What Should My Macarons Look Like

Learn the qualities of well-made macaron shells, including what the feet, top, bottom, and texture should look and feel like. This guide will help you troubleshoot and fix any macaron problems you encounter.

Before you begin baking macarons, it's important to learn the basics including what macarons should look like once they're baked.

Macarons are a technique-based dessert that take time and patience to master. Even the most experienced baker can be challenged by making macarons, which is why it's important to understand the basics.

This guide will help you learn the proper look and texture of macaron shells, as well as how to fix any mistakes you may run into.

If you need more help, check out my step-by-step course, The Macaron Baking Experience, where I'll walk you through the techniques you need to perfect macarons. This is a quick and easy-to-understand course that will teach you everything in just one weekend.

What Should My Macarons Look Once They're Baked?

As you’re learning how to bake macarons, it’s important to know what qualities you’re trying to achieve in your macarons.

A well-made macaron will have:

• A shell with a firm (not too soft) top. The top shouldn’t crack when you lightly push on it. And, when you bite into the shell, your teeth shouldn’t immediately sink into the shell (there should be some give). When the macarons cool after baking, they should be firm. Then, the shell will soften once filled and matured with a filling.
• The shell should be properly stored so it doesn’t become excessively dried out.
• Each macaron shell should have small feet with a slight vertical rise. You don't want lopsided or ruffled feet that are spread out on the sides.
• The interior of the shells should be full, and slightly chewy. Excessive chewiness can indicate a problem with the macaron. You also don't want a large hollow gap (air pocket) between the top and the interior of the macaron shell.
• Work to achieve equal-sized, circular top and bottom shells. You don't want small and large shells paired together to make one full macaron.
• A filled macaron should taste slightly like almond mixed with the flavor of the filling. The macaron as a whole should not be excessively sweet, and the flavors should mature and marry together well.

If you’ve never eaten a macaron, I’d encourage you to go to your local bakery and try one out. This will help you physically and visually inspect the macaron, and see how well it holds up to these high-quality standards.

Macaron Feet

First, let's talk about proper macaron feet including how they should look, how tall they should be, and ways to fix feet that are too large or small.

✅Small feet with a slight vertical rise (around 2 mm - 4mm)

❌Excessively large feet (over 5 mm)

How To Fix Large Macaron Feet:

• Solution #1: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Under macaronaged batter can cause tall feet.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. Over whipped batter can cause tall feet.

✅Feet with a slight vertical rise

❌Feet spread horizontally with a frilly/ruffled look

How To Fix Ruffled Macaron Feet:

• Solution #1: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Over macaronaged (over mixed) batter can cause ruffled feet.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. Over whipped meringue can cause ruffled feet.
• Solution #3: Retest your oven temperature.

✅Even feet all the way around the macaron shell

❌Uneven, lopsided feet - one side of the macaron has small or no feet while the other side has normal or large feet

How To Fix Lopsided Macaron Feet:

• Solution #1: Ensure your oven is heating evenly. Rotate the baking sheet throughout the cooking process.
• Solution #2: Ensure your baking mat is completely touching the pan. If there is air between the pan and the baking mat, you could experience lopsided macarons.
• Solution #3: Ensure you are evenly banging your baking sheet when releasing air bubbles
• Solution #4: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. Over whipped meringue can lead to lopsided macarons.
• Solution #5: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter.
• Solution #6: Ensure you're piping while holding the piping bag vertically (not at an angle).

Inside Of A Macaron

One of the most important parts of a well-baked macaron shell is on the inside. Here's what the inside of the macaron should look like.

✅A full and slightly chewy middle

❌An air pocket in the middle of the shell

How To Fix Hollow Macaron Shells:

• Solution #1: For small hollows, allow the macarons to mature in the refrigerator with a filling for 24 hours. This technique can, at times, fix some minor issues with hollow shells.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. If you are having trouble with this step, try whipping your meringue at a lower speed (around medium speed like 6 or 7 speed on a KitchenAid) so you can easily tell which stage your meringue is at.
• Solution #3: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter.
• Solution #4: Retest your oven temperature. An oven that's too hot or too cool can cause hollows. Additionally, if you are underbaking your macaron shells, they may not be fully rising, resulting in hollow macarons.
• Solution #5: Ensure you are setting yourself up for a successful meringue: Don't use carton egg whites. Always use cream of tartar. Don't make meringue with cold egg whites. Don't whip egg whites at a high speed at the beginning of the meringue whipping process.
• Solution #6: Try a different baking surface, parchment paper, or a silicone or Teflon baking mat, and retest your oven temperature.
• Solution #7: Ensure you are popping large air bubbles.

Macaron Tops

The top of the macaron shell is important for a beautiful appearance. Here are some common mistakes to look out for.

✅Smooth, blemish-free macaron top

❌Small or large cracks along the top of the shell

How To Fix Cracked Macarons:

• Solution #1: Ensure you banged the sheet tray to release air bubbles. Pop large air bubbles with a toothpick.
• Solution #2: Retest your oven temperature. An oven that's too hot can cause cracked shells.
• Solution #3: If only a few macarons have cracked shells, you may be experiencing oven hot spots. Rotate the baking sheet throughout the cooking process.
• Solution #4: Switch your dark colored baking sheet for a light colored pan.
• Solution #5: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks.

✅Smooth, blemish-free macaron top

❌Tall, raised cracks that resemble a volcano that erupted

How To Fix Volcano-Like Cracks:

• Solution #1: Rest the macarons for a longer time until a thick skin forms on top.
• Solution #2: Try no rest macarons.

