This simple and elegant Blueberry Macaron Recipe is sure to be a hit with anyone that has a sweet tooth. These melt-in-your-mouth French macaron cookies are paired with a sweet vanilla American buttercream filling with a blueberry jam surprise hidden inside.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may make a commission on purchases and/or clicks (at no extra cost to you). Please read our full disclosure here.
Macarons are a classic French pastry that consists of two light, airy cookies sandwiching a rich and creamy filling. They come in a variety of flavors, but one of the most popular is blueberry.
These blueberry French macarons are made with finely ground almond flour, which gives them a delicate flavor and a slight nutty crunch. The cookies are then filled with a sweet vanilla American buttercream and blueberry jam made with real fruit.
These pretty pastries are perfect for special occasions or simply as an indulgent treat. And, although they may look tricky to make, blueberry macarons are actually quite easy to whip up at home. With just a few simple ingredients and some patience, you can enjoy these delicious sandwiches any time you like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Blueberry macarons are a delicious and elegant treat that is perfect for any occasion. Here are a few reasons why you will love them:
- The blueberry filling is tart and fragrant, complementing the sweetness of the almond-flavored macaron shells.
- The colorful blueberry shells are beautiful to look at and add a pop of color to any dessert platter.
- These macarons are relatively easy to make at home, and they are sure to impress your guests.
- Blueberry macarons are the perfect balance of sweet and tart, making them irresistible to anyone with a sweet tooth.
So if you are looking for a delicious dessert that is sure to please, look no further than blueberry macarons!
What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Macarons
Macaron Shells
- Egg whites: You will need three to four large egg whites for this recipe. Egg whites are what give macarons their characteristic light and airy texture, so it is important to use fresh eggs that have been brought to room temperature.
- Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites as they are whipped into a meringue. It's not essential, but will definitely help make your life easier, especially on a humid day.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar is combined with the egg whites to make a sweet meringue. Make sure you use superfine white granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is added to the meringue for flavor. You can use any type of vanilla extract or even a vanilla bean paste.
- Gel food coloring: It's important to use gel food coloring when making macarons as any extra liquid added to the recipe will impact the final result. I prefer to use AmeriColor gel food coloring when making macarons to ensure that there is no extra liquid and the macaron batter is the right consistency..
- Almond flour: Almond flour is the main ingredient in macaron shells. It's made from finely ground, blanched almonds. It's important to make sure you use finely ground almond meal for this recipe so that your macarons are smooth and have a delicate flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is combined with the almond flour to form the macaronage, which is the mixture used to make the macaron shells.
Vanilla American Buttercream
- Unsalted butter: The butter is the base of the vanilla American buttercream and needs to be at room temperature so that it will cream properly.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is added to the buttercream for flavor. You can use any type of vanilla extract or even a vanilla bean paste. If you use real vanilla bean paste in this recipe it gives the buttercream a beautiful black speckle.
- Salt: Salt is added to the buttercream to balance out the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the buttercream.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is added to the buttercream to thin it out and make it spreadable. You can also use whipping cream or even milk if you don't have heavy cream available.
Vanilla Blueberry Jam
- Blueberries: You will need fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. If you are using frozen blueberries, make sure to thaw them before using.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar is used to sweeten the blueberry jam.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice is added to the jam for flavor and to help balance the sweetness of the sugar.
- Lemon zest: Lemon zest is an optional extra for this recipe. It strengthens the lemon flavor and gives the jam some extra kick.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is used to flavor the blueberry jam and it complements the fruit beautifully. You can use any type of vanilla extract or even a vanilla bean paste.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If using a silicone mat, wipe the mat down with white vinegar.
Begin by sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a bowl. Transfer the dry mixture to a food processor and pulse together to remove any lumps. Sift the dry ingredients again. This will help to ensure that you have smooth macarons. If required, repeat this process until the mixture is lump-free.
Whip the room temperature egg whites in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on low speed until foamy, then add the cream of tartar.
Continue to whip the egg white mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form and then slowly add the sugar to the egg whites.
Once the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and a few drops of purple food coloring (you can also use a combination of blue food coloring and red food coloring to make a shade of purple that you like).
Continue whipping the mix on medium speed until stiff peaks have formed. This will take approximately 15 minutes and you'll know you've reached stiff peaks when the meringue stands straight up on the whisk and the tip doesn't flop over.
Once stiff peaks have formed, add half of the dry ingredient mix and fold gently into the meringue. Repeat until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Continue to fold the mixture until it has reached a lava-like consistency. At this point, transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe the mixture onto the prepared baking trays.
Tap the tray on the countertop a couple of times to remove any air bubbles then allow to rest for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a skin has formed.
Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes. Allow the macaron shells to cool on the tray before removing and filling with the vanilla American buttercream and homemade blueberry jam (see the recipe that we used here).
