Blueberry Lavender French Macaron Recipe
These Blueberry Lavender French Macarons combine delicate, crisp shells with a smooth lavender buttercream surrounding the most delicious blueberry compote. If you’re looking for a stunning dessert to impress guests, this recipe is it.
This flavor combination is perfect for many occasions, the biggest one coming up being Valentine’s Day. I love this combination so much, I’ve made a few other recipes using it. My One Bowl Blueberry Lavender Bread comes together in one bowl and is a great example of how well these flavors go together. You might also want to give my Blueberry Lavender Scones with Lavender Glaze or my Easy Blueberry Lavender Turnovers a try.
A note about culinary lavender
Although all varieties of lavender are technically edible, only a few varieties are used for culinary purposes as they have a better taste. Be sure to buy lavender labeled ‘culinary’ and you’ll be good to go.
Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients are needed to make these macarons. Most of the flavor in macarons comes from the filling, and this filling will definitely be packed with flavor. We’ve got the white chocolate buttercream frosting surrounding our homemade blueberry jam. The lavender flavor is in the shells. Side note-if you love white chocolate buttercream, give my White Mocha Buttercream French Macarons a try.
- Egg whites I like to separate the egg whites at minimum the morning of when I am going to make the macarons. This is for the aging process as well as to get one step of the macaron making process out of the way. I have aged the egg whites for 24 hours and have found no real difference between egg whites that have been separated the morning of.
- Almond flour You want to get blanched, fine-ground almond flour. This will help ensure the tops of our macarons are as smooth as possible. It’s readily available in most grocery stores and Amazon.
- Blueberries You can use fresh or frozen blueberries to make the filling. I go blueberry picking every year so I always have frozen blueberries in my freezer. I love farm fresh berries, and supporting my local farmers.
- Lavender Make sure the lavender you use is culinary grade. It’s processed in a different way, making it suitable for human consumption. You can find it on Amazon or specialty food stores.
For the full list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Let’s Make This!
The process for making macarons is simple. It’s knowing when the batter is done that’s tricky. When making macarons, we want to weigh the ingredients. Cup measurements are not as exact as weighing and we want to be as exact as possible. Please visit my Easy French Macaron Guide for Beginners for more tips and tricks to make incredible macarons.
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together. Sifting these ingredients helps ensure we get the smoothest tops we can get, along with using fine-ground almond flour.
Whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks. You’ll be able to hold the bowl upside down without the meringue moving once they’ve reached stiff peaks. If we’re using extract, it’s added to the egg whites before they are whipped.
Fold the egg whites into the flour/sugar mixture until we get a cohesive batter, known as ‘macaronage.’ Before I fold in the egg whites, I like to add food coloring if I’m using it. I add it to the meringue and then it gets mixed in when I’m making the macaronage.
Pipe the batter onto our baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper. Bang the trays on the countertop a few times to remove air bubbles. Let the shells rest for 30 minutes in dry weather; in humid weather, it will take longer-potentially more than an hour.
Bake the shells in an oven pre-heated to 310 F for 15 minutes. I’ve also started putting a sheet pan on the rack above the macarons to help prevent them from getting discolored.
Make the blueberry filling
The blueberry filling for these macarons is divine! I could have eaten that by itself. It’s super simple to make with just a few ingredients- blueberries, sugar, extract (if using), corn or vegetable starch, and water. Blueberries, sugar, extract, and a bit of water are added to a pot and simmered. A corn/vegetable starch slurry is added to thicken the mixture, and wa la- you’re done.
Filling the macarons
Match the shells up in pairs and flip one over for each set. Pipe some white chocolate frosting around the edge of the flipped over macaron. Don’t make it too thick. Then, add some of the blueberry compote in the middle, about 1/2 a teaspoon or so. Sandwich with the matching shell being careful not to squish the cookie too hard. You don’t want to crack the shell or press out the filling.
Decorating the tops
This is the fun part! I love the look of the dried icing on the macarons with the lavender sprinkled on top. It’s so beautiful! It’s really simple to achieve. Just mix 1 cup of powdered sugar and 5 teaspoons of milk. It will make the glaze just thin enough, but not so thin that it won’t dry nicely on the shells. Once you’ve made the icing, transfer it to a small ramekin. This makes dipping the macarons easier. Dip the top of the macaron in the icing. Just the top, you don’t want to go down to the feet. Pull the macaron out of the icing and let the icing drip off until it slows down. It takes only a few seconds. Turn the macaron over and make a circular motion with it to prevent the icing from running down the sides as the icing starts to solidify. It’s ok if there’s a little bit of drippage, in my opinion, it adds some character. Once you notice the icing is starting to solidify, set it down. Sprinkle it with a bit of culinary lavender buds for a beautiful decoration.
