Vanilla Macarons

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If you’re new to making French macarons, you are in good hands! You’ll find everything you need to know about making vanilla macarons in this blog post to try making them in your kitchen. It’s best to start simply until you learn the ropes, and these vanilla macarons flavored with vanilla bean paste (or extract) and filled with an easy vanilla buttercream are just that!

At the start of my macaron journey, I wanted to spend as much time as possible perfecting my shells. I didn’t care quite as much about fancy fillings until I knew my shells were going to look as good as they tasted, so that’s why I opted for a simple American buttercream filling here. If you’re up for an extra challenge, my birthday cake batter French buttercream also has a strong vanilla flavor but will use up your leftover egg yolks (and just like my French vanilla ice cream).

You’ll find tons of tips below, but for more visual guidance, you can watch my full tutorial on making macarons via the French method on my YouTube channel.

An overhead view of pale pink macarons in a wooden box on a quartz counter. — You can make vanilla macarons any color you like! I chose to make one batch uncolored and another pale pink with just two drops of gel food coloring.

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Ingredients for Vanilla Macarons

French macarons require only a few ingredients to make, but these pastries are notoriously particular to perfect. Macarons are made with a simple mix of almond flour, powdered sugar, and meringue, which is made from egg whites and granulated sugar. They are often filled with buttercream, ganache, or curd (or a combination of two!).

To keep this beginner macaron recipe simple, I fill these with a quick American buttercream. You’re welcome to mix and match fillings from other macaron recipes!

Almond flour. Almond flour provides structure for the macaron shell and a nutty flavor.
Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar helps to thicken the macaron batter and provide structure.
Egg whites. For best results, use eggs in the shell rather than egg whites in a carton. Carton egg whites are pasteurized and may not whip into a meringue.
Granulated sugar. Sugar helps to stabilize the meringue, allowing you to fold in the almond flour mixture and rest the macarons without worrying about the meringue collapsing.
Vanilla bean paste. I recommend splurging on vanilla bean paste rather than vanilla extract, if possible. You’ll be able to see the vanilla beans in the shell and filling, and you’ll get a more concentrated vanilla flavor!
Gel food coloring (optional). Do not use liquid food coloring—it will not work! If you don’t have any gel food coloring, I recommend this kit from Americolor. It has all the colors you’ll need!
Unsalted butter. Unsalted butter beaten with powdered sugar makes up the body of the vanilla American buttercream.

Ingredients for vanilla macarons with vanilla buttercream on a kitchen counter. — With just a handful of ingredients, you can make vanilla macarons in your own home, even if you’re a beginner!

How to Make Vanilla Macarons

The most important thing to remember is that macarons are finicky. Even if they don’t look perfect, they’ll still taste great!

The number one tip I have for making French macaron shells is to be patient. It can take a number of tries to get a perfect batch. My first batch of macarons had just a few cracked shells, but it took me quite a few months to feel confident that each batch I put in the oven would turn out. And even now, I find that I’m still learning new things about macarons whenever the weather changes (hello, concave macs!).

Here’s the short version of how to make French macarons from my YouTube channel; there’s also a full-length tutorial that goes into far more detail at the bottom of the recipe card!

Recommended Supplies for Making Macarons

I have had success with both dark baking sheets and aluminum baking sheets in different ovens, so what works for me now may not be the same thing that works for you. However, I’m always happy to share what I use in case you’re looking to upgrade.

In my old house with my electric oven, I used a dark nonstick pan and parchment paper on top of silicon macaron mats with no issues. In my new house and new gas oven, I have to use aluminum pans with silicon macaron mats.

For making macarons in my countertop oven, I use those same type of pans and mats with my Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. It’s a great option if you’re looking into baking macarons with a small countertop oven.

If you are following all the steps and your macarons still aren’t consistent after three or four batches, I would look into your supplies or ingredients. Try changing one variable at a time to determine what the problem is.

A half-eaten vanilla macaron, showing full shells and vanilla bean speckles. — Once matured for 24 hours in the fridge, vanilla macarons are the best bite-sized dessert.

The Perfect French Meringue Base for Macarons

A good meringue is key for a good macaron. French macarons generally call for aged or at least room temperature egg whites, but because of the way I mix up my meringue, I can use my eggs directly from the fridge without a stabilizer, like cream of tartar.

