These Vegan Macarons will blow your mind! A classic french dessert made with aquafaba instead of egg whites. Perfectly smooth and crisp cookie shells filled with a creamy dairy free cashew buttercream.
Friends. It’s HERE. Vegan Macarons.
If you’ve been following me on instagram, then you’ve probably witnessed all my recipe fails. I’ve been testing and testing vegan macarons since May. I’ve made over 30 (YES 30) batches of vegan macarons.
Here is what I’ve tested:
- different brands of sugars and canned chickpeas: some aquafabas are thicker than others
- different colour baking pans: light coloured IS the best
- parchment and silicon baking sheets: both work but silicon baking sheets take longer
- 4 different oven temperatures: 230 F was the best and helped make the feet of the macarons
- using a whisk, stand mix and electric hand mixer to whip the aquafaba: I found the hand mixer to be the easiest to control
- with and without cream of tartar: it really does help whip the aquafaba
- letting them sit for 1, 1.5 and 2 hours: I found 1.5 hours to be the best but this will depend on the humidity of your kitchen (more humid = longer time to dry)
And I’m so happy and proud to say I have finally FINALLY got the recipe down with tips and tricks for vegan macaron success. Are you ready to learn how to make vegan macarons with aquafaba?! Lets do this.
Ingredients to Make Vegan Macarons
French and Italian macarons are traditionally made with egg whites, almond flour/meal, icing sugar and caster sugar. The only thing we really need to change in terms of ingredients are the egg whites. And this is where the aquafaba comes in.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is just the water in canned chickpeas. Depending on the brand, stright out of the can it looks like a very liquid-y version of egg whites. reduce it and you get something a bit more thick, which is what you want to make vegan macarons.
You’re also going to need some almond flour, icing sugar, caster sugar (also called super fine sugar) and cream of tartar. Since theres no protein in aquafaba, cream of tartar helps stabilize the aquafaba after it’s whipped just like egg whites.
How to Make Vegan Macarons
*NOTE: Because I was able to produce the best macaron batch so last minute (as in… December 27th), I have not yet been able taken progress shots but these will be up VERY soon after the new years.
- Reduce the aquafaba: over medium heat, pour the chickpea water into a medium saucepan and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by about half. Store in the fridge overnight or allow it to cool before using.
- Mix the almond flour and icing sugar together.
- Whip the aquafaba and cream of tartar until frothy. Then add in the caster sugar and keep whipping until peaks begin to form.
- Use your spatula to fold in almond flour sugar mixture. Using the back of the spatula, press mixture against the bowl. Do this a couple times until mixture is shiny.
- Fill piping bags with the mixture and pipe onto a parchment lined baking tray. Drop baking tray onto kitchen counter around 5 times to remove air bubbles.
- Let it sit on kitchen counter for 1.5 hours, or until tops are dry to the touch.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 230 F. Open the oven door and let it sit for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before removing from the baking tray.
- Pipe cashew buttercream onto one macaron shell and place another one on top to sandwich it.
Tips & Tricks to Making Vegan Macarons
- Use Clean Bowls & Mixing Utensils: These macarons are very tempermental and any additional liquid/oils can affect the final result.
- Use a Scale to Measure Ingredients: Again, for best results and accuracy.
- Remove air bubbles in macaron shells: After dropping the baking tray onto kitchen counter, use a toothpick to remove any visible air bubbles in macaron shells.
- Touch the macaron shells before baking: they should be dry to the touch. If you have a humid kitchen, place into oven (not turned on) to let it dry.
- Do NOT use a dark baking tray: It can create over cooked/burned bottoms.
Helpful Equipment Needed to Make Vegan Macarons
- Hand Mixer
- Parchment Paper or Macaron Silicon Baking Mat
- Piping Bags + Tips (Here’s a basic set on amazon that has both)
- Light Coloured Baking Tray
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- High Speed Blender
I know how intimidating making vegan macarons may be, but I really do hope you give this vegan macaron recipe a try! Even if you don’t get it right the first, second or even third time- it’s really just practice. Getting to know your oven, the temperature of your kitchen, timing and most importantly the whipping/folding of the aquafaba. Once you get it right, you will feel SO accomplished!
More Delicious Vegan Desserts to Love!
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Vegan Macarons
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 20 macarons 1x
Description
These Vegan Macarons will blow your mind! A classic french dessert made with aquafaba instead of egg whites. Perfectly smooth and crisp cookie shells filled with a creamy dairy free cashew buttercream.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 70g almond flour
- 80 icing sugar
- 55g aquafaba (reduced from 125g of canned chickpea water)
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 20 g caster sugar
- 1/16 tsp vegan gel paste, optional
Cashew Buttercream Filling
- 1 cup cashews, soaked (150g)
- 1/2 vanilla bean (1g)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (80g)
- 3 tbsp coconut cream (45g)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (15g)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- To reduce chickpea water/aquafaba: add the aquafaba into a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it gently simmer for 15 minutes until you get 55g. It should look much thicker than when you first opened the can.
- Into a bowl, whisk together almond meal and icing sugar. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add aquafaba and cream of tartar. Use a hand mixer and whisk on high until it starts to form foam/light peaks (3 minutes). Add in the castor sugar and continue to mix until peaks form. Add in a drop of gel if using and mix.
- Using a spatula, fold in the almond flour and sugar mix until combined. Using the back of the spatula, press the mixture on the side of the bowl as you fold it in. It should start to look shiny and have a ribbons like consistency when ready.
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a round tip. On a parchment lined baking tray, pipe the filling into circles.
- Drop the baking tray onto your kitchen counter 4-5 times. If you see any additional air bubbles, use a toothpick to pop them out.
- Let the mixture dry for 1.5 hours pr until the top is dry to the touch.
- Preheat oven to 230 F (110 C) with fan on. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool in the oven (with door open) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool at room temperature for another 15 minutes before removing them from the parchment paper.
Cashew Buttercream Filling:
- While waiting for the macaron shells to dry or cool make the cashew buttercream filling by adding all the ingredients into a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
- Once macaron shells are cooled and ready, pipe one macaron shell with vegan cashew buttercream. Then place another macaron shell to sandwich together.
Notes
- You MUST weigh the macaron shell ingredients for this to work. This recipe is VERY temperamental and even a slight change will make or break these.
- Do not add any flavour to the macaron shells. If you want to flavour these macarons, add the flavouring into the filling. For example, add 1 tsp caramel extract to the cashew butter cream for caramel flavour.
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: French Baking
- Cuisine: vegna, gluten free
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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these turned out delicious. it was my first time trying to make my own vegan macarons. however, mine didn’t get the little “feet” at the bottom. does anybody know what could have gone wrong? thanks 🙂
Hey, it could be that the batter is too wet or you didn’t let them dry long enough before baking. Then again, macarons are bitchy merengues
Came out great! Excited to try again and make them even better!
So glad they worked for you Darlene! 🙂
Loved this recipe! I added a tsp of açai powder for colour and they were delicious! Will definitely make again.
Hi Alice, thanks so much for trying this recipe I’m so glad it came out! 🙂
It worked! It was my first attempt to make a vegan macaron, and it turned out even better than when I made it traditionally. I did a different filling, which was a boiled down pumpkin butter with cinnamon and ginger and nutmeg, but that turned out really well as well. So exciting!
Could I eliminate the sugar(icing and caster) entirely?
Hi Elle,
No, the sugar is needed for structure for these. Good luck! 🙂
Did you put the entire 1/2 vanilla bean or the scrapings from inside 1/2 a vanilla bean?
Just the scrapings!
Hi there, this looks so delicious….do you have any suggestions on other flavored fillings, like pistachio or chocolate? Thanks!
For chocolate, I’d make a ganache!
Hi there, I’m excited to try this! Do you think I could play around with the filling and make other flavors, like chocolate or pistachio? How would I do this? Or do you have any other suggestions for flavors? Thanks so much!
You could make a chocolate ganache! Or white chocolate ganache with pistachios 🙂 Or even peanut butter with maple syrup as a frosting.
Made these today!
Colored the macarons with beetroot powder and flavored my buttercream with frozen starwberries/extract.
This recipe turned out pretty good! The last time I made macarons I wasn’t vegan so I do think those turned out a little shinier and less collapsed in the middle (inside/ underneath), but these still had a good texture, taste, and look so I’m happy with them!!
Thank you for the recipe!!!
Out of curiosity, why almond flour? Is that a macaron thing or something else? Are other flours possible to use?
Also, would you have any idea why beneath the macarons it collapsed a little ( not a flat bottom)? I’m decently experienced with baking and followed the recipe. The only difference was 2 tsp of beet powder but I really can’t imagine that caused it.
Other than that random flaw though they tasted/felt and looked perfectly fine!
It honestly could be the beetroot powder. There are so many factors as to why which is why macarons are so technical! If can be due to the piping, a strong fan when drying or baking the macarons or baking temps.
Glad it worked out and you enjoyed! Macarons are just made with almond flour 🙂
Why do my macrons always bleed and I end up with a thin shell and a gooey mess underneath any ideas, I cook them 120 c fan oven thanks.
There are many many reasons for this. It could have been how much it was whipped, the ingredients, the temperature of the kitchen/oven. Did you let the macarons sit in the oven after baking?