Chai Spiced French Macarons
I have loved chai for as long as I can remember. It was my first drink I had at a coffee shop. Overly sweetened, of course, but I didn’t know any better. Chai is one of those flavors that instantly feels warm and comforting, making it the perfect twist for these macarons.
Chai spice macarons are easier than they look, but the key is to fold the batter until it flows like honey off the spatula. Mixing the spices into the dry ingredients and then combining everything thoroughly ensures the shells bake up smooth, airy, and perfectly balanced, with warm chai flavor in every bite.
Serve these chai macarons on a brunch tray and watch people reach for seconds before their coffee cools. The spices hit first, then the sweet vanilla filling sneaks in, making each bit a little surprise. They’re the kind of dessert people talk about afterward-not just for Valentine’s, but anytime you want to impress without overcomplicating things.
Make it brunch
To make this a full brunch spread, add the following recipes:
Ready to make them? Don’t worry-these macarons are easier to make than they look. Check out my Basic French Macarons for Beginners post for all the tips and tricks for making the perfect macaron.
Ingredients
Just a few, high-quality ingredients are needed for macarons.
- Almond flour Make sure it’s finely sifted for those smooth shells.
- Powdered sugar Adds sweetness and helps create the smooth shells macarons are known for.
- Egg whites From fresh eggs, no liquid egg whites here. I like to separate my egg whites ahead of time. It makes the whole process flow smoother if you do this. Plus, it gives the egg white proteins a chance to relax, helping to form a stronger meringue. 24 hours ahead is great, but I also will do it the morning I am making the macarons.
- Granulated sugar Sugar helps the egg whites whip into a beautiful meringue.
- Cream of tartar Helps with the stability of the meringue.
Candace’s Tip: Be sure to only use glass or metal bowls to whip egg whites in. Plastic harbors fat residue which will prevent your egg whites from whipping into stiff peaks.
Let’s make chai spice macarons
Step 1- Making the macaron shells
Macarons are intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of them, they become easier and easier to make. At the core, you’re just whipping egg whites into stiff peaks (the meringue), then mixing the meringue with sifted almond flour and powdered sugar to form the macaron batter, known as macaronage.
- The batter should be the consistency of honey
- Use the ‘figure eight’ test to check readiness before piping
Pro Tip: Do not use liquid egg whites or meringue powder. Liquid egg whites are pasteurized, which is not ideal for making meringue. Meringue powder is not strong enough to form and hold stiff peaks.
Step 2- Pipe and dry the shells
Once it’s ready, pipe the batter onto two baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- I love silicone mats with printed circles- they’re reusable and help ensure even sizing and spacing.
- Let the macarons rest until a skin forms before baking.
Pro Tip: Macarons struggle to dry properly in humid weather. Use a fan or dehumidifier to speed up the process if needed, though you don’t want the fan blowing directly onto the shells.
Step 3- Bake the macarons
Bake at 300°F for 14 minutes (adjust as needed for your oven). The shells should feel dry to the touch and not be wiggly. Let them cool for 10 minutes at least before attempting to remove them from the pans or the tops may separate.
Step 4- Fill the macarons
Once the shells are cooled, it’s time to fill and decorate.
Filling and decorating the macarons
The filling for these macarons is a simple chai buttercream. Once the shells have cooled and you have matched them by size, flipping one over, you can start piping the filling onto the one that is flipped over. I like to use either the Wilton 4B or 2A tip and a reusable piping bag.
Add about a nickel sized amount to each flipped over shell. When you are done. gently sandwich the shells together. I don’t press directly downward when sandwiching, I like to do a gentle circular motion as I sandwich them together. This helps prevent cracking the delicate shells.
If you want, you can add the vanilla drizzle. It’s just powdered sugar, a bit of milk, and some vanilla. Mix together until smooth. I use a spoon to drizzle, but you can use a small bottle with a piping tip if you want clean lines. After the drizzle, sprinkle some cinnamon over the macarons, and then you’re done!
A balanced diet is a macaron in each hand.
FAQs
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.
There are a couple reasons your macarons could be cracking. If you don’t give them a long enough resting period, they could crack. Remember, they need to be dry on top. Depending on your climate, this could take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour. If you don’t whip the meringue to stiff peaks, it will be weak thus making the macaron shells weak and more prone to cracking. You could also have an oven temperature that is too high. You may want to invest in an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is set to the right temperature.
Start with making sure the meringue has stiff peaks. This helps make a strong shell that’s less prone to cracks. Be sure not to overmix or undermix the batter. This takes practice. Remember the figure eight test, and that the batter should flow like honey off the spatula. Bang the trays of filled shells on the counter to remove air bubbles. Be sure macarons have formed the appropriate skin before baking. You should be able to run your finger gently over the macaron and have no batter transfer onto your finger. Most importantly, practice makes perfect!
More macaron recipes to try
If you made these, I’d love to know how they turned out. I’d also love it if you left me a star rating and a review.
