These chocolate strawberry macarons are light and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the center, and filled with rich chocolate buttercream and sweet strawberry jam. Basically, they taste just like chocolate-covered strawberries in macaron form. And the best part? They’re a lot easier to make than I ever expected!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Macarons
I started with my favorite strawberry macaron base and gave it a little Valentine’s Day upgrade. The shells are delicately pink and crisp, and once they’re filled with chocolate buttercream and strawberry jam, you get the perfect balance of rich, fruity, and sweet. These strawberry chocolate macarons are just seven ingredients and come together with a bit of technique and patience, but nothing too complicated!
The biggest key to success is getting that batter to the right lava-like consistency. I’ve included tips throughout the recipe and added my go-to troubleshooting advice if you’re new to macarons or just want more consistency.
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The Secret to Smooth, Shiny Macaron Shells
If your macaron shells keep turning out grainy or cracked, the problem might be your almond flour. Even finely ground almond flour can have small coarse bits that mess with the texture. The fix? Sift your almond flour and powdered sugar together twice. Discard anything that doesn’t pass through the sieve. It takes two extra minutes but makes a huge difference in how smooth and glossy your shells bake up. I do this every single time, and it’s completely changed the results for me.
Chocolate Strawberry Macarons Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (Optional, but recommended!)
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Piping Tip Set
- Silpat Mat (Optional)
- Oven Thermometer (Optional, but recommended!)
Ingredients
For the Shells
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Pink gel food coloring optional
- ⅘ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
For the Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (½ stick)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips melted and cooled
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup strawberry jam
Instructions
For the Shells
- Heat a small saucepan of water over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.3 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure to not get any water into the egg white mixture when you transfer it from one bowl to another.
- Beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until the meringue holds a soft peak, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to the meringue and continue mixing on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. I like to start with 3-4 drops of food coloring and slowly add more if needed.Pink gel food coloring
- Once stiff peaks form, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the bowl and fold them gently into the meringue. Make sure to fold gently because you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.⅘ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup almond flour
- Fold just until the meringue reaches the “lava stage”. When the meringue flows smoothly off the spatula without breaking, it’s ready.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe 1-inch macarons onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
- Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 4-5 times or until any large bubbles have popped.
- Repeat steps 7-8 with the second tray of macarons.
- Set the macarons aside to rest for 20-30 minutes or until a skin has formed. You should be able to tap them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons rest, preheat oven to 325°F.
- Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the middle rack. Bake for 14 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking.
- Allow the macarons to cool completely on the pan before assembling.
For the Filling
- Add the softened butter and melted chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup chocolate chips
- Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the powdered sugar.1¼ cups powdered sugar
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to medium high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Assembly
- Place the macaron shells in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small ring of buttercream onto the flat side of one macaron and fill the center with about ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam.¼ cup strawberry jam
- Place another macaron shell on top and press down gently, just until the chocolate buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.
- Place the filled macarons in an airtight container and rest them in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale and gram measurements for this recipe since macarons are a pretty specific recipe. Click on the “metric” button above (below the ingredients) to change to gram measurements.
- Your oven must be at 325°F. I recommend using an oven thermometer!
- I recommend making these macarons at least 12 hours before you plan to enjoy them so that they have time to age. Place them in the refrigerator.
- The process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue is one of the most important steps when making macarons. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking. There are lots of great videos online if you aren’t 100% sure what the meringue should look like.
- You must use gel food coloring in macarons, not liquid! Both Wilton and Americolor are great.
- To get evenly round macarons, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the tray while you pipe the shells. Don’t try to draw a circle!
- When they’re resting, the meringue shells are hardening up just a bit. That way, when they bake, the shells will have the perfect consistency and not spread out.
- To avoid hollow shells, don’t over-mix the meringue, and always bake for the right amount of time!
How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Macarons Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy macaron recipe. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks (save the yolks to make some butterscotch pudding!). Soften the butter for the filling by letting it sit out while you make the macaron shells.
Melt the Sugar: Heat a small saucepan of water over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, add 90 grams (about 3 large) egg whites and 90 grams (about ½ cup) of granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Beat the Meringue: Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure not to get any water into the egg white mixture when you transfer it from one bowl to another. Beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until the meringue holds a soft peak, about 2-3 minutes.
Color the Meringue: Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to the meringue and continue mixing on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. I like to start with 3-4 drops of food coloring and slowly add more if needed.
Sift in the Dry Ingredients: Once stiff peaks form, sift 95 grams (about ⅘ cup) of powdered sugar and 95 grams (about 1 cup) of almond flour into the bowl and fold them gently into the meringue. Make sure to fold gently because you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
Fold the Meringue: Fold just until the meringue reaches the “lava stage”. When the meringue flows smoothly off the spatula without breaking, it’s ready.
Pipe, Set, and Bake the Macarons: Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe 1-inch macarons onto a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 4-5 times or until any large bubbles have popped. Repeat steps 7-8 with the second tray of macarons. Set the macarons aside to rest for 20-30 minutes or until a skin has formed. You should be able to tap them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger. While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F. Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the middle rack. Bake for 14 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking. Allow the macarons to cool completely on the pan before assembling.
Beat the Butter: Add 57 grams (¼ cup) of softened unsalted butter and 43 grams (¼ cup) of melted chocolate chips to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Mix the Frosting: Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add 141 grams (1¼ cups) of powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Fill the Macarons: Place the macaron shells in similar-sized pairs. Pipe a small ring of buttercream onto the flat side of one macaron and fill the center with about ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam (from ¼ cup / 85 grams total).
Age the Macarons: Place another macaron shell on top and press down gently, just until the chocolate buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Place the filled macarons in an airtight container and rest them in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.
How to Store
Store leftover chocolate strawberry macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the macarons to come to room temperature before enjoying them. Macarons can be left at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
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