Pistachio Macarons with Pistachio Buttercream

Easy pistachio macaron recipe made using the Swiss method and using the leftover egg yolks to make the best Pistachio French buttercream!

You know how I always say “this recipe seems intimidating but it’s actually really simple”?! Well, this is not the case here lol. I’m going to be straightforward with you and tell you that macarons can be a total pain in the rear end. 

But that’s why I’m here, (and literally every other troubleshooting macaron blog post out there) to help you. The key is to be very, very precise in following the directions and measuring the ingredients. 

It is possible to make macarons without a scale but 99% of the time your measurement is probably just slightly off and these finicky babies are not going to forgive you. Don’t get me wrong, even when macarons crack and look ugly, they’re still edible and delicious so don’t give up! & please don’t ever expect your first batch of french macarons to turn out perfectly because many times, it’s just technique and getting the hang of it…but it’s so worth it because homemade macarons>>>store/bakery bought macarons. 

I don’t want to dump ALL my brain on you in every post so I unloaded all my macaron information in my base Vanilla Macaron Recipe. Make sure to read that post if you’ve never made macarons before, and again, it always takes a few tries to get them just right. 

If you love pistachios – I have so many pistachio recipes. Some of my favorites are Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pistachio Cheesecake. For more macaron recipes, I LOVE my White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons and my Double Chocolate Macarons

How To Make Macarons

You’ll start with the egg whites and sugar heating and whipping to stiff peaks, followed by adding in any flavorings, food coloring and dry ingredients. The macronage is the trickiest part, you need it perfectly folded to make sure it’s not too stiff and not too runny. 

Then use the egg yolks, a hot sugar syrup and butter to make a French buttercream. Adding in any flavorings or colors here as well. 

Ingredients & Substitutions: 

• Egg whites: I recommend fresh, room temperature egg whites, not carton egg whites (although I have had success with that before, it definitely gives less consistent results). 
• Sugar: you’re going to need granulated sugar and powdered sugar for the macaron cookie shells. I also use granulated sugar in the buttercream. 
• Almond Flour: I recommend buying almond flour because it’s much finer ground than if you make your own at home. 
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for the buttercream.
• Pistachio extract: for the cookie shells – you can also add some to the buttercream if you want it stronger. 
• Pistachio Butter: to flavor and color the buttercream – I bought this one online but you can also make your own, however I can’t get mine that smooth at home lol so it would be textured. 
• Pistachios: Can add pistachio chunks to the buttercream if you want. 

Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos:

Pistachio Macaron Shells

I included the step by step pictures from the vanilla ones, but you can see the finished green batter below too.

1. Weight out almond flour & powdered sugar
2. Whisk together almond flour & powdered sugar
3. Weight out sugar over egg whites in mixer bowl
4. Whisk egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until sugar is fully dissolved
5. Beat egg whites & sugar for 3-4 minutes, until stiff peaks form
6. Add extract, food coloring and sift dry ingredients over meringue
7. Mix macaron batter by scraping the edge of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then folding down the center
8. Mix just until the batter is runny enough to form a full “figure 8” without breaking (DON’T OVER-MIX)
9. Place macaron batter in a piping bag fit with a medium sized circle tip
10. Pipe even sized macarons on prepared baking sheet
11. Bang the pan on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubble
12. Rest just until the oven is done preheating and bake one pan at a time, on the middle rack

Pistachio French Buttercream

1. Granulated Sugar in a saucepan
2. Water poured over granulated sugar
3. Water and sugar heated to 240F (116C).
4. Egg yolks beaten before adding sugar syrup
5. Beat sugar syrup into the egg yolks until it’s pale and fluffy.
6. Butter beaten into the egg yolks and sugar until it comes together.

Extra tips and tricks

• 100% recommend a scale for measuring ingredients (except the egg whites, I use 3 large ones and it’s usually +/- 5 grams, which is fine). 
• Once you have stiff peaks in your meringue, don’t over whip. 
• There is no perfect number of how many folds are needed to get the right batter but there is a technique. In the step-by-step photos, you’ll see how I use a firm rubber spatula to push the batter against the edge of the pan and then scrape it back off the edge. I repeat that process until it ribbons into a figure 8 without breaking. The intention here is to push out the air bubbles so that you don’t have hollow or cracking macarons. 
• When you go to pipe the macarons, I usually have a slight “nipple” on them right away but it should disappear or be very faint after rapping the tray on the counter a few times. If it doesn’t go away, dab your finger into water and then gently press the nipple down and it’ll flatten. Remember this for next time, because the batter probably just needed a couple more folds. 
• If you’re having trouble and have tried it a few times, I recommend an oven thermometer. If your oven is off even 10 degrees it can change the results. 
• I use a convection oven (with a fan) so I don’t find the need to rotate them in the oven halfway through baking but if they’re browning on one side more than the other, you can rotate them 7 or 8 minutes into baking. 
• Don’t try to remove them from the pan right away, they can break. Allow them to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. 

How to Store Pistachio Macarons

First, I recommend refrigerating these for several hours or overnight before serving – this allows the flavors and texture to kind of marinate together first.

I recommend storing macarons in an airtight container, refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for a few months. I remove them from the fridge just 30-60 minutes before serving because the buttercream can be really firm if it’s cold and I prefer it softer.

If you have any questions, just comment down below. Remember that practice makes perfect with these babies and they’re edible even when they’re ugly! If you liked these pistachio macarons, I would love it if you left a 5-star rating or a review below.

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B