Ever wish you could eat Nutella in macaron form? Well now you can! These chocolate French macarons are filled with a light, fluffy Nutella buttercream then drizzled with dark chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. They are truly to die for.
I'll walk you through how to make homemade French macarons and give you all my tips and tricks for success!
You might also enjoy these dark chocolate cherry macarons or chocolate cupcakes with Nutella buttercream!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these chocolate hazelnut macarons!
- Egg whites - I've recently started "aging" my egg whites and I've found it helps with my consistency. This is absolutely not necessary, but it's super easy to do so I recommend trying it out. Weigh out 100 grams of egg whites into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours but up to 3 days. Make sure to remove the egg whites from the fridge at least an hour before baking.
- Almond flour - If you've ever seen macarons that look bumpy, it's usually because the almond flour isn't ground finely enough. I love using Bob's Red Mill for my almond flour because it's super fine. But if you have lumpy almond flour you can also just pulse it in a food processor for a few seconds to break it up further. Sifting your dry ingredients is also super important for ensuring smooth macarons.
- Cocoa powder - I highly recommend using Dutch processed cocoa powder for macarons because the acidity has been neutralized. However, you can use natural cocoa if that's all you have.
- Nutella - I'm partial to the classic Nutella, but any chocolate hazelnut spread should work!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make French Macarons
Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe 1 inch rounds.
Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
*The macaron batter will look like photo 5 before banging out the excess air, and photo 6 afterwards.
Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
After the chocolate macarons are fully cooled, pipe the Nutella buttercream into the center of each shell and top with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.
If desired, drizzle melted chocolate on the other shell and sprinkle with hazelnuts. Let cool completely before assembling.
Put the assembled chocolate hazelnut macarons in an airtight container, then place them in the fridge to mature for 12-24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, for the best taste/texture, let them come up to room temperature for about an hour before eating! [Directly out of the fridge they can sometimes be super hard but at room temperature they're perfectly soft and tender!]
Macaron Tips & Tricks
Macarons can be tough so setting yourself up for success is key!
- Buy a kitchen scale if you don’t already have one! Macarons are incredibly finicky, so weighing all your ingredients is super important!
- Clean the mixing bowl and whisk attachment of your stand mixer with lemon juice or white vinegar to make sure there are no trace fats on either (if you don’t, your meringue may not form).
- Use a super sturdy baking sheet that won't warp and conducts heat evenly! These Cuisinart baking sheets are my favorite for macarons! I have 6 of them lol.
- Invest in some silicone macaron mats! They aren’t expensive and they will make your life so much easier!
- Also invest in an oven thermometer! We want our oven as close to 300 degrees as possible to make perfect macarons but just because your oven says it's 300 degrees, doesn't mean it actually is. My oven tends to run hot, so I usually end up having it set to about 290.
Recipe FAQ's
Macarons are finicky, but not impossible! It's crucial to follow the directions carefully but if your first batch doesn't turn out, just keep practicing!
Unless you have experience baking macarons, I don't recommend making any changes to the macarons. But you can make substitutions to the filling!
Almost all macaron problems can be traced to either oven temperature or improperly mixing the batter. This is why it's so important to use an oven thermometer and only mix your batter until it starts to flow like lava and then stopping.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Macaron Recipes!
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Recipe Card
Chocolate Macarons with Nutella Buttercream
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Macarons
- 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 110 grams almond flour, sifted
- 190 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Nutella Buttercream
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 57 grams Nutella
- 60 grams powdered sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, as needed
Top with
- dark chocolate, melted
- chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
Chocolate Macarons
- Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar (make sure to add the sugar in very slowly so that the meringue doesn’t deflate).
- Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients. Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe 1 inch rounds.
- Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
- Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
Nutella Buttercream
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until smooth then add in the Nutella and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add in the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until fully combined and smooth.
- Add in milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Match up your shells before piping, and then turn one side over. Fill the center with the Nutella buttercream, leaving a bit of room around the sides. Add a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts over the buttercream.
- Top each macaron and then drizzle with melted dark chocolate and chopped hazelnuts if desired.
- Put the assembled chocolate hazelnut macarons in an airtight container, then place them in the fridge to mature for 12-24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, for the best taste/texture, let them come up to room temperature for about an hour before eating! [Directly out of the fridge they can sometimes be super hard but at room temperature they're perfectly soft and tender!]
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
F says
I was worried that these would be too sweet but they turned out perfect! So light yet full of flavor. I got so many compliments on them. Best macaron recipe I’ve tried so far!
Brenda says
Do I really need to bake them separately?
Kyleigh Sage says
For the most consistent results, it’s best to bake one tray at a time on the middle rack of your oven. If you do multiple trays at a time, they will likely cook unevenly and one tray will be over baked due to being too close to the heat source. But you’re free to do whatever you want.
Alison says
So so SO good! My husband said they're the best macarons I've made yet. And the Nutella buttercream is addicting! We used the leftovers on waffles. 🙂 Thank you!
Susan leopold says
Your macaron recipes are the best (and I’ve experimented with many others). They always turn out perfect!! Thank you!
Annie says
FINALLY I can make macs that aren't terrible. This recipe is incredible, thank you so much!
Liza says
Cna I get this recipe in cups measurements?
Dee says
I bought an inexpensive electronic scale at Target. It has metric and u s in both dry and wet measurements. It’s the best investment I ever made. In fact I found using metric measurements are more exact and actually after just a few months, prefer using metric whenever I bake.