Summertime means key lime everything!! My favorite key lime pie uses egg yolks, so I always end up with leftover egg whites and key limes. You know what that means? Key lime pie macarons! They're filled with a tangy key lime cream cheese filling and sprinkled with crushed graham crackers! They taste just like key lime pie!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these 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
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 Bob's Red Mill for my almond flour because it's usually fine enough. 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.
Key Lime Juice and Zest - The stars of the show! I always prefer baking with fresh key limes, but if you can't find them you can use bottled key lime juice and the zest from regular limes. I like super tangy key lime pie macarons, but you can reduce the key lime juice to 2 teaspoons if you prefer sweeter filling.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
What are Key Limes?
Key limes are the smaller, sweeter cousin to regular limes. They're also known as the Mexican Lime or the West Indies Lime. They have a unique floral flavor that's tart without being too acidic.
In the US, key limes are in season from June to August so you can usually only find them at the grocery store during those months, which is why key lime pie is such a popular summer treat!
However, if you aren't lucky enough to find fresh key limes at the store, bottled key lime juice works great! Nellie & Joe's key lime juice is delicious and is sold at most grocery stores as well as amazon.
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 the green gel food coloring and continue to beat 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 piping, and then turn one side over. Fill the center with key lime filling, leaving a bit of room around the sides. Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
Put the assembled key lime pie 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 white vinegar to make sure there are no trace fats on either (if you don’t, your meringue may not form).
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe FAQ's
Macarons are finicky, but they're not 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.
Almost all macaron issues 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.
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Recipe Card
Key Lime Pie Macarons
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
- 2-3 drops green gel food coloring
Key Lime Filling
- 57 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 113 grams cream cheese, room temperature
- 180 grams powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon key lime juice
- 1 teaspoon key lime zest, optional
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs, optional
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 (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 soft peaks form. Add the 1-2 drops of green gel food coloring and 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 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 15-17 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.
Key Lime Filling
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until fully combined.
- Add in the key lime juice, lime zest, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Match up your shells before piping, and then turn one side over. Fill the center with key lime filling, leaving a bit of room around the sides. Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
- Top each macaron and then garnish with more crush graham crackers if desired.
- Put the assembled key lime pie 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.
Linda says
I used the filling recipe only with my own macaron shell recipe. It was so yum! Sweet with a nice tang and I loved the graham cracker crumbs. I was hoping to find a recipe that included them. Thank you!
Ayisha Williams says
These were delicious! Just perfect. I had to use bottled lime juice, so I used more than the recipe called for to get that same tangy key lime taste. I bought them to work and everyone loved them!
I used a spoon to pack the graham cracker crumbs onto the sides of the filled cookie.
Megan says
To get the crumbs on the outside of the shell, do you put it on before you bake?
Kyleigh Sage says
I just sprinkled them on top afterwards for the photos (so they don’t really stick), so they’re optional!
You can lightly sprinkle some on after you pipe the macarons, but sometimes that will cause the tops to crack while baking, so it’s not my favorite.
If I want a garnish like that to stick, I usually use a drizzle of melted white chocolate on top and then a sprinkle of the graham crackers! Up to you!
Corinne says
Sooo good! They turned out perfect. Don’t forget to add the graham cracker crumbs. They added another level of delicious.
Carissa says
This is my favorite key lime macaron filling! It is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet!
Lauren H says
This is my go-to recipe and method for making macarons! They always turn out absolutely perfectly, and I’ve made them several times now with different colors and flavors (and in different weather conditions!), your directions are just so helpful. Thanks so much for posting - it has given me so much confidence to know I have a no-fail method to use! This recipe is DELICIOUS and I loved making it, but I now use it as my “starting point” for all other macaron ventures. 100% recommend this method! (I’ve tried many)
Kyleigh Sage says
Oh my gosh, it makes me so happy to hear that!!
Natalie says
These are soooo tasty! I made this recipe as my first attempt at macarons and they turned out not 100% perfect but honestly better than I could have ever hoped for my first try at this delicate dish. The key lime filling is just spectacular, the balance of sweetness and tanginess is just right. Definitely recommend!
Jill says
Love the flavors!