Red Velvet Macarons

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Make a batch of bright white macaron shells paired with a red velvet and cream cheese filling. This recipe is everything you love about red velvet cake in macaron form.

Red velvet cake has to be one of my all-time favorite dessert recipes. After I created my macaron filling digital cookbook, I knew I had to develop a red velvet macaron filling as well.

This red velvet filling is unique because it combines the both the flavor of red velvet cake, and the classic cream cheese frosting. Pair that with a white macaron shell for the iconic look of red velvet!

These macarons would be perfect for Valentine's Day, Christmas, or even as birthday party treats.

I'll walk you step by step through how to make these macarons, including some of my best tips and tricks. If you need additional help, check out my macaron masterclass. It's got all the insider information that I've learned over the past years of baking macarons.

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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
Your free macaron template
Ingredients You Need
How To Make This Recipe
Expert Tips
Macaron FAQs
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Red Velvet Macarons

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

How to make beautiful white colored macaron shells with red velvet filling.
The most important steps to get correct in order to bake perfect macarons.
Troubleshooting steps to try if your macarons aren't turning out correctly.

Enjoy learning tips about making macarons? Sign up for my free macaron template and email series. You'll learn my favorite tricks for achieving perfect macarons.

Ingredients You Need

Here are the ingredients you'll need for both the French macaron shells and the red velvet filling:

red velvet buttercream filling ingredients with labels.

Super fine almond flour: It's important to purchase a high-quality almond flour so your macarons have good flavor. Be sure to sift the almond flour, or you could risky bumpy macaron tops. My favorite brand to use is Blue Diamond Almond flour.
Confectioners' sugar: The confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) is combined with almond flour to help provide the proper structure to the macaron shells. Don't try to cut down the amount of sugar in this recipe, as it's needed to bake up well structured macaron shells.
Egg whites: Egg whites are the base of the meringue. It's important to use room temperature egg whites when making a French style meringue for the macarons. Don't be tempted to use carton egg whites as they will not yield consistent results.
Cream of tartar: Adding cream of tartar to the meringue helps to stabilize the egg whites, making it more full and voluminous.
Granulated sugar: The sugar is added to the egg whites to help add structure so the mixer can beat a perfectly stiff-peaked meringue.
Gel food coloring: This ingredient is optional, but a small amount of purple food coloring will help offset the yellow color in the almond flour. This insures your macaron shells stay a bright white color. Don't use liquid food coloring.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

How To Make This Recipe

Here's a step by step guide, with photos, to help you master French macarons.

four numbered photos showing how to make french macarons.

1. After you've finished the prep work of separating the egg whites from the yolks, sifting the dry ingredients, and wiping the mixing bowl with vinegar, it's time to move on to making the French meringue.

Add the room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on medium-low speed until the eggs are very foamy, about 3 minutes.

2. Now, it's time to add in the granulated sugar. I like to do this in three batches as to not weigh the egg whites down by adding too much sugar all at once. Remember, the goal of making meringue is to have a light and airy texture.

3. Once all the granulated sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and allow the egg whites to continue to whip until stiff peaks form. This usually takes 10 - 11 minutes, but it's best to go by visual indicators rather than a time to know that your meringue is ready. Here are some things you can look for to know you've reached stiff peaks:

You'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk.
To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip).
If you whisk the meringue by hand, you'll feel some resistence.
You can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.

4. Pour the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue mixture and gently fold them together using a silicone spatula. Continue to fold until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain on the bottom of the bowl.

four numbered photos showing how to bake white shelled macarons.

5. Next, this is an optional step, but you can add a dot of purple gel food coloring using a toothpick. The purpose of adding purple food dye is to counteract the yellow coloring of the almond flour. This is a little trick to keep your macaron shells looking a bright white color.

Don't add too much purple gel food coloring, or the macarons can turn a funky color.

6. Next, it's time to macaronage the batter. This is a term used in the macaron baking community that describes getting the batter to the correct consistency.

To properly macaronage, slowly spread the mixture along the side of the bowl, then wipe it back down. Be sure to do this gently. Repeat until the mixture has reached a smooth and flowing consistency.

You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava. Once the batter drops back into the bowl, it should take about 10-15 seconds for the ribbon that formed to "disappear" back into the rest of the batter.

If you over macaronage the batter, it becomes very thin and runny. If this happens, you'll need to start over as the macarons will not bake up properly.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared piping bag. Hold the bag vertically, and gently pipe 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) circles onto a light colored sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Once you have reached the desired size, release the pressure on the bag and twist your wrist without lifting up.