I adapted this technique from Cenk Sönmezsoy’s The Artful Baker (though he recommends room temperature egg whites). If you’re newer to meringue, I would recommend using room temperature egg whites, as they are a bit more elastic (read: forgiving).

For a perfect French meringue every time, start by whipping the egg whites on low in a stand mixer, just to incorporate. Once the whites begin to foam, increase the speed to medium. The whisk will begin to leave trails in the foam; at that point, sprinkle in the sugar about a teaspoon at a time.

When all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to high and whisk until you begin to see the whisk leave deep indents in the meringue (anywhere from three to five minutes).

Test to see if the meringue has stiff peaks by removing the whisk from your mixer and flipping it. If the meringue stands straight up or curls into itself lightly with a sharp point, stop whisking. (See photos below.) If the point is soft and looks like it has a lot of tiny bubbles in it, whisk for another 10 seconds, then test again.

Once your meringue is stiff, add your gel food coloring and vanilla bean paste or extract. To keep these macarons simple, I added two drops of deep pink gel food coloring.

A hand slowly sprinkles granulated sugar into a stand mixer bowl with egg whites. — Sprinkle the granulated sugar into the egg whites gradually to help make a strong meringue. Then, continue whisking until the meringue clumps together in the base of the whisk and has sharp, stiff peaks.

A hand holds up a whisk attachment with clumped pink meringue in the center and stiff peaks. — Sprinkle the granulated sugar into the egg whites gradually to help make a strong meringue. Then, continue whisking until the meringue clumps together in the base of the whisk and has sharp, stiff peaks.

The Perfect Vanilla Macaron Batter Consistency

Macaron batter needs to be a certain consistency in order to develop feet. The consistency and process is so important that it has its own name: “macaronage.”

The top descriptor I have read for testing macaron batter consistency is it “flows off the spatula like hot lava…” I have never seen hot lava in person, much less seen it being picked up with a spatula. That phrase does not personally help me figure out how to macaronage, which is one of the most important things for beginners to understand.

A more fitting description for the perfect macaron batter consistency is to think of macaronage as a process, not an end result.

Macaronage Is a Process

The egg whites start out as liquid with no air in them. Then you whip in lots of very tiny air bubbles to transform the egg whites into a meringue. You have added so much air into the egg whites that now they essentially function as a solid instead of a liquid.

Then, you fold in almond flour and powdered sugar. As you fold the batter with a spatula, you are knocking the air out of the meringue. That helps to transform our previously solid meringue back into a liquid batter. The more folds you give the batter, the more liquid the batter becomes. (My husband says this is called viscosity, but that’s a bit technical.)

The perfect consistency of macaron batter will look grainy as it flows off the spatula in one long, stacking ribbon. Then, it begin to look shiny and absorb back into the rest of the batter within 10-15 seconds.

If your batter takes more than 15 seconds to absorb, you need to knock more air out of the meringue. Too much air in the macarons will make them crack in the oven.

If your batter takes closer to 5 seconds to absorb, it’s likely overmixed; however, it will probably still turn out decent macarons. Unfortunately, if your batter absorbs immediately, there is not enough air left in the meringue to form proper macarons. I recommend starting over.

A spatula folds dry ingredients into a pink meringue. — Add the dry ingredients to the vanilla macaron batter in two installments, then fold gently until the batter flows slowly off the spatula in a continuous line.

Macaronaged batter runs off a spatula into a bowl. — Add the dry ingredients to the vanilla macaron batter in two installments, then fold gently until the batter flows slowly off the spatula in a continuous line.

Piping the Vanilla Macarons

I recommend using a silicone mat or template under parchment paper. The batter can be a little tricky to pipe neatly until you know how it flows. You can watch this short video below for more tips:

My top tips for piping are all in this video!

Using a small round piping tip (#10), gently squeeze out the macaron batter about one inch (3 mm) in diameter at a 90° angle from the pan. To break the flow of batter, quickly pull up the piping bag in a small circle, then move immediately to the next circle to pipe. The macaron lumps will spread a little bit as they settle.

Once the whole tray has been piped, pick up the pan with one hand and bang the heel of your other hand against it in various locations under the macarons until you see air bubbles rise from the bottoms of the shells. Alternatively, bang the pan against the counter a few times.

Let the macarons rest until they are dull and don’t leave a residue when you lightly run your finger across the top.

Pink macarons are piped in circles on a silicone mat. — Pipe the macaron batter into neat circles on parchment or silicone, then tap them against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.

