These Neapolitan macarons feature chocolate and vanilla macaron shells filled with light, strawberry buttercream! They're perfect for people who hate having to choose between chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry!
What exactly is "Neapolitan" flavor anyway?
Neapolitan ice cream (aka Harlequin ice cream) is essentially three flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) packaged together in distinct layers! It's believed to have originated in Naples, Italy and was brought to the US by Italian immigrants.

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 chocolate cherry macarons or these strawberry macarons!
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these Neapolitan 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.
Vanilla Bean Paste - It's important to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract because we don't want to add any extra liquid to the macaron batter. It also has a more pronounced vanilla flavor so you don't need as much!
Freeze Dried Strawberries - I love using freeze dried strawberry powder for the buttercream for the most concentrated strawberry flavor!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
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 Neapolitan 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!
- French star piping tip (optional for filling)
How to Make French Macarons
Since we're making two different flavors of macaron shell, I like to weight out the ingredients separately.
In one small bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar for the vanilla macarons and set aside.
In another small bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder for the chocolate macarons and set aside.

Be sure to weigh your mixing bowl first so that you know what it weighs empty.
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.
Then weigh the bowl again and subtract the difference to find the total weight of the meringue (it should be around 160 grams, but always weigh to make sure).
Then divide the meringue into 2 separate bowls (try to be as exact as possible with the equal weights for best results).


For the vanilla macarons: gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients and the vanilla bean paste. 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.
For the chocolate macarons: gently fold in the sifted 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 two large baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Scoop the vanilla macaron 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.
Then repeat the same steps with the chocolate macaron batter.


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 strawberry buttercream in the center and top with the other shell.

Put the assembled Neapolitan 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 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!
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 strawberry buttercream recipe if desired!
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. It's also important to weigh the ingredients carefully, especially when making two batches of batter.

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!
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, scratch-made recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Recipe Card

Neapolitan Macarons
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla Macarons
- 55 grams almond flour, sifted
- 100 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Chocolate Macarons
- 55 grams almond flour, sifted
- 95 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Meringue
- 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 60 grams granulated sugar
Strawberry Buttercream
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 180 grams powdered sugar
- 36 grams strawberry powder
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
Instructions
Macarons
- Since we're making two different flavors of macaron shell, I like to weight out the ingredients separately.
- In one small bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar for the vanilla macarons and set aside.
- In another small bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder for the chocolate macarons and set aside.
- Be sure to weigh your mixing bowl first so that you know what it weighs empty.
- 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.
- Then weigh the bowl again and subtract the difference to find the total weight of the meringue (it should be around 160 grams, but always weigh to make sure).
- Then divide the meringue into 2 separate bowls (try to be as exact as possible with the equal weights for best results).
- For the vanilla macarons: gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients and the vanilla bean paste. 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.
- For the chocolate macarons: gently fold in the sifted 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 two large baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Scoop the vanilla macaron 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.
- Then repeat the same steps with the chocolate macaron batter.
- 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.
Strawberry Buttercream
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
- Then add in the strawberry powder and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream is super light and fluffy.
- If the frosting is too thick, add in heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to thin it out.
- Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. Then pipe the strawberry buttercream in the center and top with the other shell.
- Put the assembled Neapolitan 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.
Comments
No Comments