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Green Apple Macarons

Green macaron recipe with green apple buttercream
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 34 minutes
Course Anytime, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 50
Calories 132 kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • fine mesh wire strainer
  • 1 medium-sized round tip
  • 1 extra-large piping bag
  • 1 small star tip
  • 1 small piping bag
  • cookie sheets
  • silicone baking mat(s) or parchment paper
  • food scale (optional) (for weighing dry ingredients)

Ingredients
  

Cookie Shells
  • 2 ¾ cups (275 g) almond flour
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon (250 g) confectioners' (icing) sugar
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • ½ large egg white, room temperature (keep in a separate bowl from other egg whites)
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (210 g) castor or granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon green apple flavoring (LorAnn Oils used)
  • green gel food coloring
  • yellow gel food coloring
Buttercream Filling
  • 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
  • 3 ½ cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon green apple flavoring (LorAnn Oils)
  • 2 tablespoons cream or whole milk

Instructions
 

Cookie Shells
  • Place a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet. (See notes below.) This recipe will make enough macarons for several baking sheets.
  • Using a food processor, combine the almond flour and confectioners' sugar and process until the mixture is fine. Then, sift the flour mixture, discarding any large almond pieces if necessary. Set aside.
  • Using a mixing bowl and the whisk attachment, beat 6 egg whites until foamy. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves. Add half of the remaining sugar and beat for 1 more minute. Then, add the rest of the sugar and beat until firm, glossy peaks form, about a minute or two.
  • Add the green apple flavoring. For green pastel-colored cookies, add a small amount of green gel coloring and a little yellow, and beat until well mixed.
  • Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Mix well. The batter will be thick. Then, with a hand whisk, beat the 1/2 egg white until frothy. Stir this egg into the almond mixture to soften and moisten the batter.
  • Snip off the end of the large piping bag and place the round tip into it. Then, place the batter into the bag. Fold the top of the piping bag over, then roll it down and hold the top so no batter can escape. Place the bag over the baking sheet and position it vertically upright. Pipe 1 to 1 1/2-inch round circles onto the mats or parchment paper. Leave room between each circle for the batter to spread.
  • Tap each baking sheet on the counter as you finish piping a full pan. Tapping will spread the macaron batter and also help remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick to burst any bubbles in the macarons. Let the macarons sit for about 30 minutes to form a dried skin on top. In dry climates, they might dry out in 10 minutes. In very humid climates, it might take longer. Test the macaron skins with your fingertip. If the batter sticks to your finger, they are not ready and should sit longer. If no batter sticks to your finger, they are cured for baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake the macaron shells for 14-15 minutes. Do not brown them or they will lose their color. Cool them completely after baking.
  • Gently remove the macarons by pulling the mat (or parchment paper) away from the shells. Place the shells flat side up (upside down) on a large cutting board or another flat surface. This will make it easier to add the filling to them, and they will also be easier to pick up.
Buttercream Filling
  • Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until fluffy. Add the cream and green apple flavoring and beat until well mixed.
  • Add the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. If too soft, add a little more sugar.
  • Add the star tip to the small piping bag. Then, add the frosting to the bag. Pipe small stars on half of the cookie shells. Then, gently place the remaining cookie shells on top of the cookie shells with stars.

Notes

Weighing Ingredients

Macarons need precise measurements of dry ingredients. For best results, use a food scale to weigh the dry ingredients. Otherwise, measure carefully.

Gel Colorings

For the cookie shells, use a gel coloring that is not liquid. I used Wilton Leaf Green and Wilton Lemon Yellow icing colors.

Baking Options

You have three options for baking the macarons.
  1. Use parchment paper on a baking sheet. To help guide the size of the macarons, draw a circle on the parchment paper using a 1 1/2-inch round cup or another object, spacing the circles apart so the macarons spread. Place the parchment paper on the baking sheet with the side you drew on facing up. You will be able to see the circles through the paper.
  2. Use a Silpat-type nonstick baking mat. Some baking mats have circles printed on them for macaron making.
  3. Or use a silicone mat with macaron cavities. This type of mat has small cavities that you fill with batter, so they all turn out uniform. Do not fill the cavities to the top, or the batter might run over the rims and distort the macaron shapes. It is better to fill them almost full, then use a toothpick to spread the batter until you gain experience filling the cavities.

Silicone Mats

This recipe will make enough macarons to fill several silicone mats so that you will need several. If you only have one mat, plan to use parchment paper too. If this is not an option, keep the batter covered to prevent it from drying out between batches. 

Cooling Macarons

After baking, cool the macarons completely before attempting to remove them from the mats or parchment paper. If they do not come off easily, they are not cool enough; wait a little longer.

Baking Sheets

If you don’t have enough baking sheets to bake all the macarons at once, pipe them onto parchment paper and let them rest until the skin forms. Then, slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Once the skin forms, the macarons will retain their shape when you transfer them to a baking pan.

Baking Time

Total baking time is determined by multiplying the cooking time by the number of pans used to bake the macarons. The total baking time per batch may increase if 2 or more pans are baked in the oven.

Removing Macarons from the Silicone Mats

I find it is easiest to remove macarons by pulling the mat or paper up at the corner and gently grasping both sides of the cookie shell. Then peel the mat or paper away from the shell.

Yield

This recipe makes about 50 macaron sandwich cookies.

Freezing Macarons

Macarons have a short shelf life, so freeze leftovers within a day of making them for the best flavor. They will keep for a few months in the freezer. Thaw before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 29mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 0.004mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.2mg
Keyword french macaron recipe, green apple macarons
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