Gingerbread macarons bring the warm, spiced flavors of the holiday season into a delicate, bite-sized treat. With crispy, chewy gingerbread shells and a molasses buttercream filling, these festive macarons taste like a gingerbread cookie and macaron rolled into one. Each macaron is rich with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and they’re stunning enough to make any holiday dessert spread feel like a cozy celebration.
These gingerbread macarons are a holiday must-have. They’re perfect for gifting, holiday cookie platters, or simply savoring with a hot cup of tea. With a few simple steps and some patience, you'll have a batch that looks and tastes like it came from a professional bakery. Follow along for tips on how to make these festive beauties a holiday tradition in your home!
Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Macarons
- Classic gingerbread flavor. Molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg makes these Christmas macarons a delicious holiday cookie with classic gingerbread flavor. You can taste the holiday flavor in the macaron shells and in the buttercream filling.
- Perfectly delicate and chewy. Macarons are known for the delicate, crisp outer shells and satisfyingly chewy center. Combined with the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth molasses buttercream, these gingerbread macarons are simply irresistible.
- Quicker than you think. It only takes about one hour to create these gingerbread macarons for Christmas. You’ll just need to follow 10 steps to create the shiny, dainty shells, optional chocolate drizzle topping, and silky buttercream before assembling.
- A holiday showstopper. These holiday macarons not only taste amazing but they also look absolutely gorgeous! You would think they came from a fancy bakery. They are perfect for serving at festive gatherings or giving away as homemade holiday gifts.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious and festive Gingerbread Macaroons, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- almond flour - you need to use super fine almond flour for macarons. If you prefer, you can make it yourself by grinding blanched almonds into a fine, powdery texture.
- sugar - you will both confectioners' sugar and super fine white sugar. Superfine sugar has a smaller granule size compared to regular granulated sugar. Powdered sugar (or confectioners' sugar), is created by grinding the sugar even further, beyond the superfine stage.
- holiday spices - these macarons get their classic gingerbread flavor by adding in spices like cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
- egg whites - you can bring these 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.
- brown gel food coloring - use powdered or gel food colouring as liquid coloring will change the consistency of your macarons. If you don't care about the color of the macarons, you can leave the food coloring out.
- molasses buttercream - made quickly using simple ingredients including butter, confectioners' sugar, fancy molasses, and vanilla.
- garnish - optionally, decorate the macaron tops with melted white chocolate and gingerbread man sprinkles.
Baking Tools
To make macarons from scratch, you will need the following baking tools and equipment
- measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
- mixing bowl
- piping bag and large ½ inch round tip
- silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
- large half sheet baking pan
- wire cooling rack
How to Make the Best Gingerbread Macarons
- Prep. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (or if you have enough, prepare 2 baking sheets).
- Combine dry ingredients. Using a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl on a kitchen scale, sift almond flour until you reach 137 grams. Discard any large pieces of almond flour. Repeat with the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk together the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, until very well-combined. Set aside.
- Beat egg whites and sugar. Add egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat the mixture, starting on low. Once soft peaks have been formed (about 2 minutes), slowly add the sugar and increase the speed to medium. Once medium peaks are achieved, increase the speed to high. Beat on high until stiff peaks have formed, about 2 minutes.
- Color. Add in the food colouring and beat until just combined.
- 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.
- Fold. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until a lava-like consistency is achieved. 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.
- My preferred 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!
- 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.
- 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 tooth pick to gently poke them out.
- 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.
- Bake. Bake 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.
Decorating the Macaron Tops (Optional)
- Melt chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave.
How to Melt Chocolate
You can melt the chocolate either on the stove or in the microwave.
- On the stove: Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Then, turn the heat to low and place a medium heatproof bowl on the mouth of the pot. Make sure that there is a gap of a few inches in between the bottom of the bowl and the water (You can also place a bowl on a steamer attachment on top of your pot). Add the chocolate and stir constantly as it melts. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. This should take a few minutes.
- In the microwave: The second way to melt chocolate (and an easier way) is in the microwave. Place the medium heatproof bowl of chocolate into the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals. Remove the bowl at each interval and stir well. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir until completely smooth.
- Drizzle. Drizzle the tops of half of the macarons with the melted white chocolate. then sprinkle with gingerbread man sprinkles. Set aside to harden.
- Add sprinkles. Sprinkle with gingerbread man sprinkles on top.
- Set. Set aside to harden. To speed things up, set aside in the fridge.
How to Make Molasses Buttercream
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, confectioners' sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Beat with an electric hand mixer, until well-combined, creamy, and slightly paler in color.
Assembling Macarons
- Add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half of the macaron shells (undecorated half).
- Top each bottom half with the macaron tops (decorated tops if opting to decorate).
- Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together for the best results.
Recipe Variations
- Dip in chocolate. Instead of drizzling the tops in white chocolate, dip the tops into melted chocolate. Sprinkle the gingerbread men sprinkles on top and let it set.
- Add a caramel drizzle. Make them even more decadent with a drizzle of melted caramel on the macaron tops.
- Make them nutty. Omit the garnish off the macaron tops completely. Instead assemble the macaron sandwich cookies and roll the edges in finely crushed nuts like pecans or walnuts. This nutty flavor complements the gingerbread well.
- Make gingerbread men macarons. Use a gingerbread men template (making sure it's small enough to match typical macaron shell sizes) and pipe the shells into little gingerbread men! They will look so good arranged in a little gift box or on a dessert tray.
How to Serve
We love serving these Gingerbread Macarons during the Christmas holidays. Serve them on their own or pair them as part of a bigger dessert spread along with:
- Christmas Crack Candy
- Gingerbread Cake
- Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
- Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark
- Yogurt Fruitcake
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
For more recipe ideas, see our 30 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Fold gently. Over-folding the macaron batter can make shells too thin, while under-folding makes them too thick.
