Smores Macarons

$5.42 recipe / $0.27 each
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.73 from 11 votes
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I’m kind of breaking my own rules with this post, but let me explain.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you know that I never do promotional, affiliated, or underwritten posts. I don’t like it when blogs are just one big commercial. BUT when I was invited to be a part of a macaron contest hosted by an amazing local bakery, I couldn’t resist. You see, I’ve always wanted to know how to make French macarons and I just love a good challenge. So, I said, “Sign me up!”

The contest is hosted by Sucré, an amazing confectionary here in New Orleans. They specialize in macarons, but have a million other amazing sweets and things. Sucré challenged 13 bloggers to come up with their own unique flavor of macaron and have opened up the voting to the public. Check out the other submissions and vote for your favorite here.

So about the macarons… yes, they were challenging! But, once I got the hang of it I realized they are incredibly simple. I decided to try a s’mores flavor combination: a chocolate macaron shell filled with homemade marshmallow creme and chocolate ganache, all dipped in crushed graham crackers. I can’t figure out what was more fun about this–making the macarons, photographing the macarons, or eating the macarons! This project was super fun, so I hope you enjoy the macaron making tutorial! :)

Smores Macarons

Smores Macarons stacked

The macaron shell recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart and the Marshmallow Creme is from Chow.com.

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S'mores Macarons

4.73 from 11 votes
These fun and flavorful Smores Macarons are a baking challenge, but worth every bit of effort. Get the full tutorial here. 
Servings 20 macarons
Prep 2 hours
Cook 30 minutes
Total 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Marshmallow Creme

  • 2 large eggs, whites only ($0.44)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar ($0.08)
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar ($0.05)
  • pinch of salt ( $0.01)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract ($0.07)

Chocolate Macaron Shells

  • 2/3 cup slivered almonds ($1.66)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar ($0.18)
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.08)
  • 2 large eggs, whites only ($0.04)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar ($0.04)
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar ($0.05)

Chocolate Ganache

  • 2 oz. dark chocolate ($1.70)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream ($0.44)

Other

  • 2-3 squares graham crackers, crushed ($0.18)
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Instructions 

  • Begin by making the marshmallow cream. In a glass or metal bowl, whisk together the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Place about 1 inch of water in a small sauce pot and bring it to a boil. Place the bowl with the egg white mixture over the boiling water and whisk by hand for 6 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla, and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the egg white mixture to glossy peaks (about 5 minutes). Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Next, begin the macaron shells. Place the almonds, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder in a food processor. Process the mixture until it is a super fine powder. Sift the mixture through a wire sieve into a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl (glass or metal) combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Stir or whisk together until combined, then use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the whites into stiff, glossy peaks (about 5 minutes).
  • Fold about 1/3 of the cocoa almond mixture at a time into the whipped egg whites until no dry powder remains. After all of the dry mixture has been folded in, the mixture should have the consistency of thick, hot lava.
  • Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pastry bag to pipe the macaron mixture into 1.5 inch rounds on the parchment paper. Leave enough space for the macarons to spread slightly without touching. After piping all of the macarons onto the sheet, slam the baking sheet on a counter a few times to force any larger air bubbles to the surface. Let the cookies sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes so that the surface dries slightly (this helps form a "foot" or ruffle on the bottom of the macaron).
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After 30 minutes of sitting, the macarons should have a dull, less glossy appearance. Bake one sheet at a time for 13 minutes each. Allow the macarons to cool to room temperature before removing from the parchment.
  • To make the ganache, break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Add the heavy cream. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, then stir well. Microwave for 15 seconds once more, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and has created a smooth mixture with the cream. Let cool.
  • Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow creme and a second bag with the chocolate ganache. Flip half of the macarons over and pipe a circle of marshmallow creme around the outside edge of the bottom. Fill the center of the marshmallow creme circle with ganache, then place a second macaron shell on top and press down slightly. Dip the filled macarons in the crushed graham crackers to make it stick to the marshmallow creme. Tip: Dip soon after filling as the marshmallow dries a bit and gets less tacky as it sits.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 111.24kcalCarbohydrates: 17.66gProtein: 2.08gFat: 4.21gSodium: 25.97mgFiber: 0.94g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

 

Smores Macarons

 

Step by Step Photos

Marshmallow mixture in mixing bowl with whisk

I began with the marshmallow creme, so that it would have time to cool and “set” in the refrigerator. In a glass or metal bowl, whisk together two egg whites, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt until it is all combined.

Double boiler created with mixing bowl on top of pan on stove top

Create a double boiler by bringing about 1 inch of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Place the bowl with the egg white mixture on top, and whisk the mixture over the heat for 6 minutes. This melts the sugar without cooking the egg whites, which will create the unique marshmallow texture.

Whisking marshmallow  mixture in double boiler on stove top

You don’t have to whisk vigorously, just make sure you’re stirring it the whole time with the whisk. After 6 minutes it will look kind of creamy like this.

