Bake up a batch of salted caramel macarons with this step by step guide. You'll learn how to make perfect macaron shells sandwiched in between a layer of buttercream and salted caramel.
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There's nothing better than a macaron shell filled with a silky buttercream and salted caramel. This recipe will teach you not only how to make a delicious salted caramel macaron filling, but also my favorite tips for perfecting your macaron shells.
If this is your first time baking French macarons and they don't turn out perfectly, check out my macaron baking course. This online course will teach you the proper techniques that you'll need to master to bake flawless macarons.
Jump to:
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to bake macaron shells using a Swiss style meringue.
- The perfect salted caramel macaron filling.
- What to do if your macarons don't turn out perfectly.
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
- Super fine almond flour: This ingredient is essential for macarons. Since macarons are known for their almond-flavored shell, it's important to use almond flour (not all purpose flour) for this recipe. I like using 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, it's needed to bake up well structured macaron shells.
- Egg whites: Egg whites are the base of the meringue. As air is beaten into the egg whites, some of the egg proteins unfold. These unfolded proteins turn into a strong network of air bubbles. This ingredient provides a strong base for the macarons.
- Cream of tartar: Adding cream of tartar to the meringue helps to stabilize the egg whites and give you a more full, voluminous meringue.
- 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: Liquid food coloring will not work. Be sure to use a gel or powdered food coloring. These types of food coloring won't add too much liquid to your macaron batter, yet they create bright and vibrant colored shells.
There are some additional ingredients you'll need for the buttercream and caramel filling, so be sure to check out the recipe card below.
How To Make This Recipe
Here's your guide to making salted caramel macarons. If you get stuck along the way, leave a comment below or check out my step-by-step online course.
1. It's important to set yourself up for success when making macarons. Be sure to do a little prep work first to help you stay focused when it's time to bake. Here's what you'll need to get ready:
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
- Measure all of the dry ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Measuring by weight ensures your ingredients are accurately weighed.
- Sift the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together twice. Discard any large pieces of almond flour that may cause your shells to be bumpy.
- Wipe down the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment with a little white vinegar on a paper towel to remove any leftover oils. Fats interfere with the aeration of the egg whites and can ruin your meringue.
- Print off a macaron template. Place them on a light-colored sheet pan underneath a piece of parchment paper. You can also opt for a silicone baking mat or Teflon mat.
- Prepare your piping bag with a ½ inch round tip. Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out. Set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make pouring the batter easy and clean.
2. Next, it's time to make a Swiss style meringue. First, find a small saucepan that your stand mixer bowl can sit on top of to create a double boiler (bain marie). Add water to the saucepan and bring it to a boil.
3. Add egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together to combine.
4. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high. Place the stand mixer bowl on top of the water to create a double boiler (bain marie). Whisk the egg mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 100°F (38°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook the egg mixture at this point.
5. Carefully remove the hot bowl from the heat and transfer it to the stand mixer. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
As the egg whites whip, they will go through a couple of stages. First, the egg whites will reach the soft peaks stage, where the meringue is glossy but very runny and flimsy. There’s not very much structure in the meringue quite yet. This is the point where you can add 5 - 10 drops of tan or brown gel food coloring.
After a few more minutes of whipping, the egg whites will reach medium peaks. At medium peaks, the meringue peak flops over on itself and doesn't have much resistance. You'll need to keep whipping at this point or your macarons will not turn out correctly.
Here’s how your Swiss meringue will look once it’s reached stiff peaks:
- You’ll notice that parts of the egg whites stand straight up (no curl on the end)
- You’ll see these pointy off-shoots of egg whites on the whisk and mixing bowl
- Finally, when you whisk the meringue, it feels sturdy and has some resistance.
6. Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, it's time to pour the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue mixture and gently fold them together using a silicone spatula. Continue until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain on the bottom of the bowl.
7. Then, it's time to macaronage (mix the meringue with the dry ingredients) the batter. 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, shiny, 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. Be careful not to over macaronage the batter or the macarons will not properly bake in the oven.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared piping bag. Hold the bag vertically, and gently pipe 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) circles. Once you have reached the desired size, release the pressure on the bag and twist your wrist without lifting up. Continue until no batter remains.
9. Tap the sheet pan down the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Pop the air bubbles with a toothpick. Then, 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). While the macarons are drying, heat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
10. Bake one sheet of macarons 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. The macarons need to bake longer if the shell wiggles, is sticky, or wet. Remove macarons from the oven and move the silicone mat or parchment paper to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
11. Next, it's time to make the salted caramel filling. Add sugar and water to a medium heavy bottom saucepan. Cover with a lid and let boil over medium heat until sugar is completely melted, about 2 - 4 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking until the sugar begins to darken. Do not stir the caramel at this point. If it appears to be burning, you can gently swirl it in the pan. Once the sugar reaches an amber-colored liquid, about 4 - 6 minutes later, remove it from heat.
