This chocolate macaron recipe yields delicate, airy French macarons with a rich chocolate shell, filled with bright cherry buttercream and a smooth milk chocolate ganache. Making these macarons takes patience and practice, but the guidance below should help you produce a beautiful, tasty batch.
Before settling on this version, I experimented with cherry shells and a chocolate ganache center. The cherry shell batter was too loose and needs more tweaking, so I kept the chocolate shells and paired them with a cherry frosting and milk chocolate ganache filling. The combination turned out lovely.
Working with macarons is a fun way to try new techniques. They can be temperamental, but once you get the feel for the batter and the resting time, they’re very rewarding to bake and share.
Chocolate Macaron Recipe Tips
Many bakers find French macarons intimidating. They do take attention to detail, but with proper technique they are achievable. Key points are properly whipped egg whites, accurately sifted dry ingredients, gentle folding so you don’t overmix, and allowing the piped shells to rest before baking.
How to Make Uniform Chocolate Macarons
Using a template will help keep shells the same size. I traced circles with a salt shaker lid on parchment paper, then flipped the paper so the ink didn’t touch the batter and piped on top of the outlines. Even with a template some shells can vary; that’s okay. Focus on getting consistent piping, proper resting so the tops are no longer sticky, and correct baking time to form feet without cracking.
More French Macaron Recipes to Try:
- Green Tea French Macarons
- Christmas Macarons
- Thin Mint Chocolate Macarons
Chocolate Macarons with Cherry Frosting
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Macarons
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
Cherry Puree
- 1 cups cherries, halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Cherry Buttercream
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 T. coffee creamer powder
- 3 T. cherry compote
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cherry Puree
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In a saucepan, combine the halved, pitted cherries and granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat until the cherries begin to break down; chopping them first speeds this process.
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After about 15 minutes, mash the cherries with the back of a spoon and continue cooking another 20–30 minutes until the mixture is thick and a deep reddish-purple.
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Stir in the lemon zest, remove from heat, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can strain out the skins for a finer puree, or leave them for texture.
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Chill the puree in the refrigerator until fully cooled.
Cherry Buttercream
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In a mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature butter with the cooled cherry puree. If the puree is still warm, it will melt the butter and make the frosting too thin.
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With a paddle attachment, mix on medium until combined. If the mixture begins to break, add some powdered sugar and keep the mixer on low to avoid a powdered sugar cloud.
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Add the remaining powdered sugar, coffee creamer powder, and vanilla. Mix on low until incorporated, then whip on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Set aside.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
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Place the milk chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
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Microwave for about 45 seconds, then whisk until smooth. If any cream separates on top, continue whisking until fully combined.
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Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours, until the ganache firms to a pipeable consistency.
Chocolate Macarons
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Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment and, if desired, use a circle template under the parchment to pipe uniform shells.
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If you can’t find almond flour, pulse blanched almonds in a food processor until fine, sifting and reprocessing any coarse bits until you have a fine almond flour. Discard any large pieces.
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Whip the egg whites with a whisk attachment on high to soft peaks (about 2–3 minutes). With the mixer running, slowly add the granulated sugar and continue until stiff peaks form.
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Sift together the powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
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Fold the dry mixture into the meringue in small portions, working gently. Fold until the batter is thick but still moves slightly. Overmixing flattens the shells; undermixing leaves them too airy.
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Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe even circles onto the prepared sheets.
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Allow the piped shells to rest for about 1 hour, or until the tops are no longer sticky and a skin has formed.
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Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely on the sheet before peeling from the parchment.
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Pair shells by size. Fill half of the shells with piped milk chocolate ganache and the other half with cherry buttercream. Gently sandwich them together without cracking the shells.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are estimates and not guaranteed to be exact.)