Vanilla Macaron Recipe

Learn how to make perfect vanilla macarons! My step by step tutorial & detailed recipe will help you master these delicious little cookies.

📝 Ingredients

• 70 g superfine almond flour - blanched (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 63 g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
• 55 g aged egg whites, room temperature - about 2 large eggs
• pinch cream of tartar - optional
• 55 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 1 tsp)
• 56 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
• 4 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
• 1 g fine salt (1/8 tsp)
• 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
• 10 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature (2 tsp)
• Edible Gold Paint
• Kitchen Paint Brush
• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• 1 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
• Round Piping Tip - Ateco 805

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- French Vanilla Macaron Recipe ---
2. 2Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
3. 3Pour 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium-low speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until you reach the soft peak stage.
4. 4Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form (this usually takes me anywhere from 4-6 minutes mixing with a Kitchen Aid on speed 6).
5. 5Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in using a circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. Be careful not to over mix the batter!
6. 6Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/4 inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
7. 7Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
8. 8Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.
9. 9As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315 F.
10. 10Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through. Place a foil tent over the the shells when you rotate your pan to prevent them from browning.
11. 11Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
12. 12If desired, splatter a bit of edible gold paint over your macaron shells using a kitchen paint brush and a fork (see video).
13. 13--- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting ---
14. 14Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for a minute with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.
15. 15Mix in 4g vanilla bean paste or extract and 1g salt on a low speed.
16. 16Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g heavy cream on a low speed.
17. 17Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
18. 18If the frosting is too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
19. 19Place in a piping bag with a round tip (or snip the end to have an opening that's about 1 cm wide) and set aside.
20. 20--- Assembling These Vanilla Macarons ---
21. 21Pipe a dollop of vanilla bean buttercream onto the bottom of one macaron shell and gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
22. 22Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!