Baking Vanilla Macaron Shells

Once the macarons have rested long enough to be dull and dry to the touch, it’s time to bake. To help the macarons form a skin, I have started using a small fan that I can place on my counter to increase airflow.

I bake my macarons at 320°F (160°C) for 16-18 minutes on the lower center rack of my oven, one tray at a time. If I bake my macarons on the center rack, the bottoms don’t tend to set up fully.

Depending on how your first tray of macarons turns out, you may try lowering or increasing your oven temperature or using a different rack. Please note, you may have to make some adjustments for your home!

A small fan blows onto piped macaron shells resting on a counter. — When fully rested, the macaron shells will look dull and won’t leave a residue on your finger when you touch them lightly. They will darken slightly once baked.

Fully baked pink macaron shells on a quartz counter. — When fully rested, the macaron shells will look dull and won’t leave a residue on your finger when you touch them lightly. They will darken slightly once baked.

How to Make Vanilla American Buttercream

American buttercream can be too sweet for some people, but I love the simplicity of it. If you’d prefer, you can substitute this buttercream for my birthday cake batter French buttercream, which uses the leftover egg yolks for a custardy buttercream filling.

To make this vanilla American buttercream, beat the butter by itself in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Once fluffy, add in the powdered sugar. Continue to beat for 3-5 minutes, until the buttercream is light and fluffy.

Finally, add in your vanilla bean paste or extract, and beat until combined. You should end up with a white buttercream with small dark speckles from the vanilla beans.

Butter and powdered sugar are beaten together in a stand mixer bowl. — Beat powdered sugar and butter together until fluffy, then add the vanilla bean paste. Beat until combined, and you should get a beautifully white buttercream with little vanilla bean speckles.

A spatula holds up fluffy American buttercream flavored with vanilla bean paste. — Beat powdered sugar and butter together until fluffy, then add the vanilla bean paste. Beat until combined, and you should get a beautifully white buttercream with little vanilla bean speckles.

How to Fill Vanilla Macarons

For extra bonus points, I recommend pairing macaron shells together by size. Some macarons are a little smaller, and others are a little bigger. If you pair them before filling any of them, you have a really good chance of finding a perfect match for each one!

I like to make an assembly line and line my vanilla macarons up with one side face up and one side face down. Then, I pipe a swirl of buttercream onto the upside down ones and continue in the row until they’ve all been buttercreamed. Make sure to leave a little border to accommodate some spreading, then sandwich the two shells together!

Two hands pair together similarly-sized macaron shells. — Pair similarly-sized vanilla macaron shells together, then fill them with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.

A freshly piped swirl of vanilla buttercream on a vanilla macaron shell. — Pair similarly-sized vanilla macaron shells together, then fill them with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.

FAQs about Beginner-Friendly Vanilla Macarons

Do I really need to weigh the ingredients for vanilla macaron shells?

YES. I typically include both volumetric (cups) and mass (weight) measurements on my recipes, but because macarons are so finicky, I only include mass measurements to ensure consistency between batches. This recipe requires a kitchen scale, but it is worth it to get perfect macarons every time. Kitchen scales are relatively inexpensive as far as minor appliances go, and they will last you forever. I have this kitchen scale from OXO and love it.

Do I need to purchase silicone macaron mats to make macarons?

Nope! Start with parchment paper. If you learn that you like making macarons, you can invest in silicone macaron mats down the road.

Are the macaron shells vanilla-flavored, too?

Yes, the vanilla bean paste adds a subtle vanilla flavor to the macaron shells.

Why didn’t my macarons turn out right?

There are so many variables when making macarons that it can be hard to narrow it down. Oftentimes, cracking means the macarons didn’t rest for long enough before they went into the oven. I’m happy to help you troubleshoot in the comments or in direct messages on Instagram (where you can send me pictures!).

A trio of macarons in front of a cake stand towering with macarons. — Delicate vanilla shells and a simple vanilla buttercream made with vanilla bean paste put these almond sandwich cookies over the top!

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

If you love macarons as much as I do, I have a ton of macaron recipes on my website! My personal favorites are chai macarons, Earl Grey macarons, and chocolate raspberry macarons.

Looking for more vanilla-centric recipes? Try these:

Dish Cleanup: Gonna Take a While

I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.

