I love peanut butter, so it was only a matter of time until I made peanut butter macarons!

They’re made with chocolate macaron shells, honey roasted peanut butter buttercream, and a straight-up peanut butter center. They’re a peanut butter lover’s dream!

Making These Peanut Butter 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 more structurally sound.

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

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Peanut Butter 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 macarons:

• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Large (18″) piping bag (for the batter)
• Round piping tip (for the batter)
• Small (12″) piping bags (for the filling)
• Small French piping tip
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)

How to Make These Peanut Butter Macarons: Step-by-Step Process

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

Below are some photos of the process to help guide you through this recipe.

Step #1: Make the French Meringue

The first step is 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 over a few minutes white mixing on a medium low speed. Then 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 #2: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Sift the superfine almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the meringue.

Add a small drop of yellow gel food coloring to give the shells a warm brown color.

Then 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 couple 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 fold it a bit more.

Step #3: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with macaron batter and pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds onto 2 silpat lined baking sheets. Space them about 1-inch apart.

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times.

This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can then be popped with a toothpick or scribe.

Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

Step #4: Rest the Chocolate Macaron Shells

Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin. On rainy days this can take up to an hour where I live!

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 #5: Bake the Macaron Shells

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

Rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.

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

If they’re properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly.

Step #6: Assemble the Peanut Butter Macarons

While the macaron shells bake and cool, make the honey roasted peanut butter buttercream.

Place the frosting in a piping bag fit with a small French piping tip and set aside.

Pair up the macaron shells then pipe a ring of peanut butter buttercream on one macaron shell. Fill the center with honey roasted peanut butter.

Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.

I also chose to drizzle a little melted white chocolate over the top of the macarons and sprinkle them with some chopped peanuts, but this is optional.

Place the finished peanut butter macarons in an airtight container and store in the fridge to let them mature overnight.

Letting the filled macarons rest overnight softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavor to develop.

Troubleshooting These Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons

While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these 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 These 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 macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor.

The honey roasted peanut butter truly makes these macarons! In fact, I like it so much I use it to make the buttercream and fill the center of each macaron.

However, these would also taste great with a jam center if you love PB&J! Or if you’re a big Reese’s fan, try filling the center with my chocolate ganache filling.

How Many Macarons Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 36 large macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons.

You can double or halve this recipe as needed.

The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of macarons you pipe. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 3/4-inches.

Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Macarons

• If you can’t find honey roasted peanut butter, you can also use regular peanut butter or any nut butter! Just avoid using chunky peanut butter to make the frosting because it will make it hard to pipe.
• Wipe your mixing bowl, mats and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making the 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. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
• Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
• Let your baked and filled macarons mature! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
• If your macarons don’t turn out, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!

Making These Peanut Butter Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

• These macarons need to mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge in an airtight container before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and flavor.
• Refrigerate these filled 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.
• The frosting can be made ahead of time too or save any leftovers! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for honey roasted peanut butter macarons, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

And 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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