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–+ servings
white macaron shells filled with black Oreo buttercream topped with an Oreo cookie piece.
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5 from 3 votes

Oreo Cookies and Cream Macarons

Learn how to make Oreo macarons with a rich Oreo buttercream filling. These cookie and cream macaron shells are made using an Italian-style meringue.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time19 minutes
Resting Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 19 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 30 macarons (60 shells)
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Jessica Mode

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Macarons

For the Oreo Buttercream

  • 200 grams (1 ½ cups) Oreo sandwich cookies
  • 113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 115 grams (½ cup) cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 400 grams (3 ½ cups) confectioners' sugar
  • 28 grams (2 tablespoons) heavy cream
  • 10 grams (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Separate egg whites from yolks and allow egg whites to come to room temperature.
  • 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 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.

For the Macarons

  • Add room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until the eggs are very foamy (right before the soft peaks stage), about 6 - 7 minutes.
  • While the eggs are whipping, add granulated sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Continue cooking until the sugar reaches 244°F (118°C) on a digital thermometer. If the egg whites reach soft peaks before the syrup is ready, reduce the mixer speed to low.
  • Once the sugar has reached temperature, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixer bowl. Be sure the sugar runs down the bowl and doesn’t hit the whisk attachment or it will splatter on the side of the mixer bowl. Continue to whip up on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 - 5 minutes. 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 curdled).
  • Pour the sifted almond flour & 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.
  • Add 5-6 drops of white gel food coloring. Then, 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 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 45 - 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.
  • 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 the Oreo Buttercream

  • Add Oreo cookies to a food processor. Pulse on high until Oreo cookies are finely ground.
  • Add butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.
  • Add confectioners' sugar ½ cup at a time to the mixer running on medium-low speed. Allow the confectioners' sugar to fully incorporate before adding in another ½ cup. Repeat until no confectioners' sugar remains. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
  • Add Oreo cookie crumbs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt to the mixer and beat until combined.
  • Place Oreo buttercream in a piping bag with a ½ inch round piping tip. Match up macaron shells so they are paired with a similar size/shaped shell. Pipe a little over 1 tablespoon of the Oreo buttercream filling on one side of the macaron shell. Gently place the matching side on top of the filling.
  • Mature the macarons with the filling in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the macarons to slightly soften and develop a deeper flavor. The macarons will last up to 7 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.

Video

Notes

The Oreo buttercream yields 3 scant cups. You might have some leftover buttercream that can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Having trouble with your macarons? See the full troubleshooting guide above. 
Whipping the meringue to stiff peaks (not over or under) is one of the most crucial steps when making macarons. 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.
In order to achieve stiff peaks, you need to learn the visual cues you can use to know that your meringue has whipped to stiff peaks:
  • 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).
You may need to adjust your oven temperature. If your oven temperature is too low your macarons will generally be wrinkled. If your oven is too hot the macarons will be browned or cracked.
If your macarons aren't developing a skin or drying out, it's likely because it's too humid in your kitchen. Many people often run dehumidifiers or air conditioning in the kitchen to help.
Don't cut the resting time short. If your macarons don't dry long enough, they won't properly bake. I prefer to dry my macarons for 60 - 90 minutes.
Wondering how long to macaronage your batter? There's really not a set time. It all depends on the recipe, your specific ingredients and environment, and even the amount of batter you are making. If you're in doubt while macaronaging, it's better to undermix a little bit. Overmixing causes more detrimental mistakes that are more noticeable (cracking, no feet development, etc.). If your egg whites aren't fully whipped to stiff peaks, this will happen really quickly and become too runny.
Learn more about how to properly store macarons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1macaron | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg