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These Halloween Macarons are so cute, festive and even more delicious! They’re the perfect treats for any Halloween party. Make them into your favorite spooky characters!Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Oh my goodness, am I excited to share these Halloween macarons with you today! My sweet friend and neighbor Stephanie from the fabulous blog All Artful came over on Monday and we had so much fun goofing off in the kitchen, cranking up the music, and dreaming up these Halloween-themed macarons.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

I remember the first time I ever had a macaron. It was last year. I was in New York at Bouchon Bakery. Just a few months before finding myself there, staring at the pastry case, on the hunt for a french macaron, I wasn’t exactly sure what one was. But I knew I needed to find one.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

It was life changing.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

The macaron has so many things going for it. It’s cute. It’s layered. It’s mysterious. It’s sweet. And it’s got fabulous texture. It’s crispy. It’s chewy. It’s light and airy. It’s decadent. It will make you swoon. Just wait til you see the inside of this little guy. But more on that below.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Last month my friend Shaina from Food for My Family came down and stayed with me for a weekend filled with dessert making and photo shoots for her upcoming cookbook. We made the most adorable pink macarons, and once I saw how easy they were, I was hooked.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

I was a little intimidated to try them on my own, but let me calm your fears. They’re not that scary. I totally promise you. This recipe is pretty foolproof. It makes me feel like a macaron pro!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Just look at how perfect these little guys turned out. If I can do it, you definitely can too. If you’ve never had a macaron, don’t wait another second. Whip these up and treat yourself to this fabulous dessert, right away. You’ll be so glad you did.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

How to Make The Best Treats for Halloween

Here are a few things we’ll need to get started. Almond flour and vanilla beans. You can find vanilla beans either right there with the vanilla, or sometimes they are mixed in with the spices, as was the case with the McCormick vanilla beans. The almond flour is more likely to be found in gourmet supermarkets like Whole Foods. But I got this at Target, and I’ve occasionally seen it in the baking aisle or the organic section of my grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can use raw almonds, without the skin,  which you’ll grind up in the food processor.

The second thing you’ll need is a food scale (which I failed to photograph!) so you can weigh your ingredients. Here is the one I have, and I use it every day.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Now the fun begins! Weigh out your almond flour and powdered sugar and add them to the bowl of a food processor. If you’re using whole almonds, grind them into a powder first, then add the sugar.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Okay, now the fun really begins. The vanilla bean. Scraping out the caviar of a vanilla bean is one of the more rewarding experiences in life. And we’re about to do it. Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Then turn the knife to the dull side, scrape out the vanilla bean seeds, and add them to the food processor.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Steph grabbed my camera here. That’s me in the background splitting a vanilla bean. I love how it turned out!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Process the flour, sugar and vanilla bean until fully incorporated.

Here are a few more fun things we’ll need! If you’d like to give your macarons some fun color, you’ll need powdered food coloring — no gel, paste or liquid. Michael’s and Hobby Lobby both carry this Wilton Color Dust that I used. We also used Wilton Sparkle Gel to decorate the jack-0-lanterns and spider eyes (Walmart), and red gel food coloring for the eye balls (grocery store).

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

For chocolate macarons, add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder. I used Hershey’s Special Dark.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Or for orange macarons, add 1 teaspoon of powdered food coloring. And for white macarons, you don’t have to add anything! Whisk together to combine.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Next you’ll want to sift this combination so it’s completely free of lumps. I know, I know. Break out that sifter!

 

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Macarons start with aged egg whites. Up to five (5) days before making macarons, separate your egg whites, cover them loosely with a paper towel, and keep them in the refrigerator. The night before making macarons, set them out on the counter to come to room temperature. Yes, they’ll be fine. Perfect, even! My egg whites aged for 2 days, one night in the fridge and one night on the counter.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Whisk the egg whites until foamy.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Then add a little sugar, and whisk until you get stiff peaks. When you lift out the whisk, the egg whites should not fold over.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

It’ll look about like this. When they’re ready, add the egg whites to the flour.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Now we’re going to fold the egg whites into the flour. Gently stir the batter with a spoon, folding the batter on top of itself until just combined, and there are no more white streaks from the egg whites.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

It should look about like this. If you draw a line in the batter with your spoon, it should start to fold back onto itself. Slowly. It takes me about 40 strokes to reach this stage, but don’t go over 50 strokes. The macarons will thank you.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

That’s it! It’s all downhill from here! Add the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. I’m using Wilton #2A here, found at Walmart. Pipe the batter into circles on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (not wax paper) and pull straight up. I’m really bad at the precision thing, so I drew circles with a sharpie on the back of my parchment paper to help keep my macarons evenly sized. You’ll want to draw on the curly side of the parchment paper so when you turn it over it’ll lay flat on the pan.

Download my macaron template here.

