My raspberry macarons are surprisingly simple to make with just 8 ingredients, and they’re the perfect treat to celebrate Valentine’s Day! The tender-crisp macaron cookies have a wonderful almond-vanilla flavor, and they’re filled with a sweet-tart buttercream made from raspberry jam. These delicate homemade raspberry-filled macarons are bakery-worthy, with the perfect pink color!
Pink Raspberry-filled Macarons
My chocolate strawberry macarons are one of my favorite fancy treats to make, and that recipe made me realize how easy making macarons at home can truly be! With so many flavor possibilities, I decided filling macarons with raspberry jam would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I’ve gone through a lot of trial and error, so as long as you follow my simple steps, these raspberry macarons will turn out beautifully. Start by making the meringue cookie shells, colored pink with food dye. Then whip up a buttercream filling made with raspberry jam. And finally assemble everything into delicate sandwich cookies!
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Don’t Skip the Sift!
Sifting the dry ingredients (almond flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean powder) is super important before folding them into the egg whites. Any lumps will create a gritty texture and could ruin the macarons shells. For extra precaution, consider sifting the ingredients into a separate dish before adding them into the eggs–or even sift twice.
Raspberry Macarons Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Silpat Mat (optional)
- Kitchen Scale (optional, but recommended!)
- Stand Mixer
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
- Piping Tip Set
- Oven Thermometer (optional, but recommended!)
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shell
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Gel food coloring pink*
- ⅘ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour **
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder ***
For the Raspberry Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (⅜ stick)
- 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Macaron Shell
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
- Heat a small pot of simmering water over medium-low heat. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water.3 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. Don’t stop whisking–you don’t want to scramble the eggs!
- Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Be careful not to get any condensation from the bottom of the bowl into the egg whites.
- Beat the egg whites on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until they reach stiff peaks. Add 1-2 drops of pink gel food coloring and mix on low speed just until it is combined; no more than 30 seconds. It’s okay if the food coloring doesn’t fully incorporate yet.Gel food coloring
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and vanilla bean powder into the egg white mixture. Discard any large lumps; don’t force them through the sieve.⅘ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup almond flour, ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate the egg whites.
- Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, gently smush the meringue on the side of the bowl and then fold it back together.
- Continue to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. If you can draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking, it’s ready to pipe.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10). Pipe 1-inch macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2 inches apart. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat with the second tray.
- Set the macarons aside to rest at room temperature until they develop a skin– usually 25-30 minutes. The macarons are ready to bake when you can lightly tap the top without the meringue sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F. Make sure to use an oven thermometer–the oven should be exactly 325°F when you bake the macarons. Adjust the temperature up or down as needed to achieve a true 325°F.
- Bake the macarons for 12-13 minutes, one tray at a time on the middle rack. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the trays halfway through baking. Repeat with the second tray.
- Allow the macarons to cool on the tray before removing them.
For the Raspberry Buttercream
- Add the butter and raspberry jam to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy; about 45 seconds.1¼ cups powdered sugar
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
For Assembly
- Carefully remove the macarons from the trays and place them in similar sized pairs.
- Pipe a small dollop of buttercream on the flat side of one macaron and place another macaron on top. Push the two gently together, just until the buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to cure overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.
Notes
- I highly recommend using a kitchen scale and gram measurements for this recipe since macarons are a pretty specific recipe. Please click on the “metric” button above (under 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.
- 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 Raspberry Macarons Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy raspberry macaron recipe. Separate the egg whites and bring the butter to room temperature. Save the egg yolks to make something else later, like my butterscotch pudding! Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
Heat the Egg Whites: Bring a small pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add 90 grams of egg whites (about 3 large egg whites), and 90 grams of granulated sugar (about ½ cup) to a heatproof bowl; set it over the simmering water.
Whisk the Egg Whites: Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. It’s important to whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Whip the Egg Whites: Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Be careful not to get any condensation from the bottom of the bowl into the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until they reach stiff peaks. Then add 1-2 drops of pink gel food coloring and mix on low speed just until it is combined; no more than 30 seconds. It’s okay if the food coloring doesn’t fully incorporate yet.
Sift in the Dry Ingredients: Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift 95 grams of powdered sugar (about ⅘ cup), 95 grams of almond flour (about 1 cup), and 1 gram of vanilla bean powder (about ¼ teaspoon) into the egg white mixture. Be sure to sift well, and discard any large lumps–don’t force them through the sieve.
Mix the Batter: Gently fold the sifted ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate the egg whites. Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, gently smush the meringue on the side of the bowl and then fold it back together. Continue to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. If you can draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking, it’s ready to pipe.
Pipe, Dry, and Bake the Shells: Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10). Pipe 1-inch macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2 inches apart. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat with the second tray. Set the macarons aside to rest at room temperature until they develop a skin, usually 25-30 minutes. The macarons are ready to bake when you can lightly tap the top without the meringue sticking to your finger. While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F. Then bake the macarons for 12-13 minutes, one tray at a time, on the middle rack. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the trays halfway through baking. Repeat with the second tray. Allow the macarons to cool on the tray before removing them.
Beat the Buttercream: To make the macaron filling, add 42 grams of unsalted butter (3 tablespoons) and 43 grams of raspberry jam (2 tablespoons) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until combined.
Add the Sugar: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 141 grams of powdered sugar (1¼ cups). Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Then transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Assemble and Cure the Macarons: Carefully remove the macaron shells from the trays, and place them in similar-sized pairs. Pipe a small dollop of raspberry buttercream on the flat side of one macaron, and place another macaron on top. Push the two together gently, just until the buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons. Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to cure overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy!
How to Store
Store raspberry 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 eating. Macarons can be left at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
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