Strawberry French Macarons Recipe [Two Fillings]

Name: Strawberry French Macarons [Two Fillings]
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: PT-486136H32M14S
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 180 grams of powdered sugar (1¾ cups); 108 grams of finely-ground almond flour (1 cup); 7 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder (about 1 teaspoon); 3 fresh egg whites (about 90 grams); 55 grams of granulated sugar (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon); ¼ teaspoon of pink or red gel or powdered food coloring; ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar, optional (to stabilize the meringue); ½ teaspoon of powdered gelatin; 3 tablespoons of cold water; 1 heaping cup of destemmed strawberries (about 150 grams or 5 ounces); 2 tablespoons of granulated or 1 tablespoon of honey; About 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from one large lemon); A tiny pinch of salt; French Buttercream with ¼ cup strawberry jam or freeze-dried strawberry powder mixed in

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An approachable, scrumptious strawberry French macarons recipe. Fill the macaron shells with a fresh strawberry filling. Or whip up a strawberry-infused, silky French buttercream. Or both! The method includes professional tips for success. And how to infuse as much strawberry flavor as possible into your macarons.

Six strawberry French macarons on. white doily-lined tin.

If this is your first attempt at baking French macarons at home, you may find it helpful to start with How to Make Macarons, Seriously, or learn how to subscribe to my exclusive series, French Macarons: Simplified. Then click back this way to keep reading.

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The Story
The Ingredients
Equipment
The Technique
Chef's Tips
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Story

Brimming with fresh-picked flavor, strawberry French macarons are lightly fruity, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. But baking any flavor of the famous almond pastries can end in chaos without proper instruction (have no fear; I've baked thousands of macarons for clients). So, this recipe includes professional tips for baking macarons at home.

Traditionally, the essence of a macaron is in the filling, and the shells are tinted with food coloring. But if you'd like to infuse the shells with a hint of strawberry, you can sift a small amount of strawberry powder with the dry ingredients. Fair warning: macaron shells can be fickle friends. And I only recommend experimenting with fruit powder in the shells once you've mastered the basics.

The strawberry fillings on two small spoons on a wooden background.

The Ingredients

Image of ingredients for strawberry French macarons - almond flour, sugars, jam, red food coloring and egg whites - in bowls on counter, labeled with graphics.

Almond flour. Look for a very fine grind on the almond flour you choose. And that any whole almonds you use are blanched (skins removed). If using whole almonds, grind the same weight listed in the recipe with the measured powdered sugar in a food processor. Aim for a smooth, sandy texture.
Fresh egg whites. The pasteurized egg whites in a box don't whip up as well (or at all) because the proteins have been denatured during processing.
Red or pink food coloring. For pretty-in-pink shells use a small amount of gel-based red or pink food coloring. I often bake macarons with only a little or none at all to avoid the chemicals in synthetic food dyes. Different brands and how much you add will determine how bright or deep the pink color.
Ground freeze-dried strawberries (optional). If you don't want to order the powder online, you can grind up freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or spice or coffee grinder.

Strawberry Fillings

Any strawberry jelly or jam will work as a filling. But I love a scratch-made strawberry filling set with gelatin. You can't beat the intense flavor of fresh, in-season fruit or the speed at which the jam comes together. You can add jam or strawberry powder to French buttercream for the ultimate strawberry macaron.

Ingredients for strawberry jam portioned into glass bowls: sugar, lemon juice, fresh strawberries scattered about.

Equipment

You can certainly whip up a firm meringue with a whisk and elbow grease, but an electric hand or stand mixer makes the process nearly effortless. I recommend weighing the ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure them by volume. Since the techniques are crucial in baking macarons, slight differences in almond flour or sugar don't cause too much trouble.

The Technique

The two (not-so) elusive techniques for beautiful French macarons are meringue and macaronage. The simplest meringue method for beginners is a French, or common, meringue. It makes for lightly crisp, melt-in-your-mouth macarons. Simply beat granulated sugar into fresh egg whites to firm peaks.

Macaronage is how French chefs make the act of mixing batter sound glamorous.

Meringue on the end of a stand mixer whisk attachment, at a firm peak. — *firm peak meringue*

Pink macaron batter pouring off of a spatula into a mixing bowl. — *firm peak meringue*

Chef's Tips

Prepare all of your ingredients and tools before you start. Including preparing the pastry bag with a small round tip.
Preheat your oven well. Ovens are fickle friends; preheat yours for at least 15 minutes before sending in the shells. Use an oven thermometer if you think your oven may is lying to you.
Add more style with a star tip. If you have a fluted or star tip around the kitchen, use it when piping the buttercream. It creates a pretty texture and adds flair.

Storage

Store filled macarons in an airtight container and chilled for up to a week. Unfilled macaron shells can be packaged carefully, sealed airtight, and frozen. Always store filled macarons chilled, but serve at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are macarons really that hard to make?

No way, chef! Baking up lovely French macarons like the beauties in pastry shops is a matter of mastering two simple techniques: meringue and macaronage (the mixing). Many of my readers craft perfect macarons the first time out! My free French Macarons: Simplified tutorial series is an excellent way for beginners to dive right in and succeed from the start.

