Step-by-step method

At a glance

This reliable macaron recipe demands patience and precision—you'll need a thermometer to heat the sugar syrup to exactly 118°C, plus time for the batter to rest and develop a skin before baking. Expect around 5–6 hours from start to finish, with most of that being prep, resting, and cooling time, but the actual hands-on work is very manageable.

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Separate the egg whites

I separated the egg whites from the yolks two days in advance. I kept them in the fridge and took them out 4 hours before starting to make the batter.

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150 gram
Egg White
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Blend the flour with the sugar

Put the almond flour and icing sugar into a food processor, blend thoroughly, and transfer to a bowl.

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200 gram
Almond Flour

200 gram
Powdered Sugar
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Make the sugar syrup

Make the sugar syrup: put granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir together and bring to a boil. Using a thermometer, heat to exactly 118°C.

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200 gram
Granulated Sugar

50 milliliter
Water

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Mix into a thicker paste

Meanwhile, take half of the egg whites and mix them into the sugar and almond flour mixture. This will form a fairly thick paste.
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Whip the meringue

Put the other half of the egg whites into a bowl and whip until stiff. Once whipped, lower the speed and pour in the hot sugar syrup. Increase the speed again and keep whipping for at least 5 more minutes.
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Fold together and add colour

Gradually fold the whipped meringue into the almond mixture already in the bowl. You can add a few drops of food colouring at this point. I use Wilton gel colours — they're excellent quality, and just a toothpick's worth is enough to get a good colour.

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3 gram
Food Coloring
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Check the batter flows off the spoon

Mix the batter thoroughly — it should flow smoothly off a spoon.
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Pipe the batter

Fill a piping bag and pipe rounds about 3 cm across onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Macaron baking mats work brilliantly for this.
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Tap, rest, then bake

Tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles from the batter. Let the macarons sit until a skin forms on the surface — this took me 40 minutes, though it depends on the temperature and humidity. Bake at 160°C for 12–15 minutes.

Macarons – the winning recipe

Name: Foolproof Classic Macarons Recipe
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 3228 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 gram Food Coloring; 200 gram Powdered Sugar; 200 gram Granulated Sugar; 150 gram Egg White; 50 milliliter Water; 200 gram Almond Flour

bohynekuchyne

Prep 28 min Cook 1 h 5 min

Plus overnight of resting (not counted in active time)

6 Ingredients

9 Steps

Very hard Difficulty

Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 6 ingredients

Adjust servings

What's in it?

146 kcal

Calories

22 g

Carbohydrates

5 g

Fats

3 g

Proteins

The nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used.

About this recipe

Stick to this tried-and-tested method and success is (almost) guaranteed. You really can't skip the thermometer here — unless you're already a pastry pro who knows all the tricks, get yourself a candy thermometer (they're cheap) or use a meat thermometer (the one you use for grilling).

Gluten-free Lactose-free Vegetarian Desserts French To impress

Step-by-step method

At a glance

Separate the egg whites

For this step

Blend the flour with the sugar

For this step

Make the sugar syrup

For this step

Macarons – the winning recipe

Ingredients — what you'll need

What's in it?

About this recipe