Finished marshmallow mixture in mixing bowl

Now add 1/4 tsp of vanilla and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the mixture until it forms glossy peaks (about 5 minutes). The creme will be pretty soft and gooey still, but it will stiffen up as it cools. Cover it and refrigerate to cool it faster.

Dry Ingredients in food processor

Now on to the macaron shells… Place 2/3 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 Tbsp cocoa powder in a food processor. Process until it is a fine powder.

Mixed Dry Ingredients in food processor (super fine mixture)

You really want this mixture to be as fine as possible or else your macarons will be all bumpy and lumpy. You can pinch some of the powder between your fingers to see if you feel any granules. Process a little more, if needed.

Sifting macaron shell mixture to get out any clumps

Then sift the mixture into a bowl to remove any larger pieces. I thought I had mine pretty smooth, but I still had quite a few granules. Discard those large granules.

Meringue mixture in mixing bowl

In a separate glass or metal bowl, stir together two egg whites, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/8 tsp cream of tartar until well mixed.

Finished meringue (thick and standing)

Then use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the egg whites up into stiff, glossy peaks. You’ll know the peaks are “stiff” when you pull out the beaters and the peaks stand straight up without flopping over. When you start to get close to this point, check the peaks a few times to make sure you don’t go too far. If you over beat the whole mixture will break down and separate.

Folding meringue into sifted mixture in mixing bowl

Now, fold in 1/3 of the almond cocoa mixture at a time until no dry powder remains. Every time you add more dry mixture you’re going to go, “OH NO! I’ve ruined it!” but then it will begin to come together. The first time I tried to make these I was very afraid of collapsing the whipped egg whites, but the truth is that you want them to deflate a little. So, just fold gently until it all comes together…

Macaron Batter mixed together

When it’s all folded in it will have the same texture as thick, hot lava. When you lift some up with your spatula, you want it to run back into the bowl SLOWLY. Kind of like thick cake batter. If it’s running like liquid, it’s over mixed.

Pastry Bag filled with mixture

Fill a pastry bag with a plain, round tip with the macaron batter. The easiest way to fill the bag is to place it in some sort of tall cup and fold the bag over the edges, like this.

Piping macarons out of pastry bag onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Cover two baking sheets with parchment and pipe the macaron batter into 1.5 inch circles on the parchment. Be sure to leave enough room for them to spread a little. Hold the pastry bag straight up at 90 degrees from the sheet and squeeze the batter out, without lifting the tip up. If you keep the tip fairly close to the baking sheet as you squeeze, the batter will extend out in an almost perfect circle. Pretty cool.

Piped batter on baking sheet

After you’ve piped all of the batter onto the baking sheets, slam the baking sheets down on the counter a few times to force any large air bubbles out the top (see the one that popped out of the side there?). This also helps flatten the little peaks left behind by the pastry tip. Now, let the macarons sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes so they can dry out a bit.

Half baked meringue

Towards the end of the 30 minute resting period, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once it’s heated, bake one sheet of macarons at a time for 13 minutes each. As they bake they will want to expand, but since the top has dried out and become stiff, they can only expand up and therefore create that classic ruffle or “foot”. Let the macarons cool to room temperature before removing them from the parchment.

Ganache ingredients in mixing bowl

To make the ganache, break 2 oz. of chocolate up into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream, microwave on high for 15 seconds, then stir it really, really well. Microwave for another 15 seconds, then stir until the chocolate has completely melted in…

Mixed ganache in mixing bowl with spoon

And you have a super smooth ganache, like this! Now, let that cool for a minute.

Graham crakers in zip lock bag with rolling pin to smash them

Crush your graham crackers into a super fine powder, like this. You really don’t need a lot. Just a few crackers (I crushed far too many).

Pastry bag filled with marshmallow mixture being piped onto meringue circles

Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow creme and another bag with the ganache. Flip half of the macarons over and pipe a circle of marshmallow creme around the bottom. Don’t pipe all the way at the edge, though, because it will spread out as you add the top macaron shell.

Chocolate ganache filled in center of meringues

Then add ganache inside the marshmallow creme. See, the creme kind of holds the soft ganache in place like a fence. :D

Filled Macarons

Then add the top macaron shell and press down a little to make the filling go all the way to the edge. Some of the ganache will likely squeeze out of its “fence”.

Dipping finished macarons in crushed graham crackers

Dip the macarons in the crushed graham crackers to make it stick to the marshmallow. Try to dip them right away, though, because the marshmallow dries a little and becomes less tacky as it sites. You can coat the entire circumference or just do half for a nice visual effect.

Finished Smores Macarons

And that’s how you make a S’mores Macaron! A little involved, but really, really fun!

Close up of S'mores Macaron with bite taken out

And totally decadent!

Don’t want to bother? Sucré ships their goods, so check out their online shop!

Official Sucré Macaron Challengers!

     
     
     
     
     
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Comments

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  1. These were delicious, but I only ended up with 12 and had waaay too much marshmallow filling and ganache (like half leftover). I’m not sure what I did but I’ll probably just double the cookie part next time.

