Raspberry Macarons with Dark Chocolate

Raspberry macarons may seem intimidating to make, but with the right technique, precise measurements and a little patience you can make great macarons at home.

This recipe walks you through every step, from mastering the delicate, crisp shells to making a fruity and luscious raspberry and dark chocolate ganache filling.

Why I Love This

1. Raspberry macarons combine the elegance of French pastry with the tart-sweet flavor of raspberries.
2. The ganache filling is rich, fruity, and perfectly balanced with semisweet chocolate.
3. Decorating with chocolate drizzle makes them look like they came straight out of a pâtisserie.

Ingredient Overview

• Egg Whites - Make sure to use fresh egg whites (not pasteurized!) for best stability.
• Granulated Sugar
• Icing Sugar
• Almond Flour - Use fine, blanched almond flour
• Gel Food Coloring - I've used a mixture of Burgundy and Maroon from Americolor, but any brand should work, as long as it's water-based.
• Semisweet Chocolate - Use the best quality chocolate you can find!
• Raspberry Purée - You can either buy it pre-made or DIY by blending raspberries (fresh or frozen!) in a food processor and straining them before using. Use the same amount in grams in the recipe.
• Heavy Cream
• Butter

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Meringue

Whisk egg whites and sugar over a simmering water bath until dissolved and foamy. Whip with a mixer until stiff peaks form, then add gel food coloring.

Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

Mix icing sugar and almond flour, sifting if necessary. Fold into the meringue in one addition, then deflate the batter until it flows like lava.

Step 3: Pipe and Bake the Shells

Pipe rounds onto parchment-lined trays. Let them dry until slightly tacky, then bake at 300°F (150°C), turning the tray halfway through. Cool completely before removing.

Step 4: Make the Ganache

Heat raspberry purée and cream, pour over chocolate, and whisk smooth. Add butter and emulsify. Chill until pipeable.

Step 5: Assemble and Decorate

Pair shells, pipe ganache on one half, and sandwich together. Decorate with melted chocolate drizzle.

Pro Tips / Expert Advice

💡 Baker's Tips

• Use a kitchen thermometer for precision when heating egg whites.
• Don't skip the drying stage as it prevents cracked shells.
• Pipe evenly sized rounds for consistent baking.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overmixing the batter (it will spread too much).
• Underbaking, which causes sticky bottoms.
• If using couverture chocolate for drizzle, make sure to temper it first. Otherwise, use compound chocolate or candy melts.

How to Make It Extra Gourmet

• Add 1-2 teaspoon freeze-dried raspberry powder to the shells for intensified flavor.
• Dip half the macaron in white chocolate for a two-tone effect.
• Garnish with edible gold flakes or brush it with golden luster powder for a luxurious touch.

Variations & Substitutions

• Swap raspberry purée for strawberry or blackberry purée for different fruit flavors.
• Use white chocolate ganache for a sweeter, creamier filling.
• Add a drop of rose water to the ganache for a floral twist.

Storage & Freezing Info

• Store filled raspberry macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze unfilled shells for up to 2 months-just thaw before assembling.
• For best flavor, let filled macarons mature in the fridge for 24 hours before eating.

Raspberry Macarons with Dark Chocolate

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Bruna Gomes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Pastries

Cuisine French

Ingredients

  

• 3 large egg whites 100 g, carton or fresh
• ½ cup granulated sugar 105 g
• ¾ cup icing sugar 100 g
• 1 cup almond flour 115 g
• Gel food coloring Maroon and Burgundy, Americolor
• Chocolate coating for decorating

Ganache Filling

• 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate 250 g
• ¼ cup raspberry puree 65 g
• ⅓ cup heavy cream 35% 85 g
• 1 ½ tablespoon butter, room temperature 20 g

Instructions

 

For the macaron shells (Swiss Meringue Method):

• In a medium pot, put about 2 inches of water and bring into a bowl over high heat.
• Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and keep the water simmering.
• In a medium bowl (preferably stainless steal), add the egg whites and the sugar and whisk to combine.
• Put the bowl over the simmering pot and keep whisking until the temperature of your mixture reaches 50C/122F.
• It should be white, foamy and all the sugar must have been dissolved.
• Using a hand held mixer, whip the whites until they come to medium peaks.
• Add the food coloring (for reference I've used 2 parts of burgundy to 1 part of maroon from Americolor, but add to your taste) and then whip to hard peaks. Set aside.
• On a small bowl, mix the icing sugar and the almond flour until there are no visible lumps of sugar.
• If needed, sift the mixture to ensure there are no big lumps but there's no need to discard the bits of almond flour that sits in the strainer or sifter, whichever you're using.
• Pre-heat your oven to 300F/150C (use an over thermometer to ensure temperature is correct, adjust your temperature accordingly), prepare two aluminium half-trays with parchment paper or silicone mats and one piping bag with a round tip (Wilton 1A works perfectly here).
• Make sure you have an oven rack that sits in the middle of your oven, so it will bake more evenly.
• Add the dry mixture to the meringue ALL AT ONCE.
• Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until it's fully combined.
• Once it's combined, continue mixing, using a fold and smear motion to deflate the meringue, checking the consistency frequently.
• It should pour from your spatula and once it reaches the bottom of the bowl, it is reabsorbed into the existing batter in 5-10 seconds without showing any peaks or strikes.
• Once consistency is reached, transfer the batter to your prepared piping bag and pipe 1.5 inch rounds into the prepared trays.
• The batter should spread until it reaches about 2 inches but not further (if it does, it means you've overmixed).
• Leave it out to dry the shells for about 10 minutes or until it feels dry to the touch.
• You may pop any bubbles, should it have, with the help of a toothpick.
• Put the tray in the oven and set the timer for 5 minutes.
• Then, open the oven, turn the tray and let it bake for 10 more minutes.
• You may start checking the readiness at the 8-minute mark. The shells are done when they no longer move if you touch them. If they still move, let them bake for 2-3 minutes more, checking every minute and always turning the tray.
• Remove the tray from the oven and let the shells cool down properly before removing them from the parchment paper.
• Each shell should have it's own "pair" even if you don't use a stencil for piping. Make sure to find the pairs before piping the filling.

For the ganache:

• Bring the raspberry puree and the cream into an almost boil.
• Pour over the chocolate and wait for 1-2 minutes until partially melted then whisk to combine.
• Add the butter and emulsify with a hand held blender.
• Let it come to room temperature, then transfer to a piping bag to pipe into the macarons.
• To decorate, melt a little bit of chocolate coating (not couverture) and transfer to a small piping bag and cut a little hole in the tip of the bag.
• Once macarons are properly filled, place them in a parchment-lined tray and pipe chocolate strikes over all the macarons.
• Let the chocolate set before moving them out of the tray.

Keyword chocolate, macaron, raspberry

FAQ Section

Can I use frozen raspberries for the filling?
Yes, simply thaw, purée and strain them before adding to the ganache. Use in the same amount in grams.

Why did my macarons crack?
Cracks usually mean the shells weren't dried enough before baking or the oven temperature was too high.

Do I need to age egg whites for raspberry macarons?
It's optional, but some bakers find that aging egg whites (leaving them in the fridge for 24-48 hours) helps with stability. I personally don't see a difference between aged and fresh egg whites, the most difference I see is between fresh and pasteurized egg whites. So as long as you use fresh egg whites you should be alright!