My vanilla bean macarons recipe has a cleanup rating of a 4. This is pretty standard for macaron recipes, as they require one mixing bowl for the batter and one for the buttercream. You’ll also have two piping bags and the food processor bowl (or a large bowl and sifter).

Dishes needed to make vanilla macarons. — I don’t use quite as many bowls if I’m not photographing each step, as I like to add my powdered sugar and almond flour right into the food processor bowl.

Vanilla Macarons Recipe

Thanks for trying out my vanilla macaron recipe!
If you make these vanilla bean macarons and love them, please consider leaving a 5-star review!

Yield: about 30 filled macarons

Vanilla Macarons

These beginner-friendly vanilla macarons are flavored with vanilla bean paste or extract and filled with an easy vanilla buttercream. Made via the French method!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 33 minutes

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Macaron Shells

120 grams almond flour
200 grams powdered sugar
120 grams egg whites, from 3-4 large eggs
50 grams granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract (3 ml)
2-3 drops gel food coloring, optional

For the Vanilla Buttercream

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (113 grams)
200 grams powdered sugar (about 1 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract (5 ml)

Instructions

Making the Vanilla Macaron Shells

Prepare two baking sheets with macaron silpats or parchment paper. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I use Wilton #12 or Ateco 808), and set aside.
For perfectly smooth shells, process the powdered sugar and almond flour together in a food processor for a superfine consistency. Set aside.
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for the macaron shells. Save the yolks for ice cream!
Weigh out 120 grams of egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, then mix on 2 (or low) until frothy. Increase speed to 4 (medium-low). Once the whisk begins leaving a trail in the egg whites, sprinkle in the granulated sugar about a teaspoon at a time. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase speed to 6 (medium) and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Add in the vanilla bean paste or extract and gel food coloring if using, then whisk on medium for just a couple of seconds to fully incorporate.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and pour half of the almond flour mixture into the meringue. Fold together until fully incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add in the remaining almond flour mixture and fold together. The mixture will be thick, but as you continue folding, it will lose some air and thin out. Continue folding and pressing the batter into the sides of the bowl until the batter is the correct consistency (covered in the next step).
To test the consistency, scoop the batter up, and let it flow back into the bowl. Continue folding until the mixture flows in one solid ribbon off the spatula. It should look a bit grainy as it flows off the spatula, then dissolve back into the batter in 10-15 seconds and look glossy instead of grainy.
Pour the batter into the prepared piping bag. Holding the bag at a 90° angle to the pan, gently squeeze out the macaron batter into lumps about 1-1.5" (3 mm) in diameter. They will spread as they settle.
Once piped, pick up the pan with one hand and bang the heel of your other hand against it in various locations under the macarons until you see air bubbles rise from the bottoms of the shells. Alternatively, bang the pan against the counter a few times. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles for a perfectly smooth top. Notice how shiny the surface looks now; it will dull as the macarons rest.
Set the macarons aside in a well-ventilated area to dry for about 20-30 minutes. On particularly humid days, this may take up to an hour.
While the macarons are drying, preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C. The macarons are ready to go in the oven when the tops are no longer reflective, don't leave a residue on your finger when touched, and feel like skin when you lightly run your finger across them.

Baking the Vanilla Macarons

Once the macarons are dry, bake one tray at a time in the lower center rack for 16-18 minutes or until the macaron is set. Test to see if the macarons are set: Try to gently wiggle a macaron back and forth from the center of the pan with your thumb and forefinger. If the top moves at all, put the tray back in the oven for another minute or two until the center of the macaron is set and does not move when prompted.
Let each tray cool completely before removing the macarons from the mats, about 10 minutes.

Making the Vanilla Buttercream*

Cream the butter in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste or extract, and beat for three minutes until fluffy.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with the piping tip of your choice. I used Wilton 2D.

Assembling the Vanilla Macarons

Pair similarly sized macarons together and line them up with one side face up and one side face down.
On a vanilla macaron shell with the flat bottom facing up, pipe a swirl of the vanilla buttercream, leaving a small border around the edges. Repeat with the rest of the macarons, then place the matching macaron shell on top.
The macaron shells will soften and the flavors will develop after maturing in the fridge for one day, though you may eat them any time you'd prefer after assembly.

Notes

*American buttercream is great for beginners! If you'd like to experiment with another buttercream and use up your leftover egg yolks, you may want to try my vanilla French buttercream instead.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week for maximum freshness.