The Best Chocolate Macaron Recipe
My French macaron recipe may have been one of my most detailed posts yet, but there was just one thing I left out: chocolate! So many of you have asked for a chocolate macaron recipe after I shared that first recipe, and I’m so proud to share these perfected chocolate macrons with you today! While I typically LOVE using my white chocolate buttercream as a macaron filling, I decided to fill these chocolate macarons with chocolate ganache–yum! If chocolate on chocolate is too much for you (said no chocoholic, ever 😜), I suggest several alternative filling options for you below. This recipe is very similar to my classic macarons, but there were a few details that were different enough that I felt it warranted its own post (like reducing the almond flour/powdered sugar and not macaronaging quite as much). I did try and keep this post a bit more succinct, so if you’re new to macarons, you might want to give the original post a thorough reading before starting this recipe.
What You Need
Here are the main ingredients in my chocolate macaron recipe. Remember, just like with most of my recipes, you will automatically have better success if you weigh each ingredient with a kitchen scale. I still provide cup measurements below, but I highly recommend using weights for the best results!
Egg whites. Don’t let any egg yolk (not even a drop) in when separating your eggs! This can affect how they whip up. I do not recommend using the liquid egg whites sold in a carton, as you may not have success whipping them properly (most carton egg whites warn you that you won’t be able to whip them). Sugar. I use a combination of powdered and granulated sugar in this chocolate macaron recipe. Both help to stabilize the meringue and add sweetness. Super fine or caster sugar will also work in place of granulated sugar. Cream of tartar. Cream of tartar isn’t a must, and sure, you can leave it out, but I personally recommend it and prefer to use it as a stabilizing safeguard when making macarons. Almond flour. Use super fine, blanched almond flour. If you can’t find super fine almond flour, you can make your own by blitzing your flour and powdered sugar in a food processor for 15 1-second pulses. You will want to do this twice, stirring in between (but don’t overdo it, grinding the flour too much will turn it into a butter). Cocoa powder. Chocolate macarons are much less likely to be hollow, which is nice! However, they can be prone to getting oily/wrinkly tops, especially if the cocoa powder is more oily. I find I have the best success with Hershey’s “special dark” chocolate. It yields consistent, deeply colored chocolate macarons. If you can’t find this, you can use any other Dutch process cocoa powder. I’ve also tested the recipe with natural unsweetened cocoa powder and it works well this way, too, but the chocolate flavor isn’t as intense and the color is more pale. Food coloring. This is optional, but for a richer brown color, you can add brown food coloring since cocoa powder alone doesn’t give a particularly dark color. I recommend you use gel food coloring if you decide to add any.
For the Ganache Filling
For the filling you will need:
Semisweet chocolate. Use couverture chocolate or a chopped semisweet baking bar. I don’t recommend using regular semisweet chips. For a darker flavor, you could substitute dark chocolate instead (60% is a great option). Heavy cream. Double cream or whipping cream will also work. Butter. We’ll be adding a bit of butter, salt, and vanilla here for extra flavor and a silky smooth mouthfeel. While not a traditional ganache ingredient, I love the way it rounds out the flavor and texture for the macaron filling. If you only have salted butter, that is fine–just skip the salt.
SAM’S TIP: If you’ve made my meringue cookies or angel food cake, then you already have experience with whipping egg whites and know how finicky they can be. All of the suggestions I provide in those recipes also apply here, the most important being to use a clean, dry, grease free bowls and utensils. I also recommend avoiding rubber or silicone when making chocolate macarons. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Macarons
Preparation
Meringue
Macaronage
SAM’S TIP: With my classic macarons, I have you check to see how long your figure-8 holds its shape before melting back into the batter; there is no need to do that with my chocolate macarons. Once you can make (or just barely make) an 8 figure, you’re good! Mixing beyond that could result in overdoing it.
Piping
Ganache Filling
Assembly
SAM’S TIP: It is important that your ganache is firm before using it to fill your chocolate macarons. Adding the ganache while it’s too hot will not only be difficult to pipe, but it will also seep out when you sandwich the macarons together. Which macaron flavor do you want to see next? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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