There's nothing I love more than macarons with my coffee, so these espresso macarons are the best of both worlds! They have a tender, espresso flavored French macaron shell and are filled with creamy espresso buttercream. They totally count as breakfast, right?
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 espresso cupcakes, espresso chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin spice macarons, or these dark chocolate espresso madeleines!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these coffee 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.
Espresso Powder - This is one of my most loved kitchen ingredients!! Since this is the main source of flavor for both the macarons and the buttercream, I recommend using a high quality espresso powder! King Arthur is my favorite brand! Note: espresso powder is NOT the same as instant espresso!! Espresso powder is much more flavorful and more finely ground, making it more suitable for baking macarons.
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 espresso 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.
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.
Then pipe the espresso buttercream in the center and top with the other shell.
Put the assembled espresso 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!]
Macarons 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 they aren't impossible! It's important 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 recipe because even small changes can negatively affect the results.
Most 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.
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
Espresso Macarons
Ingredients
Espresso 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 teaspoons espresso powder, sifted
Espresso Buttercream
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 180 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Espresso Macarons
- Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and espresso 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 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 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 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.
Espresso Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Beat the buttercream for 3-4 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Once the macarons are cooled, pipe a dollop of buttercream into the center of the shell. Then top with the other shell.
- Put the assembled espresso 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.
Kim says
Can I sprinkle espresso powder on the shells prior to baking them, while they are resting? Or should this be done after they cool?
Kyleigh Sage says
Yes, you can do it while they're resting so it will stick!
Louise says
All my friends raved about them. Better than the ones from the store!
Cc says
As I’ve been learning to perfect these at home, this is a great recipe. The shells usually won’t stick to the parchment paper and love that the filling is so easy to make. Always better to under mix the meringue… unpopular but I’ve had meringue that only got medium (or less) peaks and the shells still get feet and the baked texture is as expected
Candy says
So good! The flavors were perfect!
Jessica says
Made these yesterday and they came out so yummy! Can’t wait to make them again. It was my first time making any type of macaron and this recipe was easy to follow,
Andrea says
Used instant coffee instead of espresso powder turned out amazing!!! Also used a tablespoon of whipping cream in the butter cream
Trisha Walls says
Just made these ! Perfect !
Alexa Bergey says
Hi, can I use instant coffee in place of the espresso powder?
Kyleigh Sage says
Typically yes, you just want to make sure it’s super finely ground so that you don’t get lumps in your macaron shells! Espresso powder is usually much finer and has a more concentrated flavor.
Dena Garrett says
These were very easy to make and the flavor was excellent. My husband really liked them.
Karen W says
I love making macarons! This recipe is fabulous. The macs look beautiful and they taste amazing. Thank you!