Planning a Bridgerton-inspired tea party and need a dessert to match the occasion? These Strawberry Macarons are just the thing. With their soft pink shells, fluffy strawberry buttercream, and a surprise center of strawberry jam, theyโre elegant, flavorful, and delightfully nostalgic.
As a trained pastry chef, Iโve always loved how a well-made macaron can bring so much joy in a single biteโand these little beauties are no exception. Whether youโre hosting a garden gathering or simply treating yourself, theyโre the perfect addition to your dessert table.
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If you frequent the blog, Iโm sure youโre already awareโIโm legitimately obsessed with French macarons. I fell head over heels during my time living in Paris, and it was one of the first skills I mastered in pastry school.
Between the lightly crisp exterior that gives way to a tender, chewy meringue center, the dizzying array of flavoring and filling options, and the gorgeously uniform circular shape with a perfectly smooth top, a plate of these naturally gluten-free beauties is enough to set my heart aflutter.
While Iโve already shared several berry-licious recipes like my blueberry cream cheese macarons, raspberry dark chocolate ganache macarons, and tart raspberry yuzu macarons, I recently realized I hadnโt yet added a strawberry recipe to my canon. ๐ฑ To correct this oversight, today Iโm happy to present my strawberry buttercream macarons. Enjoy!
โญ Why Youโll Love This Strawberry Macarons Recipe
- Bright, Classic Flavor - Making strawberry macarons with freeze-dried strawberries in both the shells and the buttercream filling ensures an intense strawberries and cream vibe.
- A Lovely Tea Time Addition- Not even Queen Charlotte could resist a plate of pink macarons with a mug of homemade tea. If youโre looking to impress a high-brow crowd, this is a surefire way to do it.
- Simple, Naturally Gluten-Free Ingredients - Despite bursting at the seams with blushing berry charm, these pink French macarons are made with just 9 basic ingredients.
๐ How to Make Strawberry Macarons: Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Dry Ingredients: Pulse and sift dry ingredients (powdered sugar, almond meal and strawberry freeze-dried powder) to prepare for the mixing into pink french meringue.
Make Meringue & Prep Dry Ingredients:
Whisk egg whites in a stand mixer until foamy, then slowly add sugar. Beat to stiff peaks and mix in food coloring.
Macaronage: Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue until the batter is smooth, drippy, and flows off the spatula. Avoid overmixingโthereโs no going back!
Pipe & Bake: Pipe batter onto a lined baking sheet in even rounds. Tap the tray to release air bubbles, sprinkle with freeze-fried strawberries and rest until tops are dry, then bake until set with formed feet.
Add the Strawberry Filling: Fill the center of each strawberry buttercream ring with a small dollop of strawberry jam. It should sit neatly inside without spilling over the edges!
Sandwich & Rest: Top with a second macaron shell & place the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge and let them mature for 24โ48 hours for best texture and flavor.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ Expert Baking Tips
- Invest in a kitchen scale. For consistently professional-quality results, you need consistency. Opting for weight measurements over volume ensures that external factors (e.g. settling) donโt affect your ratios. As an added bonus, using a scale means you donโt have to dirty measuring cups or spoons!
- Use a guide. French pastry chefs pride themselves on precision, which is why patisserie windows are such a beautiful sight to behold. Give yourself a hand by either tracing circles on a piece of parchment or purchasing a Silpat macaron mat for perfectly shaped and sized macaron shells. Head over to my guide for making macarons for more tips!
- Tap your tray. Gently rapping your cookie sheet against the counter helps to expel any lingering air bubbles and creates a perfectly burnished shell.
- Donโt skip the rest. Macarons require some time to grow a โskinโ before baking. This not only creates that beautiful glossy exterior, but also ensures the signature โfootโ can develop during baking.
Substitutions & Variations
- Buttercream Flavor โ Swap the strawberry buttercream for vanilla bean, lemon buttercream, or even rosewater for a floral twist.
- Fruit Fillings โ Add a surprise center like strawberry rhubarb jam, apricot preserves, or lemon curd for extra flavor and moisture.
- Macaron Shell Color โ Keep the pink hue, or switch it up with soft pastels like lavender or peach for seasonal flair.
