I lay out a fail-proof 4-ingredient approach with step-by-step photos showing how to make macaroons without the usual uncertainty.

Jump to Recipe

I used to think macarons were witchcraft until I found a method that actually works, and yes it felt like cheating. This Macarons Recipe Easy made me realize why almond flour and egg whites are the non negotiable stars for those light airy meringue cookies.

I’ve had batches flop, shells crack, feet vanish, but after a few tweaks this recipe flipped my whole macaron game. People now ask me How To Make Macaroons and I kinda laugh because it’s the same four ingredients, simple steps and suddenly you’ve got bakery worthy cookies.

Trust me you’ll wanna try them asap.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Almond flour: nutty, gives structure and chew, adds protein and some fibre not sweet.
Powdered sugar: ultra fine makes shells smooth, sweet, adds quick carbs, really sugary.
Egg whites: whip into airy meringue, provide lift and delicate protein, dont overmix.
Granulated sugar: sweetens and stabilizes peaks, superfine works best for smoothness, tiny crystals.

Ingredient Quantities

100 g almond flour (about 1 cup), finely ground

200 g powdered sugar / confectioners sugar (about 1 2/3 cups)

90 g egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)

50 g granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup), superfine or caster sugar if you got it

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Weigh everything first: 100 g almond flour, 200 g powdered sugar, 90 g egg whites (room temp, about 3 large), 50 g granulated sugar (superfine/caster if you got it). Accuracy matters so use a scale.

2. Pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar together in a food processor for 20-30 seconds, then sift that mixture into a bowl. If you dont have a processor, sift well and press out any lumps with a spoon.

3. If your granulated sugar is regular coarsish type, blitz the 50 g in the processor for a few seconds to make it finer. Room temp egg whites go into a clean, dry bowl, start whipping them on medium speed until foamy.

4. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the whites while whipping, increase speed and whip to stiff, glossy peaks. The meringue should hold a point and look shiny, not syrupy.

5. Add about a third of the dry almond+powdered mix to the meringue and fold gently to lighten, then add the rest and do the macaronage fold: cut through the center, fold and press the batter against the bowl sides until it flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon and smooths back into the batter in 10 to 15 seconds. Dont overmix it into a runny mess, but dont under-mix either.

6. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about 8-12 mm). Pipe even rounds about
3.5 to 4 cm wide on parchment or a silicone mat, spacing them out. Tap the tray sharply on the counter a couple times to pop big air bubbles, use a toothpick to pop any residual bubbles.

7. Let the piped shells rest at room temperature until they form a dry skin and no batter sticks to your finger when touched, usually 20 to 60 minutes depending on humidity. If it’s humid it may take longer.

8. Preheat oven to 150 C (300 F). Bake one tray at a time in the middle rack for about 14 to 16 minutes, rotate once halfway through. Theyre done when they have feet and dont jiggle; avoid opening the oven while baking.

9. Cool completely on the tray, peel off paper or mat gently. Match similar sized shells, fill with your choice of ganache, buttercream or jam, sandwich and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale, accuracy matters so weigh everything
2. Food processor or, if you dont have one, a fine mesh sieve for sifting
3. Electric mixer (hand or stand) with whisk attachment to get stiff glossy peaks
4. Clean, dry mixing bowls (one for whites, one for dry mix)
5. Silicone spatula for folding and scraping the bowl
6. Piping bag fitted with a round tip about 8 to 12 mm
7. Baking sheets plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
8. Cooling rack and a toothpick to pop any stubborn bubbles

FAQ

Q: Why did my shells crack? A: Cracking usually happens when they didnt dry long enough or the oven temp was too high so they expand too fast. Let piped shells rest 20 to 60 minutes until a skin forms, make sure your almond flour is finely sifted, and preheat the oven so temp is steady before baking.

Q: Why are my macarons hollow inside? A: Hollow shells come from trapped air or bad meringue – either undermixed batter or a weak/overwhipped meringue. Whip egg whites to glossy medium-stiff peaks, fold until the batter flows like thick lava and settles in about 10 seconds, tap trays to release big bubbles before baking.

Q: How do I know when the batter is mixed just right? A: When the batter flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon and smooths out in 8 to 12 seconds its ready. Too runny means overmixed, too stiff means fold more.

Q: Can I swap almond flour or sugars with what I have? A: Use finely ground blanched almond flour and powdered sugar for best texture, pulse and sift if your almond meal is coarse. Superfine or caster granulated sugar is ideal for the meringue, regular granulated can work but dissolve it well first.

Q: What temp and bake time should I use? A: A good starting point is 150 to 160 C (300 to 320 F) for about 25 to 30 minutes but ovens vary. Bake until shells have feet and dont wobble, and the bottoms peel off the parchment cleanly.

Q: How should I fill and store them? A: Fill with buttercream or ganache and refrigerate at least 24 hours to let flavors meld, they usually taste best after aging. Store in an airtight container 4 to 5 days in the fridge, or freeze unfilled shells up to a month.

