Start your morning or afternoon with these Coffee Macarons! This recipe will teach you how to make perfect airy macaron shells filled with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting. This gluten-free French treat is just amazing!
Make sure to try our recipes for Strawberry Macarons and Lavender Macarons too!
Why This Coffee Macaron Recipe is So Good
- Coffee Macarons are Naturally Gluten Free! The main ingredients in macaron shells are egg whites and almond flour, and the almond flour isn't a substitution. This is exactly how they've always been made, without any wheat flour at all!
- Lots of Coffee Flavor! While the shells in this recipe don't include coffee, the filling certainly does! If you like, you can also top each macaron with more expresso buttercream and a chocolate-covered coffee bean. Or, go nuts and enjoy coffee macarons with a homemade Oat Milk Latte or coffee frappe!
- Easy Step-By-Step Instructions - In the recipe card at the end of this page you'll find a list of all of the equipment and ingredients needed, as well as step-by-step photos of the process, and tons of helpful tips and tricks. If you've never made macarons before, you'll be a pro after making these.
Equipment Needed
You'll need a sheet pan and a Silpat silicone baking mat that fits inside of it. Any style Silpat will do, but they sell one specifically for macarons which is pretty neat!
Stand Mixer. To whip the eggs into stiff peaks, a countertop stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) is your best bet. Be sure to use the whisk attachment and not the paddle. You can make coffee macarons with a hand-held mixer, but your arm might get tired.
Piping Bag and Tips. To create smooth circles for our macaron shells and a neat layer of filling inside each cookie, use piping bags fitted with a medium-sized round tip (I like Wilton #10)
You should also have a wire cooling rack, a flexible spatula for stirring, and maybe a cute apron, just for fun!
Tips and Tricks for Making Perfect Macarons
- It's All About Whipping Egg Whites: Properly whipped egg whites are key to making perfect macarons.
- Egg whites will not whip into stiff peaks if there is any oil or fat mixed in with them! This means that your tools and bowls must be super clean and that no specks of yellow yolk can be in with them.
- Some people will "age" the egg whites for macarons, but I don't think it's totally necessary. This just means that you place egg whites in a bowl in the fridge, partially covered, and let them sit for a day or two. This reduces the moisture content of the eggs, and ideally helps them to whip up more easily. Again, not necessary, but you can try it if you like!
- Be sure to use extra fine almond flour, and sift it well. If you store your almond flour in the fridge or freezer, let it come to room temperature before making this recipe.
- If it's raining out or very humid outside, you may have trouble with this recipe, since much of the science of macarons relies on a certain moisture content. Save this project for a dryer day if you can.
- Measure your ingredients by weight with a kitchen scale when making macarons. This recipe can be a bit fussy, so being accurate is important.
- To make the coffee macaron filling, use heavy cream for a lighter, sweeter option, or use brewed coffee instead for a stronger coffee flavor.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
- Easy Gluten Free Apple Cake
- Mexican Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Cream Pie
- Cranberry Lemon Bars
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey - If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Coffee Macarons
Start your morning or afternoon with these Coffee Macarons! This recipe will teach you how to make perfect airy macaron shells filled with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting. This gluten-free French treat is just amazing!
Equipment
- Flexible Spatula
- Round Piping Tip Wilton #10 or similar
- Electric stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shell
- 90 grams egg whites
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 95 grams powdered sugar
- 95 grams almond flour
For the Coffee Filling
- 1 stick butter softened
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or strongly brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Instructions
For the Shell
- Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Heat a small saucepan of simmering water over medium-low heat. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water.
- Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved-- about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form-- about 5 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the egg white mixture. Discard any large lumps.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate them at this point.
- Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, continue to fold the meringue but this time gently smush the batter against the sides of the bowl before folding it back together.
- Continue to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. The meringue is ready to pipe when you can draw a figure 8 without the stream breaking.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10 or 12). Pipe 1” macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2” apart. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat with the second tray.
- Set the trays aside to rest for 25 minutes. They’re ready to bake when you can touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F/165°C.
- Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for 13 minutes. Make sure to turn the tray halfway through baking so the feet rise evenly.
- Allow the macarons to cool to room temperature before trying to remove them from the pan.
For the Filling
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until it has lightened-- about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar slowly followed by the coffee/cream and instant espresso powder. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy-- about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and set aside until ready to use.
Assemble and Age
- Place the macarons in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small dollop of filling onto one of the macaron shells and place another shell on top. Press down gently, just until the filling reaches the edges.
- If desired, use extra filling to top each macaron, and place a chocolate covered espresso bean on top.
- Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe card and blog post before making this recipe, especially if it's your first time making macarons.
- Measure your ingredients by weight with a kitchen scale when making macarons. This recipe can be a bit fussy, so being accurate is important. 90 grams of egg whites is approximately 3 large eggs worth.
- Properly whipped egg whites are key to making perfect macarons.
- Egg whites will not whip into stiff peaks if there is any oil or fat mixed in with them! This means that your tools and bowls must be super clean and that no specks of yellow yolk can be in with them.
- Some people will "age" the egg whites for macarons, but I don't think it's totally necessary. This just means that you place egg whites in a bowl in the fridge, partially covered, and let them sit for a day or two. This reduces the moisture content of the eggs, and ideally helps them to whip up more easily. Again, not necessary, but you can try it if you like!
- Be sure to use extra fine almond flour, and sift it well. If you store your almond flour in the fridge or freezer, let it come to room temperature before making this recipe.
- If it's raining out or very humid outside, you may have trouble with this recipe, since much of the science of macarons relies on a certain moisture content. Save this project for a dryer day if you can.
- For color, use gel food coloring rather than liquid. Again, you don't want to add any extra water to the batter! You can also leave out the coloring if you prefer, or try all-natural food colorings to avoid dyes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 7mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 18IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.2mg
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