    Also, I found the marshmallow mixture was way easier to spread while still cold, otherwise the cookie pieces slide around when you’re trying to roll on the graham cracker. You will only need like one graham cracker btw.

    1. Whenever I have fillings left over, I make crepes. These leftovers would be fun with a little of the graham crackers sprinkled on top and a strawberry, if you wanted to make it a “virtuous” fruit dessert ;-) .

  2. I made these awhile ago and loved them. Every component came out perfect. Beth’s instructions were clear and easy to follow. I took some of these to a friend who had just moved from NYC and she said these are legit! I’ve got my whole family obsessed with your site, Beth!!! Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! 

  3. I needed to make some kind of cookies for a baking challenge a group of mine is doing, and I stumbled across this recipe. I’ve always wanted to make macarons, and this recipe actually made them seem obtainable. My boyfriend and I tried it together as a date night, and we had lots of fun! My piping skills definitely need some work, as I had some wonky circles, but otherwise I’m really pleased with how they came out. Thank you for making these accessible to the novice bakers among us!

  4. I’m allergic to almonds and wanted to give these a try. Most online recipes I can find recommend using pumpkin flour, a baker I met recently suggested coconut flour. Do you know of the ratios would be the same?

    1. Sorry we haven’t tried the recipe that way yet! Let us know if you decide to give it a try with the alternate flours.

    2. Hi Dom, not officially affiliated with the site, but any nut or seed flour should be able to take the place of the almonds.

  5. If I wanted to follow this recipe but use almond flour rather than grinding almonds, what would be the amount to use and would it affect the end result?

    1. Honestly I’m not sure what the equivalent volume of almond flour would be. It may also vary, depending on how finely ground the almond flour is as well. I haven’t worked much with almond flour in the past, but with what little I have, I have noticed that not all brands are the same texture. So that is one problem you may come into with using pre-ground almond flour. If it is not fine enough, the macarons won’t have the correct texture.

      1. I just successfully made this with Bob’s super fine almond flour, 2/3 cup measured like flour (pouring into the measuring cup and leveling with a spoon) and then blended with the other ingredients in a food processor and a sifted through a strainer like the recipe said, and it worked *perfectly*. 

  6. I’ve got the shells in the freezer and plan on making the creme and ganache on Tuesday for our home group potluck. I’ve been eager to try macarons for a few years now, but so intimidated and disappointed in my past attempts. Thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe! The shells turned out pretty awesome. I’m genuinely so excited for this baking challenge!! Do you have any other fun macaron flavors you like to make? I need to keep practicing :) :) :)

  7. I’m not sure if this is a silly question, but would you be able to use a blender to make the super fine powder for the shells? I don’t currently own a food processor and I’m not able to afford one right now, even a cheap one. I do however have a blender and would be willing to try to make it work instead.

    1. Unfortunately, I don’t think that will work. Blenders don’t churn properly without a good amount of liquid. :(

  8. Thanks for the recipe for marshmallow creme, Beth.

    I make a cheesecake adapted from an old 1976 Betty Crocker recipe (from the very first cookbook I ever owned) that used Betty Crocker’s fluffy white frosting mix. If they make it anymore, I’m at a loss to find it anywhere locally.

    So being an obsessive label reader, I remembered the ingredients. I theorized that marshmallow fluff would be a good substitute, and my experiment proved true to the theory.

    Fluff is tough to find. Sometimes it with the peanut butter; other stores stock it with baking supplies. Sometimes its placement seems totally random to me.

    Anyway, it’s a lot more expensive than your recipe.

    I don’t like an overly sweet cheesecake, preferring to let the tang of the Neufchâtel come through, so the sweetening in the fluff is all the sugar I use.

    I may even undertake the macarons someday, but I have to admit they intimidate me. I’ve never had one, so have no model, and there’s a very long thread on the eGullet food forum about troubleshooting them.

    I’m definitely making this marshmallow creme component next time I go for cheesecake, after I use up the 1/2 tub of commercial stuff I still have.

    That’s another great thing: I won’t have to buy more than I need for the recipe, and then worry about using it up before I want another cheesecake. That’s not too often, because though I adore it, my waistline does not. :-)

    1. I have to admit, though, this marshmallow fluff does not hold up quite as well as the store bought (they may use some sort of stabilizer?). After a couple days in the fridge it begins to deflate a little.

      1. I read that part about the deflation, but I think after baking, it may not be an issue.

        I’ll also use the leftover yolks in the recipe.

        I think after the bake, it’ll set the egg and cheese. It certainly seems worth a try to save some money, and let me make just the amount I need.

        The ingredients on the leftover tub I purchased at the dollar store are: corn syrup, sugar, dried egg white, vanillin. At least it isn’t high fructose corn syrup, and I could do without the fake vanilla. Maybe the dried egg whites contribute to the stability, removing the water content of the eggs. I believe the cheesecake will lose a bunch of moisture from evaporation during baking.

        Anyway, I’m giving it a try, and I’ll let you know how it works. It may be a while because I have to limit my calorie dense intake.

        Thank you so much for your content rich site.