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These raspberry macarons are tangy, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth amazing! Since my trip to Portland when I tried raspberry Macarons at one of their famous bakeries, I became obsessed with recreating the ones I tried. They were in-sanely good. So I’ve made hundreds of macarons over the past month.
I also knew that we needed to make a video to share the recipe with you because it’s crazy important for you to see what “flowing like lava” really means. I adopted the macaron base and stirring method from Martha Stewart’s March 2014 Living Magazine because it seems to be the most fail proof.
I admit there were several moments of near pulling my hair out over the past few weeks as I tested and retested batch after batch after batch, but I was stubborn as tree sap on my favorite blouse, and let me tell you, it was worth it! Mastering these cookies made me feel like a baking ninja. I’m sharing ALL my secrets to success so hopefully you’ll get it right off the bat! Before you get excited and start, READ THIS:
Watch How to Make Macarons:
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How to Make Great Macarons (Tips for Success):
- Read through the recipe first, watch the video, and measure out all of your ingredients before starting.
- Weigh your almond meal and confectioners sugar. When I use store-bought large AA eggs, I don’t weigh the whites or the granulated sugar since it’s an exact 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
- Do not use wax paper. Use parchment or silpat (but let the cookies cool before removing them or they will stick).
- If you store almond meal in the fridge, bring it to room temp. Egg whites must be room temp also.
- Do not overbeat egg whites – they should not be dry and breaking.
- Sift your dry ingredients; very important or your macarons might be hollow.
- When mixing your flour and meringue batter, Do not overmix or undermix: When you pipe the cookies, the peaks should settle down into themselves within 10 seconds.
- Let your cookies rest before baking – this is important to form the feet. Rest anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour
- When I bake in 2 batches, my first set always bakes in 15 min and the second one takes 13 min (maybe my oven gets hotter the second go-around?). Keep an eye on it. Cookies should not turn golden in the oven, except ever so slightly underneath.
- Cookies taste best the next day – refrigerate overnight and bring to room temp to serve.
- If you can’t find freeze dried raspberries, they are pretty inexpensive online.
- Deep Breath. YOU CAN DO IT! 🙂
- Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
What You’ll Need to Make Raspberry Macarons:
- A digital kitchen scale
- A good food processor
- A spatula
- Parchment paper or silpat to line baking sheets
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (I prefer the hand mixer for more control)
- A sieve to sift flour and strain raspberries
- A pastry piping bag with a large round tip (a disposable bag will do and if you’re brave, you can make due with cutting the tip off to make a round 3/8″ tip – I’ve seen it done)
- This little dusting wand from OXO is really fun to use
Here is the Print friendly recipe for how to make macarons:
Raspberry Macarons Recipe (Video Tutorial)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Macarons:
- 70 grams about 2/3 cup almond meal/flour
- 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
- 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries
Ingredients for Raspberry Buttercream:
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
Instructions
How to Make Raspberry Macarons: Prep: Line 1 XL or 2 regular baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
- In the bowl of a good food processor, combine almond meal and powdered sugar and pulse twice to combine then process for 1 1/2 min. Sift through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing down on clumps with the back of a spoon. You should have about 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of solids left over in the sieve - discard those (If you have alot more, pulse them a few more times in the food processor).
- Place 2 egg whites in a large bowl and beat until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar then increase to high speed and beat 2 1/2 min or until stiff glossy peaks form.
- Add sifted almond mixture and fold with spatula from the bottom of the bowl upward then press the flat side of your spatula firmly through the middle. Repeat until batter flows like lava and thick ribbons form as it flows off the spatula. (35-40 complete strokes).
- Fit a pastry bag with a large (3/8" wide) round tip and transfer batter inside. Pipe 3/4" round cookies onto the lined baking sheet, keeping them 1" apart. Drop the sheets 6" over the counter to release air bubbles about 15-20 times.
- Place freeze dried raspberries in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are a powder. Use a small sifter or tea ball to dust the tops of the cookies with raspberry powder. Let cookies sit at room temp at least 30 min or until they form a thin film over the top and don't stick to your finger when poked. Meanwhile, complete steps 1 & 2 of the frosting (see below).
- While cookies are resting, Preheat Oven to 300˚F with rack in the center. Bake 15 min. If they didn't all fit on one sheet, bake in two separate batches. Slide parchment paper and cookies onto the counter right away and cool to room temp (15 min). Now you can finish off step 3 of the frosting and pipe frosting generously onto half of your macaroons and sandwich gently with the second cookie shell.
How to Make the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine 3/4 cup raspberries, 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Heat until bubbling.
- Mash up the raspberries with a spoon then push the mixture through a sieve, pressing on the raspberry seeds to get the most juice out. I got 1/3 cup syrup. Keep the syrup/juice and discard seeds. Let cool to room temp.
- In a medium bowl, beat 6 Tbsp butter until whipped and white (2 min on high), Add in room temp raspberry syrup and beat until whipped and fluffy (2 1/2 to 3 min on high). You can add powdered sugar to taste if a sweeter cream is preferred.