The Easiest Fool Proof Macarons Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Almond flour: swap with blanched almond meal (use equal weight), but sift it well to get rid of bigger bits, or try finely ground pistachio or hazelnut flour 1:1 by weight — theyre oilier so add ~10–20g extra powdered sugar if batter looks too wet.
Powdered sugar: make your own by blitzing 200g granulated sugar with 1–2 tbsp cornstarch in a food processor or spice grinder until super fine, or just use store bought confectioners sugar at the same weight.
Egg whites: use aquafaba (chickpea liquid) about 2 tbsp per egg white by volume, so for 90g whites use roughly 6 tbsp aquafaba, or use meringue powder reconstituted per package directions (commonly 1 tbsp powder + 2 tbsp water = 1 white) and whip the same way.
Granulated sugar: swap with superfine or caster sugar 1:1 for faster dissolving, or use fine baker’s sugar if that’s what you got, but avoid coarse or brown sugars unless you want a different texture and color.

Pro Tips

1. Measure and prep like a scientist but dont freak out. Use a scale and weigh ingredients straight into small bowls so you can move fast once you start. If your almond flour feels a bit oily or clumpy, blitz it with the powdered sugar and sift twice, then chill it briefly in the fridge so it behaves better in the batter.

2. If your meringue is acting shy add a tiny pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice when you start whipping, it helps stability. Also if the whites seem too watery try letting them sit in a covered jar in the fridge for a few hours then bring to room temp before whipping, that often gives a stronger foam.

3. Oven and humidity will make or break you. Check your oven with a thermometer they lie, and do a small test tray first to dial the temp and time for your oven. In humid weather let piped shells rest way longer, or put a small fan on low across the tray to help the skins form faster.

4. Fixes for overmixed or undermixed batter and hollow shells. If your batter goes too runny, stop folding, scrape it back, let it sit 5 to 10 minutes then try a couple more gentle folds it can come back. If shells come out hollow try reducing whip time a touch and make sure the shells actually formed a dry skin before baking. For best texture let filled macarons rest in the fridge for at least a day before eating.

The Easiest Fool Proof Macarons Recipe

Recipe by Francis Mead

0.0 from 0 votes

I lay out a fail-proof 4-ingredient approach with step-by-step photos showing how to make macaroons without the usual uncertainty.

Servings

servings

Calories

kcal

Equipment: 1. Digital kitchen scale, accuracy matters so weigh everything
2. Food processor or, if you dont have one, a fine mesh sieve for sifting
3. Electric mixer (hand or stand) with whisk attachment to get stiff glossy peaks
4. Clean, dry mixing bowls (one for whites, one for dry mix)
5. Silicone spatula for folding and scraping the bowl
6. Piping bag fitted with a round tip about 8 to 12 mm
7. Baking sheets plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
8. Cooling rack and a toothpick to pop any stubborn bubbles

Ingredients

100 g almond flour (about 1 cup), finely ground
200 g powdered sugar / confectioners sugar (about 1 2/3 cups)
90 g egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
50 g granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup), superfine or caster sugar if you got it

Directions

Weigh everything first: 100 g almond flour, 200 g powdered sugar, 90 g egg whites (room temp, about 3 large), 50 g granulated sugar (superfine/caster if you got it). Accuracy matters so use a scale.
Pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar together in a food processor for 20-30 seconds, then sift that mixture into a bowl. If you dont have a processor, sift well and press out any lumps with a spoon.
If your granulated sugar is regular coarsish type, blitz the 50 g in the processor for a few seconds to make it finer. Room temp egg whites go into a clean, dry bowl, start whipping them on medium speed until foamy.
Gradually add the granulated sugar to the whites while whipping, increase speed and whip to stiff, glossy peaks. The meringue should hold a point and look shiny, not syrupy.
Add about a third of the dry almond+powdered mix to the meringue and fold gently to lighten, then add the rest and do the macaronage fold: cut through the center, fold and press the batter against the bowl sides until it flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon and smooths back into the batter in 10 to 15 seconds. Dont overmix it into a runny mess, but dont under-mix either.
Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about 8-12 mm). Pipe even rounds about
5 to 4 cm wide on parchment or a silicone mat, spacing them out. Tap the tray sharply on the counter a couple times to pop big air bubbles, use a toothpick to pop any residual bubbles.
Let the piped shells rest at room temperature until they form a dry skin and no batter sticks to your finger when touched, usually 20 to 60 minutes depending on humidity. If it’s humid it may take longer.
Preheat oven to 150 C (300 F). Bake one tray at a time in the middle rack for about 14 to 16 minutes, rotate once halfway through. Theyre done when they have feet and dont jiggle; avoid opening the oven while baking.
Cool completely on the tray, peel off paper or mat gently. Match similar sized shells, fill with your choice of ganache, buttercream or jam, sandwich and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.