Tiramisu has always been one of my favorite desserts so obviously I had to make it in macaron form! These tiramisu macarons have and espresso macaron shell filled with a creamy mascarpone and Kahlua frosting and then dusted with cocoa powder!
Tiramisu is a a delicious Italian dessert made of coffee soaked lady fingers (savoiardi), creamy mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder. These macarons are a fun twist on the classic!
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 tiramisu cupcakes or these homemade cannoli!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make these tiramisu 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.
Espresso powder - You can't have tiramisu macarons without espresso powder! King Arthur is my favorite brand of high quality espresso powder! 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.
Mascarpone cheese - Mascarpone is an Italian cheese that's very similar to American cream cheese. It's smooth and soft but more neutral in flavor compared to tangy cream cheese. And in my opinion, that mild flavor makes it much more versatile! There is no great substitution for mascarpone unfortunately, but you can usually find it in the specialty cheese aisle by ricotta!
Coffee liqueur - Any type of coffee-flavored liqueur works but my favorite is Kahlua! But you can leave it out if you prefer.
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 making 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 tiramisu 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
Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 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.
[The macaron batter will look like photo 5 before banging out the excess air, and photo 6 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 espresso 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.
Very lightly dust the tops of the macarons with cocoa powder. Then pipe the Kahlua mascarpone frosting in the center and top with the other shell.
Put the assembled tiramisu 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 get a bad rap, but once you get the hang of it they're pretty easy! 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 to the tiramisu filling 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.
Just a little, but yes! There is coffee flavored liqueur in the filling so these macarons should only be served to people over the age of 21. But for a non alcoholic version, just replace with some brewed espresso.
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
Tiramisu Macarons
Special Equipment
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
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder, sifted
Mascarpone Filling
- 57 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 113 grams mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 240 grams powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, substitute brewed espresso
Instructions
Macarons
- Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 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 espresso macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
Mascarpone Filling
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and mascarpone cheese until completely smooth.
- Then add in the powdered sugar and beat on slow until combined.
- Add in the coffee liqueur, then beat the frosting for 2-3 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over.
- Very lightly dust the tops of the macarons with a little extra cocoa powder. Then pipe the Kahlua mascarpone frosting in the center and top with the other shell.
- Put the assembled tiramisu 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.
Anonymous says
Came out great! Thank you for detailed recipe.
Lisa says
My filing came out very loose, more like a frosting. When biting into the macaron it just came out the sides. Is 2 tablespoons of Kalua correct? If The flavor was still great, but if I make them again I’ll definitely start with a lot less Kalua.
Hannah Poellinger says
Does the Mascarpone filling cause the shells to become soggy at all? I’m concerned about that since sometimes wet fillings make the shell mushy. Does freezing the filling change the texture of the filling? Thank you!
Kyleigh Sage says
I use the mascarpone to make more of a buttercream type filling, so it doesn't get soggy! However, I don't recommend freezing it because the texture of the filling will get a little grainy.
Jojo says
Can you freeze these tiramisu macarons?
Kyleigh Sage says
Yes! Macarons freeze great! You can keep them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, just note they’ll be super fragile when frozen and you’ll want to completely thaw them in the fridge overnight before eating.
Bri says
shut up these literally taste like tiramisu! my new fave flavor!