Turn your favorite store-bought classics into something even more decadent with these delicate Oreo macarons.
It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve made macarons.
They used to work out so well for me, and then all of a sudden they didn’t. It was incredibly frustrating. Three failed batches in a row and I decided I needed a break.
Apparently, it was an 11 month break (I had no idea it was that long). At any rate, I think I just figured out why they started to fail on me.
I decided to try a different recipe for these Oreo Macarons, thinking maybe that was the issue and adapted this recipe from the one my macaron maven friend Mimi uses.
Her macarons are flawless. Perfect every time! Seriously, just go check out her website or be dazzled by her instagram feed.
French vs Italian Macarons
The only difference between these two macaron methods is in how the meringue is made.
The French method calls for whipping the egg whites with granulated sugar to make the meringue. The Italian method call for boiling sugar to be poured into and whisked with the egg whites – similar to what you’d do with an Italian meringue buttercream or my homemade marshmallow fluff.
The Italian method is more involved but does produce a more stable meringue that is easier to work with during the macaronage step. You’re less likely to over mix it.
The French method is simple and less time consuming, so it’s generally my preference.
How to make Oreo Macarons
Macarons actually take very little (active) time to make, but they are SO tricky to get perfect, and it’s not just about the folding technique or drying time (which are both crucial).
Here are the basic steps to making macarons:
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Process the almond flour, powdered sugar until just beginning to clump.
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Sift and discard any bits that won’t pass through the sifter.
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Whip the egg whites and caster sugar to a stiff meringue.
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Fold the dry mixture into the meringue using the macaronage technique.
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Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet.
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Whack the baking sheet on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
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Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. About 1 hour. DO NOT skip this step.
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Bake macarons until they stick just slightly to the pans.
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Cool completely, match up by size, and fill to make cookie sandwiches.
Tips for making French Macarons
- I create a parchment template using a 1 1/2″ cookie cutter to create circles and place it under my mat. I prefer to use silicone mats vs parchment as I find the parchment ripples under the macarons as they set.
- Make sure your powdered sugar and almond mixture is smooth, be sure to sift it! We want smooth tops here.
- Whip the whites until stiff peaks. Do not overwhip (see below).
- Fold the mixture together until it’s smooth and pours off your spatula, just barely, and leaves traces in the batter. It should be thick and lava-like. In pastry school, we learned to try and do a figure 8 with the batter as it’s pouring off the spatula. It shouldn’t break off the spatula or immediately sink into the batter. If the latter you’ve overdone it.
- Let the macarons dry! They must be dry to the touch or they’ll crack and/or have no feet. If you live in a humid climate or it’s a humid day, you might have trouble with them drying properly.
- Don’t give up! If they don’t work out perfectly the first time, it’s ok. It takes a lot of practice to get them perfect. But they are still delicious regardless.
Why Are My Macarons Hollow?
So, here I am, making macarons for the first time in months. Everything was going so well. Whites whipped up, batter the right consistency, piped out perfectly, and even dried out properly before baking. These were going to be perfect. Hah.
I was watching that little oven window like a hawk. Oh! I can see feet! No cracks, woohoo! But then they kept rising and the feet got too tall, and I knew the damn things would be hollow. Sure enough, they were. Many expletives were thrown around.
WHY all of a sudden were my macarons coming out hollow?? What had changed? And then I remembered. When I first started to make macarons, I whipped the egg whites by hand like we did in school.
Whipping them by hand is honestly the worst thing ever. It takes SO long and it sucks SO bad. So I started to use my KitchenAid like I’d seen so many other people do. Well, this is where it all went south.
I think I’m over-whipping the meringue, which is causing them to rise too much in the oven.
When whipping by hand, honestly you stop RIGHT when you reach stiff peaks because you’re so damn sick of whipping and you’re sweating and your arm hurts. You’re so glad to be done.
With the KitchenAid it’s harder to monitor that. I’m convinced this is the issue but have not yet tried another batch (I think I need another break).
I am NOT going back to hand whipping them, but I will try my hand mixer next time instead of the heavy-duty KitchenAid. That way I can more easily monitor the done-ness of the meringue.
So, these little Oreo Macarons you see here? Far from perfect, but you’d never really know it. And, most importantly, they taste delicious. That Oreo buttercream filling could be one of the best things I’ve ever made!
