Vanilla Macaron Recipe
Easy vanilla macaron recipe made using the Swiss method and using the leftover egg yolks to make the best vanilla bean French buttercream!

Baran Bakery Macaron Month is finally here, my friends! Once upon a time, I wanted to learn how to make macarons so I invested like 3 months of my baking life into making 5-10 batches a week until they were both perfect and consistent.
Some of those recipes made it to the blog but unfortunately theyโre a few years old and needed a bit of a facelift. Because I have a few recipes I wanted to share with you all, I decided to do one every week for the month of April.
The first one is going to be classic vanilla French macarons. Generally I think vanilla is a very mild flavor but this vanilla macaron recipe is anything but boring! The secret? Vanilla bean paste and French buttercream, friends!ย
I use this recipe as a base for all my macarons, even the minis. Some flavors I have posted are: lemon with cream cheese, double chocolate, white chocolate raspberry, salted caramel, coffee, peppermint mocha, cotton candy, cookies and cream, peanut butter cup.
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How to make vanilla macarons
You know how I always say โthis recipe seems intimidating but itโs actually really simpleโ like the baklava from last week?! Well, this is not the case here lol. Iโm going to be straightforward with you and tell you that macarons can be a total pain in the rear end.
But thatโs why Iโm 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. Donโt get me wrong, even when macarons crack and look ugly, theyโre still edible and delicious so donโt give up! & please donโt ever expect your first batch of french macarons to turn out perfectly because many times, itโs just technique and getting the hang of it…but itโs so worth it because homemade macarons>>>store/bakery bought macarons.




The Swiss meringue method
Iโve tested the French method, the Italian method and the Swiss method of macarons and I will 100% confidently say that the Swiss method is my favorite. I canโt take any of the credit for the base recipe though, as I learned how to make this version from my friend Sarah of Broma Bakery. You can read about her trip to Israel where she learned it in her white chocolate pistachio macarons post.ย
To make a Swiss meringue, the granulated sugar gets dissolved in the egg whites over a double boiler and then the two get whipped into a meringue. The powdered sugar and almond flour get sifted together and then folded into the meringue, along with any other flavors or food coloring.
The reason I like this method is because cooking the egg whites will always give you a more stable meringue, meaning itโs slightly more forgiving than an uncooked meringue. I also love this method because itโs so easy to remember the ratio of ingredients, just 100g of egg whites, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and almond flour.
Making macarons using the Swiss method also doesnโt require the same resting that the French or Italian method requires. I usually just preheat my oven while Iโm piping and let them rest just a few minutes before baking the first tray.





Environment of making macarons
The environment in which you are making macarons can drastically change the results. In the beginning, I could never get the macarons right in the middle of summer, just because it was too humid. Knowing what your batter should look like at all times (comes with practice and experience) is what will give you consistent results.
When the batter is ready to be piped, it should ribbon off the of the spatula and if you form a figure 8, it shouldn’t break. If it breaks halfway through, fold a few more times and then test again. If you can form a figure 8 more than once, it’s probably a little over-mixed. Sometimes, this can be salvaged by letting it rest for about 30 minutes.


Extra tips and tricks
- 100% recommend a scale for measuring ingredients (except the egg whites, I use 3 large and itโs usually +/- 5 grams, which is fine).
- Once you stiff peaks in your meringue, donโt 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, youโll 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 donโt have hollow or cracking macarons.
- When you go to pipe the macarons, I usually have a slight โnippleโ on them right away but it should disappear or be very faint after rapping the tray on the counter a few times. If it doesnโt go away, dab your finger into water and then gently press the nipple down and itโll flatten. Remember this for next time, because the batter probably just needed a couple more folds.
- If youโre 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 donโt find the need to rotate them in the oven halfway through baking but if theyโre browning on one side more than the other, you can rotate them 7 or 8 minutes into baking.
- Donโt try to remove them from the pan right away, they can break. Allow them to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes.


What kind of filling to use for vanilla macarons
You can use any kind of filling thatโs not too runny but I love to use up the leftover egg yolks to make French buttercream, especially for vanilla macarons. Vanilla is such a mild flavor that sometimes the buttercream can just be too buttery or too sweet but French buttercream gives it a more custardy flavor.

How to make French buttercream
I have a whole blog post on How To Make French Buttercream, that you should check out. There are step-by-step photos for them as well since it is a bit more complicated than American buttercream but again, itโs so worth it!ย
Youโll just have to make a sugar syrup (like caramel), that gets poured over whipping egg yolks and then beat until itโs cool enough to add the butter.
If youโve never made homemade macarons, I highly encourage you to try this vanilla macaron recipe. Itโs not super complicated, it just requires patience, accuracy and perseverance! They really are SO MUCH better than any store bought or bakery macarons that Iโve ever had, and Iโve tried a lot. By a lot, I mean probably all the bakeries in Michigan that sell them, New York, LA, Rome and Paris. Homemade is better. Period. Lol

If you have any questions, comment down below and if you make them, make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram. Remember that practice makes perfect with these babies and theyโre edible even when theyโre ugly! As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
I love these macarons! I’d like to give them as Christmas gifts this year, do you know how long they are good on the fridge? Can I freeze them?
Thank you!
Do you age your egg whites for this or it that not necessary for Swiss style?
I donโt normally but if I have some aged I use them
These have came out absolutely perfect! I want to make double the recipe however do I have to make them separately? Or can I just double them?
So glad they turned out perfect! I have doubled the recipe before I prefer to make each batch individually to be safe.
Hi! This is my second attempt at macarons. I can tell Iโm on my way to getting them right but if my mix doesnโt flatten out like they should, does that mean I need to mix a little more to get some more air out? Iโm not sure if that makes sense. Iโve always been scared to make these.
Yes! Just donโt over do it, take it 1-2 folds at a time and see if it ribbons off the spatula
Can I use all purpose flour instead of almond flour?
Unfortunately not
Ok thank you!!
Just made this recipe on my first ever attempt at making macarons. They are delicious and they were almost perfect. Some of the tops cracked but it was because I didn’t rap them on the counter enough. I had been scared of making macarons, so I am elated they turned out so well. Thank you so much!
Hi Ashley, so glad they turned out well for you! They are definitely intimidating & my kids hate when I bang them on the counter ๐๐
Hi! These are currently in my oven and look great! However your buttercream recipe has the half amounts (for a half batch) for the cup measurement, but the full amounts for a the weights. I had to check the post for the buttercream recipe to make sure I had the right weights.
ahh thank you! I will update that ๐