My foolproof double chocolate macarons recipe is made with the Swiss method, which yields beautiful, bakery-worthy macarons every single time! Macarons seem to have a bad rap for being more trouble than they're worth, but trust me, one bite into the delicate, chewy shells sandwiched with a smooth, rich chocolate ganache will have you hooked. Next thing you know, you'll be eating the whole batch! If the process of making macarons intimidates you, don't worry; I've perfected the ratios and method to bring you a streamlined recipe that you can recreate with ease. Even if you have a never made these delicate cookies before, with this recipe, you'll be an expert macaron maker in no time!
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Why you'll love these double chocolate macarons
- Swiss Method: The macaron shells are made with a base of sturdy swiss meringue, making them nearly foolproof!
- Delicate, Chewy Shells: When flavored with dutch process cocoa powder, macaron shells are almost like the most perfect bite of a corner brownie piece: chewy, chocolatey, and oh so delicious. The only difference is that their light and delicate quality makes it too easy to eat more than a few!
- Smooth & Rich Chocolate Ganache: Made with a high quality chocolate, this ganache is a decadent as the inside of a truffle!
If you're determined to become an expert macaron maker, try my favorite Pistachio Macarons. I also have recipes for other classic flavors, like Vanilla Macarons, Coffee Macarons, and Salted Caramel Macarons.
Ingredient Notes
- 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!
- Eggs: You'll need about 6 egg whites for the macaron shells.
- Granulated Sugar: This is going to be added into the egg whites when making the swiss meringue.
- Chocolate: Since ganache is only two ingredients (chocolate + heavy cream), it's really important to use a high quality chocolate that you enjoy eating on its own! I love the taste and quality of Guittard and Valrhona.
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 recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Sift the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder twice. Set aside.
STEP 2: Make the swiss meringue. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisk often until the sugar has dissolved or until the temperature is about 120 degrees F. Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture reaches soft peaks. At this point, you can add the vanilla. Continue whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form.
STEP 3: Fold dry ingredients into meringue. Start the macaronage by folding in â…“ of the dry ingredients. Mix carefully with a rubber spatula by scraping around the sides of the bowl, then through the middle of the batter. Do this a few times until it is mostly combined. 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. Continue scraping around the sides of the bowl and through the middle. The mixture is ready when it flows like a ribbon and you can draw several figure eights without the batter breaking.
STEP 4: Pipe the macaron batter & rest: 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 longer sticky to the touch.
STEP 5: Bake & pair. Bake the macarons for about 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool completely before peeling them off of the parchment paper. Pair the macarons up and set aside.
STEP 6: Assemble. Make the chocolate ganache filling and pipe onto the bottom shell. Place the paired shell on top, pressing down slightly to ensure they stick together. Store the macarons in the fridge until ready to serve.
6 Essential Macaron Rules
- 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.
- 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.
- SIFT SIFT SIFT! You need to sift the powdered sugar and almond flour twice to get those smooth macaron shells!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Expert Baking Tips
- Wipe down appliances with vinegar. Before making the macaron shells, wipe all appliances down with white vinegar to ensure they're clean and nothing with hinder the egg whites from wiping up.
- Freeze the shells after baking. 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.
- Chill the macarons. The flavor of macaron shells develop more by the second day, so I recommend making them the day before and chilling them overnight, then serving the next day.
Recipe FAQs
The swiss meringue method is my preferred method for making macarons, as it is the simplest and most stable meringue, in my opinion. The egg whites and sugar are combined in one bowl and heated over a double boiler with simmering water until it reaches 120 degrees F. Slightly heating the egg whites stablizes the meringue, which will increase your chances of achieving the correct consistency of macaron batter.
The key is to make sure the batter is mixed properly and the meringue is deflated enough. 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.
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!
Macarons require a low oven temperature for baking. I recommend baking them at 300 degrees F for about 12 minutes.
I have found that cracked macaron shells typically result from uneven heating or too high of a temperature. If you do not already have one, I highly recommend an internal oven thermometer. This will allow to ensure that your oven is exactly at 300 degrees F!
Storage Tips
Macarons will last for a few days stored in an airtight container 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.
Baking in Grams
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.Â
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
Other macaron recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
For the chocolate macaron shells:
- 260 g powdered sugar
- 240 g super-fine almond flour
- 28 g dutch process cocoa powder
- 210 g (about 6) egg whites
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache:
- 170 g heavy cream
- 227 g dark chocolate
Instructions
For the chocolate macaron shells:
- Prepare a macaron template by using a large piping tip or small round cookie cutter of about 1 ½″ in size to trace circles about 2 inches apart on one sheet of parchment paper. You will place this under another piece of parchment paper when ready to pipe the macaron shells.
- In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder twice. Set aside.
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisk often until the sugar has dissolved or until the temperature is about 120 degrees F.
- Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture reaches soft peaks. At this point, you can add the vanilla. Continue whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form.
- Start the macaronage by folding in â…“ of the dry ingredients. Mix carefully with a rubber spatula by scraping around the sides of the bowl, then through the middle of the batter. Do this a few times until it is mostly combined.
- 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. Continue scraping around the sides of the bowl and through the middle. The mixture is ready when you can draw several figure eights without the batter breaking.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a small round piping tip (I used Ateco 802). Divide batter between two piping bags, if necessary. Do not leave batter sitting in bowl.
- 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 longer sticky to the touch.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake the macarons for about 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool completely before peeling them off of the parchment paper.
For the chocolate ganache:
- In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer, or about 190 degrees F.
- Add the chocolate, then place the lid on top for one minute. Remove the lid, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Transfer the warm ganache to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used Ateco 804).
- Place the ganache in the fridge (about 2 hours) until solidified, yet soft and pipeable.
For assembly:
- Pair the macarons up and pipe the ganache onto the bottom shell. Place the paired shell on top, pressing down slightly to ensure they stick together.
- Store the macarons in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- Wipe down appliances with vinegar. Before making the macaron shells, wipe all appliances down with white vinegar to ensure they're clean and nothing with hinder the egg whites from wiping up.
- Freeze the shells after baking. 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.Â
- Chill the macarons. The flavor of macaron shells develop more by the second day, so I recommend making them the day before and chilling them overnight, then serving the next day.Â
Sheila says
Hi Sloane, Unfortunately I had a terrible result with my cookies, I followed the recipe exactly. All went well until the bake stage. I baked them at 300 as stated in the recipe, first tray for 12 minutes, second tray 15 minutes and third tray for 20 minutes.
The first tray were totally uncooked the bottoms stuck to the tray and the tops were thin and broke, the inside gummy. As I got to the 3rd tray the cookies had a good bottom but were still slightly gummy, but edible.
I'm thinking that the temperature was too low and I should have baked them at 320. I liked the recipe, everything looked great until the bake stage - my best piping job to date - I'll try the recipe gain and make the temperature adjustment to see if that was indeed the issue. A learning process for sure.
Sloane says
Hi! I'm sorry you're having trouble with this recipe. Macarons are very difficult to master and any little mistake at any step could dramatically affect the result. Firstly, I would recommend getting an internal oven thermometer. It's possible your oven runs cold, so you would need to adjust the temperature on your oven's settings to get an accurate internal temperature of 300 F. I have also had issues with the shells sticking when I bake them directly on a silicone mat, but they always bake well on parchment paper. Hopefully this helps! Let me know if you try them again 🙂
Rose says
My chocolate macarons came out perfect! I usually use a different recipe for Swiss method of chocolate macarons but it always came out badly. Your ratios of ingredients are perfect and came out beautifully the first try! Thank you!