8. Bang the sheet pan down the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Pop the air bubbles with a toothpick.

Allow the batter to sit on the counter and dry for 60+ minutes until a thin "skin" develops, and you can touch the tops without ruining the macaron. This resting time will vary depending on the humidity (they may take up to 90+ minutes to dry if you live in a humid or rainy environment).

four numbered photos showing how to fill red velvet macarons.

9. While the macarons are drying, place an oven thermometer in the center rack of the oven. Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). If this is your first time baking macarons, you may have to adjust your oven temperature. All ovens vary slightly, so be sure to pay attention to this.

Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 19 - 23 minutes. You can test that the macarons are done by gently touching the edge and the feet of the macarons. If the shell wiggles, is sticky, or wet, the macarons need to bake longer. Remove macarons from the oven and allow to rest on a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.

10. Next, it's time to make the red velvet macaron filling. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes.

11. Add confectioners' sugar and red velvet cake mix and beat together until combined. Then, add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt and mix. Finally, set the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow the buttercream to beat for an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

12. Last, but not least, it's time to fill the macarons. Match up macaron shells, so they are paired with a similar size/shaped shell. Pipe the bright red color filling on one side of the macaron shell using a ½ inch (1.3 cm) round piping tip. Gently place the matching shell on top of the filling.

Place the macarons in an airtight container and mature with the filling in the fridge overnight. This will allow the macarons to slightly soften and develop a deeper flavor.

Expert Tips

Use a light colored sheet pan when baking macarons. This ensures that the shells don't overcook since dark colored sheet pan tend to absorb more heat.
Having trouble with cracked macarons that resemble volcanos that have erupted? This is a sign that you haven't rested your macarons long enough.
If this is your first time macaronaging batter, be sure you don't over mix! It's better to have slightly under macaronaged batter as it will continue to be worked in the piping bag.

Macaron FAQs

Are you having trouble with your macaron shells turning out correctly? Don't worry! Use this troubleshooting guide or check out the frequently asked questions below.

How do I store my macarons?

Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Allow the macarons to come to room temperature before eating.

Why are my macarons flat?

Here are a few common causes of flat macarons:

1. The oven is too hot or too cold: If your oven is too low, you'll notice that the macarons won't properly rise. Not only will they be flatter than a normal macaron, but the feet will be short (under 2 millimeters), and the tops will likely be wrinkly or indented.

On the other hand, if your oven is too hot, the shells will be flat because proper feet will not form. The macarons will bake too quickly on the outside, leaving a moist interior that doesn't properly rise.

2. You under whipped the meringue: You didn't whip your meringue to stiff peaks. Under whipped meringue won't be strong enough to properly rise in the oven. It can lead to flat, wrinkled, or weak macaron tops.

3. You over macaronaged your batter: Another common issue that results in flat macarons is over macaronaged batter. Macaronage is a term that refers to folding the dry macaron ingredients (almond flour and confectioners' sugar) into the meringue. This process smooths the mixture and helps the macarons bake with proper structure.

When you over macaronage, you'll notice the batter is very thin and easily falls off the spatula. You'll also notice that the batter spreads really easily when piped. It might even fall out of your piping bag when transferring from one circle to the next on your piping template.

If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for flat macarons.

Why are my macarons cracked?

Here are a few common causes of cracked macarons:

1. Your oven is too hot: Most likely, cracked macarons are related to oven temperatures that are too hot. To fix this issue, you'll first want to purchase an oven thermometer.

This inexpensive cooking tool will allow you to see if your oven is heating to the temperature you're setting it to. Oftentimes, home ovens are known for heating hotter or colder than you set the temperature to.

2. Your meringue is under or over whipped: Both under-whipped and over-whipped meringue can result in cracked shells. This is because the meringue needs to have the proper structure in order to rise in the oven.

Weak meringue will not be strong enough to withstand the heat of the oven when baked, causing a cracked top. Alternatively, meringue that has been over-whipped won't have enough air incorporated to properly expand in the oven.

3. You didn't rest your macarons long enough: It's important to allow your macarons to rest on the counter until they've formed a skin.

Typically, you'll need to allow the shells to rest for about 45 - 60+ minutes on the counter until a skin has formed on top. If you live in a humid climate, this may take up to 90+ minutes.

4. You have air bubbles in the macarons: Did you put your macarons in the oven without banging them on the counter? Oftentimes, air bubbles are trapped in the macaron batter. Air bubbles occur naturally in the batter during the macaronage and piping process.

