Key Lime Macarons have classic french macarons shells that have been dyed green then filled with a tart whipped lime curd. They have a delicious balance of flavors and textures that will make you fall in love with macarons!
Macarons are one of my favorite things to make, but they are definitely tricky. That being said, it is so possible to master a macaron recipe. 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!
If you're looking for more macaron recipes check out these Brown Butter Macarons, Snickerdoodle Macarons, or Matcha Macarons.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Macarons are so beautiful! They are visually appealing all of their own, but the green color makes them even more so. My Red Velvet Macarons are also vibrantly colored.
- The textural difference between the crunchy exterior and the soft, chewy interior with the creamy filling makes for a perfect bite. These Lemon Lavender Macarons have the same delicious texture.
- They provide a baking challenge. They require more work than your normal cookie, so they will test your baking skills.
- Macarons will impress anyone! They are my favorite dessert to break out when I want to impress a crowd.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Be sure that you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Having your eggs at room temperature will make it easier to whip them.
- Green Food Coloring will give the macaron shells color. I recommend using a powdered food coloring or gel food coloring for best results. This is optional and can be left out. I use matcha powder to naturally color my Matcha Macarons.
- Lime Juice will add the key lime flavor to the french macarons. I recommend using fresh lime juice.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- The egg white can be replaced with aquafaba to make these macarons vegan. The proportions will not be the same.
- There are endless variations for macarons and you can find a lot of them in my macaron recipes!
- If you aren't into the whipped lime curd you can make a lime buttercream for the macaron filling instead.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
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. Add one or two drops of food coloring at this point, if desired. 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. 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 6: 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 7: Place the key lime 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 8: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. They should peel off the mat easily.
STEP 9: When the macarons are cooled peel them off of the mat and match each shell to another that is the same size.
STEP 10: In a medium heat-proof bowl whisk together the sugar, lime juice, egg, and egg yolk. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and add the butter. Let the mixture cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally. You will know the curd is ready when a thermometer reads 180 degrees (F) or when it is the consistency of mayonnaise.Remove the curd from the heat and cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap. This will prevent the curd from forming a skin on the top. Place the curd in the fridge until fully cooled.
STEP 11: In a medium bowl use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Be sure not to over whip.
STEP 12: When the curd is cooled gently fold the curd into the whipped cream until fully combined.
STEP 13: Transfer the whipped lime curd to a piping bag and pipe your desired amount onto the inside of a macaron shell. Sandwich another macaron shell on top.
Expert 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.
Recipe FAQ's
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.
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 Key Lime Macarons are no exception
Macarons are French or Italian (depending on the method) cookies made with powdered sugar, almond flour, egg whites, and granulated sugar. They have two cookie shells sandwiched together with a sweet filling, usually a buttercream or ganache. Macarons are much more finicky than macaroons.
Macaroons are a coconut-based cookie mixed with sweetened condensed milk and egg whites.They are baked in rounded scoops until the tops become toasted. I have a delicious Chocolate Caramel Coconut Macaroon recipe.
Room Temperature: Macaron can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. I wouldn't recommend this, though, because they can become stale quickly.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container key lime macarons will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: Macarons freeze and thaw extremely well and can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to two months.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Key Lime Macarons or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Key Lime Macarons
Ingredients
For Macarons:
- 3 large (100 grams) egg whites
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ⅔ cup (200 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour
- 1 drop green food dye optional
For Filling:
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (48 grams) lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 large (50 grams) egg
- 1 large (15 grams) egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter cubed
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream cold
Instructions
For Macarons:
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or you can use parchment paper if you don't have one.
- Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar and almond flour until fully combined and rid of lumps. Sift the combined dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you do not have a food processor you can just sift.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. Beat the egg whites on low speed with a hand mixer until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. If you want to add any food coloring, do it now, but use it sparingly or you will make the meringue too liquidy.
- Add the french meringue into the dry ingredients and begin to gently fold. The batter should be fully combined and not streaky. When you are able to make a figure 8 with the batter in one motion, the batter is ready. If it is too runny it has been over-mixed.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe 1-inch disks on to the silicone mat.
- Tap the cookie sheet on the countertop 3 or 4 times to get rid of any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
- Allow the macarons to rest for an hour or until the tops of the macarons have dried. You will be able to gently run your finger over them without anything getting on your finger.
- Preheat the oven to 280 degrees (F).
- Place the macarons on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet and bake for another 5 minutes, rotate the pan one last time and bake for 5 minutes. 15 minutes in total.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- If the macarons were baked correctly they should easily peel off of the silicone mat.
For Filling:
- In a medium heat-proof bowl whisk together the sugar, lime juice, egg, and egg yolk.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and add the butter.
- Let the mixture cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- You will know the curd is ready when a thermometer reads 180 degrees (F) or when it is the consistency of mayonnaise.
- Remove the curd from the heat and cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap. Place the curd in the fridge until fully cooled.
- In a medium bowl use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Be sure not to overwhip.
- When the curd is cooled gently fold the curd into the whipped cream until fully combined.
- Transfer the whipped lime curd to a piping bag and pipe your desired amount onto the inside of a macaron shell. Sandwich another macaron shell on top.
Notes
- 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.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kaylan says
How long will these last in the refrigerator?
Ellie Haley says
I recommend about a week in the fridge!
Jade says
Love your recipes! I've made several of them and am so grateful that they have such clear directions, which leads to a high success rate. I was a bit surprised this one calls for 260 degrees... the other recipes with the same shell said 280. Curious why the change?
Thanks!
Ellie Haley says
Yay! I'm happy you love them. Honestly, that was a typo that I missed. Thank you for pointing it out!
Jade S says
These are insanely good. Probably our favorite macaron recipe so far- had to try it because key lime pie is my favorite dessert- and they were incredible as a light, fun switch up.
Double the filling and save it to eat on graham crackers- you’ll thank me later 😉