Pink Raspberry Macarons are a beautiful treat, just perfect to make for a Valentine's or Galentine's Party! These raspberry flavored macaron shells are airy and crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. A combination of white chocolate ganache and raspberry jam make these pink macarons the perfect sweet dessert for any spring or summer occasion!
I am absolutely in love with these pink raspberry macarons! 😍
The light, raspberry flavored shell is filled with a creamy white chocolate ganache and tart raspberry jam, which makes for one incredible bite.
While these cookies are a labor of love, they 100% worth it! I guarantee that anyone you serve them to will be begging for the recipe.
Plus, they can either be the center of your dessert table or handed away as a sweet treat packaged in cute containers or baggies. Edible favors anyone??
You can make these any time of the year, but I think they're especially festive around Valentine's Day, for Mother's Day, Easter or in the early summer when fresh raspberries are in season!
🤔What Are Macarons?
Macarons are a French cookie traditionally made from almond flour, powdered sugar, and a sweet meringue.
The shells are smooth and light, yet still chewy and delicious. These cookies typically have a creamy filling, and the flavors are virtually limitless!
🙋♂️Are Macarons Difficult To Make?
For the longest time I steered clear of making macarons. I had always heard about how difficult they are to make, how finicky the batter can be, and just how lackluster they can look if you don't get the critical "macaron foot."
However, once I got over my fear and decided to just go for it, I realized that was all in my head! While yes, macarons aren't as easy to make as these cake mix cookies, they're definitely not as hard as I thought they would be!
Trust me, if I can do it then so can you! Plus, I've shared all my tips and tricks in the post below.
🥣Macaron Equipment
To make sure your macarons are as perfect as they can be, these items are recommended! The ones with an asterisk are a MUST.
- Macaron Silicone Mat- this will help to ensure your shells come out consistent!
- *Mesh Sieve- This is essential if you want your macaron shells to be nice and smooth as opposed to lumpy.
- *Piping Tips- I recommend using anywhere from a 6, 10, or 12 round tip.
- *Piping Bag- These are great because they're disposable and extra thick so they won't rip.
- Silicone Spatula- This is a key tool needed to scrape down the sides of your bowls.
- *Baking Sheet- This is a must. I lay my silicone mat over this and bake for easy, mess-free macarons.
- *Parchment Paper- To keep your shells from sticking, this (or the silicone mat above) is a must.
- Wire Rack- This will allow you to cool your macaron shells properly.
🛒Ingredients Tips
*full ingredients list and measurements can be found in recipe card below*
- Almond flour: Almond flour makes up the base of the macaron shell. There is no substitute for it.
- Powdered sugar: The powdered sugar is sifted in a sieve with the almond flour to remove lumps. Everything needs to be the same texture, so do not use granulated sugar here!
- Freeze dried raspberries: You can usually find these at Target or Amazon, and sometimes at your local grocery store! You'll need to pulse the raspberries before using because we need them powdery.
- Egg whites: The egg whites are needed to form a stiff meringue which you'll fold the dry ingredients into. Room temperature egg whites are best. Older egg whites that are "aged" are even better!
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten the meringue, I use a little granulated sugar. I don't recommend substituting it with anything else.
- Food coloring: Since these are pink raspberry macarons, I like to use a pink gel food coloring. Gel is better because it won't add too much moisture to the batter.
- White chocolate: The raspberry macaron shells are filled with a creamy white chocolate ganache, so I suggest using a high quality white chocolate here!
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is the base of ganache, so it cannot be substituted with regular milk.
- Raspberry jam: Use your favorite raspberry jam! It can be seedless or not, depends on what you like.
💗How To Make Pink Raspberry Macarons
Making The Shells
- Sift together the dry ingredients- almond flour, powdered sugar, and freeze dried raspberry powder.
- Whip egg whites, granulated sugar, and food coloring together until super stiff peaks form.
- Fold in half of the dry ingredients. Once incorporated fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Continue folding the macaron batter until the consistency resembles a silky honey and you can "draw a figure 8" over the bowl without it breaking. (The flow of the batter dripping should be very, very smooth!)
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip and pipe out the shells onto parchment paper or your silicone mat.
- Once all of the shells are pipes, allow them to sit out at room temperature for 20-40 minutes to form a "skin". In the meantime, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake one tray of the shells at a time for 14-15 minutes, then let cool on wire rack completely before filling.
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with exact quantities and detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
Make The Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium/high heat, add the heavy cream and stir it until it begins to simmer.
- Turn off the heat and add chopped white chocolate into the cream, whisking until completely smooth.
- Transfer the white chocolate ganache to a small bowl to cool to room temperature.
- When the ganache is cool, fill 2 piping bags- one with ganache and the other with raspberry jam, and cut the tips.
- Flip half of the macaron shells over and pipe a ring of white chocolate ganache around the edges, fill the center with a dollop of raspberry jam, then top with the remaining macaron shells.
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How To Fix Overbaked Macaron Shells
If you overbake for macaron shells, don't worry! As long as they're not burnt, they will fix themselves with some time.
If the edges got a little crispy, or even just browner than you'd like, still fill and assemble them as directed. After that, just let the macarons sit for 2-3 days and they'll soften up!
The shell will absorb some moisture from the white chocolate filling which will help make them softer and chewier. Plus, by letting the raspberry macarons sit, the flavors will meld together making the whole bite more enjoyable!
Expert Tips For Making Raspberry Macarons
- Use a food processor or spice grinder to pulse freeze dried raspberries into a powder.