Other Macaron Recipes You May Like:
- Chocolate Macarons
- S’mores Macarons
- Valentine’s Heart Macarons
- Eggnog Macarons
- Coffee & Baileys Macarons
Notes & Tips for these Oreo Macarons
- The measurements listed are by weight. I strongly recommend using a scale for macarons. They are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise.
- You will need to do a LOT of folds to get the batter to the proper consistency.
- Try them with Golden Oreo cookie crumbs instead!
- Do not skip on the drying time. This is a MUST DO. They must be completely dry to the touch before you bake them or they will crack.
- If they don’t come out perfect the first time (they rarely do), know that they will still taste delicious! Looks aren’t everything! 🙂
Oreo Macarons (French Macarons)
Ingredients
Macaron Shells:
- 100 g almond flour
- 30 g Oreo cookie crumbs about 4 cookies with filling removed
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 100 g egg whites room temperature
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 90 g caster sugar or other superfine sugar
Oreo Buttercream:
- Filling from 12 Double Stuffed Oreos
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp Oreos crushed, about 2 cookies with filling removed
Instructions
Macaron Shells:
- Line baking sheet with a silocone mat or parchment.*
- Place the almond flour, powdered sugar, and Oreo cookie crumbs in a food processor. Process until just beginning to clump. Sift and discard any bits that won't pass through the sifter. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites until they're the consistency of a loose foam, add in cream of tartar. Continue whipping while slowly adding caster sugar. Whip to a stiff meringue. Stop as soon as the meringue is stiff, no not overwhip.
- Fold the dry mixture into the meringue until it reaches a thick lava-like consistency.**
- Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1A piping tip.
- Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet. Sprinkle with Oreo cookie crumbs if desired.
- When all your macarons are piped, whack the baking sheet on the counter at least 3 times to get rid of any air bubbles.***
- Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. About 1 hour. DO NOT skip this step.
- Once dry, bake macarons in a preheated 300°F oven until they stick just slightly to the pans. This can be anywhere from 10-20mins depending on your oven and how crowded the macarons are on the pan.
- Let cookies cool completely before removing from pans.
Oreo Buttercream:
- Cream Oreo filling and butter until smooth, pale, and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and Oreo cookie crumbs and mix until well combined.
Assembly:
- Pair macaron shells up by size, pipe buttercream into the center, sandwich the cookies, and twist together.
- Allow macarons to mature at least 24 hours in the fridge. They are best 2-3 days after making them.
Notes
**You will need to do a LOT of folds to get the batter to the proper consistency. You’re looking for it to be smooth and shiny and have some movement. If you lift some up with a spatula, it should slowly pour in a steady stream and settle into the remaining batter. You should be able to make a figure 8 in the batter. DO NOT overmix.
*** Do not be shy with the whacking! Recipe adapted from Indulge with Mimi.
Originally published on January 24, 2016
Fernanda says
Hello!!! Thank you very much for your recipe. I plan to make them tomorrow with my son. I am from mexico. I have two doubts. 1 recommend me to beat by hand or with the kitchenaid. 2 the caster sugar and powdered sugar I understand that they are the same type of ultra fine sugar. you do not use refined sugar, right? thank you very much.
Olivia says
Hi Fernanda! I would use a Kitchenaid to whip the meringue. For the sugar, caster sugar is less fine than powdered. You could use granulated sugar in place of caster sugar. Let me know how they turn out!
Lana says
Hi,
Is it possible for you to provide me with the amt neeed
For ingredients in cups/tsp/tbsp rather than in grams for this Oreo macarons recipe
Olivia says
Hi Lana! Macarons are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise, hence using a scale. If you want to try, or get someone to help you convert the recipe, you can find some conversion websites online. I’ve used this one before and find it works well but make sure to convert each specific ingredient individually.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/flours/almonds-flour/convert-us-measuring-cup-to-gram-g-of-almond-flour.html
I cannot guarantee the results since I’ve only ever used a scale for macarons.
Lana says
Thank you for your quick respond. Ok, I will use the scale and give this recipe a try =]
Olivia says
Let me know how it turns out!
Lissi says
forvarmet 300 ° F ovn hvor meget er det i dansk grader ,er det med luftovn eller almindelig ovn? Kh Lissi
Olivia says
Hi Lissi! 300F is 150C.