More macarons to try
- Vanilla Bean French Macarons
- Peppermint White Chocolate French Macarons
- Fig and Honey French Macarons
- Raspberry Vanilla Bean French Macarons
Frequently Asked Questions
For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie.
To freeze the shells, first lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Line the container with parchment paper, and put parchment paper on each layer of macarons. Freeze them for up to one month. Thaw the macarons in the fridge overnight and decorate as normal.
To freeze-filled macarons, follow the same instructions. Not all filled macarons freeze well due to the type of filling they have. Buttercream and ganache would freeze well. Fillings like jams or curds would not hold up well after being thawed out, so it is recommended not to freeze those types.
A great macaron starts with weighing your ingredients. Cup measurements just don’t get the exact measurements you need. The egg whites must be whipped to stiff peaks. A strong meringue makes for a strong shell that is less prone to crack. Be sure you have mixed your batter to the proper consistency. The batter should flow like honey off of the spatula when it’s done. You want to be sure your macarons have formed their skin before baking. A properly formed skin helps prevent the shells from cracking.
A perfect macaron will have a smooth top due to the fine-ground almond flour used in the recipe. It’s also due to creating the perfect macaronage. The filling should be smooth and reach all the way to the edges without spilling out. The crust of the cookie should be thin and break easily when biting into the macaron. It should not be thick, nor should it be too hard and shatter. The interior of the cookie should be soft and chewy, not mushy. The feet should not be too tall, nor should they be tiny. They should extend upward just enough, and they should not extend out over the sides. The macaron should be sweet enough, but you should be able to taste the flavor of the cookie without the sweetness overpowering it.
Blueberry Lavender French Macarons
Ingredients
Lavender Macaron Shells
- 105 grams egg whites
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 130 grams almond flour
- 75 grams granulated or caster sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon lavender extract
Blueberry Compote
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or vegetable starch
- 1 tablespoon water
White Chocolate Buttercream Filling
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon white chocolate (2 squares)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
Decorating Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Separate the egg whites (105 grams) from the yolks about 24 hours ahead of when you will be making the macarons. Don't worry if it's not quite 24 hours. To separate the eggs, crack the shell as close to the middle as you can get. Pass the yolk back and forth between the half shells until all of the whites have separated out into your bowl. You may want to do this over a small bowl first in case some of the yolk gets into the whites.
- Line two large baking sheets with either silicone mats or parchment paper. Set them on a flat surface.
- Weigh out the almond flour (130 grams), powdered sugar (130 grams), and granulated or caster sugar (75 grams) into separate, small bowls. Use superfine flour so you get smooth tops. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites to a clean metal bowl. Add the cream of tartar (1/4 teaspoon) and lavender extract (1/2 teaspoon). Whip the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy and the whisk leaves track marks in them. Now it's time to add the granulated sugar. Add the sugar in 3 separate batches with the beater running on low speed. Once you've added all of the sugar, turn the beater on high.
- You will see the egg whites begin to build volume and start to look a little more solid. They will also turn a bright white color. After about 5 minutes, stop and check for doneness. They will most likely not be done and will still be runny. Continue whisking. The egg whites will start to look thick and the whisk will leave deep track marks. You are looking for the egg whites to form stiff peaks. This is when you remove the whisk from the egg whites and they come to a point without melting away. They will form a 'peak' with possibly just a slight curve. You will also be able to turn the bowl upside down and they will not move. This is the meringue. Add 2 drops of purple gel food coloring to the meringue. You don't need to mix it into the meringue; it will mix in once you start folding it into the flour/sugar mixture.
- Add the meringue to the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture in 3 batches. You won't be able to mix it all together until you've got all the meringue in there, but it's easier to do it this way. It will look very dry at first. As you continue mixing, it will come together. I like to use a spatula with a rounded side. It seems to move along the bowl easier, allowing me to scrape the sides and fold everything inward. The mixing is what takes the air out of the batter, allowing it to form the honey-like consistency we are looking for. The batter should flow off your spatula like honey without breaking, and you should be able to form a figure 8 with the batter that's flowing off the spatula. It should sink back into itself in 10 seconds. Then it's ready.
