make these lovely Macaroons and store in refrigerator?
Hi Wendy! Macarons keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze for longer storage. Keep them in an airtight container for best results.
Followed the recipe AND video closely. The macrons were in the oven for 15 minutes for hte first batch and 12 for the next. Both trays were hard on the outside and raw on the insde. The buttercream wouldnt even attempt to mix. It was like chalk. Wasted three hours trying to get this to work.
Hi Joe, macarons can be finicky which is why every step is important and no steps should be skipped. I had hollow macarons for about a year until I figured out that sifting with a fine mesh sieve was critical. Think through the process and see if there was maybe a step that was skipped which may have appeared insignificant. Also this Raspberry Macaron post has a lot of common troubleshooting tips that you may find helpful.
What’s an alternative method if I don’t have a food processor?
Hi Lizbeth. You can try a blender on pulse mode. Be sure to sift your dry ingredients very well.
Hi those look amazing but unfortunately I don’t have butter or cream cheese do you have any substitute in mind that I can use? Thanks
Hi Yotam. You can use the search bar at the top of the page to look for some other frosting recipes but most of them require butter.
My kids don’t want lemon in the buttercream. Is there a way to leave it out completely or sub with something else like vanilla? 2 tbsp is quite a bit so maybe just 1/2 tsp vanilla? Thanks
Hi Jody! Yes, you can leave out the lemon and add vanilla to taste.
Hi Natasha! I was wondering if we could use a substitute for the almond flower. I really want tk try this recipe but can’t get ahold of almond flour. Thank you, and love you and your recipes
Hi Yasmine, I haven’t tested a substitute like all-purpose flour or another flour to advise. If you decide to do an experiment please let us know how it goes.
I think I’m missing something..
are you supposed to print the template directly on parchment paper?? and them flip it, ink side down to bake it? or print on regular paper and place under the parchment paper and bake with both sheets in the oven? Or remove the regular printed paper before baking?? Can you clarify?
Hi Gaby, I printed the template on regular white printer paper and then placed the paper underneath the parchment paper while I piped the macarons. I then removed the paper from underneath the parchment paper before baking. I hope this helps.
Hey there!
I’m going to be making these using your printable hearts. If I put it under parchment paper won’t the paper catch fire in the oven?
Hi Shannon, we haven’t had that issue. I would read your parchment paper packaging notice, but most parchment paper is safe in the oven up to 450 degrees. I hope this helps!
Thank you!
I just use the Kirkland parchment paper. So I can leave the printables under the parchment and be fine.
I think she said the paper template has to be removed from under the parchment before baking. That’s how I understood it but I’m a bit confused by that too 🤔
Hi Jody, that’s correct; we remove the template before baking! I hope that helps!
These were super good!! The lemon buttercream is SOOO delicious!! My shells came out pretty well, they tasted great and I got the “feet” on the bottom edges, but some of my shells cracked on top. I think it might be air bubbles (I did tap the trays very hard 20 times each). All that being said, this is the BEST macaron recipe I have made BY FAR!!!!! Thank you Natasha!!!
That’s wonderful! So glad you loved this recipe.