Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

Made with dutch-process cocoa powder, the macaron shells are almost brownie like in flavor. And to make them even more decadent, they're filled with a smooth chocolate peppermint ganache that will without a doubt satisfy that chocolate craving. Read up on all of my tips and tricks on making macarons below!

For more macaron recipes, try Chai Macarons, Pistachio Macarons, Pumpkin Macarons, and Coffee Macarons.

Ingredient Notes

• White Vinegar: To ensure that your meringue remains stable, clean and wipe down all appliances with white vinegar.
• Powdered Sugar: You’ll need powdered sugar for the macaron shells.
• Almond Flour: Be sure to use extra fine almond flour to get those super smooth shells!
• Cocoa Powder: You'll need 15g of cocoa powder for the macaron shells. I used dutch process cocoa powder, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• Egg Whites: You’ll need about 3 egg whites for the shells. Don’t worry about bringing them to room temperature because you’ll just heat them up over a double boiler to make a swiss meringue! 
• Granulated Sugar: The sugar is going to be added to the egg whites when making the swiss meringue for both the shells and the buttercream. It will only take a couple minutes for the sugar to dissolve into the egg whites, so whisk frequently and watch carefully! You’ll also need ½ cup of sugar for the chocolate caramel ganache. 
• Vanilla Paste: Add a touch of vanilla paste to the macaron shells to amplify the flavor!
• Chocolate: You'll need 140g of chocolate for the ganache. Use semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate.
• Heavy Cream: You'll need a little less than half a cup of heavy cream for the ganache.
• Peppermint Extract: Add just ½ teaspoon to the ganache for the perfect chocolate peppermint flavor. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate macaron with chocolate peppermint ganache recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the batter. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder twice. Next, heat the egg whites and granulated sugar over a double boiler until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the egg white mixture to a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the meringue reaches soft peaks. At this point, you can add the vanilla paste. Continue whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form.

STEP 2: Macaronage. Start the macaronage by folding in ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing carefully with a silicone spatula. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients, folding with the same gentle method. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, begin spreading the batter along the sides of the bowl to deflate it slightly. The mixture is ready when you can draw several figure eights without the batter breaking.

STEP 3: Bake. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a small round piping tip (I used Ateco 802). Place your macaron template under another piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and pipe perpendicular to fill in each circle. Carefully remove the template and tap the baking sheet on the on counter a few times in order to release any air bubbles. It also helps to bang on the bottom of the baking sheet with your hand. Let the macarons rest for about 30-40 minutes, or until they are dry and no batter comes away when you touch them. Toward the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake the macarons for about 8-12 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.

STEP 4: Assemble. Pair the macaron shells up and pipe the ganache onto the bottom shell, then place the paired shell on top, pressing down slightly to ensure they stick together

Expert Baking Tips

• The flavor of macaron shells develop more by the second day, so I recommend making them the day before and chilling them overnight, then assemble the next day. 
• If you have trouble peeling the macarons off of the parchment once they have cooled, pop them into the freezer for a few minutes and they should come off easily.  
• Macarons will last for a few days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. I prefer to store them in the fridge not only so they will last longer, but also because I find that they taste even better cold.
• If you'd like to decorate them with royal icing like I did, get the recipe here.
• If you liked this recipe, check out my other macaron recipes! 

6 Essential Macaron Rules

1. Wipe down all bowls and appliances with white vinegar. This will ensure that everything is spotlessly clean and nothing will hinder the stability of the meringue. 
2. Beat the meringue until STIFF peaks form. The best way to test this is to turn the bowl upside down to make sure that the meringue is stable enough and does not move at all. 
3. SIFT SIFT SIFT! You need to sift the powdered sugar and almond flour to get those smooth macaron shells!
4. Mix the batter with a silicone spatula by circling around and straight through the middle. Once all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, deflate the macaron batter by spreading it against the sides of the bowl. This will ensure that the shells do not come out hollow.
5. Test the consistency of the batter frequently by drawing a figure eight with the silicone spatula. You should be able to draw a figure eight a few times in a row without the batter breaking. This is how you know the batter is ready to be piped onto a baking sheet. 
6. Allow the macarons to rest long enough before going into the oven. I would recommend 30-40 minutes of rest time before baking. As they rest, a skin forms on the surface, which is what forces the macarons to bake upwards and grow feet!

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x