Tip: Lay your macaron template on the sheet pan, use magnets to hold down the parchment paper, and trace your circles. Remove the magnets and template, then flip the parchment paper over before piping macarons.

When you’re done, give the sheet pans a good solid tap on the table to pop any air bubbles in the batter.

Now the most important part. Let your macarons rest on the pan at least 30 minutes before baking. I try to give mine 45 minutes to an hour. While they rest they’ll form a nice strong skin to keep them from cracking in the oven.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Bake the macarons at 280 degrees F for 15-20 minutes directly in the middle of your oven. It takes exactly 15 minutes in my oven. To test for doneness, pick a not-so-cute macaron you’re willing to sacrifice, if need be. First, gently touch the top to make sure it’s dry. Then gently try to lift the macaron from the parchment paper. If it comes away pretty easily, they’re done! It can stick just a tiny bit — they’ll still need to rest for 10 minutes on the parchment paper before they’ll fully done. But if it’s not coming up and the top breaks away, they need to cook longer. Keep checking on them every two minutes until the bottom is nice and dry, just like the one above.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Now that your macarons are done it’s time to fill them! The secret to this deliciously fluffy buttercream frosting is in the vanilla extract. I highly recommend Tahitian vanilla extract if you can find it. I love using Tahitian vanilla for frosting and other recipes that won’t be cooked. It gives them that beautiful, simple, pure vanilla flavor.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Match up your macaron shells and stuff those babies!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Ready to make some hairy legs for cute spider macs?? Melt some chocolate almond bark in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

I got the idea for these cute and delicious legs from Bridget at Bake at 350. Check out her hairy spider cookies!

 

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Set up your assembly line…

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Dip pretzel sticks into the chocolate and roll them on the sides of the glass to get rid of the excess chocolate — lest your hairy spider legs be clumpy.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Then roll in chocolate sprinkles.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Perfect!!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

We had so much going on in the kitchen at this point!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

For the spider macarons, take a little chocolate buttercream and spread it on the bottom of a macaron shell.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Break off the tips of the pretzels and arrange the spider legs…

By the way, the leftover pieces from the spider legs are a delicious snack.

Moving on.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Add a little more chocolate frosting…

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

And top with another macaron shell.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Gorgeous!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Okay, I just could not stand it any longer at this point. Had to try one of these guys!

Now check this out. See that deliciously delicate, sugary crisp shell up at the top? It’s glorious. It’s also nice and strong from our aged egg whites.

Now check out the fluffy, chewy cookie.

And the soft, creamy frosting.

Then cookie.

Then shell.

The texture and flavor combination of these Halloween Macarons just blow me away.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

There was lots of photo-taking going on in the kitchen.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Macarons are very photogenic.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

We couldn’t stop snapping away!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Here’s our little Halloween macaroonies!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Little spider man is my favorite Halloween Macaron design.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Loved our jack-o-lanterns. The sparkle gel was perfect!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

And our ghost buster! How cute is this little guy?? Stephanie piped our white macaron batter into these ghostie shapes and they baked up so cute!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

We made a few round white macs too. How scary are these eyes topped with an M&M??

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

I am just in love with these cute little chocolate spiders.

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

And our spooky jack-o-lanterns. Chomp!

Halloween French Macarons | Failproof Step by Step Photo Recipe & Tutorial

Thanks so much Stephanie for coming over and making macarons with me! It was an absolute blast. Already thinking of ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Make sure you check out Stephanie’s photos and recap of our day!

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Image of Halloween Macarons

Halloween Macarons

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: About 15 Macarons 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: French

Description

These Halloween Macarons are so cute, festive and even more delicious! They’re the perfect treats for any Halloween party. Make them into your favorite spooky characters!

Scale

Ingredients

Macaron Shells

  • 90 grams aged egg whites
  • 110 grams almond flour
  • 200 grams powdered sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 25 grams white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder or powdered food coloring (optional)

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 teaspoons Tahitian vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup (10 tbsp) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Macaron Shells

  1. Up to 5 days before making macarons, separate the egg whites, cover loosely with a paper towel, and store in the refrigerator. The night before making macarons, set them out on the counter to come to room temperature.
  2. Place almond flour, powdered sugar, and the contents of a vanilla bean into a food processor and process until fully combined. Move to a large bowl and whisk in one teaspoon of cocoa powder for chocolate macarons, or one teaspoon of powdered food coloring for colored macarons. Leave plain for vanilla macarons. Whisk to combine, then sift and set aside.
  3. With a mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add in granulated sugar and continue whisking until the the egg whites have stiff peaks.
  4. Add the egg whites to the flour and fold to incorporate until the mixture is just smooth, using no more than 50 strokes.
  5. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip, and fill with macaron batter. Pipe approximately 1-inch circles onto a baking sheet lined parchment paper.
  6. Let the batter rest on the pan at least 30 minutes before baking, to form a strong skin to help keep the macarons from cracking in the oven.
  7. Bake the macarons at 280 degrees F for 15-20 minutes directly in the middle of the oven. To test for doneness, gently touch the top of a macaron to make sure it’s dry. Then gently try to lift the macaron from the parchment paper. If it comes away pretty easily, they’re done. If it doesn’t come up and the top breaks away, they need to cook longer. Keep checking on them every two minutes until the bottom is dry. Once removed from the oven, allow the macarons to rest on the pan for 10 minutes to finish cooking before trying to remove. Cool completely before frosting.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

