These heart shaped macarons have a light French macaron shell filled with creamy white chocolate ganache and decorated with fun Valentine's Day sprinkles! They're a beautiful Valentine's treat for both kids and adults!
If you don't want a white chocolate filling you can also make any of my other macarons heart shaped! Some other fun flavors would be strawberry, red velvet, raspberry chambord, or lavender!
I'll walk you through how to make homemade French macarons and give you all my tips and tricks for success!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these white chocolate heart shaped 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.
White chocolate - Use white chocolate baking bars as opposed to chocolate chips!! Chips contain emulsifiers that help them keep their shape, which also means they won't combine as smoothly as chocolate bars.
Heavy whipping cream - This is for the ganache and cannot be substituted.
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. For these heart macarons I used AmeriColor Soft Pink.
Sprinkles - I love decorating the tops of these heart macarons with some fun Valentine's Day sprinkles!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Special Equipment
- 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. My oven tends to run hot, so I usually end up having it set to about 290.
- Silicone mats - I typically use silicone macaron mats with printed circles on them. But for these heart shaped macarons, I use plain silicone mats so that it's easier to see the template underneath!
- Heart macaron template - If you prefer to free hand, good for you (I'm jealous)! But if you're like me, you need a template to follow! I created a printable PDF that you can use as a guide underneath the parchment paper!
- French star piping tip (optional for filling)
How to Make White Chocolate Ganache
Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the white chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully smooth.
Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. [Don't try to pipe the ganache before it's fully set!]
If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
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 pink 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. Place the heart macaron template underneath.
Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe the hearts by dragging the tip from the top of one side of the heart to the bottom, lightening up on the pressure as you go. Then repeat the other side of the heart.
After piping, you can use a toothpick to help spread the macaron batter to the edges of your heart template so that they're nice and uniform.
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.
If using the templates, gently slide them out from underneath the parchment paper after you're done piping the heart shaped macarons.
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 heart 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. If desired, drizzle with some extra melted chocolate and garnish with Valentine's Day sprinkles. Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center and top with the decorated shell.
Put the assembled white chocolate heart shaped 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 aren't impossible! It just takes a little patience. It's important to follow the directions carefully but if your first batch doesn't turn out, just keep practicing! If it's your first time making macarons, I recommend starting with regular circles as opposed to hearts.
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 make changes to the white chocolate ganache recipe, or swap it out for a different filling if you prefer!
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.
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
Heart Shaped Macarons
Special Equipment
Ingredients
White Chocolate Ganache
- 226 grams white chocolate
- 120 grams heavy whipping cream
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
- 1-2 drops pink gel food coloring, optional
Garnish
- 57 grams white chocolate, melted
- Valentine's sprinkles
Instructions
White Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently mix until the white chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully smooth.
- Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. [Don't try to pipe the ganache before it's fully set!] If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Heart 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 pink 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. Place the heart macaron template underneath.
- Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe the hearts by dragging the tip from the top of one side of the heart to the bottom, lightening up on the pressure as you go. Then repeat the other side of the heart.
- After piping, you can use a toothpick to help spread the macaron batter to the edges of your heart template so that they're nice and uniform.
- 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.
- If using the templates, gently slide them out from underneath the parchment paper after you're done piping the heart shaped macarons.
- 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 heart 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. If desired, drizzle with some extra melted chocolate and garnish with Valentine's Day sprinkles. Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center and top with the decorated shell.
- Put the assembled white chocolate heart shaped 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.
April says
This was my first time making macarons and they turned out so well! I'm definitely trying more of your macaron recipes asap!
Caroline Jessup says
I had a little trouble piping the hearts, but I think I just need practice. Otherwise they turned out great!