12. Stir in the heavy cream, but be careful, the cream will bubble and slightly splatter.
13. Add butter one cube at a time, and stir until the caramel is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and fine sea salt. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1 - 3 hours until thickened.
15. This macaron uses both buttercream and caramel filling, so next it's time to make an American style buttercream. Beat unsalted butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes.
16. Add confectioners' sugar, then mix on low to medium speed until combined. Then add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt.
17. Set the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow the buttercream to beat for an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
18. To finish up the macarons, match up macaron shells so they are paired with a similar size/shaped shell. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outside of a macaron shell using a ½ inch (1.27 cm) round piping tip. Using a smaller piping tip, pipe the salted caramel sauce inside the ring of buttercream. Gently place the matching side on top of the filling.
Expert Tips
- Storage: Place the macarons in an airtight container and mature with the filling in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the macarons to slightly soften and develop a deeper flavor. The macarons will last for 5 - 7 days when stored in an airtight in the refrigerator.
- If your caramel has a grainy taste, it's likely because of crystallized sugar. If a piece of sugar falls back into the caramel, or you stir the sugar/water mixture while the sugar is dissolving, it can result in grainy caramel. If this happens to you, you'll need to start over and make a new batch from scratch because you cannot fix a grainy (crystallized) caramel.
- Need help understanding what the meringue looks like at each stage? Here's a visual guide:
Recipe 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Macaron Recipes
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Salted Caramel Macarons
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- light colored baking sheet
- silicone mat or parchment paper
- pastry bag with ½ inch round tip
Ingredients
Macarons Shells
- 112 grams egg whites
- 140 grams super fine almond flour
- 140 grams confectioners' sugar
- 126 grams granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 - 10 drops tan or brown gel food coloring
Salted Caramel Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar large impurities removed
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature
- 6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon (14 grams) pieces
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Buttercream Filling
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar measured then sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
For Macaron Shells
- Separate egg whites from yolks.
- Measure dry ingredients using a kitchen scale. Double-sift the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
- Wipe down the mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a little white vinegar on a paper towel to remove any leftover oils.
- Print off two macaron templates. Place them on a sheet pan underneath a piece of parchment paper.
- Prepare your piping bag with a ½ inch (1.27 cm) round tip. Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out. Set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make pouring the batter easy and clean.
- Find a small saucepan that your stand mixer bowl can sit on top of to create a double boiler (bain marie). Add water to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar to a stand mixer bowl. Whisk to roughly combine. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high. Place the stand mixer bowl on top of the water to create a double boiler (bain marie). Whisk the egg mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 100°F (38°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Carefully remove the hot bowl from the heat and transfer it over to the stand mixer.
- Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Add 5 - 10 drops of tan or brown gel food coloring once the egg whites reach soft peaks stage. Once you reach stiff peaks, you'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk and is glossy. To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip). You'll also know it's ready because you can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out. Make sure not to overbeat the meringue at this stage (this is when the egg whites look dull or curdled).
- Pour the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue mixture and gently fold them together using a silicone spatula. Continue until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain on the bottom of the bowl.
- Begin working the batter until everything is fully incorporated (this is called the macaronage process). 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, shiny, 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. Don't over macaronage the batter or the macarons will not properly bake in the oven.
- Pour the batter into the prepared piping bag. Hold the bag vertically, and gently pipe 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) circles. Once you have reached the desired size, release the pressure on the bag and twist your wrist without lifting up. Continue until no batter remains.
- Tap 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). While the macarons are drying, heat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- 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 move the silicone mat or parchment paper to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
For Salted Caramel Filling
- Add sugar and water to a medium heavy bottom saucepan. Cover with a lid and let boil over medium heat until sugar is completely melted, about 2 - 4 minutes.
- Remove lid and continue cooking until the sugar begins to darken. Do not stir the caramel at this point. If it appears to be burning, you can gently swirl it in the pan. Once the sugar reaches an amber-colored liquid, about 4 - 6 minutes later, remove from heat.
- Stir in heavy cream (be careful, the cream will bubble and slightly splatter).
- Add butter one cube at a time, and stir until the caramel is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and fine sea salt. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1 - 3 hours until thickened.
For Buttercream Filling
- Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.
- Add confectioners' sugar; mix on medium-low speed until combined.
- Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt; mix until fully combined.
- Set the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow the buttercream to beat for an additional 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Match up macaron shells so they are paired with a similar size/shaped shell. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outside of a macaron shell using a ½ inch (1.27 cm) round piping tip. Using a smaller piping tip, pipe salted caramel inside the ring of buttercream. Gently place the matching side on top of the filling.
- Place the macarons in an airtight container and mature with the filling in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the macarons to slightly soften and develop a deeper flavor. The macarons will last for 5 - 7 days when stored in an airtight in the refrigerator.
Notes
- You'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk while it's mixing.
- Pull the whisk out of the mixer. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip).
- You can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.
- The meringue feels sturdy (not flimsy).
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