Notes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I love that these raspberry macarons are sweet and sour – I find them irresistible. Do you have a favorite macaron flavor?
Can you make the raspberry syrup ahead and put it in the fridge then take it out and leave it til room temperature then make the filling on the day you make the macarons?
Hi Gina, yes that would work. You may need to rewhip the frosting a little bit once it’s at room temperature again.
for how long would i need to rewhip it?
Just until it looks soft and spreadable 🙂
I mean if i would make the raspberry syrup like a day before and put it in the fridge then when i make the frosting for the macarons i just add it to the butter. Can i do that too?
Hi Gina, yes that will work also 🙂
Hi Natasha i was wondering if you have any recommendations for some cookie sheets. I need some new ones and before i make these macarons i want to have them.
Hi Selena, yes our favorite baking sheet is this large sheet from Nordicware. We use it all the time and it fits in most standard ovens and in many cases, eliminates the need to bake in batches since everything fits onto one pan.
Can you use this recipe to make chocolate macarons just without the raspberry filling and you can do a ganache?
Hi Ari, I haven’t tried that combination but I think it would work. This recipe would make a good base to experiment with.
I want to try it but i’m not sure about how much cocoa powder i should add.
Hi Ari, without testing it myself, I hesitate to make any recommendations. I lost count of how many batches I made of the raspberry macarons to get it just right and consistently working, so I really would want to test it myself before I guessed an amount of cocoa. Sorry I know that’s not very helpful.
Its fine. You’re very helpful already and i totally understand maybe in the future i’ll see a chocolate macaron recipe.
I tryed making chocolate macarons with this recipe yesterday. Turned out good. I sifted a tablespoon of coco powder to the almond and powdered sugar dry mix. I realy liked the color. I love this recipe because it actually worked for me. I have tried two other recipes and this one is the best so far. 😄😄😄
That’s just awesome and thank you for sharing your cocoa tip! 🙂
Hi Natasha i really want to try your recipe but i don’t have a food processor is it necessary?
Hi Rosa, for macarons, it really is necessary to get the mixture to the correct consistency. A high powered blender might work but you will have the best control of the finished product in a food processor.
Alright the only thing i have is to sift it also is a spatula necessary? By the way thank you so much for replying its so helpful i really want to try these.
Hi Rosa, a spatula works best for folding without deflating the mixture. Also, without sifting, you can get large unwanted pieces of almond meal that can adversely affect your macarons (making them hollow).
I just bought some spatulas that were on sale and i got a sifter just not a food processor. Since i can’t find any food processors at my stores for a good price i’ll just do it without it i hope they come out.
These look so perfect! What specific almond flour did you use??
Thank you Angelika, I use Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour (super fine grind). Hope this helps 😄.
Hi do you think that I could add the raspberries in the mixture rather than putting them on top?
Hi Allan, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the finished product. It does sound like a great idea though! If you test it out, let me know how it goes 🙂
my food processor only has options to chop and grind. Which should I choose when I combine the almond meal and powdered sugar?
I would select grind.
My macarons came out chewy and flat, and I think it has something to do with the egg whites mixture. It took me about 15 minutes to try make it “creamy” and it still didn’t come out as yours. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Ira, did you use a boxed egg white or just from regular eggs? From what I hear, boxed doesn’t work. Also, what tools are you using to beat your eggs? Is the bowl and whisk clean and dry and free of oil?
Hi, I did made these macaroons almost 2 weeks ago and I love it everything turned out really good . But I couldn’t find in any store the dried frozen rasberry. Can u tell me from what store did u purchase it please. Thank you
I’m so glad you liked the macarons! You can find freeze dried raspberries at Trader Joes, I’ve also seen them at Fred Meyer and they are fairly inexpensive on Amazon.
Way too sweet and way too buttery! I can’t taste the almond meal at all, not like the ones you get from france. You are suppose to taste the almond meal !! The cookie was great, the little feet were visible, but wayyyy too sweet!!!!!!!!!
Most of the recipes I’ve seen online have comparable amounts of sugar and I didn’t think they were too sweet compared to the once I’ve tried in French bakeries here in the states. I haven’t been to France though so maybe they do it differently over there :).
Hi Natasha! I just made these, I used freeze-dried strawberry powder, and they turned out perfect! One question though, how much strawberries would I have to use if I were to make a strawberry purée for my buttercream and not a raspberry one? Thanks a lot for the great recipe!:)
I’m so glad you liked them! Strawberries don’t provide quite as much punch of flavor for the same amount of syrup as raspberries. I would start with cooking 1 cup of strawberries and add the same amount of syrup (1/3 cup) to the buttercream and then add more to taste, keeping an eye on the consistency of the buttercream that it doesn’t get too watered down.
