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I'm so excited to share this recipe with you as it’s one of my favorite macaron recipes I've developed! These chocolate peppermint macarons start with my basic chocolate macaron shell recipe. I chose not to flavor the shell, but for all you peppermint lovers out there, feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract once your meringue has formed (before adding the dry ingredients) to really amp up the peppermint flavor!
Sandwiched between the macaron shells? White chocolate peppermint ganache, of course. Creamy, minty, luxurious white chocolate goodness. And then they’re topped off with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy for good measure. The entire macaron, the delicate peppermint candy-covered shells and creamy white chocolate mint filling will just melt in your mouth.
And if you love the chocolate-peppermint combo, you must try these peppermint patty brownies, these frosted peppermint brownie cookies, and these peppermint mocha brownies. I also have an insanely delicious recipe for small batch gingerbread cookie bars that's worth adding to your holiday spread.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Macarons
Here are the basic steps to making macarons:
- Sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder and discard any bits that won’t pass through the sifter.
Ingredient Tip: Make sure you use good quality cocoa powder; you can use either natural or Dutch-processed, just PLEASE make sure it’s the good stuff. The better the quality, the more rich the chocolate flavor will be!
- Whip the egg whites and granulated sugar to a stiff meringue.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using the macaronage technique.
- Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed peppermints or candy canes.
- Bang the baking sheet on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. (DO NOT skip this step.)
- Bake the macarons and then cool completely.
- Match up by size and fill to make cookie sandwiches.
As we all know, macarons can be tricky to make... and if you find that you've been too intimidated to try OR you have tried but failed horribly, I suggest you read my lengthy post on the subject: The Ultimate French Macaron Guide!
Key Tips for Making French Macarons
- Wipe down your bowl. Before whisking your egg whites, ensure your whisk and bowl are sparkling clean and grease/oil-free. Any traces of grease will prevent your egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. I like wiping my bowl down with something acidic (think: lemon juice or vinegar) and a paper towel before starting.
- Double up on sheet pans when baking. Preheat an empty sheet pan in the oven; once your macarons are ready to bake, place the pan with the rested macaron shells on top of the preheated pan in the oven. This helps keep the heat distribution even and can help prevent hollow shells.
An extensive list of tips and macaron troubleshooting can be found in my Ultimate French Macaron Guide! (Click 'jump to recipe' and scroll up)
Now, get this recipe for chocolate peppermint macarons pinned, then let’s get baking, because, dude, these are SO DELICIOUS… you have to try them!
Chocolate Peppermint Macarons
Ingredients
- 120 grams egg whites (approx. 4 large eggs)
- 120 grams granulated sugar
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 130 grams almond flour
- 15 grams cocoa powder
- Garnish: crushed peppermint candy
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache:
- 255 g white chocolate chopped
- 80 g heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Make the macarons: In a medium bowl, sift together the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites
on medium speed until foamy. Continue to beat until your whisk begins leaving
visible trails in the foamy egg whites. - Once you can see trails, gradually add the granulated sugar, increase the mixer
speed, and whip on high until the meringue forms stiff peaks. (Be sure not to
over-whip your egg whites otherwise you risk drying them out.) - Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, add the dry
ingredients to the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula from the bottom of
the bowl upward then press the flat side of your spatula through the middle
against the side of the bowl. (The batter will look very thick at first, but it
will get thinner as you fold.) Continue folding until the batter gets to a
lava-like consistency. Pro Tip:
The figure 8 test is a great way to check your batter’s consistency; pick up
the batter with your spatula and let it flow down into the bowl while drawing
the figure “8”. If it can do that without the batter breaking, immediately stop
folding. - Transfer the batter into a large pastry bag with a medium-sized round tip, such as a Wilton 2A plain round tip.
- Holding the piping bag at a 90 ̊ angle to the surface, pipe
out the batter into 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined
with parchment paper. (Feel free to print out a macaron template if you’re
worried about size/uniformity). Sprinkle crushed peppermint on the top of each shell,
if desired. - Holding the baking sheet with both hands, carefully bang the sheet firmly on the
counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. (If you don’t release the air
bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack your beautiful macarons
shells.) - Repeat the piping and banging process until you have used up all the batter (usually about three sheet pans worth.)
