Red Velvet Macarons

Homemade Red Velvet Macarons with their bold red color and a hint of cocoa flavor, are just like the beloved cake but in bite-sized form. These delicate French cookies are filled with tangy cream cheese frosting for a classic flavor pairing and results in a chewy, melt-in-your-mouth experience that elevates the classic red velvet to new heights. Serve these cookies for special occasions - they're perfect for Valentine's Day or on your holiday dessert table!

I'm a big fan of red velvet cake over here. It's moist and tender with the perfect pairing of flavors. You can see a bit of my obsession with red velvet in our Red Velvet Cookies or Red Velvet Cupcakes - and these macarons are no exception! The mild chocolate macaron shells are delicious and stunning with their bright red color, and the flavors balance out well with the rich cream cheese frosting. You can't help but nibble them to savor every bite!

Why You'll Love These Red Velvet Macarons

• Tried-and-true recipe. I don't really want to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty well known for baking the best, most incredible French macarons. They are delicate and crispy outside and chewy inside. My basic macaron recipe follows the French method and has been tested many, many times. It always results in the most perfect little macarons with adorable feet. The ingredients are too expensive to waste on a half-baked recipe, so set yourself up for success with the right one!
• Fun twist on red velvet. Isn't red velvet such a fun option? The deep red color is stunning, and the chewy texture of macarons adds an extra element to the classic red velvet flavor in the best way possible. They honestly may even be better than the cake!
• Great for special occasions. The red color makes these macarons picture-perfect for Christmas or Valentine's Day, although they're certainly great any time of the year! Either add them to your dessert table or package them up in neat little boxes for a sweet gift anyone will love. You can even drizzle them with a little melted chocolate for a little extra flair. They're always stunning!

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious red velvet macaron recipe, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• almond flour - it's very important to use superfine blanched almond flour. You can also make your own almond flour at home if you want by finely grinding blanched almonds until you have a grainy powder.
• confectioners' sugar - this finely powdered sugar will blend into the batter without adding any grittiness. We also need powdered sugar for the cream cheese filling.
• dutch-processed cocoa powder - red velvet is traditionally made with this specific cocoa powder for a hint of chocolate flavor.
• egg whites - room temperature eggs will be whipped with the sugar until stiff peaks have formed. You can bring the eggs up to room temperature faster by placing the whole egg in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before cracking and separating them.
• super fine white sugar 
• red gel food coloring - this will give you that bold red color!
• cream cheese - for the cream cheese frosting. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature first.
• butter - use unsalted butter to keep the filling from becoming too salty.
• vanilla extract

Baking Tools and Equipment

To make red velvet macarons, you will need the following baking tools and equipment

• measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
• two large mixing bowls
• whisk
• stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• silicone spatula
• piping bag and large ½ inch round tip
• macaron silicone baking mat or a regular silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
• large half sheet baking pan
• wire cooling rack

How to Make the Best Red Velvet Macarons

First, make the macaron batter.

1. Prep. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (or if you have enough, prepare 2 baking sheets).
2. Combine dry ingredients. Using a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl on a scale, sift almond flour until you reach 140 grams. Discard any large pieces of almond flour. Repeat with the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk together the dry ingredients until very well combined. Set aside.

3. Beat egg whites and sugar. Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat the mixture, starting on low. Once soft peaks have been formed (about 2 minutes), add the sugar and increase the speed to medium. Once medium peaks are achieved, increase the speed to high. Beat on high until stiff glossy peaks have formed, about 2 minutes.
4. Color. Add in the red food coloring and beat until just combined.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and place a sieve over top. Pour the dry mixture into the sieve, then sift the dry ingredients into the meringue.

1. Fold. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. Be careful not to overmix and over-deflate the meringue.
   • The mixture is ready to be piped when it ribbons off your spatula. The batter, when lifted with a spatula, should keep flowing off the spatula in ribbon shapes nonstop, without drizzling off too quickly. If it is coming off in large V shaped chunks it needs to be folded more.
   • Another test is the figure 8 test: If you can lift some batter up and use it to draw several figure 8's without the stream breaking, it is ready!
   • The mixture is ready to be piped when it ribbons off your spatula. The batter, when lifted with a spatula, should keep flowing off the spatula in ribbon shapes nonstop, without drizzling off too quickly. If it is coming off in large V shaped chunks it needs to be folded more.
   • Another test is the figure 8 test: If you can lift some batter up and use it to draw several figure 8's without the stream breaking, it is ready!

Now, let's make the macaron shells.

1. Pipe macaron shells. Add batter to a piping bag with a medium to large-sized round tip (I recommend a large ½-inch top). Pipe 1 to 1 ½-inch small circles of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the piping bag is held straight up and perpendicular to the baking sheet.
2. Tap. After you've piped all the macarons, gently tap the baking sheet multiple times against the counter to remove any air bubbles from the macarons. If some air bubbles still remain, use a toothpick to gently poke them out.
3. Rest. Preheat oven to 300°F. While the oven is preheating, allow the macarons to sit and form a "skin". This "skin" should form anywhere from 8 minutes to an hour. You know the macarons are ready to be baked when you can touch them lightly without having the batter stick to your finger. Keep checking them periodically to see if they have formed a skin.
4. Bake. Bake macarons for 15-20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes, and if they are not ready then keep checking every minute. The macarons are ready when the tops are firm and do not move around their base at all. Allow the macarons to cool completely before attempting to remove them from the silicone mat.
5. Cool. Allow the shells to fully cool on the silicone mat. Once fully cooled, peel all of the macaron shells off the mats.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Filling for Macarons

In a large mixing bowl, add butter and cream cheese. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then beat again until smooth and well combined.

How to Assemble Macarons

1. Place the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip.
2. Pipe the frosting onto half of the macaron shells.
3. Top each piped shell with a similar sized top-shell.

4. Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together for the best results.

How to Serve

We love serving these Red Velvet Macarons during the holidays, especially during Valentine's Day. Serve them on their own or pair them as part of a bigger dessert spread along with:

• Valentine's Day Heart Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Oreo Brownies
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Heart Cookies
• Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

For more recipe ideas, see our 40 Best Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Since the filling contains dairy, you'll need to store these macarons in the refrigerator. Package them up in an airtight container and chill for up to 3 days. 

How to Freeze

Although it's always risky to freeze dairy products, cream cheese frosting typically freezes quite well. Refrigerate the macarons first, then freeze for up to 2-3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before eating. You may notice a little separation in the cream cheese frosting, but it should be minimal.

FAQ

More Macaron Recipes

• 50 Best Cookie Recipes
• French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream
• Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Buttercream
• Peppermint Macarons
• Pistachio Macarons

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