This chocolate macaron recipe yields delicate, airy chocolate French macarons filled with a bright cherry buttercream and a pipable milk chocolate ganache. The process takes patience and practice, but the clear steps below will help you produce a beautiful, delicious batch of macarons.
Before settling on this version, I attempted a cherry shell with chocolate ganache, but the cherry batter was too loose. With a little more tweaking that could work, but for now I focused on classic chocolate shells paired with cherry buttercream and milk chocolate ganache. The combination is fruity, chocolatey, and balanced.
Experimenting with macarons has been fun. They can be a challenge, but the rewards are worth the effort—even if your first batch isn’t perfectly uniform. Keep trying and adapt the technique to your tools and ingredients.
Chocolate Macaron Recipe Tips
Many people find French macarons intimidating, but they become much easier with practice. This chocolate macaron recipe is approachable if you follow the steps, measure carefully, and allow enough time for resting and drying the shells. Small adjustments — like the way you fold the batter or how long you rest the piped shells — make a big difference.
How to Make Uniform Chocolate Macarons
Using a template helps keep macarons consistent in size. I traced circles on parchment paper using a small lid and flipped the paper so the ink wouldn’t touch the batter. Pipe your batter onto the reverse side of the parchment, matching each piped circle to the template. Despite a template, slight size variations are normal; focus on even piping pressure and a steady hand. Most importantly, don’t be discouraged by imperfect shells—practice is part of learning.
More French Macaron Recipes to Try:
- Green Tea French Macarons
- Christmas Macarons
- Thin Mint Chocolate Macarons
Chocolate Macarons with Cherry Frosting
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Macarons
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
Cherry Puree
- 1 cups cherries, halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Cherry Buttercream
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 T. coffee creamer powder
- 3 T. cherry compote
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cherry Puree
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Combine cherries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the cherries begin to break down; dicing them first speeds this up.
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After about 15 minutes, mash the cherries with the back of a spoon and continue cooking another 20–30 minutes until the mixture is thick and deeply colored.
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Stir in lemon zest, remove from heat, then pulse the mixture in a food processor until smooth. Strain if you prefer a smoother puree; chilling helps it set.
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Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool before using in the buttercream.
Cherry Buttercream
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Beat the room-temperature butter with the cooled cherry puree. If the puree is warm it will melt the butter.
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With a paddle attachment, mix on medium until combined. If it appears broken, add a little powdered sugar and mix on low to bring it back together.
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Add the remaining powdered sugar, coffee creamer, and vanilla. Mix on low until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
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Place milk chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
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Microwave for 45 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Continue whisking until the chocolate and cream are fully combined and glossy.
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Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours until the ganache firms to a pipeable consistency.
Chocolate Macarons
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Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Prepare a circle template under the parchment if you like consistent shells.
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If you can’t find almond flour, pulse blanched almonds in a food processor until very fine, sifting and reprocessing any coarse pieces until you have a fine flour.
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Whip the egg whites on high with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar and continue until stiff peaks form.
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Sift together powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in thirds, gently incorporating each portion. Avoid overmixing or undermixing; the batter should be thick but still flow slightly when lifted.
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Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe rounds onto the prepared parchment.
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Let the piped shells rest for about 1 hour, or until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch. This helps develop the classic macaron “feet.”
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Bake for about 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow shells to cool completely on the baking sheet.
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Once cooled, peel shells from the parchment and pair them by size. Fill half of the shells with chilled ganache and the other half with cherry buttercream, then sandwich together gently.
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Store macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for best texture, and bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)