- Let the macarons rest and dry for 30 minutes or until a skin has developed; on a
humid day, it might take an hour or more. To see if it’s ready to be baked,
lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready.
(Don’t forget to remove the macaron templates, if using, before baking!) - While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C) and position the
oven rack in the center of the oven. - Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan once
halfway through the cooking process. - Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes before peeling off the parchment paper and cooling completely on a wire rack. (If the bottoms are a tiny bit sticky, keep them on the tray to cool off for an additional
10-15 minutes. If, however, the bottoms are already brown, they peel off cleanly, or they appear over-baked, then carefully take them off the tray immediately to cool down.) Repeat the baking process with the remaining sheet pans.
Pro Tip:
It’s always better to over- rather than under-bake your macarons as the
maturation process can typically salvage ones that are over-baked. - Make the white chocolate peppermint ganache frosting: Heat heavy cream up until just simmering and pour it over the chopped white chocolate. Let the cream and chocolate mixture sit for 3 minutes.
- Add the peppermint extract, then whisk the mixture together in one direction until combined and smooth.
- Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap pressed on the top of the ganache and place in the refrigerator to let it cool until it firms up, about 1 hour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the ganache until
it’s a light & fluffy frosting consistency. - Transfer the white chocolate peppermint ganache frosting into a pastry bag and fill the macarons, then gently sandwich together.
LYNN SMITH
It won't let me convert it to ounces and cups?
Mike Johnson
Thank you for your feedback! I intentionally provide measurements by weight (grams) rather than volume (cups) for macarons, since they require extremely precise ratios to achieve the perfect texture and structure. Even small measurement variations can affect how the shells develop their signature feet and smooth tops. A kitchen scale is really the best tool for consistent macaron success! Let me know if you need help finding an affordable one.
Laila
This is the best humidity proof recipe. I live in Louisiana, so humidity is life. Today, I made these while it was raining. In Louisiana. And they are beautiful and perfect. I am a pastry chef, and I have made hundreds of macarons, but making them at home is much harder than in a commercial kitchen. This is the one and only recipe I can make at home without fail. I bake mine at 315 degrees Fahrenheit 8-12 minutes, turn, and for 8 minutes more. I usually wiggle one cookie to see if it has fully set. Does the cookie too disconnect a wee bit from the feet? Cook longer. If the feet are firm to the cookie top, I know it’s cooked enough. Thank you for this wonderful Macaron recipe!
Lindsey
For everyone who’s having problems with melting mints, I used Atkinson’s Mint Twists crushed peppermint candy, which I found at World Market. The candy melted slightly, but not enough to damage the macarons. My macarons turned out beautifully, with gorgeous, tall, ruffled feet. I only thing I did differently was that I added the crushed candy AFTER I banged the pans on the counter. That way, the candy sat right on top rather than getting embedded in the shell by force. They were the best batch I’ve ever made, and everyone absolutely loved them. I have a new holiday bake to add to the list!
Kari
I put crushed candy cane on top before I put them in the oven and it completely ruined the macarons. The candy cane pieces melted and sunk into the macarons so they have massive holes on the top. I would recommend NOT adding the crushed peppermint/candy canes on the macarons before baking.
Mike Johnson
Oh no! Sorry to hear they ruined your macaron shells, Kari! Hopefully they were still delicious. It sounds like it might be an issue with the brand of candy canes you used, however, as I always sprinkle mine on top once I finish piping the shells before baking; they won't stick if you try to do it after!
Kristine
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have attempted to make Macarons from the past and this is the only one that actually worked for me. Can I change the measurements of the confectioner’s sugar? It’s a bit too sweet for my husband.
Mike Johnson
I've never tried reducing it myself, so can't say for sure! The powdered sugar is what provides stability to the macaron structure (by soaking up the moisture in the shells) so it's possible they won't turn out if you reduce it! If anything, you could reduce the amount of granulated sugar used to make the meringue by 20-30 grams. Hope this helps!
avery brown
How do i Do this recipe with cup measurements rather than grams?
Michael Johnson
Macarons require precision, unfortunately! You'll need a kitchen scale to make these.
Anne
So pretty! How did you manage to keep the crushed peppermints intact on your macarons? As I assumed, all the crushed peppermint melted when I put the macarons into the oven!
Michael Johnson
Oh no! Try using crushed candy canes instead!