- Using a large pastry bag and a small, round tip (I like the Wilton 12 tip), fill the pastry bag with the batter. I like to use a large cup to set the bag into. Twist the bottom just above the tip and fold it over before putting it in the cup. This will prevent the batter from pouring out the bottom into the cup. Fold the sides over the cup and spoon the batter into the bag.
- Take the cup over to where your prepared pans are. Lift the bag out of the cup, hold the top closed, and gently squeeze the bag to push the batter down towards the tip. Work quickly as the batter will keep flowing out of the tip once it starts. If you have the mats with the macarons stenciled on them, then aim for the middle of each stencil. There should be a dot in the middle. Holding the bag upright, count to four and gently squeeze the batter onto the mat. Repeat this process until you have filled all of the circles or run out of batter.
- Bang the trays firmly on your countertop to remove any air bubbles. I also go through with a toothpick and lightly pop any air bubbles I see. Let the macarons rest for 30-40 minutes (longer if it's humid out) so they can form their 'skin'. You should be able to lightly touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger, and they will feel smooth.
- Now it's time to bake them. Bake each tray one at a time on the middle rack for 13 minutes in a 315 F oven. The macarons will look matte on top, and they will not jiggle when you move the pan. I like to preheat my oven about halfway through the macarons resting.
- Once the macarons are done baking, let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to continue cooling down. Once they're cooled down, they can be filled.
Blueberry Compote
- Add 1 cup of blueberries to a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Stir until everything is incorporated. Continue to stir intermittently as you wait for the mixture to simmer. This doesn't take long, a minute or so. Don't let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pan.
- In a small container, I use a small measuring cup, add 1 tablespoon of starch (corn or vegetable), and add 1 tablespoon of water. Stir the mixture until the starch is fully mixed in with the water. You will know it's fully mixed in when it is all liquid and no powder remains. Add the starch slurry to the fruit mixture while stirring the fruit mixture. As you continue to stir, you will see the fruit mixture start to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture has fully thickened. This shouldn't take more than a minute. There you have your blueberry compote. I like to quickly add the compote to a glass bowl and let it cool down for about 10 minutes before sticking it in the fridge to fully cool down. You want the compote to be completely cooled before adding it to the macarons.
White Chocolate Frosting
- The filling is a simple buttercream frosting. Beat the softened butter (1/4 cup) until it's smooth, about 60 seconds. Melt the white chocolate (2 squares or 1/4 cup of chocolate chips) in the microwave in a glass container in 10 second bursts until melted. Be careful, the container the melted chocolate is in can get very hot. Use a towel or oven mitt to handle the hot container.
- Add the powdered sugar (1 cup) and melted white chocolate. Beat on low until it starts to incorporate with the butter, then turn it up to medium until it's fully mixed together. It will clump up. Turn the mixer off. Add the milk (2 teaspoons.) Beat on high until everything is mixed well and the frosting is smooth.
- Fill a pastry bag with the frosting, fitted with the Wilton 12 tip. Match the shells by size, flipping one over of each pair. Holding the filled pastry bag upright, line the rim of the flipped-over shell with the frosting. We're making a dam to hold the blueberry compote. Spoon about 1/2 a teaspoon of blueberry compote into the middle of the shell. Sandwich the shells, being careful not to crush them.
- To decorate the top of the macaron, make the icing by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3-5 teaspoons of milk. You want the icing to be thin enough so its a bit runny, yet thick enough so it will harden up on the macaron. Add the icing to a small ramekin, making it easier to dip the macarons. Dip the top of a macaron in the icing right before you reach the feet, then gently pull it upward. Let some of the icing drip back into the bowl before turning the macaron over. I like to turn the macaron shell in a circular motion as the icing dries. This helps prevent it from spilling down the sides too much. Sprinkle some lavender buds on top and you are done.
- Refrigerate the macarons for 24 hours to let the flavors fully develop. Honestly though, just eat one. If you don't have time to refrigerate them for that long, they're still delicious.
Notes
- For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie.
- For best results, follow the recipe as written.
- Be sure to only use gel or powdered food coloring. Liquid food coloring can make the macaron batter too wet.
Nutrition
About Author
I absolutely love this recipe and I know you will too! The blueberry lavender compote is amazing and so easy to make. It tastes so delicious with the white chocolate buttercream.