Lavender Macarons are light, airy, and full of delicious lavender cream. They are crisped up in the oven with just enough sweetness to make them irresistible. The perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea, they look as good as they taste. Serve them with a scoop of ice-cream or simply enjoy them on their own – either way your friends and family will love them.
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- This homemade lavender macaron recipe gives light and airy macarons.
- Lavender french macarons have just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy any sweet craving.
- The addition of lavender really sets them apart from other recipes and gives them a unique and delicious flavor.
- If you are looking for the perfect sweet treat to serve to your guests, our lavender macarons are the recipe for you.
🔪 Ingredients
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For the Shell
- egg whites
- white granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
- almond flour
- violet gel food coloring
For the Filling
🍲 Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Silpat Baking Mat
- Parchment Paper
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer
- Mesh Strainers
- heavy cream
- dried lavender
- unsalted butter
- confectioners sugar
- pure vanilla extract
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
For the Shells
- In a double boiler over medium heat, constantly whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed with a baloon whisk attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and almond flour. Discard any large lumps.
- Fold the mixture together with a silicone spatula.
- If adding, add the optional food coloring.
- Continue to fold the meringue, smash it against the sides of the bowl as you fold, until the meringue reaches the figure 8 stage.
- Test the macaron batter by drawing a figure 8. If the stream of meringue breaks while you draw the 8, continue folding a few more times. If the stream flows smoothly, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe 1.5-inch circles on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Hold the tray 6 inches to 8 inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 5-6 times.
- Set the tray aside to rest until the macarons develop a skin.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Bake the macarons one tray at a time for 14 minutes, turning them halfway through baking.
- Allow the macarons to cool fully on the tray.
For the Filling
- Add the heavy cream and lavender to a small saucepan over medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble and steam, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow the mixture to steep for 25 minutes.
- Strain the lavender out of the cream.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the lavender-infused cream, followed by the powdered sugar gradually. Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla extract.
- Turn the mixer to highest speed and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy.
- Transfer to a large piping bag until ready to use.
Assembly
- Place the macarons in similar-sized pairs. Pipe small dollops of icing onto one of the shells and place another shell on top. Press them together gently until the filling reaches the edges of the macaron. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Transfer the filled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
⭐ How to store, reheat, and freeze
Storage - These lavender macarons will stay fresh in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freezing – Place macarons in an air-tight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
💭 Expert Tips
- To ensure the same size macarons, use a baking mat that has the macaron outline on it, this will help you pipe even amounts.
- To ensure light and fluffy homemade macarons do not over mix macaron mixture.
- Use regular egg whites and not carton egg whites as they will not become fluffy.
- For best results have use room temperature egg whites.
- Use gel food coloring and not a liquid as the liquid food coloring will not work well.
- Many of my recipes are quick and super simple. While macarons are not complicated, they do need time so don't rush when making these. Enjoy the process.
📖 Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways that you increase the flavor of this dish.
- Use different food gel colorings to make other colored macarons.
- Top it with a classic ganache made of chocolate and heavy cream.
- Make a triple-layer macaron by adding multiple fillings in between the shells.
- Dip them in melted white or dark chocolate for a delicious indulgence.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
I love to serve these lavender macaroons with a simple yet elegant meal like this Linguine with White Clam Sauce. It's a classic Italian dish that goes great with the delicate flavor of the macarons.
You can also serve them alongside some freshly brewed tea like this Detox Lemon Ginger Tea for an afternoon snack.
Or, you can top it off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream like this No Churn Cheesecake Ice Cream for an even more indulgent treat!
🍽 Similar recipes
If you are like me and love making homemade specialty cookies then next time check out my tips on How to Make Italian Rainbow Cookies.
These Linzer Heart Cookies are also a beautiful and delicious alternative. They are filled with raspberry jam and topped with powdered sugar for an extra special touch.
If you love the flavor of lavender be sure to check out this Lavender Lemonade recipe!
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
Purple macaroons are usually either blackberry or lavender flavors.
The secret to making perfect macarons is to make sure the batter is not overmixed when adding the dry ingredients. The consistency should be thick, like toothpaste.
Also, it's important to let them rest for about 15 minutes before baking so that a skin forms on the outside and prevents them from cracking in the oven.
Yes, macarons should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It's best to let them come back to room temperature before serving.
I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Lavender Macarons
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
For the Shell
- 90 grams egg whites
- 90 grams granulated white sugar
- 95 grams powdered sugar
- 95 grams almond flour
- violet gel food coloring optional
For the Filling
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Shells
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Place a small saucepan of water over medium heat. In a heatproof medium-size bowl, add the egg whites and granulated sugar and place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar together constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed (if using a Kitchenaid 6-8) until they form stiff peaks.
- Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift in the powdered sugar and almond flour. Discard any large lumps.
- Fold the mixture together with a silicone spatula, making sure not to deflate the meringue as you fold.
- When all of the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated, if using, add gel food coloring.
- Continue to fold the meringue, smash it against the sides of the bowl as you fold, until the meringue reaches the figure 8 stage.
- Test the meringue by drawing a figure 8. If the stream of meringue breaks while you draw the 8, continue folding a few more times. If the stream flows smoothly, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I like a Wilton #10-12).
- Pipe 1.5-inch circles on the baking sheet about 2-inches apart. Hold the tray 6-8-inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 5-6 times.
- Set the tray aside to rest until the macarons develop a skin. After 25-30 minutes, you should be able to touch the macarons gently without the batter sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Bake the macarons one tray at a time for 14 minutes, turning them halfway through baking.
- Allow the macarons to cool fully on the tray.
For the Filling
- Add the heavy cream and lavender to a small saucepan over medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble and steam, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow the mixture to steep for 25 minutes.
- Strain the lavender out of the cream using a fine mesh sieve. Gently push any excess liquid from the lavender through the sieve for maximum flavor.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy-- about 3 minutes.
- Add the lavender-infused cream, followed by the powdered sugar gradually. Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 3-4 minutes, or until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag until ready to use.
Assembly
- Place the macarons in similar-sized pairs. Pipe small dollops of icing onto one of the shells and place another shell on top. Press them together gently until the filling reaches the edges of the macaron. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Transfer the filled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
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