✅Smooth, blemish-free macaron top

❌Wrinkled or textured top

How To Fix Wrinkled Macarons:

• Solution #1: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks.
• Solution #2: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter.
• Solution #3: Retest your oven temperature.
• Solution #4: Use less cocoa powder if you're baking chocolate macaron shells.
• Solution #5: Don't overheat the Swiss meringue sugar and egg white mixture. Only cook to 100°F (38°C).
• Solution #6: Ensure there is no oil on your equipment while making meringue.

✅Uniform, blemish-free macaron top

❌Tiny discolored dots all around the top of the shell

How To Fix Speckled Macarons:

• Solution #1: Don't add too much salt to your macarons. If you choose to use salt in your macarons, only use a pinch, or add salt to your macaron filling instead of to the shells.

✅Uniform, opaque macaron top

❌Uneven, discolored top that looks splotchy - oftentimes happens after they have cooled from the oven

How To Fix Splotchy Macarons:

• Solution #1: Bake your macarons for a longer time. Underbaked macarons can cause this issue.
• Solution #2: Retest your oven temperature. An oven that's too cool can cause this issue.
• Solution #3: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter.
• Solution #4: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks.
• Solution #5: If you're making chocolate macarons, try baking for a longer time period. If that doesn't work, try switching to a different brand of cocoa powder.

Bottom Of A Macaron

Even though the bottom of the macaron shell isn't normally seen once filled, it's important to perfect for taste, structure, and consistency.

✅Evenly baked bottom without dulling or browned color

❌Browned or drastically dulled coloring

How To Fix Browned Macarons:

• Solution #1: Retest your oven temperature and baking times. Hot oven temperatures or macarons that bake for too long can have browning.
• Solution #2: Once the macarons have formed feet and a solid top (this usually takes about 10 minutes in my home oven when baking at 315°F (157°C)), prop the oven door open for the remaining cooking time. This is especially helpful for white-colored or pastel macarons.
• Solution #3: Once the macarons have formed feet and a solid top (this usually takes about 10 minutes in my home oven when baking at 315°F (157°C)), lightly place a piece of aluminum foil over the tops of the macarons for the remaining cooking time. This is especially helpful for white-colored or pastel macarons.

✅Smooth macaron bottom that easily removes from the baking surface

❌Bottoms with large holes that stick to the baking surface

How To Fix Bottoms That Stick To The Mat:

• Solution #1: Retest your oven temperature and baking times. Low oven temperature or macarons that didn't bake long enough will have this issue. If you're using a silicone or Teflon baking mat, you may need to bump up your oven temperature.
• Solution #2: Purchase a new silicone baking mat. Not all silicone baking mats conduct heat the same way. I have had very poor luck with the Amazon Basics baking mat.
• Solution #3: Ensure your macarons are fully cooled before removing them from the baking mat.
• Solution #4: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Over macaronaged (over mixed) batter can cause these issues.

✅Smooth macaron bottom that easily removes from the baking surface

❌Bottoms that completely or partially stick to the baking surface

How To Fix Bottoms That Stick To The Mat:

• Solution #1: Retest your oven temperature and baking times. Low oven temperature or macarons that didn't bake long enough will have this issue.
• Solution #2: Purchase a new silicone baking mat. Not all silicone baking mats conduct heat the same way. I have had very poor luck with the Amazon Basics baking mat.
• Solution #3: Ensure your macarons are fully cooled before removing them from the baking mat.
• Solution #4: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Over macaronaged (over mixed) batter can cause these issues.

Texture Of A Macaron

In order to bake high-quality macarons, you have to get the texture correct.

✅Firm (not too soft) top that won't crack when you lightly push on it

❌Weak or soft top that easily breaks or dents with slight pressure

How To Fix Fragile/Soft Shells:

• Solution #1: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Over macaronaged (over mixed) batter can cause weak tops.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. Under whipped and over whipped meringue can lead to weak macaron tops.
• Solution #3: Retest your oven temperature and baking times. Low oven temperature or macarons that didn't bake long enough will have weak tops.
• Solution #4: Ensure you're using a well tested recipe (like you'll find on my site). Some recipes with incorrect ratios can cause weak tops.

✅Smooth and even macaron tops

❌Rough, bumpy, or unsmooth macaron tops

How To Fix Bumpy Macaron Tops:

• Solution #1: Ensure you properly macaronaged the batter. Under macaronaged (under mixed) batter can cause bumpy tops.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks. Over whipped meringue can lead to difficulty with the macaronage stage.
• Solution #3: Ensure you sifted the almond flour and confectioners' sugar. Discard any large pieces of almond flour before mixing the dry ingredients with the meringue.
• Solution #4: Ensure you banged the sheet tray to release air bubbles. Pop large air bubbles with a toothpick.

✅Smooth and firm texture which allows you to bite into the shell without your teeth immediately sinking in

❌Porous or airy texture which usually includes some small cracking, bubbles/air holes, and a very fragile texture

How To Fix Airy/Porous Macarons:

• Solution #1: If you're using the Italian meringue method, ensure you properly heat the sugar syrup to 244°F (118°C). Heating the syrup under 244°F (118°C) can cause this issue.
• Solution #2: Ensure your meringue is whipped perfectly to stiff peaks.
• Solution #3: Ensure you banged the sheet tray to release air bubbles. Pop large air bubbles with a toothpick.
• Solution #4: Ensure you're using a reliable recipe (like the ones found on my blog). Some recipes with incorrect ratios (a high ratio of egg whites not balanced by a proper ratio of granulated sugar or a high ratio of egg whites not balanced by a proper ratio of dry ingredients) can cause this issue.