To make the vanilla American buttercream, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds using a electric mixer with a paddle attachment. At a low speed, add the vanilla and salt, and then slowly add the powdered sugar to the mix, alternating with splashes of milk or cream.
The buttercream should be a reasonably thick consistency to be able to create a dam to contain the vanilla blueberry jam, so don't add too much liquid. Once the buttercream is done, spoon it into a large piping bag and it's ready to use to fill the blueberry macarons.
How To Store Blueberry Macarons
Macarons are delicate cookies that are typically made with almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. It's important to know how to store them properly to ensure that they remain fresh and delicious. Macarons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage, they can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
When ready to enjoy, simply thaw the macarons at room temperature for about 30 minutes. After thawing, the cookies should be eaten within a day or two. With proper storage, you can enjoy fresh-tasting macarons any time of year!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between a macaron and a macaroon?
A: Macarons and macaroons are often confused because of their similar names, but they are actually quite different. Macarons are delicate sandwich cookies that are made with almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. They are typically filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam. Macaroons, on the other hand, are denser and more coconut-forward. They are made with shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and egg whites. Macaroons are often dipped in chocolate, while macarons are not.
Q: Can I make blueberry macarons without food coloring?
A: You can, but the resulting cookies will not be purple or blue. If you don't want to use food coloring but still want your macarons to have a blueberry color, try using some blueberry powder (made from crushed up freeze-dried blueberries) to the dry ingredients. This will add both color and a subtle blueberry flavor to the cookies.
Q: I don't have a pastry bag. Can I still make these cookies?
A: Yes! If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Another option is to use a piping bag with a star tip. Either way, you'll be able to get the mixture into the right shape.
Q: Help! My macarons are cracked. What did I do wrong?
A: There are a few things that could cause your macarons to crack. One possibility is that you didn't let the shells rest long enough before baking. This can cause the cookies to spread too much and crack. Another possibility is that you baked the cookies at too high of a temperature. Make sure to follow the recipe closely and check your oven temperature to ensure it is accurate.
Q: Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
A: Yes! Blueberry macarons can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage, they can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw the macarons at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Q: Do I have to use American buttercream in my macarons?
A: No, you don't have to use American buttercream. You can use any type of buttercream or filling that you like. If you want to stay true to the French style of macarons, you could use a blueberry ganache filling made with white chocolate and cream. Or, you could use a cheesecake-style filling made with cream cheese to make blueberry cheesecake macarons.
Tools And Equipment For This Recipe
KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer: This mixer is perfect for making macaron batter. The whisk attachment whips the egg whites to perfection and the tilt-head design makes it easy to add ingredients.
Cuisinart 17-Inch Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware Cookie Sheet: This cookie sheet is the perfect size for baking macarons. It's nonstick so the cookies won't stick and it's dishwasher safe too. The best thing about this cookie sheet is that it doesn't have any edges, so the air can circulate around the macarons and help you avoid lopsided shells.
Riccle Disposable Piping Bags 12 Inch: You'll need a piping bag to pipe the batter onto the baking sheet. I like to use disposable piping bags, but you can also use a reusable bag.
Round Piping Tip: I like to use a Wilton size 12 tip for piping macarons. This gives the cookies a nice, round shape.
Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Mat: This silicone mat is perfect for making macarons. It has circles already piped out, so all you have to do is pipe the batter onto the mat.
More Recipes You Might Like
Blueberry Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 100 grams egg whites 3-4 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- gel food color
- 100 grams granulated sugar extra fine
- 140 grams almond flour
- 125 grams powdered sugar
Vanilla American Buttercream
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If using a silicone mat, wipe the mat down with white vinegar.
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a bowl. Transfer the dry mixture to a food processor and pulse together to remove any lumps. Sift the dry ingredients again. This will help to ensure that you have smooth macarons. If required, repeat this process until the mixture is lump-free.
- Whip the room temperature egg whites in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on low speed until foamy, then add the cream of tartar.
- Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form and then slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Once the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and a few drops of gel food coloring.
- Continue whipping the mix on medium speed until stiff peaks have formed. This will take approximately 15 minutes. You'll know you've reached stiff peaks when the meringue stands straight up on the whisk and the tip doesn't flop over.
- Once stiff peaks have formed, add half of the dry ingredient mix and fold gently into the meringue. Repeat until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
- Continue to fold the mixture until it has reached a lava-like consistency. At this point, transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe the mixture onto the prepared baking trays.
- Tap the tray on the countertop a couple of times to remove any air bubbles then allow to rest for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a skin has formed.
- Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes. Allow the macaron shells to cool on the tray before removing and filling with the vanilla American buttercream and homemade blueberry jam (see the recipe that we used here).
Vanilla American Buttercream
- Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
- At a low speed, add the vanilla and salt, and then slowly add the powdered sugar to the mix, alternating with splashes of milk or cream.
- Once the buttercream is done, spoon it into a large piping bag and it's ready to use to fill the blueberry macarons.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary based on brands of ingredients used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Leave a Reply