Salted Caramel Macarons

Once upon a time, I used to think that the balance of salt and caramel seemed a little odd. However, after trying it, I can easily say that I've been converted into a fan.

Especially since these macarons use homemade salted caramel, they really can't be beat. And don't worry, making salted caramel from scratch is much easier than you might think.

🥘 Ingredients

Macaron Shells

• Almond Flour - Bob's Red Mill is my favorite brand of almond flour, but you can use any store-bought brand. Try to find one that is labeled as ultra-fine.
• Powdered Sugar - Confectioner sugar is the second part of your dry ingredients.
• Egg Whites - For best results, measure your egg whites into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap with some holes poked into it, and let them age in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, remove them from the fridge and let them come up to room temperature.
• Cream of Tartar - You could leave out the cream of tartar if you don't have any, but I recommend using it as it creates a sturdier meringue.
• Sugar - Regular white granulated sugar is all you need.

Salted Caramel (below, left)

• Sugar - Caramel is made up of melted sugar, so grab some standard white granulated sugar.
• Butter - You'll want your butter to be at room temperature when you add it to your melted (and very hot) sugar.
• Heavy Cream - Some heavy cream thins the mixture out.
• Flaky Sea Salt - I highly recommend flaky sea salt to get the best flavor. I don't recommend swapping it for different varieties of salt.

Salted Caramel Buttercream (above, right)

• Butter - Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it can easily cream together with the other ingredients.
• Confectioners Sugar - Powdered sugar will thicken and add sweetness to your buttercream.
• Salted Caramel - Let your homemade salted caramel cool to room temperature before adding it to your buttercream.

🔪 How To Make Salted Caramel Macarons

I won't lie, these macarons are not the quickest treat to make. But trust me when I say that they are definitely worth the effort!

I prefer to make my homemade caramel sauce the night before so it has plenty of time to cool off. You will need a saucepan, a kitchen scale, your stand mixer, some baking sheets, piping bags, mixing bowls, a glass jar, and a silicone spatula.

This recipe will make 20 fully assembled macarons or 40 macaron shells.

Prepare the Salted Caramel

Step 1: Turn on the heat. Place a heavy-duty saucepan onto your stovetop and add 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar. Then, turn on the heat to medium (photo 1).

Step 2: Start stirring. Being to stir very frequently (about every 30 seconds). As the sugar heats up, it will begin to clump up before smoothing out and melting (photos 2 & 3).

Step 3: Add butter. As soon as the sugar has melted completely, immediately remove it from the heat and add 6 tablespoons of butter while you continue stirring constantly (photo 4). It will bubble a ton, which is normal.

Step 4: Stir in the remaining ingredients. Continue stirring as you pour in the ⅓ cup heavy cream and ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (photo 5).

Step 5: Cool. Once everything is combined (photo 6), pour the salted caramel into a glass jar and let it cool completely before using it (photo 7).

Make the Macaron Batter

Step 6: Add. In the bowl of your food processor, add 125 grams of almond flour and 125 grams of confectioner's sugar (photo 8).

Step 7: Blend. Pulse the food processor several times to form a fine mixture. Then, sift the mixture into a large bowl and set it aside (photo 9).

Step 8: Start making the meringue. Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk 100 grams of egg whites and ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar (photo 10) until soft peaks form.

Step 9: Add sugar. Very gradually add 80 grams of sugar to the egg whites while continuing to mix until everything is fully combined (photo 11).

Step 10: Keep mixing. Continue to beat the meringue until stiff peaks form (photo 12).

Step 11: Start mixing the batter. Scoop ⅓ of the meringue into your flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it in until it is combined (photo 13).

Step 12: Repeat. Repeat this process with the remaining ⅔ of the egg whites, only adding ⅓ at a time, and gently folding in between each addition.

Step 13: Finish folding. After the last bit of the egg mixture has been added, continue to gently and slowly fold the macaron batter until the batter reaches the right macaronage consistency (photo 14, see top tip below).

Pipe & Bake the Macarons

Step 14: Prepare. Transfer the macaron batter to a piping bag with a round tip or a storage bag with the tip cut off. Prepare your baking sheets with some parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Step 15: Pipe. Pipe the macarons onto your parchment paper (or silicone macaron mat) in 1½-inch circles, making sure to space them at least ½-inch apart from each other (photo 15).

Step 16: Remove the air bubbles. Firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter 5 times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles that you might see.

Step 17: Let them rest. Allow the macarons to rest on the counter at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or until they are dry to the touch and no longer tacky.

Step 18: Preheat. While the macarons are resting, go ahead and preheat your oven to 300˚F (150˚C/Gas Mark 2).

Step 19: Bake. Once ready, bake the macarons for 13-17 minutes, or until the macarons don’t move on their feet if you give them a gentle nudge.

Step 20: Cool. Remove the macarons from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes (photo 16) before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 21: Drizzle (optional). If you like, you can add a drizzle of your salted caramel onto half of your macaron shells (for the tops), as well as a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (photo 17).

Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream

Step 21: Beat the butter. In a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter (photo 18). Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it for 1 minute until the butter has become light and fluffy.

Step 22: Mix in the sugar. Add 1½ cups (180 grams) of confectioners' sugar (photo 19) and mix until combined (photo 20).

Step 23: Add caramel. Finally, add ¼ cup (59 grams) of salted caramel and mix again until the buttercream is well combined and smooth (photo 21).

Assemble

Step 24: Prepare the piping bags. Scoop the buttercream and salted caramel into separate piping bags with a round tip (or storage bags with the corners cut off).

Step 25: Pipe. Take a bottom macaron shell (one without a caramel drizzle) and pipe a ring of salted caramel buttercream around the outer edge. Then, squeeze a small amount of salted caramel into the center of the ring (photo 22). Repeat this process with your remaining macaron shells.

Step 26: Chill. For best results, place the macarons into an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, allow them to come up to room temperature and serve.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• Make the caramel in advance. You can't use your salted caramel until it has cooled completely, so I recommend making it the day before you intend to make your macarons. 
• Have stiff peaks. Make sure that your meringue reaches stiff peaks before you add it to your dry ingredients. Underwhipped meringue can cause a lot of issues.
• Try a piping tip. I used a Wilton 12 tip for both the macarons and the buttercream. If you don't have any piping tips, you can always use a storage bag with the tip cut off. 
• Use a template. Macaron baking mats make piping macarons much easier, as they keep all of your shells the same size. However, if you don't have a mat, you can always print out a template, trace circles onto parchment paper, or buy parchment paper that has the template already on it.
• Remove any moisture or fat. Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with some vinegar before getting started. This will remove any traces of oil or water, which could keep your meringue from forming. 
• Avoid overmixing the batter. Don't overmix your batter, as it will cause your macarons to flatten out. The consistency should be thin enough to let the batter fall from your spatula in a figure 8 that sinks back into itself within about 10 seconds. If it is faster than this, it's overmixed. If it's slower, keep folding to thin it out some more.
• Pop the air bubbles. Air bubbles will cause your macarons to crack. After piping them, firmly bang the baking sheet onto the counter to pop the air bubbles. Then, use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles that you can still see. 

🥡 Storing

Your salted caramel can be stored in your fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Fully assembled macarons can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing

Your shells can be made ahead of time and frozen for later. Let them in the fridge before adding your filling.

You can also freeze fully assembled macarons. Go ahead and let them bloom in the fridge for 24 hours before popping them into the freezer. Thaw macarons in the fridge before serving.

❓ Salted Caramel Macarons Recipe FAQs

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