These pistachio macarons have a light French macaron shell flavored with ground pistachios, then filled with a creamy white chocolate ganache and even more crushed pistachios!
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 salted caramel macarons, these homemade cannoli with pistachios, or these fig pistachio cupcakes!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these pistachio white chocolate 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.
Pistachio Flour - I like to add some ground pistachios to the macaron shells for more flavor! Then I use the leftover ground pistachios for the filling and topping the macarons. But if you don't want to make pistachio flour, just substitute almond flour instead.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pistachio Flour
This is completely optional but a fun way to add more pistachio flavor to your macarons!
Start with dry roasted pistachios, you don't want pistachios that are roasted with any oils as that will negatively affect your macarons.
- Place ½ cup of pistachios is a small food processor.
- Pulse a few times until the pistachios start to become ground but be careful to not pulse too much or the pistachios will start to release their oils and become more of a paste than a flour.
- The flour will still be very lumpy but that's fine. Sift the ground pistachios and then place the big pieces that are leftover back in the food processor and pulse again. You want the sifted pistachio flour to be about the same size/texture as the sifted almond flour.
- You only need 15 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of the sifted pistachios for the macaron shells. Once you have enough of the finely ground pistachios for the shells, set aside the larger chunks to use later.
How to Make White Chocolate Ganache
This white chocolate ganache is super easy to make, but I just have a couple quick notes!
- The ganache calls for 226 grams (8 ounces) of white chocolate which is about two chocolate bars. So I like to set aside 1 square (about ½ ounce) to melt to drizzle on the macaron tops. The tiny amount of chocolate won't affect the consistency of the ganache, and it keeps you from having to break into a whole new chocolate bar!
- Use a spatula to combine the ganache as opposed to a whisk, so you don't incorporate any air.
- I recommend making the ganache a few hours before the macarons so that it has time to set.
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 chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
Let sit in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape.
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, pistachio 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 green 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 white chocolate over the top.
Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center, sprinkle on some crushed pistachios, and top with the other shell.
Put the assembled pistachio white chocolate 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 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.
- 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.
- To get the green color of these pistachio macarons, I used a 3 drops of AmeriColor Laurel and 1 drop of AmeriColor Olive.
Recipe FAQ's
No! The pistachio flour just adds a little extra pistachio flavor to these macarons, but it's not necessary! Just use almond flour instead.
Macarons can be tricky, but they are not impossible! It's important to follow the directions carefully but if your first batch doesn't turn out, just keep practicing! [practice really does make perfect!]
Unless you have experience baking macarons, I don't recommend making any changes to the macaron recipe because I can't guarantee results. But you can make substitutions to the filling or toppings!
Almost all macaron issues can be traced to either having the wrong oven temperature or improper mixing technique. This is why it's so important to use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy, 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
Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Pistachio Macarons
- 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 95 grams almond flour, sifted
- 15 grams pistachio flour, substitute almond flour (see notes)
- 3 drops green food coloring, optional
White Chocolate Ganache
- 226 grams white chocolate
- 120 grams heavy cream
Instructions
Macarons
- Sift together almond flour, pistachio 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 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 filling, and then turn one side over. On the other side, drizzle a small amount of white chocolate over the top and sprinkle with leftover ground pistachios (you only need a tiny bit so just use some of the white chocolate from the ganache).
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 white chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
- Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape.
- If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
- Once the macarons are cooled and decorated. Pipe the ganache in the center of the undecorated shell, leaving a little bit of room on the sides. Sprinkle some leftover ground pistachios over the ganache, then top with the decorated shell.
- Put the assembled pistachio white chocolate 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
To make pistachio flour
- Place ½ cup of pistachios is a small food processor.
- Pulse a few times until the pistachios start to become ground but be careful to not pulse too much or the pistachios will start to release their oils and become more of a paste than a flour.
- The flour will still be very lumpy but that's fine. Sift the ground pistachios and then place the big pieces that are leftover back in the food processor and pulse again. You want the sifted pistachio flour to be about the same size/texture as the sifted almond flour.
- You only need 15 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of the sifted pistachios for the macaron shells. Once you have enough of the finely ground pistachios for the shells, set aside the larger chunks to use later.
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.
Liz says
Hi Kyleigh! Which brand of white chocolate do you recommend? Looking forward to trying this pistachio macaron! I’ve made your chocolate raspberry chambord macarons and they were a WINNER! Received high praise from friends and family, thank you! ❤️
Kyleigh Sage says
I love the bars of Ghirardelli or Lindt white chocolate! You can find either at most grocery stores!
Grace Tresham says
Could I substitute the cream of tartar?
Kyleigh Sage says
Unfortunately there isn't a good substitute for cream of tartar in macarons.
Kary says
Can you tell me if the pistachios that you’re using for the flour is salted or unsalted?
Kyleigh Sage says
Unsalted pistachios are best!
RoseAnna says
Hi, I followed the recipe as written each time I baked these macarons.
The results were amazing. Since I’ve been teaching my grandkids to bake for years since the oldest was about 4yrs old.
Today I decided it was time for them to dive into this recipe. I had tried others but yours is the easiest to follow with such happy eating afterwards.
Results: I just guided them through the steps and voila, they had amazing feet to their macarons. They left both so excited and proud.
Thank you so much for helping me help them continue to discover the joys of baking.
Anastasiia says
It was my first time so a lot of things went wrong and I learned a lot.
But they were delicious.
I’m planning to try them again sometime soon.
Kyleigh Sage says
Macarons can be sooo tricky the first few times. If you have any questions please let me know!
Perla Rodriguez says
Hi Kayleigh. Thank you for your shared recipe. I would love to give it a try. Would you please let me know if I should measure ingredients before or after sifting? Thank you
Kyleigh Sage says
After sifting! I usually sift the ingredients directly into a bowl on a kitchen scale for the most accuracy.
Debbie says
I made the pistachio macaron the shell was perfect. Total
Success. I did the white chocolate ganache. Mine was no way as white as yours thinking possibly it was the white choc bar I used. It was Ghirardelli only one that I could get. I did't care for it but that's just my taste. I've tried many recipes for the shells and yours was the best by far!!
Jennifer says
This is my favorite pistachio macaron. They came out looking just like the photo here and tasted so delicious.
Kasey Ferguson says
These are the most gorgeous macarons I have ever seen! They are my favorite dessert but I have always been so intimidated to make them myself. These tips and tricks were so helpful, I need to give this recipe a try!
Gloria says
I absolutely LOVE macarons. However, I still have yet to make them. You make it look so easy. I really need to experiment and get this task checked off my list.
Freya says
I do love pistachio and I love how the colour is perfectly on brand too!
Amy says
These are absolutely stunning and I'm a real sucker for anything pistachio too! Have always wanted to try making macarons at home but never thought I'd get it right. But with your recipe I did alright! Thanks!
Brynn says
These are just beautiful! I love pistachio flavored anything and your tips for making these gorgeous cookies are so helpful. Big fan of bob's red mill almond flour as well.