Place the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

For the Chocolate Buttercream

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Meanwhile, combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined. Add the melted chocolate and process until smooth and creamy.

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62 Responses
  1. Ladan

    Hi 
    I was a few months I try cook macaron . It look good, but still 
    Air bubbles in it . I know that can be resolved by tapping the underside of the baking sheet before placing the macarons in the oven. One small step makes a big difference. But I like have cake texture .
    Until see you side and read it.
    I had to ask you
    Do you why my macaron have a bubble?
    Thanks lot????

  2. Ladan

    Hi 
    I was a few months I try cook macaron . It look good, but still 
    Air bubbles in it . I know that can be resolved by tapping the underside of the baking sheet before placing the macarons in the oven. One small step makes a big difference. But I like have cake texture .
    Until see you side and read it.
    I had to ask you
    Do you why my macaron have a bubble?
    Thanks lot????

  3. amy

    Attempted these macarons Saturday morning…FAIL. Big time. Can you do a do’s and don’ts or success tips post?

    My batter was grainy – not fluffy at all. and I whipped the heck out of the egg whites.

  4. *christine*

    Ok, to continue my Amanda stalking trifecta (pre-NY, in NY and post-NY), I might attempt these this weekend. I will separate my egg whites tonight and try them on Sunday (2 days).
    We went to Bouchon in NYC and bought the mini macaron sampler and I saved the chocolate for last….thought I had died and gone to heaven. Thanks for including the chocolate butter cream recipe!

  5. Crest

    Hi! i was wondering when you resting your macaroon to air dry… how was the humidity? does humidity important? i was reading some articles don’t make macaroon on a rainy day or else your macaroon will be a disaster.. hope you can answer me back..

  6. Shirley

    Hi
    I’m not the sweet tooth type and does not like my food sweet. But I just simply love Macaroon, and hope 1 day some one does teaches low sugar Macaroons. :) Does the macaroon recipe still works if I cut 80% of the powdered sugar coz I have never tried the recipe?

  7. Penny Hall

    “oh those cotton bows get rotten we can’t pic’a very much cotten, in them ole cotton fields back home” what is the next verse?
    Love your pics, I am from Huntsvilee but live in Murfreesboro, Tn now and I don’t see many field up here like I did there growing up!:( Sure hope you are having a good day!

  8. Carrie

    Loving this post! Your ideas are so creative. Can’t wait to use your recipe and step-by-step instructions to make some macarons.

  9. Aimee S.

    I’m not brave enough to try making them on my own, but they look so cute and yummy!! Great job!

    I’m heading to NOLA in about 2 weeks and I will be visiting Sucre, per your suggestion….where I will have my first macaron experience. :)

  10. Mike panza

    Cool site…War Eagle!!! I sell pastry ingredients out here on the west coast for Qzina Specialty Foods. Graduated Auburn in ’89. Just thought it was cool to see Auburn people doing this.

  11. Sey

    thanks for the step by step procedure. It’s not common for us to prepare food during halloween and I want to make it different this time.

  12. Carol

    The French Macaron was one of the favorite things we loved about living in France! Thank you for unmasking the mystery and making it look so easy!

  13. Janie Hyde

    Amanda, you are so beautiful and your macarons turned out to be absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing all of your fun adventures and ideas!

  14. Jeanette

    My kids love macarons – I used to make them, but they didn’t always come out right, although they tasted good. Will have to give this recipe a try.

  15. Kristin Murdock

    Amanda these are a-dorable, and they are taking over Pintrest! I am making them tomorrow, thanks for the step by step. :)

    1. Amanda

      Yay! Tweet me if you have any questions! Heck, just tweet me anyway, I want to know how it goes! :) Can’t wait to hear how they turn out! :)

  16. Jeanette @ Travel and Photography Today

    OMG, those are just about the cutest things I’ve ever seen! What a great treat to bring to a Halloween party! I’m saving this recipe for sure!!

  17. Carrie

    First things first….I LOVE you hair in that picture at the end! You need to add a hair tutorial to your list! :) Photography, crafting, baking….hair.

    How long do the macaroons keep, and should they be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. We had macaroons in Paris on a vacation and then last year in New Orleans and really want to make them now. Thanks for the directions!

