Pecan Pie Macarons

Pecan Pie Macarons have a classic french macaron shell that has been sprinkled with crushed pecans and filled with brown sugar and pecan American buttercream. They taste just like pecan pie without the stickiness of pecan pie filling!

Macarons are one of my favorite things to make, but they are definitely tricky. They have a mind of their own and one wrong step in the recipe can totally change the end result. BUT they are also so fun to make, a major win when you get them right, and delicious no matter how they end up looking.

That being said, it is so possible to master macarons. I compiled a Step-by-Step Macaron post with all of my best tips and tricks for making the best macarons possible. It has all of the steps and tools that I use every time I make macarons and I can promise you it will get you closer to being a macaron master!

What is macaronage?

In order to make french macarons, you have to do a process called macaronage. This is where you fold the wet and dry ingredients together in order to achieve a smooth, shiny, and flowing mixture. A good way to tell if you have done the macaronage stage correctly is if you can hold up the spatula and draw a figure 8 with the mixture without it breaking off.

Ingredients for Pecan Pie Macarons

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice French Macarons:

• Powdered sugar. This will aid in the flavor and structure of the finished macarons.
• Almond flour. Be sure that you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
• Egg whites. Having your egg whites at room temperature will make it easier to whip them.
• Granulated Sugar. Sugar will give structure to the beaten egg whites.
• Pecans. I put mine through a food processor to get them pretty finely crushed, but you can also crush them by hand.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Pecan Buttercream:

• Powdered Sugar. This will sweeten and firm up the icing.
• Unsalted Butter. Make sure the butter is thoroughly softened too.
• Heavy Cream. This will make the buttercream extra creamy and pipable.
• Vanilla Extract. Vanilla is a must in baked goods just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
• Brown Sugar. This will help give the french macarons the pecan pie flavor.
• Pecans. See above note.

Macaron tips

• If possible, make your macarons on a less humid day. You will need to rest the macarons for longer and they might not turn out as well on a humid day.
• Don’t over mix the batter. You only need to macaronage until you can make a figure 8 with the batter. If you over mix the macarons will spread too much.
• Wipe the bowl down with vinegar before adding the egg whites to whip. Even a speck of leftover dish soap or fat (egg yolk, butter, etc.) will inhibit the egg whites from whipping up properly.
• Let the macarons rest before eating. Macarons are best when they have matured for 12 or so hours. So after you fill the macarons, let them rest overnight for the best flavor.

How to make Pecan Pie Macarons

FRENCH MACARONS

STEP 1: Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

STEP 2: In a food processor add the powdered sugar and almond flour and pulse until fully combined and rid of lumps. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor you can just sift the ingredients together.

STEP 3: In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. Beat the egg whites on low speed until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

STEP 4: Add the french meringue into the dry ingredients and begin to gently fold with a silicone spatula. This process is called macaronage. You will know the batter is ready when the ingredients are fully combined and not streaky. You should be able to hold the spatula above the bowl and draw a figure 8 smoothly without the batter breaking off. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe 1-inch disks onto the prepared cookie sheet.

STEP 5: Firmly tap the cookie sheet onto the counter 3 or 4 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles. If desired, you can sprinkle the chopped pecans over the wet macarons.

STEP 6: Let the macarons rest for an hour. There needs to be a dry layer on the top. You should be able to run your finger over the top without any transferring to your finger.

STEP 7: Preheat the oven to 280 degrees (F). This is the temperature that I have found works well for my oven, but you may need to play around with the temperature.

STEP 8: Place the pecan macarons on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet, bake for another 5 minutes, and rotate the cookie sheet again, bake for 5 minutes. 15 minutes in total.

STEP 9: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. They should peel off the mat easily.

STEP 10: When the macarons are cooled peel them off of the mat and match each shell to another that is the same size.

Pecan Pie American Buttercream

STEP 1: In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until it is very soft and creamy.

STEP 2: Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined.

STEP 3: Add the rest of the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 5-6 minutes.

STEP 4: Add the brown sugar and chopped pecans. Mix until combined.

STEP 4: If the buttercream is too thick add the heavy cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE PECAN PIE MACARONS

Step 1: Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. I use this bag and this tip

Step 2: Pipe your desired amount of icing onto the inside of one macaron shell.

Step 3: Sandwich another macaron shell on top and enjoy!

Can I make macarons ahead of time?

For sure! I make macarons ahead of time pretty often and they always still taste amazing. If I am making macarons more than a day before I want to serve them I freeze them. They will freeze well for about two weeks. Just pull them out of the freezer about an hour before you are ready to serve them and they will thaw out perfectly. These Pecan Pie Macarons are no exception!

More Macaron Recipes

• Chai Macarons- french macarons with a chai spiced filling.
• Pumpkin Butter and Dark Chocolate Ganache Macarons- macarons with a dark chocolate ganache filling and a dollop of pumpkin butter.
• Butter Pecan Macarons- pecan macarons shells and butter flavored buttercream filling.
• Ginger Macarons- a french macaon shell flavored with ginger and filled with a pumpkin cookie butter filling.

More Macaron Recipes From Kitchen 335

• Pumpkin Spice Macarons- a classic french macaron shell flavored with pumpkin spice and a sweet pumpkin spice buttercream.
• Earl Grey Macarons- a french macaron shell that is flavored with earl grey tea and a honey-flavored American buttercream.
• Chocolate Ganache Macarons- a classic french macaron shell that has been dusted with cocoa powder and filled with a silky chocolate ganache filling.
• White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons- a french macaron shell that is filled with a decadent white chocolate raspberry ganache and then topped with a dollop of white chocolate and dusted with freeze-dried raspberries.

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