- Make sure you sift the dry ingredients with a fine mesh sieve, you don't want any lumps.
- Gel food coloring is better than liquid because it doesn't add too much moisture.
- Don't skip the step about letting the shells form a skin, you want them as dry as possible.
- If you can't find white chocolate, you can substitute it with 1 cup white chocolate chips.
- If the white chocolate ganache hardens too much before you get to use it, microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
- Tapping your sheet pan before baking will help to remove any air bubbles!
Make Ahead Tips
Making these pink raspberry macarons ahead of time is a fantastic way to save time the day you're wanting to serve them!
You can make the shells and refrigerate them 4-6 days ahead of time, then fill the morning of your event. Macaron shells can also be frozen for up to 3 months, just thaw them fully before filling!
Do macarons need to be refrigerated?
No but you CAN.
You can store your leftover pink raspberry macarons in an airtight container at room temperature and they'll stay fresh and flavorful for up to 24 hours. You can also store them the same way in the fridge and they stay good for up to 5 days.
I don't recommend freezing these particular macarons because I don't care for how the ganache and jam filling thaws after being frozen.
Do I Need Cream of Tartar?
Many macaron recipes require cream of tartar. It can help to stabalize egg whites, keep the sugar from crystalizing and also help the shells rise.
With that said, it is not a must! I made these without it but if you live in a humid environment, it may be a good option for you.
FAQ's
You may not have sifted your dry ingredients enough. Adding your confectioners sugar and almond flour to a food processor will ensure a fine consistency every time. Also, make sure you are folding in your batter slowly.
A macaron is a sweet meringue-based sandwich cookie that is typically filled with a jam or cream filling. A macaroon is a simple drop cookie made with shredded coconut and condensed milk.
An American, French or Italian buttercream are all great options. For a butter-free option, try my Vanilla Frosting. Don't want a creamy filling? You can simply piping any thick jam or preserve into the center.
💗More Pink Recipes For You To Try!
📖 Recipe
Pink Raspberry Macarons
Equipment
- Macaron Silicone Mat for consistent sized macarons
- Seive for smooth macaron shells
- Piping bags a must for piping macarons
- Round Piping Tips a must for piping macarons
- Cooling rack for cooling shells
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar (*120 grams)
- 1 ¼ Cup Almond Flour (*125 grams)
- ¼ Cup Freeze dried raspberries (pulsed into a powder *about 5 grams)
- 3 Large Egg whites (room temperature)
- ½ Cup Granulated sugar (*110 grams)
- Gel food coloring
For The Filling
- 6 Ounces White chocolate (chopped *170 grams)
- ¼ Cup Heavy cream (*60 grams)
- Raspberry jam
Instructions
For The Shells
- On two pieces of parchment paper, trace 1 ½ inch circles spaced 1 inch apart. You can use a cookie cutter or anything round with that diameter. (Or purchase the macaron circle mat I linked to above!) *This ensures your macarons are all the same size!
- Flip the parchment upside down so the circles don't transfer to the shells, and line 2 baking sheets with the parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl using a fine mesh seive, sift together powdered sugar, almond flour, and the pulsed freeze dried raspberries onto parchment paper or in another bowl. This is very important! Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature egg whites and whip on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until they are foamy.
- Gradually and slowly, add in the granulated sugar to the egg whites while whipping. When all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium/high and whip for 5 minutes. Add a few drops of gel food coloring at a time until the desired color is acheived and continue whipping for 2-3 minutes until very stiff peaks form.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a silicone spatula, fold in half of the sifted almond flour mixture until combined. *Folding simply means gently incorporate the mixtures together in a circular motion.
- Add in the remaining flour and fold until the batter consistency flows like honey and you can "draw a figure 8" over top without the flow of batter breaking.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip* and pipe batter over the traced circles on the prepared parchment paper.
- When you're done piping, tap the sheet pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 20-40 minutes until a skin forms on the outside, and in the meantime, preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Bake the macarons one tray at a time for 14-15 minutes, until the "feet" are set. (The bottoms.)
- Allow the shells to cool to room temperature on a wire rack before filling.
Making The Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the heavy cream to a light simmer while stirring constantly.
- Turn off the heat and add the chopped white chocolate to the cream, whisking until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool completely.
- Fill another piping bag with the cooled white chocolate ganache. Cut the tip off the bag if needed, keeping in mind the size of the hole. You want it small enough to pipe neatly into the center. Larger than a dime is too big. A Wilton #8 tip is good if using.
- When completely cooled, flip half of the macarons over and pipe a ring of white chocolate ganache around the edge. Fill the centers with a bit of raspberry jam using a small spoon, and close them up with the remaining macaron shells.
- Enjoy immediately or store at room temperature in a sealed container.
Recipe Notes
Notes
- Freeze-dried raspberries are available at Target.
- Use a coffee grinder or food processor to pulse the freeze-dried raspberries.
- If you can't find white chocolate, you can substitute it with 1 cup white chocolate chips
- Don't skip the step about letting the shells form a skin, you want them as dry as possible
- Gel food coloring is better than liquid because it doesn't add too much moisture
- Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and freeze-dried raspberries.
- Alternatively, substitute 1 cup of white chocolate chips for the 6 ounces of chopped white chocolate.
- If the white chocolate hardens too much, microwave it for a few seconds at a time to get it back to piping consistency.
- The Wilton #12 Round Tip is a great option for piping macarons.
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