• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ahead of Thyme logo

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Press
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Food Blogger Business School
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Cookies » Peppermint Macarons

    Peppermint Macarons

    1 Comment

    3K Shares
    Pin3K
    Yum2
    Share
    Tweet
    More
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. They’re delicate and melt-in-your-mouth — crisp on the outside and chewy inside.

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    These Christmas macarons are perfect for holiday gatherings, as part of holiday cookie boxes, or wrapped up as stocking stuffers. These cookies look like they came from a fancy bakery and are seriously worthy of a magazine cover — but you will be pleasantly surprised that making candy cane macarons from scratch at home are actually a lot easier than you think!

    Why You'll Love these Peppermint Macarons

    • Delicate and chewy texture. Macarons are well-known (and loved!) for the delicate crispness of the outer shells that gives way to a chewy interior. Paired with the melt-in-your-mouth creaminess of the peppermint buttercream, it’s impossible not to love these peppermint macarons.
    • Fancy but not difficult. Though the number of steps may look longer than you’re used to for cookies, these candy cane macarons are easier to make than you might think. They look elegant and complicated, but when broken down, the steps are quite simple!
    • Festive peppermint flavor. Vibrant red food coloring, peppermint extract, and a white chocolate topping with real crushed candy canes makes these Christmas macarons the ultimate holiday cookie with classic peppermint flavor.
    • Quicker than you think. It only takes one hour to create Christmas macarons. You’ll just need to follow nine easy steps to create the shiny, dainty shells, white chocolate candy cane topping, and silky buttercream before assembling these exquisite peppermint macarons.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Ingredient Notes

    To make this delicious and festive Peppermint Macaroons, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

    For the macarons:

    • almond flour - you need to use super fine almond flour for macarons. You can actually make your own almond flour at home if you want by finely grinding blanched almonds until you have a grainy powder.
    • confectioners' sugar - use your preferred powdered sugar or sugar substitute like powdered cane sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, stevia, or Swerve.
    • 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.
    • super fine white sugar
    • red gel food coloring - if you don’t want red macarons, you can use whatever color you like. Just make sure to use powdered or gel food colouring as liquid coloring will change the consistency of your macarons.

    For the macaron tops and peppermint buttercream:

    • white chocolate
    • crushed peppermint candy canes - carefully smash candy canes in a sealed, flattened Ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
    • butter - make sure the butter is room temperature for the best result. Cut it into smaller pieces to soften more quickly.
    • confectioners' sugar
    • peppermint extract - create different variations of these macarons by switching using other extract flavors.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Baking Tools

    To make macarons, 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 Peppermint Macarons

    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. Whisk together the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar until very well-combined. Set aside.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    1. 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), 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.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    1. Color. Add in the food colouring and beat until just combined.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    1. 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.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    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!
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    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 tooth pick 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.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    1. 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

    1. 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.
    1. Dip macaron tops. Dip the tops of half of the macarons into the melted white chocolate.
    2. Add candy canes. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes on top.
    3. Chill. Set aside in the fridge to harden.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    How to Make Peppermint Buttercream

    Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high until butter is doubled in volume, and looks light and fluffy.

    Turn the stand mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners sugar. Beat until completely incorporated, then add in the peppermint extract. Beat until well-combined and fully incorporated.

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Assembling Macarons

    1. Place buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip.
    2. Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half of the macaron shells (undecorated half).
    3. Top each bottom half with the decorated macaron tops.
    4. Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Peppermint Macaron Variations

    There a few ways you can customize these Christmas macarons:

    • Drizzle in chocolate. Instead of dipping the tops in white chocolate, add a drizzle of melted chocolate on top. Sprinkle some chopped candy canes on the drizzle and let it set. Then shake off any excess candy.
    • Omit the chocolate. Omit the chocolate off the macaron tops completely. Instead assemble the macaron sandwich cookies and roll the edges in crushed candy canes.
    • Make chocolate peppermint buttercream. Add ¼ cup natural cocoa powder to the buttercream. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if needed to thin out the icing to the right consistency.
    • Simplify it. Or just keep it simple without decorating the macaron tops with chocolate and candy canes.

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Use a template to get 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 as a cheat-sheet for making all your Christmas macarons exactly the same shape and size!
    • Use an oven thermometer. Temperature is key in making macarons. Use an oven thermometer to verify the actual temperature in your oven to prevent macaron mishaps like over- or undercooking.
    • Stay grease-free. Give all your bowls, utensils, and mixers a quick wash and dry before starting the recipe, as even the tiniest amount of greasy residue or oils left on your tools can affect the outcome of these peppermint macarons.
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Storing and Freezing Instructions

    How to Store

    Store macarons in a sealed ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

    To store in the fridge, Gently transfer macarons into an airtight container in a single layer, being careful not to crack the delicate shells. Refrigerate for up to 6 weeks.