    1. Amanda

      Thank you so much Carrie! :) Oh my gosh, my hair was so easy, it was actually only the second time I’d curled my hair — ever — and I’d actually curled it the day before and slept on it and that’s how it turned out the next morning. :P I used a Hot Tools 1 1/4″ tapered curling wand and watched this Youtube tutorial:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6vzHjwjxWg

      Macarons will easily keep for 3-5 days stored in an airtight container. They may be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. I like my macarons chilled but not straight out of the fridge (the buttercream gets a little hard) so what I’ve been doing is storing mine in the fridge and getting one (okay, two) out when I start to prepare dinner, then I have it after dinner for dessert. :) But it’s totally personal preference! :)

  18. Brandi @ His Shabby Her Chic

    They turned out so cute! The spider is definitely my favorite though!!

    I’ve never tried a macaron, but now I think I just might have to…

  19. carly {carlyklock}

    Thank you so much for posting the picture of the macaron bitten into! I’ve never had one before, and have always been turned off because they just look…crispy and blah.

    Seeing that soft inside has totally changed my perspective!

    We had every intention of learning macarons from Helene while she was in town, but the workshop weekend was just too draining. :( Thanks for posting such a detailed tutorial!

  20. Sue

    Thank you so much for your FABULOUS tutorial! I have not had the magic touch (that you seem to have!) with macarons, but I am sure with your post by my side (on my iPad) in the kitchen, success is a possibility!
    LOVE your Halloween cuties! PINNED!

  21. Casey @ Pocket Full of Sunshine

    My goodness, your photos are just beautiful! These blew me away. :) Already planning on trying a Christmas version—thank you so much for the recipe and wonderful tutorial!

  22. Mz_Morgan

    I know what you mean by these intimidating you! I’ve never had one and want to try them so bad, but there aren’t any bakeries that make them close to me. You make these seems so easy that I may just have to try them!! It’s a very nice tutorial, and once I get the nerve I’ll definitely make a batch or twenty!!!

  23. Cookbook Queen

    I think I like the spider ones the best!! I’ve wanted to try making macarons for awhile now too…pink and teal ones are just so adorable. But I’ve been so intimidated (I think it’s the egg whites–what is it about egg whites?!). I also had my first macaron at Bouchon (caramel…yummmmy)

    Too cute!! You did fabulously.

  24. Mandy

    What a great post. The photos are just fabulous. Very detailed and informative. Just started following you. Thanks for the great tips! =)

  25. Jenny Flake

    Soooo cute!! I love all the fun Halloween macarons, now if I could just grab through my screen to try one! So fun girl, miss you!! xoxo

  26. Lisa Fancher

    AMAZING!!!! Great job on the photography NO DOUBT!!!!! Love everything about this! EVERYTHING! and I have to ask you, where did you get the ribbon plate? I have been looking everywhere for the plate! I want to vinyl them as well!

  27. Tawnya

    OMG! First can I say that I’ve followed u for about 6 months now and I want to be YOU! But since I can’t, how does one become your friend because I want to come and bake and take pictures with you! Visiting cupcake bakeries is on my bucket list! You are amazing! These are adorable! I had my first macaron about a week ago–salted carmel!! Swoon!!

  28. Michelle

    What a great tutorial! I’ve been wanting to try macarons for a while. I’ve mastered the macaroon, but it’s time to drop an “o” and go for the gusto! I can’t wait to try this recipe…once I get myself a kitchen scale. How have I gone so long without one??

    And, as usual, the pictures are fabulous!!

    Thank you to you both, Amanda & Stephanie!

  29. The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh

    Thanks for posting this. I’ve been bookmarking maracron recipes over the past week to delve into in the near future and this is by far the most detailed! I had two at this French patissiere and I don’t know if it was the flavors I got or what but The Mr and I weren’t fans. I’m hoping the homemade aspect will change our minds!

  30. Lori

    Very cute! At first I didn’t know what a macaron was…then I looked it up at http://www.m-w.com and found it “was not a word”! LOL! They spell it macaroon in that dictionary! Anyway they look very yummy…at least Stephanie’s kids sure looked like they enjoyed them!

  31. Crystal Wilkerson

    AMAZING post Amanda!!! Loved your instructions & your pictures! I’m definitely going to have to try making these adorable goodies…I’m already drooling just reading your descriptions & looking at your pictures. :)

  32. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    Amanda these are beautiful. They are adorable and so festive and you have taken food to the level of ART with these.

    Thanks for the step by step tutorial for macaron making and for the fabulous pics, as always.

  33. Maria @ Busy as a Bee in Paris

    What a beautiful tutorial! So thorough and the photography is exquisite! I’ve “pinned” this! Surprised to see you don’t have a Pinterest button… Thanks for sharing!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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