These gingerbread macarons are adorable, delicious, and sure to brighten anyone’s day!!

Making These Gingerbread Macarons with the French Method

There are a few different ways macarons are made. French macarons are considered easier to make while the Italian and Swiss methods use a few more steps but are thought of as more structurally sound.

French macarons also require less equipment. While I love Italian macarons, I wanted to keep things simple and stick with the French method for this recipe.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Gingerbread Macarons

I’ve made quite a few batches of macarons, and they definitely turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat.

These are the tools I like to use when I make these French gingerbread macarons:

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

Making Gingerbread 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.

Step #1: Prep Your Ingredients and Equipment

After weighing the ingredients, wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice.

This removes any residual grease and helps the meringue whip up better!

Step #2: Make the French Meringue

Next, it’s time to make the French meringue!

Whisk the room temperature egg whites on a medium-low speed until the surface is covered in small bubbles.

Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the whisk begins to leave tracks.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. The mixture should look opaque at this point.

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

Step #3: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Sift the superfine almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue and add in a generous squirt of warm brown gel food coloring.

Fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.

Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted.

You should be able to draw a few figure 8’s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream once it is the right consistency.

If the stream of batter breaks before you’re able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.

Step #4: 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 #5: Rest the Piped Macarons

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

They should be dry to the touch and look matte at this stage. While the shells rest, preheat the oven.

Step #6: Bake the Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray on the middle rack of your oven. Bake time can vary based on the size of macarons you pipe and your oven, so adjust the bake time as needed.

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

Step #7: Assemble These Gingerbread Macarons

While the macaron shells bake and cool, make the gingerbread buttercream.

The final step is to pair up the macaron shells and pipe a small dab of gingerbread buttercream on one macaron shell. Gently top it with a second shell.

If desired, decorate the macarons with an edible marker and leftover frosting.

Place the finished macarons in the fridge to mature overnight and bring them to room temperature the next day then enjoy!

Troubleshooting These Gingerbread Macarons

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

Macarons are incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right. If you run into any issues, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!

Choosing the Right Filling for Your Gingerbread 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 these gingerbread macarons.

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using a quarter batch of my hybrid buttercream or Swiss meringue frosting as your frosting base.

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 32 macaron shells, which can be used to make 16 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.

Tips for Making the Best Gingerbread 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 need to be precise with this recipe and the 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.
• FIRMLY bang/drop your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
• Rest the macaron shells for 30 minutes before they’re baked to let them develop a skin.
• Pipe a small number of macarons on a few sheets to test your oven for hot spots and to see if it bakes accurately. This way you won’t waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
• Let your filled macarons mature! It 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 Gingerbread 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 filled 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.
• Freeze unfilled macaron shells for up to a month in an airtight container.
• Make the buttercream ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! Store it 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 gingerbread macarons, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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