In order to avoid cracked macaron shells, you need to release and pop these air bubbles, otherwise, they will burst in the oven and ruin the shells.

If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for cracked macarons.

Why are my macarons wrinkled?

Here are a few common causes of wrinkled macaron shells:

1. You used too much cocoa powder: Using too much cocoa powder can cause your macarons to bake up wrinkled. Even 10 grams more can have a huge impact on the macaron shells. Be sure to follow the specific measurements listed in the recipe card below.

2. Your oven temperature is too low: To remedy this, you'll first need to purchase an oven thermometer, and place it in the center rack of your oven to double-check the temperature reading before baking the macarons.

Next, you'll need to play around with your temperature settings. I usually recommend heating your oven to 300°F (150°C) and adjusting from there. Pipe a set of 4 - 6 macarons on a baking sheet and test just a few macarons at a time (so you don't ruin a whole batch).

3. You over or under whipped the meringue: One of the most important techniques to learn, especially when making macarons, is how to whip egg whites to stiff peaks.

Egg whites that are under whipped or over whipped can result in wrinkled shells, weak tops, and macarons that will not properly rise.

4. You over macaronaged the batter: Another common issue related to wrinkly macaron shells is over macaronaging.

Macaronage is a term that refers to folding the dry macaron ingredients (almond flour and confectioners' sugar) into the meringue. This process smooths the mixture and helps the macarons bake with proper structure.

To properly macaronage, you should fold the batter until it reaches a lava-like consistency. You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava. Once it drops off the spatula, the batter that was dripped should fade back into the batter within 10 - 15 seconds.

If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for wrinkly macarons.

Why are my macarons soft?

Here are a few common causes of weak/soft macaron shells:

1. Your meringue is under whipped. French meringue needs to be properly beaten in order to form a strong macaron. Make sure that you're beating the meringue to stiff peaks.

To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip). Signs that you're ready to test the stiffness include seeing lines left from the beaters in your eggs. In addition, the meringue starts to almost ball up inside the whisk attachment. You'll also know it's ready because you can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.

2. The macaron shells are underbaked. If you don't give your macaron shells enough time to bake in the oven, a sturdy outside will never develop. Make sure to check that the macarons are done before pulling them out of the oven. If you touch the shell and it wiggles or is still sticky/wet, you know they need to bake longer.

Chocolate macarons in particular need to be baked for a longer time in the oven compared to regular macarons. If you notice your chocolate macarons are fragile or have speckled tops after they cool, you likely need to bake them longer.

Why are my macaron feet messed up?

Here are a few common causes of small feet, no feet, or feet that have ruffled/spread too far:

1. Your oven temperature is too high or too low: Work on dialing in your oven temperature. You may have to try a few different oven temperatures in order to find the perfect temperature for your home oven. You can read more about my experiments with oven temperature if you're curious to learn more.

2. You didn't rest the macarons long enough: Typically, you'll need to allow the shells to rest for about 45 - 60+ minutes on the counter until a skin has formed on top. If you live in a humid climate, this may take up to 90+ minutes.

3. You over or under macaronaged the batter: If you've over macaronaged your batter, it will be too thin and runny. This will cause your macarons to fall flat with small feet or even no feet. An overworked batter can also cause the macarons to spread out horizontally, rather than rising up vertically.

If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for macaron feet.

Why are my macaron shells hollow?

Here are a few common causes of hollow macaron shells:

This is the last troubleshooting problem you should worry about. Before perfecting your macarons so they don't have hollows, make sure all the other properties are correct:

1. The meringue is over and under whipped: In order to prevent hollows, you need the perfect consistency of meringue before starting the macaronage process. Oftentimes, adding in acid, like cream of tartar, can help stabilize your meringue and allow more time for the air to get incorporated.

2. The batter was over or under macaronaged: The macaronage stage, which refers to working your batter to the proper consistency, is a technique that takes a while to master. If you've worked the batter to a lava-like consistency and you're still getting hollow shells, try working it a tad less.

3. Your oven temperature is too high or low: Oven temperature plays a big role in hollow macarons. Unfortunately, due to the capabilities of home conventional ovens, you have to test and play around with the temperature to get your macaron shells perfect. Most recipes suggest baking macarons anywhere from 275°F (135°C) - 325°F (163°C). Test these temperature ranges out with your home oven and an oven thermometer to see what works best.

If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for hollow macarons.

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