    How to Freeze

    Allow macarons to sit at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing in a single layer on a parchment paper lined sheet pan until solid (about 1-2 hours). Once completely frozen, carefully stack the peppermint macarons in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge.

    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.

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    More Cookie Recipes

    • 50 Best Cookie Recipes
    • French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream
    • Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Buttercream
    • Peppermint Snowball Cookies
    • Almond Crescent Cookies
    • Candy Cane Cookies

    Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

    Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.

    Print

    Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com

    Peppermint Macarons


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
    • Total Time: 50 minutes
    • Yield: 18 macarons
    • Diet: Gluten Free
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. They’re delicate and melt-in-your-mouth — crisp on the outside and chewy inside.


    Ingredients

    For the macarons:

    • 140 grams super fine almond flour (about 1 ½ cups)
    • 120 grams confectioners' sugar (about 1 cup)
    • 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 red gel food coloring

    For the macaron tops:

    • 4 ounces white chocolate, melted
    • 3-4 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy canes

    For the peppermint buttercream:

    • ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 cup (240 grams) confectioners' sugar
    • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

    Instructions

    Make the macaron shells:

    1. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (or if you have enough, prepare 2 baking sheets).
    2. 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. Whisk together the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar until very well-combined. Set aside.
    3. 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), 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 red food coloring and beat until just combined.
    4. 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.
    5. 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!
    6. Add batter to a piping bag with a medium to large sized round tip (I recommend a large ½-inch top). Pipe 1 - 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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:

    1. 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.
    2. Dip the tops of half of the macarons into the melted white chocolate then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Set aside in the fridge to harden.

    Make the peppermint buttercream:

    1. Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high until butter is doubled in volume, and looks light and fluffy.
    2. Turn the stand mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners sugar. Beat until completely incorporated, then add in the peppermint extract. Beat until well-combined and fully incorporated.

    Assemble the macarons:

    1. Place buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip.
    2. Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half of the macaron shells (undecorated half).
    3. Top each bottom half with the decorated macaron tops.
    4. Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together.

    Notes

    How to store: Store macarons in a sealed ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. To store in the fridge, Gently transfer macarons into an airtight container in a single layer, being careful not to crack the delicate shells. Refrigerate for up to 6 weeks.

    How to freeze: Allow macarons to sit at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing in a single layer on a parchment paper lined sheet pan until solid (about 1-2 hours). Once completely frozen, carefully stack the peppermint macarons in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge.

    • 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: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Cookies
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: French

    Did you make this recipe?

    I'd love to see! Tag me @aheadofthyme on Instagram.

    Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells, creamy peppermint buttercream, and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies. | aheadofthyme.com
    Peppermint Macarons
    3K Shares
    Pin3K
    Yum2
    Share
    Tweet
    More
    « Butter Pecan Cookies
    Fruitcake Cookies »

    Stay Updated

    Subscribe now to receive all the latest recipes, tips and news directly to your inbox.
    * indicates required
    How often would you like to receive recipe updates

    Food Blogger Business School | foodbloggerbusinessschool.com

    Food Blogger Business School

    A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business

    in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.

    LEARN MORE

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chelsea says

      December 07, 2022 at 11:22 am

      These turned out so well!

      Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Quick and easy recipes for the everyday home cook, using fresh, seasonal and wholesome ingredients -- from healthy meals to take-out to comfort foods. | aheadofthyme.com

    Hi, we're Sam and Dan! We like to help busy people eat real food that tastes good. Here, you can find hundreds of delicious, quick and easy recipes, using quality and wholesome ingredients. Read more about us

    Stay Updated

    Subscribe now to receive all the latest recipes, tips and news directly to your inbox.
    * indicates required
    How often would you like to receive recipe updates

    Food Blogger Business School | foodbloggerbusinessschool.com

    Food Blogger Business School

    A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business

    in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.

    LEARN MORE

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About Ahead of Thyme

    Hello and welcome! I'm Sam -- the founder of Ahead of Thyme, where we help busy people eat real food that tastes good. Here, you will find hundreds of delicious, quick and easy recipes, using quality and wholesome ingredients. So stay a while, browse around, and make something tasty for dinner tonight.

    • RSS Feed
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Work with Us
    • Shop
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Food Blogger Business School
    • Newsletter

    Browse

    • 60+ Easy Dinners
    • 60+ Chicken Recipes
    • 25+ Ground Beef Recipes
    • 40+ Pasta Recipes
    • 50+ Bread Recipes
    • 25+ Air Fryer Recipes
    • Dessert

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

    Copyright © 2023 Ahead of Thyme Incorporated