I wanted to make some fall-inspired macarons and these pumpkin macarons seemed perfect!!

They’re filled with French macaron shells, a pumpkin pie filling and spiced buttercream and are just as delicious as they sound.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Pumpkin Macarons

Like I mentioned above, these pumpkin macarons don’t require a ton of equipment!

However, I find they turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat. As macarons bake, they usually spread less on silpat mats than parchment paper.

Below is a list of tools and equipment I like to use when I make pumpkin macarons:

• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Large piping bag
• Round piping tip
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)

Making Pumpkin Macarons – Step by Step Process

While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!

Below are some photos and a video tutorial of the process to help guide you through this recipe for pumpkin macarons.

Step #1: Prep the Ingredients and Equipment

After weighing your ingredients, wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to remove any residual grease. This helps the meringue whip up better!

Step #2: Sift the Dry Ingredients

Sifting your superfine almond flour and powdered sugar will help your macaron shells turn out nice and smooth.

This step makes sure that no chunks of almond or powdered sugar get mixed into your macaron batter.

Step #3: Make French Meringue

Next, it’s time to make the French meringue! Whisk the egg whites on a medium high speed until soft peaks form, then add in the granulated sugar.

Once the sugar is incorporated, add in gel food coloring if desired.

Then mix on a medium high speed until stiff peaks form like in the photo below. Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over mixing your meringue.

Step #4: Mix the Dry Ingredients into The Meringue

Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. The batter might look a bit stiff but it’s better to be too thick than to over-mix it!

The batter should form a thick ribbon that flows off your spatula when it’s lifted.

Step #5: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with the macaron batter and pipe 1-1/4 inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times to bring any trapped air bubbles to the surface and pop them with a toothpick. This can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

Step #6: Rest the Piped Macaron Shells

Next let the macarons rest for 30 minutes until they form a skin.

They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked! While the shells rest preheat your oven.

Step #7 : Bake the Pumpkin Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray on the middle rack of your oven.

Let the macarons cool fully on the pan then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

Step #7: Assembling These Pumpkin Macarons

Pipe a small dab of a filling of your choice on one macaron shell and top it with a second shell.

Place the finished macarons in the fridge in an airtight container to mature overnight then bring the macarons back to room temperature and enjoy!

Pumpkin Macaron Troubleshooting

I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of pumpkin macarons will turn out perfectly, but my own experience has taught me that’s not how things usually go.

Macarons can be incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right.

If you run into any issues, please check out my detailed French macaron troubleshooting guide.

Choosing The Right Filling for Your Pumpkin Macarons

While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, almost all the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling.

The shell gives the macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor. You can use just about any type of frosting or ganache to fill macarons.

I have a big sweet tooth, so I love using a spiced American buttercream to fill these pumpkin macarons. I also fill the centers with a pumpkin pie filling to really pack them with pumpkin flavor.

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using a 1/4 batch of my hybrid buttercream or Swiss meringue frosting instead!

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 36 macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

The yield and bake time will also vary based on the size of macarons you pipe. I pipe my shells with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches diameter.

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Macarons

• Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making your meringue. It will help your egg whites whip up better!
• Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
• Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe and your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
• Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it’s good to know your game plan before you start!
• Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
• Let your macarons mature! Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
• If your first batch of macarons doesn’t turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.

Making These Pumpkin Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

• You need to let French macarons mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before eating them. This gives them their best texture and taste.
• Store macarons at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
• Refrigerate macarons for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• Freeze filled macarons for up to a month in an airtight container.
• Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
• Make your filling ahead of time too or save any leftover filling! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for pumpkin macarons, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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