I believe you are missing some powdered sugar in your buttercream recipe. I made this recipe last week, the macarons were exquisite and the video very helpful. However the buttercream tasted like pure butter. I removed all buttercream the next day and replaced with a new buttercream recipe using your raspberry purée- it was great!
You can definitely add more sugar to taste, but I like to taste the tang of the raspberries and like that sweet-tart contrast. How much sugar did you end up adding?
I ended up using this recipe: http://www.handletheheat.com/how-to-make-the-best-buttercream/ with the addition of your raspberry purée. I have used your macaron recipe for several flavors now using freeze-dried fruit and recently matcha green tea powder. Seriously turn out perfect everytime and I had never made French macarons before these- thank you so much for sharing your recipe/tips!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I also take some Oz off the recipe and sub in that same amount of any flavor I like… resberry powder or chocolate powder, ect.. like anything really but in a powder form.. it gives good flavor and I don’t need to use food coloring gels since I don’t really like them lol..
I agree, I prefer the natural flavoring when possible. 🙂
Hey
I made the macaroons just as the recipe said but found my cookies were flat and had many bubble holes, any ideas why? Also Yes I have watched your video and read your tips religiously in preparation
-Robyn
Hi Robyn, I’m not sure what else it could be if you’ve gone through the video and written tips. What kind of tools were you using? What kind of mixer and did you fold with a spatula? Also did you tap out the bubbles?
Hi, I made them once with espresso powder and used chocolate like cream and it was really really good. Try it out you might like it.
Thank you so much for the tip! 🙂
Do you think it’s okey if I make the cookie shells ahead of time, like three days in advance, and then make the cream like a day before serving them?
Do you think the shells will dry out? Or turn weird if they stood for too long?
Hi Alla, you could do it the way you described it but they are best if you assemble the cookies with cream and then refrigerate. You could frost them and refrigerate 3 days in advance then bring them to room temp before serving and they will be really good. Macarons keep really well in the fridge.
Another question, is there a difference between frozen raspberries and dried frozen raspberries, because I was trying to crush the frozen raspberries and they were turning more into a jam then something that can be sprinkled on top of the cookies:(( so that was a bumer, had to just stick with white macarons.
Hi Alla, they are very different and cannot be substituted with frozen. Freeze dried raspberries are basically dehydrated (dry) raspberries that turn to dust when you crush them. One of my readers said freeze dried strawberries turned into powder pretty well also.
Hi Natasha I can’t find the dry frozen raspberries can I replace with something else?
Alla, one of my readers said she had success with freeze dry strawberries. You can also leave them plain, they would still taste good 😀.
For the 15 min cook it did not work for mine it was more like 35 min but other than that it is an amazing macaroon
Hi Ivy, that is a really long bake time for macarons. Does your oven tend to take longer for baked goods? I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe though!! 🙂
Hi, I love your videos! I made some raspberry macarons, I followed your recipe but the macarons were very dry and not as thick as yours. What did I wrong? Could you help me please? I wanna try it again today. Thank you for your work!
Hi Tom, did you have a chance to watch the video and also read through the tips I shared in this post? If not, read through the notes here – it should help to troubleshoot. I tried to be as thorough as possible. With macarons, it is best to eat them the next day after the cream has softened up the macaron shells. Were they dry the same day they were made or the next day?
Yes, I read and watched everything. ;( I measured everything, I applied all the tips that you mentioned. ;(((
They were dry when they came out of the oven.
Hi Tom, did you frost them and refrigerate to let them soften overnight in the refrigerator. They aren’t normally soft until you do that.
Can I double up thus recipe?
I think it could work but you may have to make some modifications with mixing time, # of folds with the batter. If you are experienced with macarons, you would probably be ok doing it since you know what the batter should look like. I always make one batch at a time because I feel I have better control of the batter and outcome.
My macarons turned out hollow at the top. Do you know why this happened?
Hi Maryanne, have you had a chance to read through all of the tips and advice that I shared in this post in addition to watching the video? I tried to be as thorough as possible to address macaron troubleshooting. After reading those through, was there anything you did differently?
Just made these and they are so fantastic! Lots of raspberry flavor! Great job with the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
Hello Natasha,
First of Thank you for sharing so many delicious recipes, they are all great. I will be trying to make the macarons but I don’t have a food processor, will food blender work?
Hi Anna, I really haven’t tested it in a blender. I think if you tried a blender, it would have to be a powerful one like blendtec or vitamix or something similar to really bring the almond meal to a fine flour consistency.
Hi,
I used a coffee grinder for the almond flour (used very small batches), but just one word of caution: don’t grind too long in the coffee grinder, the oils in the almond flour do come out, and can make the almond flour almost into a paste. Then I just ran it through a sieve with the sugar. I hope that helps. We made those so often now. Amazing.
That is a great tip!! It may help to prevent caking if you add powdered sugar in batches as well with the almond flour so it doesn’t turn pasty.
Thank you kindly for taking your time and answering all thsese questions 🙂
You’re very welcome! 🙂