- Decorative Toppings โ Dust the tops with edible glitter, gold leaf, or a touch of luster dust for a royal finish.
- Dairy-Free Option โ Use a plant-based butter substitute for the buttercream if neededโjust make sure it's firm and whippable!
Storing
Filled strawberry macarons are best after a night of resting in the fridge. They should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you prefer to hang onto them for longer, I recommend storing unfilled macaron shells in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight freezer container for up to a month, then filling (preferably a day ahead) of when you want to serve them.
More Strawberry Recipes Youโll Love
If you try the recipe for these Strawberry Macarons, please leave a ๐ review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! ๐ง
How to Make Strawberry Macarons with Buttercream and Jam Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Macaron Shells
- 76 g (โ cup + 1 teaspoon ) Granulated Sugar
- 90 ml (About 3 egg whites) Room Temperature Egg Whites
- 80 g (ยพ Cup + 1 Tbsp) Almond Flour, Blanched
- 150 g (1 ยผ Cup ) Powdered Sugar
- 15 g Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
- Gel Food Coloring , optional
Strawberry Buttercream & Fillings
- 60 g (ยผ cup) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Cognac, optional
- 3 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste, or vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons Strawberry Freeze Dried Powder
- 180 g (1 ยฝ cups) Powdered Sugar
- 150 g (ยฝ cup) Strawberry Jam
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Line each baking sheet with your prepared parchment templates and prepare your piping bags along with your piping tips.ย I like to use a small, round piping tips for piping.
- Pour your egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking on medium speed. Once they start to foam, slowly add your sugar and bring up your speed to medium for about three to four minutes.ย76 g Granulated Sugar, 90 ml Room Temperature Egg Whites
- While your meringue is whisking away, grind together your measured powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and almond flour using a food processor for one minute. Sift these dry ingredients into a large bowl with a fine sieve and set aside.ย80 g Almond Flour, 150 g Powdered Sugar, 15 g Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
- Your meringue is complete when it holds stiff peaks - add desired food coloring and gently whisk for a few additional seconds to incorporate,Gel Food Coloring
- Now itโs time for the ever so important Macaronage! This is the act of mixing your dry ingredients into your french meringue and folding these ingredients enough to allow for the perfect desired consistency. To start, pour your dry mixture onto the meringue and slowly start to fold with a spatula. While rotating the bowl, continue to fold ingredients together. Press mixture on the side of your bowl until the mixture of the batter flows off your spatula rather slowly and smoothly. You should see that the batter will drip off the spatula back into the bowl, and rest on top for a moment. Then, the batter from your spatula will slowly sink back into the mixture. One too many folds and your batter could be over mixed leading to it being impossible to work with, so be careful not to overmix!
- ย Pour your macaron batter into your prepared piping bag and pipe in circles onto your templated parchment paper. In order to get rid of any air bubbles within your piped shells and to even out your tops, tap your baking sheet firmly on a flat surface. You can always use a toothpick to gently pop any extra air bubbles that you see hovering on top of your shells. If you would like to add a few sprinkles to the top of your macaron shells now is the time to do so before the shells dry!
- Allow the shells to rest for approximately 30 minutes. Once the top of your shells are dry to the touch they are ready to bake!ย
- Place your macarons in your oven that has been preheated to 310 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the baking tray and bake for an additional 2 minutes.ย
- You will know that your macarons are ready to remove from the oven when you gently touch the upper shell, and it barely moves, while the developed foot of the macaron stays set to the parchment paper. Remove from the oven to cool completely before removing shells from the parchment paper.
Strawberry Buttercream
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter until very pale and fluffy.60 g Unsalted Butter
- Add in cognac, milk, and vanilla then mix in powdered sugar and strawberry powder. Add additional tablespoons of milk to reach the desired consistency!1 Tablespoon Cognac, 3 Tablespoons Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste, 180 g Powdered Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Strawberry Freeze Dried Powder
Assemblyย
- Once cooled, the shells will peel easily off of your parchment paper. Find each shell's matching half and pipe the strawberry buttercream into a circle and add strawberry jam in the middle. Finally, top with the matching half, place in the fridge overnight for the perfect texture and taste before enjoying!150 g Strawberry Jam
Lane
I can't wait to try these!! I love strawberry anything and everything and these look delicious!!