Tricia says
First attempt at macarons and they were a success! I altered the filling recipe by folding in a cup of cool whip (I didn’t have enough oreo filling… poor planning on my part)! When I mixed the filling up pre-cool whip, it looked too heavy and like not quite enough. The cool whip added something special!! I got such rave reviews from friends, and can’t wait to try more flavors!
Olivia says
Hi Tricia! Awesome about your first attempt!! That is no small feat 🙂 I love the lightened up filling too, will have to try that!
Sarah says
Thank you for the recipe! My very first attempt at making Macarons, and they were a success! Feet and all! I did this one a few days ago, and they were a HUGE hit at the office! Today I am making your Baileys and Coffee ones 🙂 They’ve been drying for an hour, but still don’t have a shell, while the Oreo ones were ready in just 25 minutes.. Patience is a virtue, so Ill just sip some Baileys while I wait! Thanks again!
Olivia says
Wooohooo! That is amazing for a first attempt! I’m so glad you liked them and that they worked out for you :). The drying thing — I’ve had that problem before too. On rainy days they take forEVER to dry. Like hours and hours sometimes. It’s frustrating. I hope they eventually dried for you!
Ann says
Hi! Inspired to try your recipe for the first time! And as a first time baker. Question: could I use regular granulated sugar vs caster sugar? Or could I also use sugar cane? Please let me know. Thanks so much!
Olivia says
Hi Ann! I’m so excited that you’re going to try these 🙂 I often use regular granulated sugar in macarons, so that should be fine. I’ve never tried using sugar cane though so can’t advise in that regard. Let me know how they turn out!
Cindy Rodriguez says
Ugh, I totally feel your pain on making macarons. This recipe look so delicious and sure to make my boys very happy. Or at least attempt it!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Cindy! I hope you like it 🙂 Macarons are tricky to master, but thankfully even the imperfect versions taste delicious 🙂
Orie says
Great recipe, made them for a bridal shower, they were a hit. Made at least 4 batches. Only one thing I had to change, the cookie crumbs. The home ground were not working the cookies came greyish colour, ran out and bought Oreo crumbs, turned out great. Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Orie! So glad to hear they worked out! 🙂
Kristine @ Baker at Law says
These look fabulous! I would never have thought to use Oreos in macarons, maybe because I’m still pretty new to making them and have had more failures than successes. I can’t wait to try these out, though! I like your description of when the batter is ready. I never *quite* know what’s right and what’s wrong when I’m making them.
Olivia says
Good luck! Macarons take time and patience for sure. At least the failed batches taste just as delicious 😉
Holly says
I made these yesterday and they are really good! I was able to make 100, 50 when put together. I ran out of frosting though so I have to make some more (I may have eaten some…). Some of them cracked while baking but I’m not sure why only some did. Thanks for the recipe. I think I’ll put in a little more Oreo next time but they were great.
Olivia says
Hi Holly! So glad you liked them 🙂 I’ve had macarons crack before, it’s so frustrating. I think it might be due to them not being completely dried out before baking.
Holly says
Hi! I am baking 3 different kinds/flavors to send to a friend and this is one of them. I’m making them today. I checked and I couldn’t find a comment where anyone asked this so sorry if I missed it, how do you measure eggs in grams? Isn’t it very difficult to take away egg whites? I really hope that made sense. Also, how did you get yours so white? You did a great job, thank you for everything. This is the first time I’ve been on your blog and I will be back 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Holly! Sorry that’s not clear, I use a kitchen scale to measure them out and each white is about 30g, so you’re looking at just over 3 egg whites. To get it perfect, I get close to the amount I need and the scoop amounts from another white with a spoon until I get it to 100g. If that make sense! As for the color, be sure that your oven doesn’t run too hot or it can cause the cookies to brown. Mine did a bit, so I’m glad you can’t tell. I hope that answers your questions! 🙂
Holly says
Thanks. I made them yesterday and I cracked 3 eggs into a separate bowl then used a spoon to measure on the scale.
Olivia says
Awesome! 😀
Bella Milena says
Hi Olivia! thanks for your lovely recipe. can I ask you something? i’d like to make macaroons based on your recipe but i’m out of almond flour and difficult to find it here. can I substitube almond flour with another flour like all purpose flour, maybe? and does it give different end result of the macaroons?
