Description
This Red Velvet Macarons recipe teaches you how to make delicate, vibrant macarons with a rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for special occasions, these French-style macarons are colored with red gel food coloring and come together with a smooth, velvety texture. The process includes mastering the meringue, folding in almond flour and cocoa powder, baking to perfection, and finishing with a luscious cream cheese filling that perfectly complements the subtle cocoa flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Macarons
- 110 g aged egg whites, room temperature (about 4 large egg whites)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
- 110 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tsp)
- 140 g superfine almond flour – blanched (1 1/2 cups)
- 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 4 g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (2 tsp)
- red gel food coloring (about 1 tsp)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 56 g cream cheese, room temperature (1/4 cup)
- 4 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
- 1 g fine salt (1/8 tsp)
- 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
Instructions
- Prepare the Baking Sheets: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats and set aside.
- Whip Egg Whites: Pour 110g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until covered in small bubbles. Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and continue mixing until soft peaks form and you can see visible tracks.
- Add Granulated Sugar: Gradually add 110g granulated sugar over a few minutes while mixing at medium-low speed. Then increase speed to medium-high and continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift together 140g almond flour, 125g powdered sugar, and 4g cocoa powder into the meringue. Use a spatula to break any clumps and press through the sieve.
- Add Food Coloring: Add about 1 tsp red gel food coloring to the mixture.
- Fold Batter: Carefully fold the ingredients with a rubber spatula using a circular motion, scraping the bowl and spatula frequently. Fold until batter flows in a thick ribbon from the spatula and you can draw continuous figure 8s without the stream breaking.
- Pipe Rounds: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Remove Air Bubbles: Firmly bang the pans on the counter several times. Pop visible bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.
- Rest Macarons: Let the macarons rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or until they develop a matte skin.
- Preheat Oven: While resting, preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Bake: Bake one tray at a time on the center rack for 21 minutes, rotating halfway through baking for evenness.
- Cool Shells: Remove from oven, cool completely on baking sheet (about 30 minutes). Gently peel them off the mat once cool.
- Make Frosting: Beat 56g room temperature cream cheese on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add 4g vanilla extract and 1g salt, mixing on low. Slowly add 125g powdered sugar and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated. Adjust consistency if needed with milk or heavy cream (1 tsp increments) or additional powdered sugar (1 tbsp increments).
- Assemble Macarons: Pair shells by size. Pipe cream cheese frosting onto one shell and sandwich with another. Optionally drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle crushed macaron shells or royal icing as garnish.
- Store: Place macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight to mature, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 36 shells or 18 macarons.
- Use precise measurements with a kitchen scale for best results.
- Age egg whites if possible; avoid carton egg whites.
- Use gel food coloring only to maintain batter consistency.
- Macaron mats or piping templates help achieve consistent sizes.
- Macarons mature best after refrigerating overnight allowing flavors to develop and texture to soften.
- Filled macarons store well at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for 5 days, and can be frozen up to a month.
- Unfilled shells can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Leftover frosting can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a month.
- If first attempts fail, consult a macaron troubleshooting guide for common issues.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
