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.

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
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 Ingredients
- 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.
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.
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
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.
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
Strawberry French Macarons [Two Fillings]
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
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
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.
- 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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Hannah
I made this recipe over the weekend after failing with a couple others that showed up first in Google, and I finally got perfect macarons! Thank you!! I think you're right that the freeze-dried strawberry powder can mess with the meringue if you're not really careful. So I left it out.
Chef Christina
So glad to hear that, Hannah! Well done. I do believe if you're just learning to bake French macarons, it's best to keep it simple.🙂
Shannon
Made these for Valentine's Day, and they turned out perfect!! I love the fresh strawberry filling and professional tips. So many baking blogs overcomplicate macarons, this was refreshing! Can you do the same with other freeze-dried fruit powders?
Chef Christina
Well done, Shannon! Yes, you can add tiny amounts of most freeze-dried fruit powders to the dry ingredients for the shells. I've made blueberry, mango, and raspberry macarons this way for clients. But be sure it's only a few grams (say no more than 7 or 8), otherwise, the shells may not form feet or won't bake up as expected.
Holly C
I am a first time macaron baker and absolutely love this recipe. I was able to get it right the first time based on the way unique way you described the process. The portion of powder sugar to almond flour made the macarons taste so much better. I had tried a few other recipes but they some how didn't taste the way I remember macarons tasting. Your recipe tasted amazing. I absolutely love this recipe and will use it over and over. Thanks so much!
Christina
Well done, Holly, I'm so happy you loved the macs! And so pleased my advice resonated. My macaron recipes are all based on one I received from a pastry chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, so I feel like it's pretty traditional and reliable. Thank you so much for reading! Don't hesitate with any questions and happy baking. 🙂
Pamela Callow
Thank you, Christina!
Looking forward to trying the French buttercream recipe.
Pamela Callow
Hi Christina! I wanted to try making the French Buttercream recipe, but the list of ingredients seems to be missing how many egg whites one requires (as the instructions indicated that one should whip egg whites). Thank you!
P.S. I made your lemon macarons and raspberry macarons today, and they are delicious. Thank you!
Christina
Hi Pam, thank you so much for coming to my site! I'm glad you enjoyed the lemon and raspberry macarons. I don't know what happened to the recipe card, but you should be able to see the proper ingredients for the French Buttercream now on the page. Let me know if you have any trouble. You may have to clear your browser cache, so just in case they still don't show up correct for you, the French buttercream ingredients are:
-¾ cup granulated sugar
-¼ cup of water
-2 large eggs
-8 ounces of unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature, and cut into small pieces
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-⅛ teaspoon of salt
-¼ cup strawberry jam, homemade or store-bought
Happy baking, and thanks again for reading.:)
Nate
Surprisingly easy to make! Turned out great and my wife loved them!
Christina
Clever commenting, glad you enjoyed them;)
Diana
Sorry, one more question. You say to beat the egg whites on high speed for 5 minutes. When I do this, it forms a huge clump inside my whisk attachment (using KitchenAid mixer). Does this mean it's been over beaten?
edibletimes
Most likely you overwhipped. If you're using a stand mixer, try whipping on say speed 6 or 8 to be able to ease into the stiff peaks. You will definitely get a nice clump of egg whites when it is whipped properly, and it'll be shiny like shaving cream - you'll really know you've taken it to far if the whites get stiff but then begin to weep (give off moisture). Thanks for stopping by, happy baking!
Diana
Will adding lemon juice to the egg whites affect the recipe at all? I know yours looks great but I thought adding any kind of liquid would change the outcome?
edibletimes
Hi Diana! Adding lemon juice actually helps the egg whites stiffen. It's acidic and helps the protein molecules break down and bond to one another as you whip (that's why many recipes call for cream of tartar, which is also acidic). In this case, the little bit will add lemon flavor, as well.
Kim
Your macarons look amazing, I notice in your Strawberry filling, there is no mention of sugar or the amount in the list of ingredients, but it mentions the sugar in the method. please advise on the amount of sugar? or it is depending on how sweet or sour the strawberries are?
edibletimes
Sugar omission a blogger's oversight! I usually base my sugar on the sweetness of the berries, but 1/4 cup is a good place to start, depending on how sweet you want the filling. It will still work without any sugar, if you want a tart filling. Thanks for stopping by! Always feel free to email me directly:)
Winnie
These look so great! I must try them. I love macaroons! I am also a big lemon and strawberry lover. Love your pictures of the food!