Ingredients
- 105 grams egg whites
- 130 grams almond flour, blanched, finely ground and sifted
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 75 grams granulated or castor
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Chai Spice Buttercream
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
Vanilla Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside. Set up the piping bag to pipe the shells. Add a Wilton 12 tip to a piping bag, add this to a large cup, folding the tip up before adding it in, fold the top down around the cup.
- Weigh out the almond flour (130 grams) and the powdered sugar (130 grams).Using a fine mesh sieve, sift 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, almond flour and powdered sugar together in a large glass or metal bowl.
- Add the egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer, but it can be tough on your hands and arms. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy and no longer liquid. The whisk should leave track marks in the foam. Turn the speed down and add the granulated sugar in three batches, waiting a few seconds in between each addition.
- Once you've added in all of the sugar, turn the speed up to medium-high, which is between 4 and 5 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. You'll see the egg whites begin to build in volume and turn a glossy white color. The whisk will also start to leave track marks in the whites and will look thick. After a few minutes, you can stop the mixer and check for stiff peaks. If the meringue runs off the whisk, it's not ready. Keep going for another few minutes and then check for stiff peaks. If it's almost ready at this point, I'll turn the mixer up a little bit higher and let it run for 30 seconds before checking again. When the meringue is done, it will form a stiff peak when you pull the whisk out. It may have a slight curve to it, but it should not flop over. If it does, continue mixing the meringue in 30-second bursts at the higher speed and checking for stiff peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, add the meringue to the flour/sugar mixture in three batches. It won't mix together completely until you have added all of the meringue. Add one drop of pink gel food coloring to the batter. Continue mixing until there are no dry ingredients. We are essentially deflating the meringue and making a cohesive batter. Once the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, use a circular motion with the spatula against the side of the bowl to continue mixing the batter. Do a few circles around the bowl, then bring the spatula through the batter. Do this process a few times, then check for the 'honey-like' stage. The batter should flow off the spatula like honey without breaking. You should be able to draw a figure eight with the batter that will sink into itself in 10 seconds when done. You don't want to overmix the batter, so check for doneness after every few passes.
- Once the batter is done, add it to the piping bag. Take the cup over to the lined baking sheets. Take the bag out and, holding the top closed just above the batter, squeeze the batter down gently so it just starts coming out. Hold it a bit sideways until you get over the baking sheets. Holding the bag upright, pipe the shells onto the baking sheets. If you are using the silicone mats with the stencils, you can aim for the dot in the middle of the circle. Count to 4 while piping, then move on to the next circle. Continue this process until you have filled the sheet pans or run out of batter. If you don't have the preprinted circles, just start from the top, going across before moving down. Leave about 2 inches in between each piped circle to allow it to spread out.
- Now that all the shells are piped, it's on to removing the air bubbles. Bang the trays firmly on your countertop a few times. This helps to dislodge the air bubbles in the shells. I also like to go through with a toothpick and pop any remaining air bubbles I find.
- Let the shells rest so they form their skin. This should take from 30-40 minutes. In humid weather, this can take longer. If the weather is really dry, it could take less time. When the skin is formed, you'll be able to touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger. Preheat the oven to 300 F about halfway into the shells resting.
- Now that the shells have formed their skin, it's time to bake them. Bake the sheets individually in the oven on the middle rack at 300 F for 14 minutes. The tops will be matte and they will not jiggle on their feet when they are done. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack
- When the shells are cooled, it's time to fill them. Match the shells by size. Flip one over of each pair.
Chai Spice Buttercream
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter until it's smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat until incorporated with the butter. You may want to start slowly, as the powdered sugar tends to fly everywhere while it's being blended. Add the tablespoon of milk and blend until smooth. Add in the next 1/4 cup of powdered sugar along with the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
- I like to use a Wilton 2A tip to fill these macarons. Add the tip to a pastry bag and fill with the chai spice buttercream. Squeeze about a nickel-sized amount of filling onto each flipped-over shell. Gently sandwich the filled shell with its partner.
Vanilla Drizzle
- Add one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk to a small bowl. As you mix it together, it will start to get clumpy and dry. Add one more tablespoon of milk and the 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and continue mixing until it smooths out. You can also sift the powdered sugar before adding the milk if you want.
- I use a spoon to drizzle the macarons, but you can use a small piping bottle with a small tip if you want cleaner lines.
- After you've decorated your macarons, pop them in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors mature so you get that perfect chewy-yet-crispy texture.
- Yay! You've completed a batch of macarons! Be proud of yourself. Not everyone is willing to try their hand at baking delicate cookies.
Notes
- Beat egg whites just until stiff peaks form, then stop.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter. Once it flows like honey and passes the figure eight test, stop mixing.
- Use only glass or metal bowls for the meringue. Plastic bowls can hold onto fat residue, which disrupts the creation of meringue.
- Store macarons in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week for maximum freshness.
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