These cookie dough macarons are filled with a rich, brown butter cookie dough buttercream and edible chocolate chip cookie dough!
I'll walk you through how to make homemade French macarons and give you all my tips and tricks for success!
You might also like these cookie inspired recipes!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these adorable chocolate chip cookie dough 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
Gel Food Coloring - Always use gel food coloring! Since macaron batter is so finicky, we don’t want to add any extra liquid to the batter. So gel food coloring is the way to go! The color is also even more concentrated so you need less. I used AmeriColor Ivory and Warm Brown to make the tan color of these cookie macarons.
Heat Treated Flour - I use a little bit of heat treated flour in the buttercream to help achieve that cookie dough flavor!
Edible Cookie Dough - The macarons are filled with edible chocolate chip cookie dough!
Brown Butter - I use brown butter in the buttercream because it adds an extra nutty flavor! But you can use regular unsalted butter instead.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Heat Treated Flour
You need heat treated flour for both the edible cookie dough and the cookie dough buttercream!
If you didn't know, flour isn't supposed to be eaten raw! There is a slight possibility of e-coli being found in raw flour, so it needs to be heat treated in the oven to kill off any possible bacteria before consuming.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup of all purpose flour on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the flour registers at least 160°F on an instant read thermometer.
Let cool completely before using.
Sometimes heat treated flour will get clumpy, so be sure to sift it before using!
Edible Cookie Dough
I have a full post with all my tips and tricks for making this edible chocolate chip cookie dough but I'll also include the recipe and brief instructions in the recipe card below!
In order to make this cookie dough safe to consume raw, we just have to make a few small changes. Heat treated flour and no eggs!
Note: Do not bake this cookie dough!! Since this cookie dough doesn't have egg or leavening (baking soda/powder), the cookies would turn into one giant, flat, burnt cookie.
Special Equipment
Macarons can be tough so setting yourself up for success is key!
- Kitchen scale - Macarons are incredibly finicky, so weighing all your ingredients is super important!
- Sturdy baking sheet - You want to use a super sturdy baking sheet that won't warp and conducts heat evenly! These Cuisinart baking sheets are my favorite for macarons!
- 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.
- Silicone macaron mats - You can pipe your macarons on parchment paper, but I highly recommend silicone mats! I love these macaron mats that have small circles printed on them. The guide is super helpful for making sure all your macarons are the same size!
How to Make French Macarons
Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar 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 soft peaks form.
Add in 1-2 drops of brown gel food coloring, then continue to 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 6 before banging out the excess air, and photo 7 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.
Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. On the other side, drizzle a small amount of melted dark chocolate over the top, if desired.
Then pipe a circle of cookie dough buttercream around the edges and fill the center with edible chocolate chip cookie dough.
Put the assembled chocolate chip cookie dough 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!]
Recipe FAQ's
Macarons are finicky, but they are not impossible! It just takes a little patience and a lot of practice! It's important to follow the directions carefully but if your first batch doesn't turn out, just keep trying!
Unless you have experience baking macarons, I don't recommend making any changes to the macaron recipe because even small changes can negatively affect the recipe. But you can change the mix-ins for the cookie dough if you want!
The majority of macaron issues can be traced to either oven temperature or improper mixing. 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. Issues can also be caused if you add too much extra liquid, which is why I always recommend gel food coloring!
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.
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Recipe Card
Cookie Dough Macarons
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Macarons
- 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 110 grams almond flour, sifted
- 200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-4 drops brown gel food coloring, optional
Cookie Dough Buttercream
- 113 grams unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 36 grams light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 grams powdered sugar
- 31 grams all purpose flour, heat-treated
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Edible Cookie Dough
- 62 grams all purpose flour, heat treated
- 57 grams unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 55 grams light brown sugar
- 25 grams granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 45 grams mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Macarons
- Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar 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 soft peaks form.
- Add in 1-2 drops of brown gel food coloring, then continue to 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.
- 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.
- Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. On the other side, drizzle a small amount of melted dark chocolate over the top, if desired.
- Then pipe a circle of cookie dough buttercream around the edges and fill the center with edible chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Put the assembled chocolate chip cookie dough 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!]
Cookie Dough Buttercream
- To make the heat treated flour: preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread 1 cup of all purpose flour on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the flour registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer. Let cool completely before using. Sometimes heat treated flour will get clumpy, so be sure to sift it before using!
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and heat treated flour, and mix until fully combined. Beat the frosting on high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- If needed, add in milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Edible Cookie Dough
- To make the heat treated flour: preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup of all purpose flour on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the flour registers 160°F on an instant read thermometer. Let cool completely before using. Sometimes heat treated flour will get clumpy, so be sure to sift it before using!
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the room temperature brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
- Add in the flour and milk and mix until just combined. If the dough is too dry, you can add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.
- Then gently fold in the chocolate chips!
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.
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