- Stay grease-free. Make sure all your bowls, utensils, and mixers are thoroughly washed and dried before starting. Even a small trace of grease or oil can impact the success of your gingerbread macarons.
- Use a template for uniform macarons. The best way to get uniform macaron shells is to use a silicone macaron mat with circles already outlined or create your own template on parchment paper. This ensures all your Christmas macarons turn out perfectly even in shape and size!
- Allow the shells rest time to form a “skin”: After piping, let the macaron shells sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour, as needed. They’re ready to bake when they feel fully dry to the touch. This drying period helps create the iconic crisp “shell” that gives way to a chewy interior — and it prevents the macarons from cracking as they rise.
- Use an oven thermometer. Temperature is crucial for successful macarons. To avoid issues like over- or underbaking, use an oven thermometer to confirm your oven's actual temperature. Too hot, and your macarons might crack or bake unevenly, too cool, and they won’t develop their signature “feet.”
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Keep the macarons fresh by storing them in a sealed ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To store in the fridge, carefully place macarons in a single layer inside an airtight container, taking care to avoid cracking the delicate shells. They can be stored in the fridge for up to six weeks.
How to Freeze
Let the macarons rest at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1-2 hours. Once fully frozen, gently stack the gingerbread macarons in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.
You can also store unassembled macaron shells in this same way. Allow the shells to thaw in the fridge overnight before coating the tops, making the buttercream, and assembling.
FAQ
Almond meal and almond flour are different ingredients, although they have similar names. For the best texture, stick with super fine almond flour. Almond meal has a coarser texture and often includes almond skins, which can interfere with the smoothness of macaron shells. Super fine almond flour, which is blanched and ground to a powder, helps give macarons their classic smooth, shiny tops and chewy centers.
Gingerbread macarons get their flavor from warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Molasses also adds an authentic gingerbread taste. Adding these spices directly to the almond flour mixture is the best way to incorporate them evenly without compromising the structure of the shells.
Just like any macaron recipe, your shells need to develop a skin. This can take up to an hour, with the shells resting at room temperature (depending on humidity). To check, gently touch the tops — if no batter sticks to your finger, they’re ready for the oven. This resting period is especially crucial with gingerbread macarons, as the spices can add slight moisture that needs time to settle.
More Gingerbread Cookie Recipes
For the macarons:
- 50 Best Cookie Recipes
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
- Gingersnaps
- Gingerbread Biscotti
- Gingerbread House
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Recipe
Gingerbread Macarons
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 18 macarons
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Gingerbread macarons bring the warm, spiced flavors of the holiday season into a delicate, bite-sized treat. With crispy, chewy gingerbread shells and a molasses buttercream filling, these festive macarons taste like a gingerbread cookie and macaron rolled into one. Each macaron is rich with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and they’re stunning enough to make any holiday dessert spread feel like a cozy celebration.
Ingredients
For the macarons:
- 137 grams super fine almond flour (about 1 ½ cups)
- 117 grams confectioners' sugar (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 100 grams egg whites (about 3 large egg whites), at room temperature
- 110 grams super fine white sugar (about 1 cup + 2 teaspoons)
- 1-2 teaspoons brown gel food coloring (I used Chefmaster Buckeye Brown)
For the macaron tops (optional):
- 57 grams (2 ounces) white chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoons gingerbread men sprinkles
For the molasses buttercream:
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) fancy molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the macaron shells:
- Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (or if you have enough, prepare 2 baking sheets).
- Using a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl on a scale, sift almond flour until you reach 137 grams. Discard any large pieces of almond flour. Repeat with the confectioners’ sugar (117 grams). Whisk together the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until very well-combined. Set aside.
- Add egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a whip attachment, beat the mixture, starting on low. Once soft peaks have been formed (about 2 minutes), slowly add the sugar and increase the speed to medium. Once medium peaks are achieved, increase the speed to high. Beat on high until stiff peaks have formed, about 2 minutes. Add in the brown food coloring and beat until just combined.
- 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.
- 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. My preferred 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake 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.
Decorate the macaron tops (optional):
- Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave.
- On the stove: Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Then, turn the heat to low and place a medium heatproof bowl on the mouth of the pot. Make sure that there is a gap of a few inches in between the bottom of the bowl and the water (You can also place a bowl on a steamer attachment on top of your pot). Add the chocolate and stir constantly as it melts. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. This should take a few minutes.
- In the microwave: Place a medium heatproof bowl of chocolate into the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals. Remove the bowl at each interval and stir well. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir until completely smooth.
- Drizzle the tops of half of the macarons with the melted white chocolate then sprinkle with gingerbread men sprinkles. Set aside to harden. To speed things up, set aside in the fridge.
Make the molasses buttercream:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, confectioners' sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Beat with an electric hand mixer until well combined, creamy, and slightly paler in color.
Assemble the macarons:
- Place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half of the macaron shells (undecorated half).
- Top each bottom half with the macaron tops (these are the decorated tops if you opted to add the toppings).
- Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together for the best results.
Notes
How to store: Keep the macarons fresh by storing them in a sealed ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To store in the fridge, carefully place macarons in a single layer inside an airtight container, taking care to avoid cracking the delicate shells. They can be stored in the fridge for up to six weeks.
How to freeze: Let the macarons rest at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1-2 hours. Once fully frozen, gently stack the gingerbread macarons in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first. You can also store unassembled macaron shells in this same way. Allow the shells to thaw in the fridge overnight before coating the tops, making the buttercream, and assembling.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cookie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
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