Okay, so I’m gonna be honest with you—I failed at making the best Christmas macarons recipe about four times before I finally got it right. And I’m not talking about “oh they were slightly imperfect” fails. I mean complete, flat, cracked disaster macarons that looked like sad little cookies instead of those gorgeous French treats everyone posts on Instagram.
But here’s the thing… once I figured out the tricks (mostly by accident, if I’m being honest), these Christmas macarons became my absolute favorite holiday dessert to make. My sister-in-law literally asked me to bring them to every single family gathering last December. No pressure, right?
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Why This Best Christmas Macarons Recipe Actually Works
Look, I’ve tried probably fifteen different macaron recipes from Pinterest and YouTube. Some were too complicated, some left out crucial steps, and one—I swear—just straight up had the wrong temperature listed. Burned batch number three right there.
This recipe works because it uses the French meringue method, which is way more forgiving than the Italian method everyone tries to convince you is “easier.” (It’s not. Trust me on this one.) Plus, I’m giving you all the weird little details that other recipes skip over because they assume you already know them. Spoiler alert: I didn’t know them, and that’s why my first attempts looked like construction materials instead of desserts.
The best part? You can make these in classic Christmas flavors—peppermint, gingerbread, or eggnog. I usually make peppermint because my kids are obsessed with anything that tastes like candy canes, but honestly all three are amazing.
What You Need for Easy Christmas Macarons
The Shell Ingredients
- 100g egg whites (about 3 large eggs), aged overnight—yes this is important, don’t skip it
- 140g fine almond flour (the super fine kind, not the chunky stuff)
- 120g confectioners’ sugar
- 100g granulated sugar (some people call it “baker’s sugar” but regular works fine)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring (red and green for Christmas, obviously)
Quick story: I once tried using regular almond meal instead of almond flour because I couldn’t find the fine version at my grocery store. Disaster. Complete disaster. The macarons had weird bumpy tops and didn’t develop those cute little “feet” at the bottom. Just… don’t do it.
The Filling Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I use Kerrygold because I’m fancy like that)
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Flavor additions: Either ½ teaspoon peppermint extract OR 1 teaspoon gingerbread spice OR 2 tablespoons eggnog (the real stuff, not the fake kind)
Equipment You Actually Need
- Stand mixer (tried doing this with a hand mixer once—my arm still hurts thinking about it)
- Silicone baking mats or parchment paper (silicone works SO much better)
- Piping bags and round tips
- A sifter (seriously, don’t skip sifting)
How to Make Christmas Macarons Step by Step
Step 1: Age Your Egg Whites
This sounds weird, but separate your egg whites the night before and leave them in a bowl on the counter, covered with plastic wrap. They need to come to room temperature and lose some moisture. I forgot this step on attempt number one and wondered why my shells were so… wet.
Actually, you know what? Just set a reminder on your phone the night before. Because you will forget.
Step 2: Prep Your Dry Ingredients
Sift together the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar THREE times. Yes, three. I know it seems excessive. The first time I made these, I sifted once and thought “that’s good enough.” It wasn’t. The shells had little lumps everywhere.
After sifting, throw away any big chunks that don’t go through the sifter. They’ll mess up your smooth macaron tops.
Step 3: Make the Meringue (This Is Where Magic Happens)
Beat your room temperature egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in your stand mixer on medium-low until they get frothy. Should take about a minute. Then—and this is important—slowly add your granulated sugar like a tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running.
Once all the sugar is in, crank that mixer up to high and beat for about 5 minutes until you get stiff, glossy peaks. The meringue should be so stiff that when you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks stand straight up without drooping.
Pro tip I learned the hard way: Make sure your bowl is completely clean and dry. Even a tiny bit of grease will ruin your meringue. I once made macarons right after making something buttery and didn’t wash my bowl well enough. Yeah… that batch didn’t work.
Step 4: The Folding Part (Don’t Panic)
This is called “macaronage” and it sounds fancy but it’s really just careful folding. Add your sifted almond flour mixture to the meringue in three parts. Use a rubber spatula and fold—don’t stir, fold—by going around the outside of the bowl and cutting through the middle.
The batter needs to flow like lava. Slow, thick lava. Not cake batter, not pancake batter. Lava. When you lift the spatula and let the batter fall back into the bowl, it should form a ribbon that dissolves back into the mixture after about 10 seconds.
I over-mixed my second batch and ended up with flat, spread-out disasters. Under-mixed my third batch and got cracked tops. It takes practice, but you’ll get the feel for it.
Step 5: Pipe Those Circles
Divide your batter if you’re making multiple colors (I usually do half red, half green for Christmas). Add gel food coloring—just a tiny bit at a time—and fold it in gently.
Pipe circles about 1.5 inches wide onto your silicone mats. Space them about 2 inches apart because they’ll spread a little. After piping, pick up the whole baking sheet and bang it hard on the counter a few times. This releases air bubbles. My neighbor definitely thinks I’m weird when she hears me banging pans around.
Step 6: The Waiting Game
Let your piped macarons sit out at room temperature for 40-45 minutes until they form a skin on top. You should be able to gently touch the top without any batter sticking to your finger.
This is probably the hardest part because you just want to bake them already. But don’t. I rushed this step on batch number four and got cracked tops again.
Step 7: Bake Time
Bake at 300°F for 12-14 minutes. Don’t open the oven door. Don’t even peek. Just… leave them alone.
They’re done when you can gently touch a shell and it doesn’t wiggle on its “feet.” Let them cool COMPLETELY on the pan before trying to remove them. Trust me on this—I’ve peeled off half the bottom of so many macarons by being impatient.
Making the Best Macaron Filling
While your shells are cooling, make your buttercream. Beat softened butter until it’s fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Add your heavy cream, vanilla, and whatever flavoring you chose.
For peppermint: Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract (a little goes a long way)
For gingerbread: Mix in 1 teaspoon of gingerbread spice
For eggnog: Add 2 tablespoons real eggnog
Assembling Your Christmas Macarons
Match up your macaron shells into pairs that are the same size. Pipe a circle of buttercream on one shell, then sandwich with another. Press gently—they’re delicate.
I like to decorate the tops with crushed candy canes for peppermint ones, or a dusting of cinnamon for gingerbread. Makes them look extra festive.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Humidity is your enemy. Don’t make these on a rainy day. Found that out during a thunderstorm last year.
- They taste better after sitting in the fridge for 24 hours. The filling softens the shells and everything melds together.
- You can freeze them! I make batches in November and pull them out for Christmas gatherings.
- If your first batch fails, try again. Seriously. Everyone messes up macarons at first.
These homemade Christmas macarons are definitely a labor of love, but when you nail them? So worth it. People act like you’re some kind of baking wizard.
Let me know how yours turn out! And if they fail the first time, welcome to the club. We’ve all been there.
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