What can I use to flavor macarons?

Since the tried and true macaron shell recipe is best left alone, most French macaron flavor will come from the fillings. And the sky's the limit! If you want to infuse the shells, it's best to stick with a small amount of concentrated, alcohol-based extract, instant espresso, or dried fruit powder.

P.S. Don't forget to comment with your questions, ideas, and musings. Feedback is greatly appreciated and incredibly valuable to your fellow bakers.

📖 Recipe

Six strawberry macarons with frsh strawberry filling on a white doily-lined cake tin.

Strawberry French Macarons [Two Fillings]

5 from 5 reviews

Print Recipe

Pretty-in-pink strawberry macarons are sweet and tart, a delicious match of sweet almond and fresh fruit flavors. If you plan to make the scratch-made filling, look for strawberries at the peak of their season. In much of the U.S., that's during spring and summer.

Total Time: About 50 minutes
Yield: 22 to 24 Filled Macarons 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Macaron Shells

180 grams of powdered sugar (1¾ cups)
108 grams of finely-ground almond flour (1 cup)
7 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder (about 1 teaspoon)
3 fresh egg whites (about 90 grams)
55 grams of granulated sugar (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon)
¼ teaspoon of pink or red gel or powdered food coloring
¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar, optional (to stabilize the meringue)

Fresh Strawberry Filling

½ teaspoon of powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons of cold water
1 heaping cup of destemmed strawberries (about 150 grams or 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons of granulated or 1 tablespoon of honey
About 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from one large lemon)
A tiny pinch of salt

Strawberry French Buttercream

French Buttercream with ¼ cup strawberry jam or freeze-dried strawberry powder mixed in

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Line a couple of baking pans or cookie sheets with parchment paper (or silicone mats, if you prefer). If you plan to use a piping template, place one or two underneath the parchment. Fit your piping bag with a small round tip.
Sift the dry ingredients. Since I bake macarons regularly for and with clients, I sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and any ground powder right into the bowl of whipped meringue. But for new macaron bakers, I recommend sifting ahead and setting them nearby.
Whip the meringue. Whip the egg whites and sugar on medium-high speed to a firm peak. The meringue is ready when shiny, silky, opaque, and resembles shaving cream. When you lift out the beater, the meringue will make slightly curved peaks or stick nearly straight up. Add a small amount of red or pink gel food coloring and whip on high speed for 30 seconds more.
Fold in the dry ingredients. Sift or add the dry ingredients to the whipped meringue. If it's easier, do this in a few additions. Stir vigorously at first, then fold gently by scraping in a circular motion around the inside of the bowl and then up over the top of the batter. Macaron batter is ready when it ribbons off the spatula and flows slowly but is still visibly thick. Immediately transfer the batter to your prepared piping bag.
Pipe. Hold the piping bag vertically and a quarter-inch off the baking pan, and squeeze until you reach the inner edges of the template circles. Immediately stop squeezing and flick the tip away in a circular motion.
Tap and rest. If your batter doesn't settle flat after a few moments, tap underneath the pans with your hand to settle the batter. Let the piped macarons rest on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes. The shells will turn from shiny and sticky to smooth and dull.
Bake. Bake the macarons for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once the signature pied, or “feet” form. This happens after about eight minutes of baking. Begin checking for doneness after 12 to 13 minutes. Gently nudge the tops of a couple of macaron shells with your finger. If the tops don't wiggle, the macarons are done. Try to avoid browning the bottoms of the shells.
Match and fill. Remove the pan and cool the shells for a couple of minutes. Then, peel them gently away from the parchment or baking mat. Make pairs of macarons and pipe strawberry jam, strawberry buttercream, or both onto half of the shells. Then top with their partners.
Store chilled. Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This allows the shells to soften and fill in (become less hollow) as they absorb moisture and flavor from the fillings. Macarons keep for about a week. Always serve macarons at room temperature.

For the Strawberry Filling

Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water in a small bowl. The mixture will gelatinize, becoming thick and opaque after about five minutes. Remove the stems from your strawberries and blend until smooth.
Simmer the jam ingredients. In a small pot, bring puréed strawberries, lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Cook gently for about five minutes.
Whisk in the gelatin and cool. Remove the pot from the heat, and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it dissolves. Pour the filling into a small heat-safe bowl and press plastic wrap against the top. Cool the filling in the refrigerator. Stir to loosen it up before piping on the macaron shells. Store chilled.

Notes

Chef's Note

I scoop my fillings into a piping bag fitted with a small round or star tip, depending on the consistency of the filling. Alternatively, I use a plastic baggie with the corner snipped to create a small hole.

Author: Chef Christina
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: French Macarons
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French
Diet: Gluten Free

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Filled French Macaron
Calories: 99
Sugar: 14.1 g
Sodium: 121.1 mg
Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
Carbohydrates: 15.3 g
Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 1.6 g
Cholesterol: 6.8 mg

Keywords: strawberry French macaron recipe, strawberry macarons

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Strawberry French Macarons Recipe & Two Fillings

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