Olivia says
Hi Bella! You can use any other nut flour (hazelnut, pistachio, etc) but not all-purpose flour unfortunately. It will not give the same results 🙁
Olivia says
Oh also, you can make your own nut flours by grinding up unroasted, unsalted nuts.
michal says
Hi, I made these last night and they are perfect! this is my first time macaroning and I am so excited!
thank you for a superb recipe <3
Olivia says
Yay!! So glad to hear they worked out for you. On your first time too! Way to go 😀
Chanel says
This recipe is absolutely perfect! I love how versatile it is. I’ve replaced crushed oreos with crushed biscoff cookies in the macaron batter to make biscoff macarons as well. I really appreciate you sharing this recipe…Thank you so much!
Olivia says
Hi Chanel! I’m so happy you like this recipe and that it worked well for you! Good to know about the biscoff, I may have to try that!
Jennifer says
I completely understand your macaron frustration! I was baking for an event last year and they weren’t coming out smooth or the top wasn’t hard. It took me 5 batches to figure out that I had mixed up the amounts of almond flour and powdered sugar… I ended up having to make another 3 batches, that finally turned out correctly! After 8 batches, I have definitely taken a break from them.
These Oreo macarons look so good, I may have to break my hiatus for them!
Olivia says
Ugh I know how you feel! My break has lasted almost a year!! Maybe I should give them a go again, haha. I hope you like these!
Megan says
I’ve never been much of a baker but I wanted to do something different for this year’s holiday’s cookies. I knew I wanted to try a macaron but not a plain one. This went so much better than I could have hoped! Between your and Mimi’s blog, I made macarons with feet and everything on the first try! I could not be more excited, especially because of all of the trouble I know they can be. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Olivia says
Yay!! I’m so glad these worked out for you. Making macarons is no small feat, so you should be very proud! 🙂
Pauline Ruperto says
Love! Now I’m going to try this recipe. Currently experimenting with ways to do them. Can you please convert the measurements to cups and tablespoons/teaspoons? It would be much appreciated! Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Pauline! I don’t have the measurements in cups, but you can find some conversion websites online. I’ve used this one before and find it works well but make sure to convert each specific ingredient individually.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/flours/almonds-flour/convert-us-measuring-cup-to-gram-g-of-almond-flour.html
That being said, I would strongly recommend using a scale for macarons. They are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise.
Good luck and let me know how they turn out!
Amy says
The Macaron recipe is beautiful. The recipes said to use a food processor, but I cannot find mine. Can I just use an electric hand mixer?
Olivia says
Hi Amy! You need the food processor to get the almond flour as fine as possible as well as combine it with the powdered sugar. I don’t think a hand mixer would be able to do that.
VALERIE says
hi Olivia, i was just wondering, how many macarons does this recipe make? Because when I buy the ingredients I want to have the right amount, I need to make 40 in total. Please write back soon. Thank You!
Olivia says
Hi Valerie! The recipe makes about 25 sandwiched cookies. Let me know how they turn out!
Valerie says
thank you so much Olivia, you literally saved my butt! HAHA
Olivia says
Glad to help! 😀
Melissa says
I want to try this recipe for my family because it looks and sounds amazing. The major problem is that I don’t have a scale at home to measure out grams! Where are the standard cooking measurements!? How many eggs do I need for it to be 100 grams of egg whites!? I have a learning disability and any converting formula you provide me will get jumbled and cause me to black out due to stress (it’s happened in the past). I ask that you provide standard cooking measurements (cups, teaspoons, Tablespoons, etc.) in the future to garuntee 100% accuracy.
Also, if almond flour isn’t available, would putting almonds in a blender work just as well? If I can’t find caster sugar, then would cane sugar be a good substitute?
Olivia says
Macarons are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise, hence using a scale. One egg white is 30g. If you want to try, or get someone to help you convert the recipe, you can find some conversion websites online. I’ve used this one before and find it works well but make sure to convert each specific ingredient individually.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/flours/almonds-flour/convert-us-measuring-cup-to-gram-g-of-almond-flour.html
I cannot guarantee the results since I’ve only ever used a scale for macarons.
Per my other comment, you can grind your own almonds and use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar.
I hope that helps.